At the Royal College of Art
'Fully Equipped,' the March 2000 Audit Commission report was an unequivocal wake-up call to small businesses, service providers and government. In no uncertain terms, it described the negative effects of the poor design endemic to the disability aids and equipment sector and the need for a reform of current practices.
Organised by the HHRC's Small Business Programme and the Design Business Association (DBA), The DBA Design Challenge is a creative response to this situation. It illustrates and underscores the key role design can play in improving quality of life for disabled and older people.
Design firms work with expert users and small businesses to devise prototypes for a new generation of products and service with inbuilt functionality and mainstream styling. By providing beacon exemplars of inclusive design, it aims to highlight the potential for innovation and business opportunity in a growing but hitherto neglected field.
Details of past DBA Challenge entries can be found in our journals Challenge and Innovate, and full transcripts of each event can be downloaded by following the links on the right.