New Publication Alert! Beyond a Buzzword: Advancing Disability-Inclusive Co-Design Research

Beyond a Buzzword: Advancing Disability-Inclusive Co-Design Research   

 

How can we make co-design more than just a trend in disability research — and ensure it truly delivers inclusive, impactful outcomes?

In their latest open-access publication, Dr Kelsey Chapman, Joyce Yi and team from The Hopkins Centre and Inclusive Futures: Reimagining Disability at Griffith University call for a transformative shift in how disability-inclusive co-design research is understood, described, and reported. They highlight that while co-design holds huge promise for engaging people with lived experience of disability, inconsistent definitions, unclear reporting, and lack of shared language risk reducing it to a hollow buzzword rather than a rigorous and accountable approach. 

This research is important because it doesn’t just critique current practice — it offers urgent, actionable recommendations to build capacity, promote transparency, and strengthen the integrity of disability inclusive research. By improving how co-design is defined, taught, and reported, research becomes more meaningful, equitable, and impactful for people with disability and the communities that care about inclusive outcomes. 

👉 Read the full paper here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40900-025-00831-y

 

Acknowledgements

The Hopkins Centre – Kelsey Chapman, Michael Norwood, Kelly Clanchy, Camila Shirota, Jessie Mitchell & Ellizabeth Kendall

IFRD: Kelsey Chapman, Joyce Yi, Maretta Mann, Ellizabeth Kendall

The School of Allied Health, Sport and Social Work, Griffith University – Kelly Chanchy

Dept of Marketing, Griffith University – Joan Carlini

Funders: Metro South Health, Griffith University, NIISQ, MAIC.