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A museum floor changed underfoot and so did my thinking. After a visit to the V&A’s Design and Disability exhibition, I came home energised and unsettled—in the best way—and unpack how inclusive design moves from a nice‑to‑have to the engine of real innovation and dignity. It caused me to question a stubborn myth: that able‑bodied designers solve problems for others. The stories on display point to something richer—design with, led and instigated by Disabled people, where everyday hacks and tools carry more power than glossy manifestos.

I connect those moments to our work in D&T education, including a new chapter by Debi Wynn on inclusion in and inclusion through design and technology. I talk about how accessibility has driven mainstream breakthroughs, like multi‑touch interfaces born from hand pain, and why policies such as the plastic straw ban can miss the mark when they ignore lived reality. Activism enters the frame too—kerb cuts, tactile paving, and accessible transport happened because people organised, pushed, and redesigned the rules.

Hopefully my chatter is practical and provocative: co‑design over token empathy, user research that doesn’t “other” people, modular solutions that embrace edge cases, and assessment that treats inclusion as a core quality attribute.

I also share what fell short—the exhibition book that couldn’t carry the feelings home.

If you care about design that serves everyone, and classrooms that teach students to lead with inclusion, you’ll find ideas here to test tomorrow.

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