Chloe, who has an intellectual disability, shares her experience and views in a conference paper about being a research participant in a co-design project. The paper outlines her experience on developing social robots to benefit everyone.
Chloe’s quotes based on answers to questions form the basis of the paper. The academic researcher involved in the project reflects on the process of co-design and the nuances of co-design participants and co-researchers. This is just one of several QUT studies using co-design methods with people with intellectual disability.
Chloe works at the head office of a charity that supports people with intellectual disability. She also receives support as a client. Chloe began participating in co-design research at QUT in 2019.
Image: Chloe sits with a microphone on the left with a QUT researcher on the right. Between them is Pepper the robot.
The co-design approach was conducted through interviews and a prototype of a social robot named Pepper. Chloe provided insights into how social robots can improve the lives of people with intellectual disability. In addition, it has given her experiential knowledge of emerging technology and their benefits.
Chloe has built her skills over time as a research participant in a range of technology research projects. In turn, these skills have made her valuable to the design strategy. She can now spend some of her working time as a key member of the research team in the future.
Social robots as coaches
Robots can assist with aspects such as self-regulation and providing reminders. Chloe says she wants see Pepper help people by saying things like “you are doing too much of this, or not doing enough of that”. Chloe has a health condition that sometimes requires hospitalisation. This is where she thinks it could help her a lot.
“Hospitals would be great because [when]I’m in hospital for two weeks, I walk up and down the corridor because I can’t or won’t sit still […] I try and do what the doctors say, but I might not, I know this may not be working so Pepper may be saying, “Alright, just calm down a minute, Doctor is trying to help you.”
Insights on inclusive design for social robots
Chloe’s reflections highlight the moral support aspects that are too often ignored in the assistive robotics work. It’s not just about physical tasks – gentle encouragements are key to the robot’s purpose. Most research tends to focus on independence and considerations for usability.
Involving people with intellectual disability in research projects builds their expertise which then leads to being a co-researcher. Academia has yet to fully recognise the contributions of co-researchers like Chloe. And ethics committees also need to re-consider some of their ideas on “vulnerable” participants. It will be important to follow Chloe as she continues her journey as a member of the research team. There is much to learn by all involved.
The title of the paper is, From research participant to co-researcher: Chloe’s story on co-designing inclusive technologies with people with intellectual disability.
QUT is the Queensland University of Technology.