In 1980 the World Health Organization defined disability as a personal attribute.
“In the context of health experience, a disability is any restriction or lack of ability (resulting from an impairment) to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being.”
Today the World Health Organization defines disability as context dependent
“Disability is not just a health problem. It is a complex phenomenon, reflecting the interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives.”
My friend Wendy Chisholm often says, “The wheelchair doesn’t make the building inaccessible, the stairs do.” I never really appreciated this idea until I thought of it like this, “The wheelchair didn’t make the building inaccessible, the architect did by not accounting for all the ways that people would interact with the building.”
It is the time of year when I feel like I can indulge in being dramatic and a little corny with my colleagues and fellow designers.
Our society is increasingly digital, when designers or engineers don’t account for people of all abilities it’s not just exclusion or discrimination, it’s oppression.
I encourage you in the year ahead to be more inclusive in the products and services you create. Account for multiple modalities and ways for people to interact with your products. Be Liberators.
If you’d like a place to start I’d suggest taking a look at: