Conference “Design for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)”: a significant milestone for the EDIDesK project

On 19 February 2026, the conference “Design for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)” took place at the Faculty of Architecture and Design of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, in a hybrid format, bringing together 144 participants, including 80 onsite and 64 online.

The event was organised by AccessibleEU and the Faculty of Architecture and Design STU, in cooperation with the partner universities of the EDIDesK project  - “Open Access Contents on Design for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion for Higher Education Programmes” - funded by the Erasmus+ programme (KA220-HED) of the European Union.

The conference represented an important opportunity to share perspectives, methods and experiences related to the integration of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) into design education and practice. The programme featured contributions from project partners in Italy, Poland, Spain and Slovakia, covering different disciplinary areas, including system design, industrial design, architecture, product design and digital design.

The event also marked an important step forward for the EDIDesK project, as it contributed to the dissemination and discussion of the outcomes of WP3 – “Development of an EU framework on ‘Design for EDI’ and pilot tests with students and stakeholders”. The strong participation and engagement confirmed the relevance of the project’s objectives and the growing interest in inclusive approaches within higher education and design-related fields.

On the day following the conference, project partners also held an internal meeting and workshop to begin the validation phase of the digital platform developed within WP4 – Design and implementation of an open access digital learning platform on “Design for EDI. his working session represented another key milestone in the project, supporting the development of an open-access digital environment aimed at enhancing learning and teaching on Design for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

The conference and the subsequent internal workshop highlighted the collaborative effort of all partners and reinforced the project’s commitment to fostering more inclusive educational frameworks and tools for higher education.

Further updates on the EDIDesK project, including the finalisation of WP3 and the progress of WP4, will be shared soon.

Conference: Design for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

Date: Thursday 19 February 2026. 10.00-14.30 CET

Place: Faculty of Architecture and Design STU, Nam. slobody 19, 812 45 Bratislava, Slovakia

Format: Hybrid

This AccessibleEU event is focused on the European teaching framework for Design and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and creating a more inclusive Europe. 

Organizers: AccessibleEU and Slovak University of Technology - Faculty of Architecture and Design

The conference is co-organised with the European Accessibility Resource Centre - Accessible EU in cooperation with partner universities of the EDIDesK project “Open Access Contents on Design for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion for Higher Education Programmes” funded by the Erasmus+ programme (KA220-HED) of the

European Union.

The conference is focused on the European teaching framework for Design and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) to create a more inclusive Europe. The aim is to raise awareness to improve education in design for EDI and to develop innovative approaches and practices in the fields of architecture and urban design, product design, industrial design, system design and digital design. Presentations will be given by EDIDesK project partners from universities in Italy, Poland, Spain and Slovakia.

Details on the event:

• Target audience: Students and pedagogues of architecture and design, and professionals within the design fields.

• When: Thursday 19 February 2026. 10.00-14.30 CET

• Format: Hybrid

• Where: Faculty of Architecture and Design, Slovak University of Technology, Nam. slobody 19, 812 45 Bratislava. Slovakia.

• Type of event: Awareness-raising

• Language: English

• Accessibility information: Accessible venue. Captioning and sign language interpretation in Slovak.

• How to participate: Free registration

Programme

• 9:30 – 10:00    Registration and coffee

• 10:00 – 10:10   Welcome and introduction 

• 10:10 – 10:40   Putting Design for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion into PracticeEmilio Rossi (University of Chieti-Pescara UNICH, Italy)

• 10:40 – 11:00   Creating a more inclusive Europe Zuzana Ceresnova (Centre of Design for All, FAD STU, AccessibleEU) 

• 11:00 – 11:20   Coffee break 

• 11:20 – 11:40   Design for EDI in the field of System Design (UNICH, Italy)

• 11:40 – 12:00   Design for EDI in the field Industrial Design (ASP - Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Katowice, Poland) 

• 12:00 – 12:20   Design for EDI in the field of Architecture (Faculty of Architecture and Design STU, Slovakia) 

• 12:20 – 13:30   Lunch

• 13:30 – 13:50   Design for EDI in the field Product Design (ELISAVA School of Design and Engineering in Barcelona, Spain)

• 13:50 – 14:10   Design for EDI in the field Digital Design (UNIFI - University of Florence, Italy) 

• 14:10 – 14:30   Conclusions

For more info: www.accessible-eu-centre.ec.europa.eu

Registration is required for this event: REGISTRATION FORM

Online: Conference AccessibleEU_EDIDesK | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams

program_EDIDesK_AccessibleEU_19-20_2_2026_new.pdf

Scarica PDF • 217KB

New Milestone Achieved: D 3.3.1 Published

EDIDesK Project - A New Milestone for EDI-Oriented Design Education

We are pleased to announce the publication of the new deliverable D3.3.1 – Assessment of results produced during the tests with students, a key outcome of WP3 dedicated to the validation of the Teaching Framework on Design for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).

How can Design education shape professionals who are more aware, inclusive, and prepared for today’s social challenges?

This report addresses this question by analysing the impact of experimental modules implemented across five European institutions and presenting:

• Results of the pilot teaching activities in System Design, Industrial Design, UX Research, Architecture, Interaction & Digital Design

• Feedback from students, teachers, and stakeholders, collected through surveys, discussions and participatory evaluations

• Qualitative evidence showing how EDI reshapes the way designers observe, interpret, and design

• Recommendations for improving educational pathways, from managing cognitive load to the need to introduce EDI from the earliest years of study

• Innovation proposals, including micro-credentials, adaptive learning strategies, critical use of AI, and team-based learning approaches

  
  

Key Findings

• Over 85% of participating students reported a strong interest in EDI topics

• More than 90% consider EDI useful for their future professional careers

• The majority stated they improved their design skills, sensitivity, and analytical abilities thanks to the modules tested

This deliverable represents an essential step toward adopting a systemic, scalable, and inclusive educational model, fully aligned with the mission of the EDIDesK Project: to make Design a driver of equality, diversity, and inclusion within society.

📑 You can consult and download all reports in the Documents section

Stay tuned for the first results—we can't wait to share them with you! 🚀

#EDIDesK #DesignForEDI #InclusiveEducation #Innovation #EDUDesign #PilotTests #HigherEducation