Every Designer Should See The Smithsonian’s Illuminating Exhibit On Accessibility

It’s only a matter of time until all of us experience some form of physical disability. From needing corrective eye glasses to requiring a cane to move around, we all will rely on assistive technology as we age, if we don’t already. But until recently, designers have primarily had the able-bodied user in mind when creating products. Most products for aging adults and people with disabilities have been clunky, depressingly clinical, and cobbled together with a “good enough is good enough” design standard. That’s beginning to change. Access+Ability, a new illuminating exhibition at New York’s Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum showcases more than 70 inventions that collectively recast the dour picture of aging and disability. The designs showcased include a new “active and engaged” symbol for disability access; a BMW “racing wheelchair”; undergarments that give people with joint ailments a muscular boost through built-in power packs; and fashionable prosthetic leg covers. Through the eyes of these designers, the future looks active, inclusive, super-human, and even sexy. Read more at Quartz.