Intellectual Disability Living Lab: Co-Design, AI, Ageing and Independent Living

Saint Lazarus – Experts by Experience Living Lab

Saint Lazarus Centre for Adults with Disabilities (Kentro AmeA “Agios Lazaros”) is a non-profit based in Larnaca, Cyprus since 1995. We support approximately 67 adults with intellectual disabilities through Day Services, Vocational Rehabilitation and Supported Employment, and Supported Living. PIC: 937507232 | OID: E10045250.

Our services extend LEARN – WORK – LIVE – PARTICIPATE. We are developing an Experts by Experience Real-World Living Lab in which adults with intellectual disabilities help shape, test and evaluate services, technologies, information and environments. We aim to translate rights into measurable improvements in autonomy, inclusion and quality of life.

FIVE INTERCONNECTED RESEARCH PRIORITIES

1. Meaningful co-design and participation

We are developing opportunities for adults with intellectual disabilities to participate as testers, reviewers, co-designers and evaluation contributors. Participation must be meaningful: people's preferences must influence design choices, adaptations and research decisions, with changes documented.

2. Cognitive accessibility and technology

We examine whether people actually understand and can use information, services and technologies. Our practical method is REAL SERVICE → TEST → IDENTIFY BARRIERS → SIMPLEST ADEQUATE ADAPTATION → RETEST. Our proposed framework covers comprehension, recognition, task performance, preference and support required. Areas of interest include Easy Language, accessible public and digital services, assistive technology and AI-supported communication.

3. Person-controlled AI for independence

We are exploring a concept for an adaptive AI personal independence companion that could help with daily routines, understanding information, communication and informed choices across settings. The person should retain control. AI must not decide on their behalf or replace relationships, professional judgement or necessary human support. Research questions include accessibility, safeguards, privacy, oversight, effectiveness and risks of creating new dependencies.

4. Ageing and continuity of support

We are interested in how support needs change throughout adulthood and ageing, and how personalised approaches can sustain autonomy, participation and quality of life. Our services offer opportunities for agreed longitudinal observations and for studying continuity across day activities, employment, supported living and community participation.

5. Economic sustainability and equitable access

We seek to collaborate with researchers comparing outcomes, service quality, support needs and total societal costs, including impacts on families and carers. How can countries with different resource levels extend high-quality, rights-based support to more adults with intellectual disabilities? Efficiency must never undermine dignity, safety, meaningful choice or necessary human assistance.

REAL-WORLD PILOT AND DEVELOPMENT AREAS

Our existing Supported Living service offers a real-world setting for testing accessible information, assistive tools and everyday autonomy. Inclusive Work Lab builds on vocational services to explore accessible work instructions, AI-supported learning and workplace adaptations. Understandable City is an emerging direction for testing accessible municipal information, mobility services and AI-enabled public tools. LifePath is an early-stage digital pilot documenting participation, support needs and outcomes. CityHome 5 is a proposed, not yet operational, inclusive smart-home demonstrator for five adults; existing Supported Living is our current pilot environment.

WHAT WE OFFER CONSORTIA

We seek a Horizon Europe beneficiary-partner role with defined responsibilities and budget. We offer participatory co-design; developing Experts by Experience activities; cognitive-accessibility testing; real-world implementation and validation of assistive and AI-supported tools; and observations of autonomy, participation and changing support needs. We can collaborate with specialists on outcomes and economic evaluation. Research requires appropriate consent, ethics, safeguarding and privacy measures. We are a service provider, not a representative organisation of persons with disabilities, and welcome disability-led partners.

EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE AND PARTNERS SOUGHT

Erasmus+ KA120 Adult Education accredited (2024–2027), with European mobility experience; EPR Observer Member since October 2026. We seek experienced coordinators, universities, AI developers, disability researchers, municipalities, service providers and health economists.

Call: HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-STAYHLTH-01.

OUR DISTINCTIVE CONTRIBUTION

We connect lived experience, community services, cognitive accessibility, person-controlled AI, ageing and economic evaluation to establish what works, for whom, with what support and at what societal cost, so more people across Europe benefit.