Design Meets Disability
This reading made me reconsider how I think about design in the context of disability. The leg splint designed by Charles and Ray Eames specifically really stood out to me, because it was initially created to help injured soldiers, but ended up influencing furniture that became iconic. Its actually fascinating how something made for a medical purpose could also be seen as beautiful and timeless. This really challenges the idea that medical or assistive products don’t need to look good, and that their purpose somehow makes good design less important. This made me think about how we often overlook the innovation that can come from designing for smaller, more specific needs, and how that innovation can influence much broader areas. What stayed with me most was the idea of tension between problem-solving and creative exploration in design. The author describes how the Eameses worked within two different approaches, so one that focused on solving practical issues, and another that played with form and possibility. That mix led to some of their most important work. It made me wonder why design for disability today is still so dominated by clinical or technical thinking. Where is the space for imagination and experimentation? This feels like a missed opportunity, and I think if more designers brought in artistic and playful approaches, we might see tools and products that are not only more effective but also more meaningful and engaging for the people using them.