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Lesson 1 of 14
  • Year 10

What is inclusive design?

I can explain what inclusive design is and why it matters for mental health and wellbeing.

Lesson 1 of 14
New
New
  • Year 10

What is inclusive design?

I can explain what inclusive design is and why it matters for mental health and wellbeing.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Inclusive design considers human differences, including mental health and wellbeing, going beyond basic accessibility.
  2. Inclusive products are designed with flexibility to adapt and meet diverse individual needs.

Keywords

  • Inclusive design - designing products, spaces or services that work for as many people as possible, considering different abilities, needs, and experiences

  • Accessible design - designing specifically to remove barriers so people with disabilities can use a product, space or service

  • Mental health - a person’s emotional, psychological, and social state, which affects how they think, feel, and act

  • Wellbeing - the state of feeling healthy, happy, and comfortable in everyday life

  • Flexibility - the ability of a product or space to be adjusted or adapted so it can meet different people’s needs

Common misconception

Inclusive design and accessible design are the same thing.

Accessible design is about making sure people with disabilities can use something. Inclusive design is about making sure everyone can use it, by thinking about all kinds of differences, including mental health and wellbeing.


To help you plan your year 10 design and technology lesson on: What is inclusive design?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Use case studies, personas, or fictional scenarios rather than asking students to share personal experiences. This keeps the discussion safe and inclusive, while still helping students build empathy and understand diverse user needs.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of mental health issues

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Designers need to consider the needs of the when designing a product.

Correct Answer: user, users

Q2.
Match the design term to its meaning:

Correct Answer:prototype,an early version of a product to test ideas

an early version of a product to test ideas

Correct Answer:idea,thought or suggestion for solving a problem

thought or suggestion for solving a problem

Correct Answer:feedback,opinions from others to improve a design

opinions from others to improve a design

Q3.
What is a key step in the design process?

guessing what people need
Correct answer: researching and understanding the problem
copying another designer’s work
ignoring user opinions

Q4.
Which of these shows good design thinking?

ignoring feedback from people using your product
Correct answer: trying different ideas to see what works best
making one design and never changing it
only thinking about how it looks

Q5.
Match the design term to its meaning:

Correct Answer:function,what the product is meant to do

what the product is meant to do

Correct Answer:aesthetics,how a product looks or feels

how a product looks or feels

Correct Answer:user needs,what the people using the product require or expect

what the people using the product require or expect

Q6.
is the study of designing products or spaces so they are comfortable and safe for the people who use them.

Correct Answer: ergonomics, ergonomic

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these best describes inclusive design?

design only for people with disabilities
Correct answer: design for as many different people as possible
design only for aesthetics
design that is cheap to make

Q2.
Match each keyword to the correct definition:

Correct Answer:flexibility,the ability of a product or space to adapt to different needs

the ability of a product or space to adapt to different needs

Correct Answer:wellbeing,how comfortable, safe, and healthy a person feels

how comfortable, safe, and healthy a person feels

Correct Answer:mental health,a person’s emotional and psychological state

a person’s emotional and psychological state

Q3.
Which of these is an example of flexibility in design?

a chair bolted to the floor
a door that only opens one way
Correct answer: a desk with adjustable height
a fixed-size desk

Q4.
Which of the following statements is correct?

Inclusive design and accessible design are exactly the same thing.
Inclusive design only focuses on mental health.
Accessible design is always better than inclusive design.
Correct answer: Accessible design removes barriers, but inclusive design goes further.

Q5.
Which product feature best supports wellbeing?

a chair available in only one size
Correct answer: an app with calming colour themes and reduced notifications
a door that requires heavy pushing to open
a website with only small, fixed text

Q6.
Design that removes barriers so specific groups of people can use products or spaces is called design.

Correct Answer: accessible