The Design of Disability Products: A Psychological Perspective

Abstract

This article argues that disability products, in particular those supplied by or through government agencies and local councils, are designed for the physical impairment but not for the person who uses them. This can lead to products that serve only to increase, at a psychological level, a person's sense of being disabled, especially in those people who develop a physical impairment as an adult. The article also discusses how the ‘gratitude’ of the user hinders any change to the present situation.