Addressing the Needs of People With Disabilities.

Addressing the Needs of People With Disabilities.

1. Nowadays many people in society struggle with their disabilities. Whether that's socially, physically or mentally, there are a limited number of products that are designed specifically for disabled people. Therefore, I am going to investigate these problems that they face and develop a product that would help my client in their day to day lives.

2. Disabilities

   • Physical
     • Deafness
       • Someone who is deaf have problems with communication as well as sometimes balance. They have to rely on their other senses such as sight to talk to others and get around. Despite the fact that deaf people can be any age, the majority of people who are deaf tend to be the elderly so a product designed for the dead would have to suit them.
     • Multiple sclerosis
       • Multiple sclerosis is a condition that affects a persons brain or spinal chord. This means that they might have issues with mobility, fatigue, vision, thinking and learning, depression and anxiety, and speech. Adults would be the target market for a product that is suited to people with MS as their symptoms have developed the most
     • Epilepsy
       • Epilepsy is a common condition that affects the brain and causes frequent seizures. symptoms can occur at any ages but in childhood or over the age of 60 in particular. People with epilepsy may have issues with independence as some seizures can be life threatening when in a dangerous situation. Product examples may be a way of tracking seizures or preventing them from happening.
   • Mental
     • Autism
       • People are affected in a wide range of ways by autism. They might be mildly affected and their symptoms are almost unnoticeable or they might be heavily affected. Autisum tends to impact the social interaction, behaviour, communication and interests of a person. Children tend to be the types of people that are most affected by autism so I would have to consider the colour theory in the design of the product as well as the safety aspects.
     • Dyslexia
       • Many people are affected by dyslexia and they have problems with reading and possibly writing. Children tend to have the most problems with their dyslexia as they haven't adapted to the extra challenges throughout their life so a product would have to attract children. examples of product that could help would be reading and writing aids.
     • ADHD
       • People with ADHD, tend to have issues with concentration, staying organised and sometimes with anxiety. Most people who are badly affected with ADHD tend to be children so my product might have to be appealing to children. Therefore my product would have to be colourful and exciting whilst being safe and practical.
   • Emotional
     • Sleep disorders
       • There are may different types of sleep disorders. For example, insomnia; where a person either has difficulty getting to sleep or has problems with waking up during the night. Sleep disorders can affect anyone at any age so the target market for a product focused on sleep disorders may be quite wide. Some example fo product would be night lights, sleeping masks and sleep monitors.
     • Postnatal Depression
       • Postnatal depression is a mental health condition that affects parents after they have a baby. Symptoms can include difficulty concentrating, a constant feeling of sadness and loss of appetite. Products would be mainly focused on women as 1 in 10 women experience postnatal depression but I would also have to consider safety aspects as the would be in an environment with very small children.
     • PTSD
       • PTSD is an anxiety condition that can occur due to a very traumatic experience. Someone who is suffering from PTSD could experience feelings of guilt and isolation as well as often relieving the event through nightmares and flashbacks. As a result of this they may also have difficulty sleeping and concentrating.

3. Target Market

   • Elderly
     • Products focused around the elderly would have to be sophisticated and discreet. They would also have to be easy to use and big enough so that those who are hard of sight and have issues with mobility can use it easily.
   • Families
     • The design of products that are aimed at families would have to be brightly coloured in order to appeal to younger children but also sophisticated so it can fit in with the family home. It would have to be safe with no small parts as the product might come into contact with very small children.
   • Young Children
     • To appeal to younger children the product would have to incorporates bright eye-catching colours and interesting shapes. It would also have to be safe and not contain small parts that could easily swallowed by small children. The product would have to be very robust to withstand children using it constantly.
   • Teenagers
     • For teenagers the design of the product would have to be sophisticated and discreet in order to blend in with their everyday life and possibly avoid embarrassement.

4. Design Movements and Designers

   • Orla Kiely
     • Orla Kiely is an Irish fashion designer whose iconic designs have been used in a variety of products from handbags to kitchenware. The more muted colours and simple repeated shape would typically be more appealing to adult women.
   • Kandinsky
     • Kandinsky was a Russian abstract painter most active in the earth 20th century. His works vary but mostly include bright colours and bold shapes which often show very little resemblance to any objects. Because of this the design could appeal to all target markets but I think children especially would be attracted to the colours and patterns of Kandinsky.
   • Art Deco
     • Art Deco is an design movement that emerged in France just before the first world war. The bold geometric shapes and clear lines have been incorporated into many different products, including buildings, furniture and typography. Art Deco could influence a product aimed at all ages as the style and be easily manipulated but the style would appeal to adults in particular.
   • Pop Art
     • Pop art is a design movement that emerged in the 1950s in Britain and the united states. it challenges traditional fine art and influences modern pop culture including comics and advertising. The bright colours and bold shapes of pop art would mean that a product influenced by the design movement could appeal to anyone as the style can be portrayed in many different forms but perhaps most appeals to teenagers and young adults.

5. Products

   • Fidget toys
     • These could be aimed at any target market and would help with concentration. Previous product similar to this include slime, fidget spinners and fidget cubes.
   • Furniture
     • Furniture could help with concentration as it could make a child more comfortable and could possibly be used to fidget with. Swiss balls and chair bands are examples of products that are similar.
   • Sensory Objects
     • These would typically be aimed at younger children and coulkd help with the social interaction of children with autism as well as helping to inspire curiosity and maintain concentration. Products like this could include lava lamps and other lights.
   • Organisation Tools
     • Typically aimed at adults, organisations tools such as journals and tracking apps would could help adults, who have ADHD and Autism, cope with staying organised. The layout of these products would have to be straight forward so they are easy to use as well as have an interesting but sophisticated design to appeal to adults.