J08

What is Design and Accessibility?

Many people may think of design as a concept of aesthetics; making sure a piece of furniture looks visually appealing to the user. However, design is actually more than that. It is about creating something for others and this applies to all areas of design. When this meaning comes to surface, accessibility becomes a very important entity because it shows how design can help solve problems not just for the disabled but for as many people as possible. It is all about getting rid of barriers that may restrict people from being able to do certain things that others can. There was not necessarily a specific point in the lecture that intrigued me in this topic but the fact that I just happened to stumble upon a website for a company called Krabat right before we talked about this in lecture made me very interested in how design and accessibility was connected to each other.

Take a look at these sources 

for more information on design and accessibility:

1.

In lecture, there were a few slides that gave statistics related to disabilities. This article (is a little old) but it uses statisitcs and poses the question "Does it really matter? Should businesses take the small demographic into consideration?" Steve Grobschmidt was the one who wrote this article and his statement, "It’s not only becoming more and more of a legal issue, it’s also an issue of ethics. " really struck me because that is true. Whether it be a small group of the population, when it comes to design, people should always try to cater to as many people's needs as possible.

http://www.theaccessibility.com/2008/12/is-accessibility-worth-it-by-the-numbers/

2.

This article explores the meaning of universal design and how it is not only aimed towards people with disabilities but to other people as well. One good example they gave was about a ramp which assists not only people in wheelchairs but mothers with strollers and teenagers with skateboards as well. It also talked about how universal design is an important concept that businesses should keep in mind because "there are 54 million Americans with disabilities, with $175 billion in discretionary spending ability" and by catering to their needs, businesses can be very successful.
http://www.facilitiesnet.com/ada/article/Accessibility-for-One-and-All--5573
3.
This is a YouTube video that explains how universal design can be applied to learning. Different ways of teaching are shown in this video and they are all designed to accomodate students from different backgrounds. The way the video is made is very interesting too because it utilizes the concept of universal design to make sure all people can watch the video and understand what is going on.

4.
This article is about the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show that was held recently in Las Vegas. It introduced many innovative products ranging from bathtubs to drawers all with universal design in mind. It explained how universal design is becoming a cruical concept for designers since the baby boom generation is starting to reach that age where they will need more assistance in living their day-to-day lives. http://www.freep.com/article/20110519/FEATURES01/105190514/Universal-design-meets-style-bath-kitchen-show-Las-Vegas
5.
This TED lecture is presented by Caroline Casey. She is legally blind and her presentation is very interesting because instead of just lecturing about universal design, she lets the audience know what it is like to have a disability and the struggles that come along with it. She shows that just because an individual may have a disability, that does not mean that they are unable to do things. She shows the true strength in people and shows that people have the potential to do whatever they want. And ultimately, designers can help make this become a reality.