Rens Brankaert (editor) - Dementia Lab 2021: Supporting Ability Through Design: Proceedings of the 5th Dementia Lab Conference, D-Lab 2021, January 18–28, 2021 (Design For Inclusion, 2)

The book series Design for Inclusion publishes studies aimed at untangling the complex relationships between design and society, especially with regard to human diversity and inclusion. The series cover the classical fields of industrial design, such as product design, interior design, service design and communication design, with a special focus on their interactions with other disciplines, such as the physical and social sciences. In particular, the series reports on the latest developments, both theoretical and practical, concerning different approaches to Design for Inclusion: Universal Design, Inclusive Design, and Design for All. It shares insights into their multiple, interdisciplinary relationships with both the human sciences and the transversal frameworks and approaches typical of Human-Centered Design (HCD) and Design for Sustainability. Design for Inclusion addresses a very broad readership, including designers, engineers, architects, social scientists and stakeholders, who deal with any of the topics mentioned above and their various implications. It publishes volumes fostering scientific advances, as well as books devoted to supporting education and professional training. These include monographs, edited books and conference proceeding. Outstanding PhD theses on emerging topics, if properly reworked, may also be considered for publication. This book series is published with the support of EIDD - Design for All Europe.

More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/16456

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After a year of change and challenges, we are pleased to invite you to read the proceedings of Dementia Lab 2021, centred on the theme of Supporting Ability. These proceedings contain papers and ideas presented virtually at the fifth installment of the conference, hosted by the Health Design Lab at Emily Carr University of Art and Design.

The Dementia Lab is an inclusive multidisciplinary community including designers, artists, researchers, health professionals, carers, and people living with dementia. This years event and the papers contained here, highlight issues and innovations surrounding ability and disability, focusing on ways we can engage with people living with dementia that are not determined or limited by what they cannot do, but instead embrace ways in which they are able to contribute.

The papers in these proceedings speak to the themes of: (1) engagement: ethics of inclusion and shifting the culture of care to one focused on both personal independence and reconnecting with the community; (2) empowerment: new ways of designing with/for those living with dementia, embracing challenges and tackling stigma to break negative stereotypes and preconceived opinions; (3) identity: approaches to countering social isolation, retaining personhood/dignity and fostering empathy.

The ideas and conversations presented here reflect on how design and research efforts can lead the way in uncovering, supporting and enhancing the abilities of people with dementia and the community within which they live by involving them in the conversation. Little did we know when we conceived of this conference theme, that a pandemic would further challenge all of us to reconsider approaches to inclusion and participation. Supporting ability in the past year has taken on new forms as designers, researchers, carers and people living with dementia have adapted to working and collaborating in new ways, facing unforeseen challenges and making the best of new opportunities. A few papers in these proceedings speak to emerging strategies for virtual engagement, furthered by live discussions and workshops in the virtual Dementia Lab 2021 event.

This years event was organized by the Health Design Lab at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, in collaboration with the events founders from the LUCA School of Arts (Belgium), and design researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology (The Netherlands). A core focus of the work in the Health Design Lab is centred on the use of participatory design methods to support culture change within long-term care homes, amplifying the voice and choice of people with dementia and those living in care. In adapting to the pandemic by shifting to a virtual event, the theme of inclusion for this conference is enhanced, by enabling a wider range of participants from around the world to tune in.