Up until the early 21st century western society viewed disability as an impairment, something opposite the normality of a healthy body; something to be ashamed of, hidden, ridiculed or even pitied. Charity collection was all about pulling at the heartstrings of ‘normal folk’ who didn’t have to live every day not being able to function ‘properly’.
Fig. 1. Picture of a boy putting money into a spastics society collection box.
In the 70s The Spastics Society used tired looking collection boxes of young, fair haired, boys and girls in callipers, with a slot in their head to collect money. This was seen as normal and complimentary to the cause. In 1979 Valerie Lang became The Spastic Society’s first disabled woman trustee and successfully campaigned to replace the collection dolls. (Scope.org.uk, 2015) In the 80s, the term ‘spastic’ became an insult within the UK, one of the main reasons for this is because of shows like Blue Peter following
the lives of disabled children in an attempt to show disability in a positive light. Consequently in 1994, following a two-year consultation with disabled people and their families, The Spastics Society changed to it’s name to SCOPE.
The title to this paper has changed numerous throughout the research. It was originally inspired by two things. One was an attendance to the Nine Worlds Convention in London in August 2015. The convention itself boasts comprehensive inclusiveness for visible and invisible disability. During one of the performances, which included a sing-a-long, there were a number of printed handouts of the lyrics. As well as ones printed in what is commonly seen as ‘reading size’ there were a few larger print versions so that people with visual impairment could read the lyrics. These books were plainly written and took no design into account. I began to think about how they could be designed differently and maybe even combined with the con-book, a booklet designed to accompany the convention that included times of events etc. I also wondered if that too would need a large print version, and how differently that would need to be designed.
It was after a visit to the Victoria and Albert museum in London where one of the exhibitions was dark and hard to see, I again began to think about how difficult it would be for someone who was visually impaired. It was also noted that the large print rendition of the small exhibition notes, (which for the more able bodied was next to the item it was talking about) was a separate booklet and to one side, away from the items of the exhibition. This could cause a feeling of segregation for someone who was visually impaired. It was then I began to think about how easy or how hard it would be to have adapted the large print to actually be a feature of the exhibition.
As pointed out earlier, it has been traditionally met that the priority for designing for disability is to incite pity or to enable a person to do something whilst simultaneously attracting as little attention to the disability and to them as possible. Like The Spastics Society collection boxes, most medical devices were moulded from an ugly pink plastic that attempted to mimic a flesh like colour, while simultaneously excludes other skin colours, in an attempt to camouflage them. So the question arises should designers change these designs to be more inclusive of disability?
Throughout my research I found that inclusive design, as it is known, is something that has been in trial and error for a while. Companies have been trying to create inclusive and universal designs as well as create designs with the disabled in mind.
Inclusive design is often remarked to be universal design, and applying this has its problems. First off, the people. Everyone has different needs, and so it is easy to exclude someone from a design if it is not accessible to them. Secondly is the expectations of those people. Regardless of their actual ability people have different desires and just want different things. Due to not facing the same problems and desires as someone who is visually impaired, for example, designers can be known to forget to design multifunctionally. With this in mind universal designs can run the risk of becoming complicated. So to tackle this problem designers first need to know the definitions of disability in order to know the parameters of multifunctional and accessible design.
“The World Health organisation recognises disability as a complex interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the environment and society in which the person lives”. (Pullin, 2009: 1) Therefore, my hypothesis is; Can a change in the views of western society and changes in the environment around a person cause them to no longer be seen as disabled and make accessible design less complicated?
Damien Hirsts appropriation of The Spastics Society figure / Fig. 2. Charity (2002-2003)
Thanks to this definition we can break down this paper into two parts. First looking at the preconceptions of western society, and opening a dialogue of what needs to be addressed to change them. Secondly looking at the environment and exploring ways designers can change it in order to make impairment a moot point.
Changing Perceptions
Between 2002 and 2003 artist Damian Hirst used the image of The Spastics Society collection box, talked about earlier, to create a statue in order to trigger conversations about disability.
Kate Ansell, who has cerebral palsy and wore callipers growing up, answered his call in an article she wrote for the BBC saying that “A few people were wandering by, laughing at it, snapping photos with their smart phones… I did feel rather objectified. I don’t think anyone appreciated that there was a connection between me and the statue – and I’m not sure that’s a good thing. For me, the girl is not a redundant artefact of times gone by, and neither are people’s attitudes towards her – they’re still here… I’m not convinced we need a giant statue of a miserable disabled girl in the centre of the city to encourage conversations about disability. There are already loads of them going on… Some of us do already talk about the everyday reality of being disabled on a regular basis. We don’t need Damien Hirst, or anyone else, to encourage us to do that. It would be nice, however, if people were encouraged to listen to us, rather than take selfies with a statue.” (BBC News, 2015)
It appears that all Hirst’s statue did was incite an attitude of moral superiority from people who deemed themselves ‘lucky’ enough to not associate themselves with its image.
It can be argued that changing perceptions has to be seen as encouraging listening to the needs of the disabled rather than using design to make western society feel better by supporting someone is perceived to be worse off. What can designers do in order to incite this change and what is the ideal role in designing with disability in mind?
With this in mind this argument then advocates the use of positive and friendly language while talking about the binary of ability and disability. For the purpose of demonstration and explanation the language used within this text will be complex and sensitive. It will reference to people as ‘(the) able’ and ‘(the) differently able’ as per the English Oxford Dictionary term. The term ‘differently able’ was first coined in the 80s as an alternative to disabled and handicapped on the grounds that it gave a more positive message and so avoided discrimination towards people with disabilities. With this in mind this is the language that will be used. (Oxford Dictionary, 2015)
The perceptions of western society have been shifting to be more inclusive of the differently able over the past few years and moving away from the discrimination of the 70s.
In 2012 and again in 2016, TV Broadcasting channel, Channel 4, became the official broadcaster of the Paralympics. Channel 4 is a British broadcasting television channel that began transmission in 1982. It has primarily been an entertainment channel, airing Big Brother and hosting the Grand National. It has also been the channel for pushing the boundaries of what is seen as normal television viewing.
The Meet the Superhumans adverts for the 2012 Paralympics exploited the popularity of comic book movies of the time such as The X-Men and The Avengers and their main characters having extra ordinary powers while also either being differently able.
Meet the Super Heroes / Fig. 3. X-Men Days of Future Past Poster (2014)
Even the promotional posters used similar imagery as that of a super hero movie. / Fig. 4. Accident, anguish and then redemption (2013)
Channel 4 wanted to show that it was the real life people who were differently able that were the real superheroes and not just comic book manifestations. They called them Super Humans, as these were normal everyday people and not mutants with powers. “Meet the Superhumans was widely-praised for its creativity and impact winning many national and international awards including a Black Pencil, four Yellow Pencils and a Nomination at D&AD Awards 2013.” (D&AD, 2013)
Channel 4’s starting point for the adverts was to get to know the athletes better and to change the perceptions of the general public. They ran a series called ‘Freaks of Nature’ prior to the advertisements, which endeavoured to show that the athletes in the Paralympics were no different to the athletes in the predominant Olympics. “One of the main challenges we faced was overcoming the indifference people felt towards the Paralympics. One of the key ingredients to the idea’s success was the single-minded belief that the Paralympics did not have to be second best to the Olympics and could have its own voice, swagger and attitude,” says 4Creative Business Director Olivia Browne. (D&AD, 2013)
The campaign was such a success that they were asked to be the official broadcaster for 2016 as well. This brought up a new set of problems for Channel 4 as they began asking themselves how they move on from such a successful, original campaign?
Channel 4 took a similar route to 2012, again thanks to the success and launch of a new Bond movie, that outside of the comic book world, the differently able were often seen or cast as the villain. Captain Hook, Blofeld, Voldermort, are just some of the examples of the villainous trope known as the ‘Evil Cripple’. Where popular culture uses the differently able as villains “The Evil Cripple doubles as the Genius Cripple a lot, making them an intellectual threat to compensate for their physical frailty.” (TV Tropes, 2010) A good example where this trope is used is with the movie Unbreakable. Bruce Willis, a known action hero, is the unbreakable protagonist whilst Samuel L Jackson is the evil ‘broken’ genius. (This movie also has the binary trope of evil black vs good white but that is a discussion for a different time.)
“Alternatively, the Evil Cripple can become a physical threat if they use sci-fi enhancements to overcome their disability, such as replacing missing or defective limbs with super-strong Powered Armor or cybernetic parts.” (TV Tropes, 2010) As the majority of the athletes for the paralympics use prosthetics Channel 4 exploited trope and turned it around, to show that the differently able do not always have to be the villain. Channel 4 asked the question why can’t differently able actors also be cast in movies? In the movie, Kingsman, Sofia Boutella, an able actress becomes Gazelle a paraplegic assassin using the power of CGI. So unfortunately some parts of popular western culture still remain taboo. Modern entertainment media still have a preponderance to use the able as actors in roles designed for the differently able, even though there are differently able actors available for work. The example here that Professor Xavier, in The X-Men franchise was notably played by Sir Patrick Stewart, an able bodied actor.
Due to this research that we can now question where exactly western culture sets a limit on the portrayal of the differently able in popular culture and design and what changes still need to take place. The question then arises; Does the myth of the differently able distort our role as a designer and our ability to design appropriately?
In his book ‘Design meets Disability’, Graham Pullin explores the world of the application of medical grade items such as glasses and prosthetics and how they have evolved from strict medical only appliances to fashion statements. This change in approach to western society’s impression and attitude to medical grade items may be a good step in positivly recognising change in design approaches.
Pullin is the course director of Digital Interaction Design at the University of Dundee and was previously an interaction designer and studio head at IDEO, a design and innovation consulting firm based in London.
Fig. 5. Janet Street Porter in 80s glasses (2010)
Fig. 6. Model in Modern Glasses (2015)
Questions raised by the text included; Do medical grade items such as prosthetics have to be seen as something to hide? In the early 80s it wasn’t uncommon to be name called for wearing glasses and NHS glasses were thick and ugly pieces of plastic. Glasses have now become designer eye wear which acknowledges a shift in perceptions from medical item to social item. “What others see is more important than what you see yourself.” – Per Mollerup (Pullin, 2009: 19)
Pullin brings up some excellent points in his interview with Aimee Mullins, an American athlete, actress and fashion model who was born with a medical condition that resulted in the amputation of both her lower legs.
She became memorable and created a different attitude to prosthetics when she appeared on the cover of fashion magazine Dazed and Confused, guest edited by fashion designer Alexander McQueen, in 2011.
Pullin explains how “Mullins could become an icon of being capable and glamorous but she asserts that the best thing she does for people is to not be seen or thought of as a person with a disability”. (Pullin, 2009: 29)
While talking about discreet design for prosthetics she exclaimed “Discreet? … I want off the chart glamorous!” and why not? Modern luxury is less about a desire for perfection but more a desire for more choice. If wardrobes and be filled with a plethora of designer and off the rack clothing why can’t prosthetics be the same?
Aimee Mullins became memorable and created a different attitude to prosthetics when she appeared on the cover of fashion magazine Dazed and Confused, an edition guest edited by fashion designer Alexander McQueen, in 2011. / Fig. 7 Dazed and Confused Magazine (2011)
A fashion statement or aid for the impaired? / Fig. 8. H2.0 – Aimee Mullins’ leg collection (2007)
If our choice in shoes can be many and varied, why can’t prosthetics be the same? / Fig. 9. Irregular Choice (2013)
Mullins goes on to say. “Fashion designers and jewellery designers should be involved in design for disability as a matter of course.” (Pullin, 2009: 29) As to be expected for a fashion model her wardrobe is not only filled with a endless amount of different clothes to fit her whim and mood but also different legs. To her, they are an extension of her personality, so why not? If the able can adorn their own limbs with tattoos and jewellery, why shouldn’t designers take into account the desire to consume when looking at prosthetics?
In a similar vein to Aimee Mullins, Viktoria Modesta is a Latvian-born English singer-songwriter performance artist and model. Due to a doctor’s negligence at her birth, she spent most of her childhood in and out of hospitals. This negligence led to a lasting problem with her left leg. In 2007, she had a voluntary below-the-knee leg amputation to improve her mobility and safeguard her future health. (Wikipedia, 2015)
December 2014, Modesta launched a collaboration with Channel 4 for the campaign ‘Born Risky’. They presented her as worlds first ‘Bionic’ Pop Artist, and was supported by the track “Prototype”. The music video was directed by Saam Farahmand.
Modesta said: “For a long time, pop culture closed its doors on me as an amputee and alternative artist. I think people have always found it hard to know what to think or feel about an amputee who wasn’t trying to be an Olympian. In sports, ‘overcoming’ a disability makes you a hero, but in pop there is no place for these feelings.” (Wikipedia, 2015)
Two sides to sexy, Betty Boop … / Fig. 10. Betty Boop (2011)
The video for Prototype takes images normally associated with able popular culture, such as the animated sex kitten Betty Boop, and modifies the myth that the differently abled are not to be sexualised into influencing people to want to be like Modesta.
…and her Modesta emulation / Fig. 11. Prototype (2014)
Within it she also fights the oppressive regime of western body and gender politics., personified by teachers, matriarchs and Nazi like secret service, to stand symbolic. Coupled with a depiction of James Bond like fighting talent and her display of pan-sexuality lead the audience to consider her to be more than what meets the eye, something western society often over looks while promoting the differently able.
Fighting oppression / Fig. 11. Prototype (2014)
Differently abled people are not usually portrayed as sexually active let alone protrayed on a non-heteronormative scale / Fig. 11. Prototype (2014)
Modesta ends the video with a display in an environment often considered inaccessible to the differently able; dance. She is seen ‘en pointe’ blending ballet with the stark sounds of metal on metal from her pointed prosthetic. Juxtaposing the often soft grace of dance with an uncomfortable metallic sound like nails on a blackboard.
Graceful and dangerous, red and black, hidden yet seen. / Fig. 11. Prototype (2014)
It can be argued that the video doesn’t promote the positive alternative voice that Modesta claims. Dr Jeff Preston writes that the video “demands the viewer to “forget” what we know about disability, it seems to spend a lot of time marinating in the juices of all-too-familiar tropes and images of disability” (Preston, 2014) and actually isn’t as revolutionary as it would have us believe.
Preston, has a PHD in media studies from Western University. He was born with a rare neuromuscular myopathy and has spent his life advocating for other differently able people. Preston’s research focuses on the representation of disability in popular and digital culture.
Whilst he agrees that the video does try to push thoughts, perceptions and bounderies, by creating scenes that show the differently able in positions they are not usually portrayed within western culture and that Modesta “embraces her disability and calls on others to do the same by living outside dominant bodily, gender and sexual subjectives.” (Preston, 2014) he also writes that because of the way Modesta has been ‘packaged’ by channel 4 she actually falls into the mythology trap for disability tropes. “How are we meant to forget what we know about disability when the video spends an inordinate amount of time reminding us that Modesta is an amputee?” The video claims Modesta is a “bionic” pop star but why can’t she just be a pop star? (Preston, 2014)
Preston’s problem with the video is that it’s her leg that is the star of the show, and not her. Western culture is praising her for her differences instead of seeing her like everyone else.
Legs for practicality and ease of cost / Fig. 12. Prosthetic Legs, Luanda, Angola (1993-2006)
Unlike Mullins, Modesta sports a number of haute couture style legs posing the question of style over practicality. Much like the selection of glasses in high street stores, where you go from £25-£99 frames could the same happen with prosthetics? As already pointed out, they used to just be simple practical lumps of wood or plastic but over time and with our ever evolving technology such as 3d printing, prosthetics could become fashion items for the differently able.
Legs for sport / Fig. 13 Sara Reinertsen with her Össur Flex-Run with Nike Sole coupled with the Össur Total Knee 2100 for distance running (2012-2015)
Legs for fashion / Fig. 14. A crystallized prosthetic leg created by Sophie de Oliveira for Viktoria Modesta (2012)
The closing scene of Prototype claims that “Some of us are born to be different” and solidifies the Channel 4 ideal that the differently able are all super heroes which is a fantastically positive step in the right direction in changing perceptions but what about those who don’t want to be heroes? Also it’s is not only the perceptions of the able that
need to be changed, the stigma attached to having to use medical items, or be designed for needs to be removed. Children who need to use prosthetics feel inadequate and often need their confidence boosted. If we can remove the stigma and myth that the differently able are in someway broken, then it will make the changing of perceptions in western culture much easier.
Fig. 15. Boy using a Disney prosthetic (2015)
An article written in 2015 by Brandon Siewert on the website Dose.com talks about prosthetics designed by Open Bionics, a company that builds robotic prosthetics and winner of over ten awards in their field. With the support of the Disney Accelerator programme, which is a programme that allows companies to gain access to the range of creative expertise and resources of the Walt Disney Company to help them develop new innovations, and Techstars, a similar start up helper, Open Bionics are banding together to help change the perception of prosthetics, especially in children.
Dose.com is a daily science, entertainment and geek website run by Spartz Media.
“Now kids can get excited about their prosthetics. They won’t have to do boring physical therapy, they’ll train to become heroes. They’re not just getting medical devices, they’re getting bionic hands inspired by their favourite characters.” (Dose, 2015)
Children are seeing more and more differently able characters crop up in main stream movies and comic books as well as real life adults, like the Paralympic athletes, who themselves are being advertised as super humans. This is a positive step to making differently able children feel more confident in their own bodies whilst simultaneously helping able children learn more about their differently able friends. This is a lot like the Blue Peter campaign mentioned earlier, that began to change perceptions in 1994. Even with the advances in technology over twenty years, we still have a long way to go when it comes to perception and representation.
Disney have been at the forefront of their representation of the differently able over the past few years. One good example is the movie Finding Nemo released by Disney in 2003 and produced by Pixar. Written and directed by Andrew Stanton, it tells the story of the overprotective clown fish named Marlin who, along with a regal tang named Dory, searches for his abducted son Nemo all the way to Sydney Harbour. Along the way, Marlin learns to take risks and let Nemo take care of himself.
Nemo and Gil / Fig. 16 Finding Nemo (2003)
Finding Nemo suggests that Nemo may not be able to swim as well as other fish due to his underdeveloped fin, and battles restrictive assumptions made about him based on his impairment. Nemo finds himself placed in a fish tank, and makes friends with Gil, who has scars on his face and also has a damaged fin from an unsuccessful escape attempt. Throughout the movie they bond over their mutual disabilities. Not only are these two characters great fun, but they also give a very positive look at the differently able and promote a positive role for children to take.
Viking with prosthetics / Fig. 17 How to Train your Dragon (2010)
Creating differently able positive movies for children is the first in a long line of steps of how clever and aware design can change perceptions. Dreamworks Animations 2010 movie How to Train Your Dragon was released after Finding Nemo and was loosely based on the British book series of the same name by Cressida Cowell, the film was directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois and is another great example of prosthetic friendly movies for children.
The story takes place in a mythical Viking world where a young Viking teenager named Hiccup aspires to follow his tribe’s tradition of becoming a dragon slayer. After finally capturing his first dragon, and with his chance at last gaining the tribe’s acceptance, he finds that he no longer wants to kill it and instead befriends it.
Hiccup and Toothless and their respective prosthetics / Fig. 18 How to Train your Dragon 2 (2014)
How to Train Your Dragon has a very diverse and eclectic mix of missing limbs due to the violent nature of Vikings and dragons. It is almost spun that if you don’t have an impairment of some kind you haven’t graduated to a higher status. It treats disabilities as normal, and is pro-prosthetic. Not only do the villagers have prosthetics but by the end of the movie, so too does the dragon which is treated very positivly when the dragon saves the day. By the end of the second movie, Hiccup too has his own prosthetic limb.
Having positive representations such as this is integral to the growth of children, for them to see people with prosthetics as normal or if they have impairments of their own to not be seen as something to be afraid of. It is the first of many steps into changing the environment we live in and perceptions of disability. These examples can be used in design choices such as being more diverse in group photographs for products etc.
All of these examples have one thing in common, the protagonists are being spun in a positive light. It’s cool to have a prosthetic, you’re empowered not broken, you’re a hero not a villain. But what of the differently able who don’t want to be super heroes, dragon riders or freedom fighters? Those that are not athletes, pop stars or comic book aspirations but office workers, bank tellers and service staff. Changing perceptions isn’t always about going to the furthest extreme of an example. It can also be about just creating a safe and welcome environment for those who prefer to live a quieter life. Medical items can be designed to just be simple and useful for every day use, much like casual clothing or a three piece suit. It can be agreed that design needs to fit the scene it is being designed for and not be too provocative if the call isn’t there.
In 2012 an exhibition took place that explored the evolution of human enhancement. A book called ‘Superhuman’ was created to accompany the exhibition. The superhuman exhibition took a broad and playful look at the obsession with being the best human that we can be. Items that were on display “ranged from an ancient Egyptian prosthetic toe to a packet of Viagra, alongside contributions from artists such as Matthew Barney and scientists, ethicists and commentators working at the cutting edge area of modern science.” (Sandberg, Harris and Savulescu, 2012)
Whilst I did not attend the exhibition, the book does in itself lend a satisfactory commentary to what the exhibitions was trying to do. The book explores how society is constantly striving for a better, faster, smarter way of living, and asks how much western society should play with to improve mental and physical performance?
It could be said that due to the advancement in fashion and technology for the enhancement of medical items used by the differently able it has caused an effect creating an feeling of inadequacy within the able and so they too are now looking at ways to enhance themselves. Rapid developments in nanotechnology, biotechnology and cognitive science has lead us into a whole new world of enhancement opportunities. RFID Chips, much like what an Oyster Card (London’s travel card) uses can be now layered under the skin for readers to read and the body modification world has already been creating and dermal implants for cosmetic enhancement for quite some time.
Much like the world in which Viktoria Modesta promoted in her video, people are wanting to be like her.
Transhumanism is a current western movement supporting the use of science and technology to improve able human bodies. It actually frowns upon the movement being used for differently able advancement. The movement looks to nano and bio technology for enhancement. The term Cyborg, short for cybernetic organism, was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathen S Kline (Wikipedia, 2015) as a part of science fiction, but with the current developments in bio science and technology western society could be looking at advancing much quicker than once thought.
But the book raises questions such as “does technology always improve things? Should we always strive to be the most effective versions of ourselves? Many people use prosthetics to compensate for loss of limb or function but the book questions is this always the best course of action? In the wake of the thalidomide disaster, which left large numbers of children with shortened limbs, “the response from the government… was the development of complex artificial arms and legs. But the children largely preferred adaptation, learning to use their bodies in aways that might seem unusual to the able bodied” (Sandberg, Harris and Savulescu, 2012: 6)
The book touches also on the mythology of body enhancement, one story being that of Icarus. In Greek mythology, Icarus is the son of the master craftsman Daedalus. Icarus and his father attempt to escape from Crete by means of wings that his father constructed from feathers and wax. Icarus’s father warns him first of complacency and then of hubris, asking that he fly neither too low nor too high, so the sea’s dampness would not clog his wings or the sun’s heat melt them. Icarus ignored his father’s instructions not to fly too close to the sun, whereupon the wax in his wings melted and he fell into the sea. People say that if God had wanted us to fly he would have given us wings and man’s folly for enhancement and perfection could easily lead to it’s downfall. The question is if we keep improving will we be happy?
The book explores what exactly is enhancement and how we as humans define it. Is enhancement, cosmetic or scientific essential to our growth as a race?
The book touches on superheroes and comic books; which supports the previous statements about enhancement and being the hero. Many comic book heroes seem to accept transhumanism to enhance their abilities. Tony Stark, who became Iron Man was born into privilege and wealth but after a freak accident left him almost dead he created the Iron Man suit and artificially altered his biology.
Fantasy or freak? – Aimee Mullins / Fig. 19 Cremaster 3 (2002)
In Cremaster 3, a movie by US Artist Matthew Barney that was shown at the exhibition and written about in the book used aforementioned model Aimee Mullins in various roles with different sets of prosthetics. Within her 2009 TED talk Mullins said that “The conversation with society has changed profoundly in this last decade. It is no longer a conversation about overcoming deficiency, its a conversation about augmentation.” People can now become architects of their own identities. “ (Sandberg, Harris and Savulescu, 2012: 12)
It can be argued that if we take this road in evolution we’re not changing the perceptions of western society any more but we are modifying western bodies to fit a new ideal or perception instead and where would that body modification stop? If you had the technology to recreate yourself in any image, would you?
In conclusion, using modern media to change perceptions is one of the most important and most effective ways western society can work on. Once the issue of being differently able is no longer a problem in the eyes of the able, society will most likely respond positively.
Modern media, especially that of Channel 4 can also point out the reality of the people behind the wall being differently able creates. Interviews, and articles can also highlight accessibility problems that the differently able face every day the able and designers never think about: difficulty opening a door with a doorknob etc. This will then become normal thinking for designers.
A matter of environment
Getting around in the physical world is something the able take for granted. Curbs, stairs, and obstructions, are all barriers the able walk over, around, or through many times a day without thinking.
For the differently able a curb or a few stairs can be extremely large barriers. Signs, no matter how well placed they are and how much information they carry, do nothing for someone who is vision impaired.
In other words, physical features of a way finding system that are taken for granted can present serious problems for the differently able if their needs haven’t been considered by the designer.
In February 2011, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea began working on Exhibition Road. The brief was to create a more accessible way finding system for residents and visitors alike. The system had to be legible, quick, and easily accessible. The maps they used were known as ‘heads up’ and pointed the same way the user was looking rather than facing North like a traditional map system. This subtle changed caused the environment to work in favour of the user, it seems such a simple and effective change but it had never been thought of before.
Along side this they released a hand book that Transport for London (TFL) could for the Legible London Way finding system. The hand book, known as the “Yellow Book: A prototype way finding system for London” was developed by the Applied Information Group. (AIG) for the London boroughs, TFL, London Development Agency, London’s land-owners and its travelling, resident and visiting public.
Fig. 20 How maps work (2007)
This book itself is in two sections. The first half is an overview in the form of an essay outlining the background, research and development work that has culminated in the Legible London prototype way finding system for the West End. The second half is a visual summation that shows the application of theories, concepts and findings that form the foundations of the way finding system.
Whilst the book itself concentrates more on the walking aspect of the London Way finding system, in the very beginning it eventually realises the need to design with the differently able in mind. It can be used as a positive outlook on how design has tried to change the environment to be better inclusive.
“Different people with different goals and different journeys. Legible London is for all of London’s travellers, it is designed to be inclusive of all people, and for all parts of the capital. Whether that is someone with knowledge of an area or not, the system supports and enhances their understanding to enable better choices. Different people have different goals at different times, and their journeys are many and varied.” (TFL, 2007)
The booklet also includes examples of how they chose the designs for the way finding system in respect to who was using it. Building on what we are trying to gain from this paper, this book positively examples how changing the environment can be good in creating a exclusive inclusive design.
The Legible London way finding system helps pedestrians, regardless of ability, to find their way around by providing clear and consistent information at key points. Signs include Braille, maps at a lower than adult standing eye line and land marks that are easy to notice, such as buildings, shops or other landmarks, all while not distracting from a good design or from the ability of anyone to be able to use it.
“The system is devised for inclusion of everyone, no matter what level of knowledge or ability they have. People are all different. We all have trouble finding our way at some time, but some people need specific information to make a journey possible.” (TFL, 2007)
A useful detail in their plans was that they recognised that people with wheelchairs needed to know if a route had steps or narrow pavements, and where to find adapted toilets. Similarly, they realised that those with visual impairment needed to know where pedestrian crossing areas are as a safe place to cross the road.
November 2007, the Legible London prototype for the West End finally went live. Signs were erected in the streets, walking maps were made available, phone information points were switched on, a website was launched.
This research paper has helped me to challenge the view that designing for an inclusive world isn’t as a complicated process as designers would have you believe. In the context of environments and society that take little or no account of impairment at the moment, the activities of the differently able can be limited and their social participation restricted.
“Design and disability are each full of diversity, each somehow richer at an individual level than the collective. Disabled people do not all share a single experience of their impairment, and these experiences are inseparable from the rest of their lives. Likewise, designers do not follow a single approach to design, and each designer will even approach different briefs in different ways” (Pullin, 2009: 6, 7)
Not all design is about solving unsolved problems. Designers may revisit and object, material or medium that has already been successfully designed many times before in which case the value does not lie in solving an unsolved problem. Using existing materials and processes, that have been put in place for use by those who are differently able, we can begin to build the change in environment that sees accessible design as the first choice when beginning a design.
So to answer the question “should designers change designs to be more inclusive of disability?” I have come to the conclusion that with an open minded approach to designing for societal change as well as changing the environment around us to better be equipped for anyone who is differently able we shouldn’t need inclusive design, all design should work respectively for the target audience. Designers just need to keep a sympathetic mind that not all audiences are shaped like they are. Does the myth of the differently able distort our role as a designer? Simply put, yes. Unless designers change their perceptions, they will continue to design inappropriately.
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KitKei Design 