Nobody wants a disability – until it gets you free travel, better parking spots, or freedom from queuing.
I will admit, these are definitely perks – but do they make up for not being able to see the sun? Not really.
Did you know that there are many accessibility hacks which have made their way into the mainstream world for us all to enjoy, regardless of whether a person has a disability?
The electric toothbrush, for example, is something many of us use several times a day and is often recommended by dentists. In 1954, Dr Philippe-Guy Woog developed the first electric toothbrush to help those with limited mobility to brush their teeth more efficiently – and the rest is history.
READ MORE
We all have a complex about needing to be “good”, and never wanting to appear as less able. Disabled people have this complex too, only it is far more severe because we are always on the back foot. If it was common knowledge that so many efficiency hacks and tools used today were originally created for people with disabilities, I wonder would they be as popular, or would they be seen as something that was only needed by the less capable.
Say you are an able-bodied person with a very heavy, very big suitcase, standing at the bottom of a staircase. You stand there coming up with a survival plan to make it up these stairs in one piece when you hear a lift open. You follow the man in the wheelchair as he enters the lift and make it to your floor easily, with no muscle damage. In this moment, without realising it, you benefited from the same thing as the disabled person – in fact, you followed them.
Society has taught us to believe that the disabled person must follow the able-bodied, that the latter have all the answers: when the playing field is levelled and we both need the same thing – and only then – will the leader position be given to disabled people.
A few days later, when you are making your way to the airport with your suitcase, you begin to notice the kerb cuts, and more importantly, you notice when they are not there: you wonder how wheelchair users navigate the world when kerb cuts are not in place. At the airport, you squint to read the screen to find out your gate information, wishing it would be made bigger and clearer; you find the nearest lift and make your way to the gate – you get there quickly because your suitcase has been checked in.
I often refer to myself as a professional blind person: I have held this position for 26 years, and have learned so much along the way from “colleagues” (fellow blind people). One thing, for instance, that never fails to amaze people who can see is that I can cook – and even enjoy it sometimes.
Understandably, the idea of a blind person using a knife is not appealing, I get that. But let’s be real – it’s not like I’m operating at great speed here: my carrots are chopped with great care and over a long period of time. The biggest issue, for me, when it comes to cooking, is the temperature. Luckily, I am not the first blind person to cook, and a “colleague” has created something to combat this issue.
In 1922, Swedish Nobel Prize-winning physicist Dr Gustaf Dalen created the first Aga cooker. Now often associated with the upper class, the Aga was originally created to take the stress and fuss out of cooking for blind people. Dr Dalen had been blinded in a terrible accident, and during his recovery, realised the hassle that is temperature control with no eyes.
[ Genetic cures on demand: ‘Within four weeks, the vision in his eyes had doubled’Opens in new window ]
Today, the Aga is a widely known household appliance, often at the centre of family kitchens providing warmth and more efficient dinner times. No need to fuss over the exact temperature – simply choose the oven or dish you desire and place your food in. The Aga takes away the need for specifics and handles the nitty-gritty details.
Shockingly, my sight does not come back when I am in the shower or getting dressed.
I know, how rude.
But, alas, I am left in the dark to navigate my clothes, make-up and hair care. During this process, things that really help me are when brands put clear, distinct tags on their clothing so I can decipher which is the front and back. Nothing makes me happier than when brands have clear differences between shampoo and conditioner bottles – the same goes for make-up and hair products. I’m giving a shoutout to Dyson here for making a big effort when designing the latest Airwrap features to be inclusive and tactile.
Of course, many brands do this – without realising it, we all benefit from tactile packaging. The concept of using a mirror to do my make-up is a foreign one to me, but I know those of you with eyes are very passionate about this and indeed do have emotional connections to your mirrors. Even with this, though, having tactile packaging still makes your getting-ready process more efficient. Not having to visually confirm which product is which shaves time off your make-up routine – you just need to get used to not checking with your eyes.
We are in the smart glasses era now, and while I will admit that this does scare me slightly, it is also very exciting for people with disabilities. The accessibility features on smart glasses are nothing short of life-changing: with live AI, blind people can experience the world around them with description, and get an idea of the environment they are in from a visual perspective without relying on sighted people.
Smart glasses give quadriplegics the freedom to take their own pictures, answer their own calls and respond to messages without having to ask for assistance. Can you imagine not being able to have a phone call in private for your whole life, or never being able to take a photo yourself? Then you put on these glasses, and all of a sudden your world seems so much bigger.
The features I have just listed are all over social media as attractive selling points for all, because who doesn’t want the ability to answer a call hands-free, or record a video at a literal POV when going on a rollercoaster?
However, let’s take a minute to think of these glasses being marketed as accessibility tools – not so cute now, right?
We are surrounded by hidden accessibility hacks. Think of this the next time you use a smart device, when you press the button on a traffic light, or notice the automatic subtitles which come on RTÉ Player during noisy scenes so you can still make sense of the spoken words.
Often-times, the efficient solution will benefit not only the disabled, but the whole wider population.
The viewpoint just needs to be adjusted slightly on your smart glasses… but your teeth are glowing, thanks to that electric toothbrush.
