DESIGNING FOR DIGNITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION
Monsoon 2025 | The Design Village × NLR India Foundation
THE CHALLENGE
In collaboration with NLR India, TDV explored how design can address the persistent social stigma surrounding leprosy. Despite medical advances, misinformation, fear, and discrimination continue to limit access to opportunities, reinforce exclusion, and affect the confidence and participation of individuals and families living in leprosy-affected communities.
01
Field Immersion
Understanding stigma, information gaps, behaviours, and existing support systems.
02
Context Research
Translating research into opportunity areas through systems thinking and design insights.
03
Insight Synthesis
Developing scalable communication, engagement, and identity-building interventions.
04
Design Strategies
Taskbox VI & IX | 2nd & 3rd Year Undergraduate Learners
Academic Mentor: Kapil Vachhar
Learners: Naina Kamboj, Saumya, Muskan, Archit, Apoorva Singh, Hanshika Srivastava, Kanak Singh, Karampta Ikshita, Sanjana Garg
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Over fourteen weeks, multidisciplinary learner teams engaged with NLR staff, community members, and stakeholders through field visits, observation, interviews, participatory activities, and systems mapping. The research focused on understanding lived experiences, identifying barriers to inclusion, and uncovering opportunities for communication and community-centred design interventions.
FROM INSIGHT TO INTERVENTION
The research revealed that stigma is driven not only by misinformation but also by limited opportunities for confidence, self-expression, and community participation. In response, learners developed three design interventions focused on awareness, youth empowerment, and positive identity-building.