“Intergenerational Play Project” in Action: Older Adults Redesign Mobility Tools

Older adults and people with disabilities at the East Rancho Dominguez Community Center and Park recently took part in a hands-on workshop through the Intergenerational Play Project, exploring how creativity and play can inspire new ways of thinking about mobility design.

Using everyday materials like chairs, boxes, and PVC pipes, participants built full-scale wheelchair models that reflected their personalities and needs, adding features such as colorful decorations, comfort elements, and storage spaces.

Led by the Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI), a nonprofit design and community development organization known for creating inclusive, people-centered public spaces, the session celebrated imagination, accessibility, and the lived experiences of older adults and people with disabilities, demonstrating how design can be both functional and joyful.

This session was part of the Intergenerational Play Project, a collaboration between KDI and the Los Angeles County Aging & Disabilities Department. The project aims to design equipment and programs that promote physical activity, social connection, and shared experiences across generations, especially for older adults.

“Wheelchairs were chosen as the focus of the first workshop because they are so commonly associated with aging, yet often carry a stigma or sense of limitation,” said Jerome Chou, Senior Planning Principal at KDI.

“They can be uncomfortable, and some people feel embarrassed about having to use one,” Chou explained. “So, we asked participants to redesign something they’d actually want to use, something inviting, playful, and fun.”

The result? A joyful burst of imagination.

“At the end,” one woman told me, “it was just like we were kids again, playing,” Chou said. “That’s exactly the spirit we’re going for, not just in the workshop but in the equipment and programs we co-create through this project.”

A second design-and-build session was held on October 20, this time focusing on mobility and play in shared spaces. Participants explored new ways to make walking more social and enjoyable and brainstormed how to adapt existing playgrounds so they can also serve older adults.

After a warm-up with a Tai Chi class led by John Stallings, the older adults went to a nearby playground where they were asked to reimagine how the equipment could be altered so that it’s fun for older adults to use.

“I’m all for that intergenerational activity because we can learn from each other,” Stallings said. “When younger, middle-aged, and older generations come together, there are always lessons to be learned.”

“Now it’s our job to take these incredible ideas that people came up with and figure out what this design would actually look like, not using pool noodles, but with metal, and how it would actually work on a real playground,” Chou said.

In a few weeks, KDI will return to the center with designs and seek feedback. From there, funding will be sought to turn the designs into actual prototypes.