There are still many facets of daily life that need to be redesigned. A limited understanding of what makes a truly accessible toilet, for instance, creates daily indignities for overlooked populations. And in the field of UX design, creating intuitive and legible interfaces for aging eyes or people with physical or neurological disabilities remains an unrealized goal.

Extra-wide, wheelchair accessible voting booth commissioned by the Los Angeles County for the 2020 election.
Extra-wide, wheelchair accessible voting booth commissioned by the Los Angeles County for the 2020 election.
Image: IDEO

From her research and the early response to the exhibition, McCarty says that there’s a strong momentum that’s bolstering the field of accessible design (also known as “inclusive” or “universal” design) today. The 1990 Americans with Disability Act (amended in 2008) that prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities was a spur to creative, entrepreneurial thinking in the area.

“What’s really heartening is that companies and schools now have accessibility programs,” she adds. Among the noteworthy vignettes in Access+Ability is a closet of prototypes created by students from top US design schools.

Microsoft’s “Emma Watch” helps steady hands of those with Parkinson’s disease.
Microsoft’s “Emma Watch” helps steady hands of those with Parkinson’s disease.
Image: Alex Griffiths

McCarty, who leads the curatorial department at Cooper Hewitt, says the product showcase is part of the museum’s grand ambition to erect a model institution for accessible design. The museum is currently reviewing things like the wayfinding and signage system and updating its website to be accessible to anyone with with visual impairments or aging eyes. With the US’s rapidly aging population in mind, Cooper Hewitt hopes to serve as a source of ideas for organizations. “As the nation’s design museum, it really is our responsibility to help push this important thinking,” says McCarty.

The exhibit, which runs through September of 2018, is a must-see for all designers and decision makers in charge of creating products and policies. Access+Ability offers a capsule catalogue of audiences, materials, and issues that are often overlooked in design cycles, and could add nuance to the designers’ imagination in this area. For the general audience, Access+Ability offers hopeful evidence that good design has the power to alter our fragile destiny.

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