The 11th UNESCO-APEID International Conference “Reinventing Higher Education: Toward Participatory and Sustainable Development” was convened in Bangkok, Thailand, from 12 to 14 December 2007.
This research aims focused on assisting disadvantaged and disabled people in communities in the central region of Thailand to develop their products and become empower and self-esteem through participatory design. The methodology of this research was ethnography and participatory action research. There were 200 participants in three communities who involved in participatory design. They are located in Bangkok, Samutprakran, and Nonthaburi province. In each community, there are key stakeholders who are collaborative partners with the research team from universities, local governments, non government organizations (NGOs), and private sectors. The results of this research had varying level of success through participatory and collaboration. These communities have become partnerships in sustainable development with universities, local government, NGOs, and private sectors and keen to take further plan and action to become sustainable communities in the future.
