Living with dignity project.
When most people think of the AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) virus, what comes to mind is 'doctors, nurses, drugs and suffering people'. This paper looks at the work of a group of technologists for whom, when they think of the AIDS virus, 'buckets, garden hoses and broom-sticks' come to mind. With the help of a number of people who are antibody positive for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), ATprojects (a Papua New Guinea-based non-government organization) developed a range of household implements that are now allowing people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) to live the remaining months of their lives with a greater degree of dignity. The Living with Dignity Project has taken an unconventional approach to the task of helping PLWHA that uses unique participatory methods to identify the need for and to actually design products for use by PLWHA. Its thoroughgoing focus is on the practical daily needs of the poorest and sickest in our community.