In addition to interactive wearables, I am also taking a course that involves designing assistive devices for people with disabilities. My research and experience in the class thus far has sparked some interesting thoughts around the perception of disability. When it comes to assistive devices for people with a physical disability, most of the products have an aesthetic that is quite, um, distinct. I stumbled across the work of Gwendolyn Huskens who studies at the Design Academy in the Netherlands.

This project is about the beauty of imperfection. The medical materials she used to make the shoes include synthetic plaster, bandages and stainless steel. The shoes are meant to be more of a comment on the taboo of disabilities, rather than to serve as functional footwear.

The project was especially interesting to me because I just completed a three day empathy exercise, where I simulated a physical disability for three days to gain insight into the daily challenges for someone living with certain challenges. I wore wrist braces – the kind that someone suffering from arthritis in the wrists, Multiple Sclerosis, or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Where I did not of course feel the painful side effects of any of these ailments, I did however suffer the inconvenience, immobility and discomfort that someone wearing wrist braces would inevitably struggle with each day. As a designer, I immediately saw an opportunity for improvement in the aesthetic of the braces. If someone is to wear these devices day in and day out, surely there is a way to improve the look and feel, while at the same time maintaining the function. For a person with a disability, self esteem can sometimes become a huge issue. I felt self-conscious of my hands and wrists the entire three days I wore them, so I could only imagine what that would feel like if three days became three years (or more).

This exercise has sparked some interesting brainstorming for me in terms of where this class and experience could lead some of my design work.