The Emancipatory Design Manifesto: Let's Suppose that Disability Does Not Exist

Jon Dag Rasmussen, Anne Britt Torkildsby

Research output: Contribution to book/anthology/report/conference proceedingArticle in proceedingResearchpeer-review

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Abstract

In this paper we present and propose the concept of Emancipatory Design (ED), which is an alternative way of thinking about the human being and the ever intricate relations between people, design, architecture and the built environment. The paper is given the form of a manifesto and has the overall aim to reflect critically on the possibility of design as a practice that potentially carry emancipatory effects in the everyday lives of particular human beings. Defining ED, we draw on notions from philosophy and the history of ideas to challenge the concept of human disability often at play in writings concerned with design and architecture. This approach allows for a provocative, disruptive and experimental attempt to relativize and cancel the notion of disability – and, subsequently, to explore the possibilities inherent to this maneuver in the realm of design thinking. With ED we propose a concept that works as a contribution to the community engaged in Universal Design (UD), as well as a gentle objection and critique of the abstract and intangible element of universality at play within this tradition.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationTransforming our World through Universal Design for Human Development : Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Universal Design (UD2022)
EditorsIlaria Garofolo, Giulia Bencini, Alberto Arenghi
Number of pages9
Volume297
Place of PublicationAmsterdam
PublisherIOS Press
Publication date2 Sept 2022
Pages3-11
ISBN (Print)978-1-64368-304-1
ISBN (Electronic)978-1-64368-305-8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Sept 2022
EventFifth International Conference on Structures and Architecture (ICSA2022) - Aalborg, Denmark
Duration: 6 Jul 20228 Jul 2022
Conference number: 5

Conference

ConferenceFifth International Conference on Structures and Architecture (ICSA2022)
Number5
Country/TerritoryDenmark
CityAalborg
Period06/07/202208/07/2022
SeriesStudies in Health Technology and Informatics
Volume297
ISSN0926-9630

Keywords

  • Emancipatory Design
  • Critical and Existential Design
  • Speculative Design
  • Universal Design
  • Manifesto
  • (dis)Ability

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