INCLUDE London 2026

2026 sees the 40th anniversary of the original New Design for Old exhibition, which Lady Helen Hamlyn curated in the Boiler House at the V&A in 1986.

To mark this momentous moment in time, INCLUDE 2026 takes place in September at the Royal College of Art in Battersea, London.

INCLUDE 2026 will offer a space to pause, reflect and critically examine the ongoing evolution of inclusive design.

We will explore how design research and practice considers ageing, gender, diverse abilities, neurodiversity, economic status, culture and social identity.

We are pleased to announce some of our keynote speakers at the INCLUDE 2026 conference. The talks will contribute to the broader discourse of the conference that will reflect on the historical evolution of Inclusive design, its role in the world today and the future.

• Roger Coleman - Professor Emeritus, Royal College of Art
• Lise Autogena - Professor of Cross Disciplinary Art, Sheffield Hallam University
• Graham Pullin - Professor of Design and Disability at DJCAD, University of Dundee

The conference will allow us to envision its future role in shaping products, services, environments and beyond including, but not limited to, more inclusive approaches and solutions around healthcare, wellbeing, ageing, ability, work, housing and transport. We will explore how design research and practice considers ageing, gender, diverse abilities, neurodiversity, economic status, culture and social identity.

We invite participation in the conference through presentations, workshops or posters.

Submission criteria

Presentations: 400-word abstract that clearly describes for example, positioning papers, research projects, case studies. We also welcome alternative formats (e.g. non-text, such as video, image, audio)

Workshop: 1,000-word summary describing topic, structure, format, facility and resources required. Workshop proposals should assume participants numbers of 10–20.

Posters: A1 posters (digital files). 250-word summary detailing the area of focus (related to inclusive design), methods and outcomes.

To submit please complete the Call for Submissions - INCLUDE London 2026 web form.

• Deadline for submissions: midnight on Sunday 12 April 2026
• Submission responses: midnight on Thursday 30 April 2026

Registration dates and costs of attendance will be announced shortly: 

• Deadline for Early Bird registration:  TBA
• Deadline for Full Rate registration:  TBA

If you have any queries please email [email protected]

• Professor Paul Chamberlain, Professor of Design and Co-chair, Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design
• Dr Chris McGinley, Senior Research Fellow
• Dr Katie Gaudion, Senior Research Associate
• Anthony Shepherd, Research Centres Manager
• Michaela Cullen, Research Centres Administrator