Design Meets Disability
Reading this article made me reconsider how we think about assistive devices. The author argues that the way we design things like hearing aids, prosthetic limbs, or wheelchairs often focuses only on function without paying attention to design or how it makes people feel. He suggests that assistive technologies should be treated the same way we design phones, clothes etc.
One of the examples that stood out to me was how eyeglasses used to be seen as purely medical devices, but now they’re fashion statements. In contrast, hearing aids are still often designed to be hidden, as if there’s something wrong with having them.
He also talks about prosthetics and how some people prefer high-tech or artistic designs over realistic-looking limbs. I really liked the idea that people should have choices between and stylish and not purely functional options too. That feels way more empowering than just trying to hide the fact that someone uses an assistive device.
Personally, this reading made me think about how design can either reinforce stigma or break it. If we design assistive tech as something to be hidden, we’re basically saying that disability is something to be ashamed of. But if we treat it as a space for personal expression, that makes people with disabilities feel more confident.