This project introduces “Ledemaatje,” an interactive product designed to help older adults with mild intellectual disabilities (ID) stay active in a fun, independent way. Physical activity (PA) is essential for one’s well-being, yet barriers like caregiver dependence and limited access often stand in the way for people with ID. Ledemaatje aims to change that by offering a low-barrier, engaging solution that encourages movement and social connection. Developed through participatory design, this project focused on creating an accessible and motivating experience shaped by direct user feedback at every stage.

Research into the context of living with ID and current PA interventions shaped the project’s design goals and criteria, emphasizing autonomy, accessibility, and social engagement. The development phase involved multiple interactive sessions with three older adults with mild ID, living at a residency at the organization ‘s Heeren Loo. Observations and feedback gathered during each session were leading for the design direction of this project. These sessions revealed that performing activities in a group setting were effective in prompting PA but there was still a dependency on external motivation. Further testing focused on understanding user responses to different stimuli, and levels of autonomy,

Ledemaatje’s final design enables semi-autonomous use, allowing residents to interact with the product in a group setting while requiring minimal caregiver support. Ledemaatje uses automated movements, to prompt users to push, pull, and engage with the device, promoting upper-body movements not typically used in daily activities. These interactions are further enriched by sound cues, such as applause, rewarding users and providing a positive interaction experience.

Evaluations with residents and caregiver in a typical residential setting showed that Ledemaatje effectively promotes PA and social interaction. While participants’ motivation varied depending on the task speed and complexity, feedback highlighted the product’s support for resident autonomy and engagement.

In conclusion, Ledemaatje demonstrates the value of user-centered design, providing a low-barrier, enjoyable PA option. Recommendations include refining the product’s automated features to further minimize caregiver involvement and adding adjustable settings to better suit individual capabilities. This project contributes to the development of inclusive, affordable PA interventions for individuals with ID, fostering a more active environment in care facilities.

Regular physical activity helps to improve the health, fitness and quality of life of people, and prevent or decline aging related health issues. The amount of physical activity in older adults with an intellectual disability is extremely low. Contextual research indicates that this physical inactivity stems, among other things, from previous negative experiences, the habit of being inactive, limitations related to the cognitive and physical disability, and interventions that are not taking into account these limitations. These barriers emphasize the client’s dependence on an external incentive to become physically active, but caregivers of the clients lack time to provide this stimulus. Along with an increased life expectancy of people with an intellectual disability, this increases the need for a physical activity intervention that suits the individual abilities and interests of the clients, while asking minimal time from the caregivers.

Many interventions that have been created for stimulating physical activity in people with an ID, are either not adapted to people of an older age, or not created in (creative) collaboration with the older adults. This project is therefore carried out in close collaboration with six older adults with an intellectual disability, and their caregivers.

Literature and context research showed the current barriers and motivators towards physical activity, from the perspective of the clients, the caregivers, and the physiotherapist in this context. A research through design approach, consisting of creative sessions together with clients, caregivers, and other experts, resulted in a design that is adapted and adaptable to the diverse group of older adults. The design intervention proposed in this project is called the ‘MakiMove’.

The MakiMove is a large, vertical game board that offers fun and active activities to older adults with intellectual disabilities. The product provides a positive experience to the older adults, and simultaneously increases their physical activity. The variety of activities and difficulty levels make the design adaptable to the abilities and interest of the individual client.

Although the MakiMove allows the client to move without much assistance, it is not possible to interact with the concept completely independent of a caregiver or other supervisor. With social contact and encouragement being valuable facilitators for the client, it is questioned whether independent physical activity is the road to take. On this basis, it is recommended to look into how to enable caregivers or other supervisors to play a role in increasing the physical activity of the older adults.

To create a successful experience, it is important to adapt a design to the client’s abilities and interests. To get to know the clients well, they should be involved in the design process. The experiences in this project have led to guidelines for collaborating with the target group, aiming to inspire future researchers and designers to involve this increasing population of older adults with an intellectual disability in their projects.