Eating, Design and Disability Workshop
A series of workshops run in conjunction with Reach out RCA to teach GCSE students design methodology and the value of people centered design. The workshop was structured to highlight three essential elements in the design process; Identifying Problems, Coming up with solutions and Presenting the problems and solutions in a clear convincing manor.
Students where divided into three groups, each group focusing on a particular disability which makes it more difficult to eat. Group one was given glasses which simulated macular degeneration. Group two was given a vibrating unit to simulate tremor common in Parkinson's disease. Group three was asked to tape two penny pieces to each others knuckles to represent the bulking and reduced motor movement of osteoarthritis.
The students where then served breakfast cereals and asked to eat creating a platform to draw out the particular difficulties of each disability and an opportunity to map potential design solutions.
They then used their talents to come up with rough models to demonstrate their ideas and presented their findings to the rest of the group.

Breaking into groups: Numbers drawn from hat


Group 1: Macular degeneration sim-glasses

Group 1: Map out problems

Group 1: Make prototypes

Group 1: Present


Group 2: Fit tremor simulator

Group 2: Eating with tremor simulator

Group 2: Planning Prototypes

Group 2: Demonstrating eating aid


Group 3: Simulate austeoarthitis

Group 3: Eating with simulation

Group 3: Pick out materials

Group 3: prototyping