Week 11 – Reading Response

I find it interesting how smooth was the transition of the perspective on the eyeglasses from the ‘sign of disability’ to a fashionable item. This idea became so popular because of the unique design and style of the eyeglasses that they are bought by people with no issue with eyesight just because they are fashionable, adding to the style and creating an overall image. Hence, eyeglasses became something that we don’t hide but rather emphasize in a stylish way, changing our view on disability as something we have to hide or be ashamed of. 

While reading the article, I started questioning whether the same approach can be applied to bigger items such as wheelchairs. Although for now there is not much to do for the design of the wheelchairs, their functionality is advancing day by day. However, it is not an absolute solution as not all the facilities in the urban and rural areas are made for wheelchairs. I feel like they consider themselves as people with disabilities mostly when there is a hardship in the movement in the city as not everything is made accessible. Therefore, I believe that not only the design of the items for accessibility should be improved, but also the things all around should be designed to be accessible. 

Although the transition for other items is not as fast as with the eyeglasses, I appreciate the work of designers in trying to make other disability items through the changes in the design of the items, raising awareness about their normality in the magazines, etc.

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