NY -- NYC -- Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum -- Exhibit: Access+Ability:
- Bruce Guthrie Photos Home Page: [Click here] to go to Bruce Guthrie Photos home page.
- Description of Pictures: Access+Ability
Now through Monday, September 3 2018
There has been a surge of design with and by people with a wide range of physical, cognitive, and sensory abilities. Fueled by advances in research, technology, and fabrication, this proliferation of functional, life-enhancing products is creating unprecedented access in homes, schools, workplaces, and the world at large. Access+Ability features over 70 innovative designs developed in the last decade. From low-tech products that assist with daily routines to the newest technologies, the exhibition explores how users and designers are expanding and adapting accessible products and solutions in ways previously unimaginable.
- Recognize anyone? If you recognize specific folks (or other stuff) and I haven't labeled them, please identify them for the world. Click the little pencil icon underneath the file name (just above the picture). Spammers need not apply.
- Copyrights: All pictures were taken by amateur photographer Bruce Guthrie (me!) who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the [Creative Commons] definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. (Commercial use folks including AI scrapers can of course contact me.) Feel free to use in publications and pages with attribution but you don't have permission to sell the photos themselves. A free copy of any printed publication using any photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.
- Accessing as Spider: The system has identified your IP as being a spider.
IP Address: 54.224.52.210 -- Domain: Amazon Technologies
I love well-behaved spiders! They are, in fact, how most people find my site. Unfortunately, my network has a limited bandwidth and pictures take up bandwidth. Spiders ask for lots and lots of pages and chew up lots and lots of bandwidth which slows things down considerably for regular folk. To counter this, you'll see all the text on the page but the images are being suppressed. Also, some system options like merges are being blocked for you.
Note: Permission is NOT granted for spiders, robots, etc to use the site for AI-generation purposes. I'm sure you're thrilled by your ability to make revenue from my work but there's nothing in that for my human users or for me.
If you are in fact human, please email me at guthrie.bruce@gmail.com and I can check if your designation was made in error. Given your number of hits, that's unlikely but what the hell.
- Help? The Medium (Email) links are for screen viewing and emailing. You'll want bigger sizes for printing. [Click here for additional help]
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- Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
- CHACC_171222_01.JPG: Suit Prototype, Superflex Aura Power, 2016
Designed by Superflex
engineered fabric, motors, batteries, control boards
Lent by fuseproject
The Aura Power Suit is an undergarment designed to assist people with mobility. Anatomically configured to align with the muscular composition of each wearer, the hexagonal pods form a wearable network of smart technology that adds strength to muscles and joints. The final design will integrate all the electric piece that is comfortable, stylish, easy to clean and put on, and high-performing.
- CHACC_171222_04.JPG: Voting Booth, Los Angeles County Voting Booth Redesign, 2015–present
This is a Voting booth. It was collaborator: Digital Foundry.
This object is not part of the Cooper Hewitt's permanent collection. It was able to spend time at the museum on loan from IDEO as part of Access+Ability.
It is dated 2015–present. Its medium is plastic, metal, electronic tablet, fabric, paper.
Designed for Los Angeles County as a modular system that can adapt over time, this voting booth exemplifies inclusive design, ensuring every citizen access to an intuitive and accessible voting experience. It addresses all voters, including those unfamiliar with technology and who speak languages other than English, voters with vision and hearing loss, in wheelchairs, and with learning disabilities.
It is credited "Lent by IDEO."
- CHACC_171222_11.JPG: SoundShirt, 2015–16
This is a SoundShirt. It was designed by Ryan Genz. It is dated 2015–16. Its medium is stretch microfiber fabric with laser-cut decoration and embedded with 16 mico-actuators.
SoundShirt translates the experience of listening to music for the deaf and hard of hearing into a physical and sensory experience that is felt on the skin. By embedding 16 sensors corresponding to each part of the orchestra -- violin, cello, drums, etc. -- into the fabric of a specially designed shirt, music is felt as an immersive experience of tactile sensations. SoundShirt is available at the Junge Symphoniker Hamburg, Germany.
It is credited "Lent by CuteCircuit."
- CHACC_171222_15.JPG: Cane, SmartCane (Folded)
This is a Cane. It was designed by IIT Delhi, Phoenix Medical Systems and Saksham Trust. Its medium is plastic.
SmartCane was designed to address the needs of people in the developing world with vision loss. A significant feature is that it can detect obstructions between a person's knee and chest up to three meters away. Sensors emit and receive ultrasonic waves that trigger haptic vibrations when a physical hazard is detected, using various patterns to differentiate obstacles and distances.
This object was donated by IIT Delhi.
- CHACC_171222_21.JPG: Accessible Icon, 2009–11
This is a Accessible icon. It was made for (as the client) Accessible Icon Project. It is dated 2009–11.
The International Symbol of Access logo, first designed in 1969 by Susanne Koefoed, featured a person sitting upright in a wheelchair. This recent iteration that depicts a person in forward motion, propelling through space, offers a more accurate representation of people in wheelchairs as dynamic rather than static bodies. The new logo is open source and available in a multitude of sizes and formats.
It is credited "Public domain."
- CHACC_171222_24.JPG: Access+Ability
We are experiencing a surge of design with and by people who span a wide range of physical, cognitive, and sensory abilities. Fueled by advances in research and technology, the proliferation of functional, life-enhancing products is creating unprecedented access in homes, schools, workplaces, and in the world at large. The significant improvements have been motivated by several factors: the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 -- amended in 2008 -- prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities, increased advocacy demanding greater accessibility and inclusivity, a worldwide aging population, and unprecedented communication possibilities due to digital technologies. Designers have responded to these technical and social changes with multidisciplinary creative approaches that are both user-centered and inclusive. When the design process encompasses individuals with diverse abilities and background, the shortcomings of existing products and environments often become the catalyst for design breakthroughs.
The objects and experiences featured in this exhibition were selected based on input from users first and foremost, as well as designers, caregivers, activists, researchers, occupational therapists, neuroscientists, and others whose knowledge is inspiring opportunities for design to flourish. Most of the works are in production, but some are prototypes that point to future directions in this rapidly advancing realm of design. Many of the best solutions have and will continue to come from the ingenuity of people who develop, adapt, and customize designs to fit their specific challenges, needs, and aesthetics.
- CHACC_171222_26.JPG: Racing Wheelchair, 2016
This is a Racing wheelchair. It was designed by Designworks Los Angeles Studio and manufactured by Designworks, a BMW Company.
This object is not part of the Cooper Hewitt's permanent collection. It was able to spend time at the museum on loan from Designworks, a BMW Company as part of Access+Ability.
It is dated 2016. Its medium is carbon fiber, aluminum, titanium, 3d-printed parts.
Collaborating with Paralympic athletes, BMW Designworks improved aerodynamics and ergonomics in their racing wheelchairs. Everything from the cockpit to the steering arm was customized using 3D scans and body measurements. BMW Designworks created this racer that can reach more than 20 miles per hour. Tatyana McFadden and Chelsea McClammer won gold, silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the 2016 Summer Paralympics using this design.
It is credited "Lent by Designworks."
- CHACC_171222_33.JPG: Foldable Wheelchair Wheel, Morph Wheel, 2007
Manufactured by Maddak Inc.
glass-reinforced nylon, aluminum
Lent by Duncan Fitzsimons
Portability is a key factor to being mobile and moving about as unencumbered as possible. Among the challenges of storing and transporting wheelchairs is wheel size. These folding wheels, originally developed for the high-end bicycle industry, are a game-changer for wheelchair users, collapsing to nearly half the space, thus enabling the wheels and wheelchair to fit into smaller storage compartments.
- Bigger photos? To save server space, the full-sized versions of these images have either not been loaded to the server or have been removed from the server. (Only some pages are loaded with full-sized images and those usually get removed after three months.)
I still have them though. If you want me to email them to you, please send an email to guthrie.bruce@gmail.com
and I can email them to you, or, depending on the number of images, just repost the page again will the full-sized images.
- Connection Not Secure messages? Those warnings you get from your browser about this site not having secure connections worry some people. This means this site does not have SSL installed (the link is http:, not https:). That's bad if you're entering credit card numbers, passwords, or other personal information. But this site doesn't collect any personal information so SSL is not necessary. Life's good!
- Photo Contact: [Email Bruce Guthrie].