Design Meets Disability
I always found the medical and disability assistance intended design very hard to work on and hence I never tried to evaluate it on the basis of design or aesthetics, rather than its usability and usefulness. I really liked how author approached the topic, seeing people with disabilities as a specific group of users whose needs and wants are usually not taken into account by the engineers or designers.
I think, like the author said, glasses is a great example of a product, which abandoned the association with disability, since from the moment I started wearing glasses, I never thought of them as a special needs device or assistance (even though they were), rather glasses were like my stylistic choice. When author discussed different cases, the idea of braces came to my mind, since is also became not only the medical tool to correct teeth, but some people are using braces to find a new fashion style for them.
It’s very disappointing to realize that users with disabilities have to compromise between more useful and technological product and product that provides discretion, since apparently those two objectives become conflicting in design. The approach “one fits all” also doesn’t work when we work in inclusivity, even though we seem to target one group – people with disabilities: we must recognize variance in disabilities as well.
In my view, the conviction that accessibility devices should prioritize discretion stemmed from current inability of engineers/designers to produce more confident and accomplished design, which would make users want to be seen.
The chapter introduced me to new concepts, such as appliance and new knowledge about dementia: I wasn’t aware that it is often accompanied by a heightened artistic appreciation and emotional response.