The design process of a web site for those with intellectual disability is being considered a finalist for one of the Victorian Disability Awards.
The category, Leadership in Co-Design, recognises a person with disability who has championed the design process in which stakeholders are equal partners in the design of the product.
Monash Health’s Centre for Developmental Disability Health created the My Lived iD website, involving 10 people with an intellectual disability and 4 carers, in a multi-stage co-design process to shape the design, look, name, feel, interactivity, user experience and content of the web site.
The web site is a hub for people with intellectual disability, as well as for families, carers and healthcare professionals of people with intellectual disability.
Since its launch in July 2022, the My Lived iD website has provided over 3,500 people access to high quality mental health and wellbeing resources, and linkages to accessible mental health services for people with intellectual disability.
The site features approachable, empowering images and videos, including instructional videos of people with intellectual disability, for optimum audience engagement.
An accessibility tool enables users to customise to suit their preferences, including adjusting text size, screen contrast, choosing a language, or by using a screen reader.
The award nomination acknowledged the intersectional co-design approach and the co-designers’ contributions to the site.
The Victorian State Disability Plan recognises the challenges of people with disability accessing mental health services. People with intellectual disabilities experience mental health inequity.
The identification and recognition of symptoms in this cohort is low, which combined with low health literacy levels and poor access to high-quality, accessible information, results in poor outcomes for individuals.
A suite of guiding principles for the co-design included: placing the primary user at the centre of the website experience; ensuring the hub is safe, non-judgmental and inclusive online space, while noting that people with intellectual disability are diverse.
Some of the centre’s co-designers went on to form a Lived Experience Committee to contribute as concept reviewers and advisors.
Congratulations to the CDDH team of Kellie Hammerstein, Disability Initiatives Lead, Dr Megan Stewart, Developmental Disability Medical Specialist, Michelle Templeton, Developmental Disability Clinical Nurse Consultant, and Matthew Yates, Head of the Centre for developmental Disability Health.
The team also acknowledged Reece Adams for his early contribution. Reece identified the need for a digital platform such as My Lived iD and was pivotal in the early project.
The award winners will be announced on 3 December 2024.
