The world has, traditionally and historically, been divided into disabled and non-disabled people.
People with impairments, tired of being stigmatised, claim disability as a positive identity, thinking of
human identity not from the standpoint of biological determinism but rather from an understanding of
people’s interaction with the built world. As a result, this paper will argue for a move from using
institutionalised segregation emerging from capitalist society as a response to the inclusion problem.
Instead, the paper will propose a new approach to treating disability as part of a wider diversity within
society which includes even those who belong to the minority groups in a community. It will intend to
compare the situation in the US, UK and Chile in order to understand the role of design in excluding or
including people with diverse sensory, motor, mental and mobility capabilities from the workplace. The
paper is divided into four main sections: (i) Models of disability influencing attitudes towards disabled
people. (ii) Capitalism creating exclusion. (iii) Approaching disability from the standpoint of diversity.
(iv) Inclusive Design within the workplace.
Include Asia 2013: Global Challenges and Local Solutions in Inclusive Design, Hong Kong
People with impairments, tired of being stigmatised, claim disability as a positive identity, thinking of
human identity not from the standpoint of biological determinism but rather from an understanding of
people’s interaction with the built world. As a result, this paper will argue for a move from using
institutionalised segregation emerging from capitalist society as a response to the inclusion problem.
Instead, the paper will propose a new approach to treating disability as part of a wider diversity within
society which includes even those who belong to the minority groups in a community. It will intend to
compare the situation in the US, UK and Chile in order to understand the role of design in excluding or
including people with diverse sensory, motor, mental and mobility capabilities from the workplace. The
paper is divided into four main sections: (i) Models of disability influencing attitudes towards disabled
people. (ii) Capitalism creating exclusion. (iii) Approaching disability from the standpoint of diversity.
(iv) Inclusive Design within the workplace.
Include Asia 2013: Global Challenges and Local Solutions in Inclusive Design, Hong Kong
