Inclusive waste separation: co-designed bins empowering visually impaired individuals

Abstract

Purpose: The design of waste separation bins, which relies on the principle of “color”, continues to present a challenge for individuals with visual impairments, necessitating the need for a solution. This research aims to bridge this gap by proposing a novel waste separation bin design tailored to the unique physical requirements of visually impaired individuals through co-design concept. Materials and Methods: Utilising a focus group as a core methodology, a purposive sampling technique was implemented to select the sample group, which consisted of 20 individuals actively involved in waste segregation activities and individuals with visual impairments. Additionally, an evaluation was conducted through semi-structured interviews with 45 visually impaired individuals to assess their satisfaction with the use of the waste bins. Conclusion: The key findings of the study include a new design for innovative separation waste bins that shift from using colours to incorporating auditory signals. Furthermore, the evaluation results reveal that the development of innovative separation waste bins in collaboration with end-users yields exceptional results that enhance usability, user-friendliness and mitigate potential barriers. This culminates in a remarkably high level of satisfaction among users (mean = 4.55, SD = 0.438). This new waste separation is recognised as an innovative solution (patent No. 17547) for visually impaired individuals empowering them to participate actively in waste separation, while the research findings also hold policy implications that promote the integration of inclusive design principles into public infrastructure and services.