Dis My Ability
The experience of a particular product or a service becomes more and more important. We even speak of an experience economy. To experience the perception of a product or a service optimally, you must use your senses. But what if you miss one of the senses? This question is in line with the trend ‘Dis my Ability’. We are constantly developing solutions for people with "disabilities", this is often possible through the newly developed technology. Due to these technological developments, we can keep innovating and possibly develop new solutions for such types of problems. Below, I will explain three of such innovative solutions.
EnChroma Glasses
A company called EnChroma has created a pair of glasses that claims to restore colour vision for the colour-blind. Up to 1 in 12 men are colour-blind, compared to 1 in 250 women. In the Western world, this is estimated to be 32 million people (Mens en Gezondheid - InfoNU, 2016). A large part of the population is colour-blind, and it’s nice that there’s a pleasant adjustment for these people.
EnChroma lenses separate the overlapping red and green cones, which improves vision for people who are having trouble seeing red and green. EnChroma's glasses only reduce red-green colour blindness (EnChroma, sd). See the video below for more information about this kind of colour blindness and how the glasses of EnChroma works.
ViBeat
Liron Gino graduated from Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, created a design for deaf and hard-of-hearing people. This design enables these people to experience music through vibration. The design is available in a bracelet, necklace and pin. The pictures below show how the design of this device looks. Gino has created an 'alternative sensory system', which translates tracks into vibration. Different units in the collection respond to lower or higher ranges. This allows users to experience songs by touching only (Tucker, 2016).
Although, there’s a significant difference between the number of deaf people and the blind people. It’s important that there are solutions or improvements for both constraints. About 3 percent of the Dutch population is deaf or hard-hearing, and about 6 percent of the Dutch population is blind (Centraal Bureau voor Statistiek, 2015).
Aipoly Aipoly is an app developed for the blind and visually impaired by Alberto and Simon. The app makes it possible for blind people to give an image of the world. By using a camera, an object can be scanned, and then the app appoints the object (Alberto&Simon, sd). As I mentioned above, 6 percent of the Dutch population is blind or visually impaired. For these people, an app that can tell what they can’t see is nice.
Future Proof
We have seen three projects, which improve the quality of life of people with disabilities. The EnChroma glasses is a solution for people who are colour-blind. And the Aipoly apps helps blind or visually impaired people to get a visual image of the world. There’s even a way for deaf people to experience music. Projects like these create the trend ‘Dis My Ability’. I think this trend is future proof because disabilities like blindness and deaf are inevitable. And since many people are also struggling with problems like these, there will be a need for innovations that improve the lives of these people.
Your ability is stronger than your disability
Sources:
Alberto&Simon. (sd). Opgeroepen op April 28, 2017, van Aipoly: http://aipoly.com/about.html
Centraal Bureau voor Statistiek. (2015, Juli 10). Gezondheid, aandoeningen, beperkingen; persoonskenmerken, 2010-2013. Opgehaald van CBS: http://statline.cbs.nl/StatWeb/publication/?VW=T&DM=SLNL&PA=81173NED&D1=66-72,77-79&D2=0-2,5-39&D3=0&D4=l&HD=130129-1620&HDR=G3,G2,T&STB=G1
EnChroma. (sd). Color Your World. Opgeroepen op April 28, 2017, van EnChroma: http://enchroma.com
Mens en Gezondheid - InfoNU. (2016 , Augustus 18). Alles over kleurenblindheid. Opgeroepen op April 28, 2017, van Mens en Gezondheid - InfoNU: http://mens-en-gezondheid.infonu.nl/ziekten/8493-alles-over-kleurenblindheid.html
Tucker, E. (2016, Augustus 7). Liron Gino designs Vibeat devices for deaf people to experience music. Opgeroepen op April 28, 2017, van Dezeen: https://www.dezeen.com/2016/08/07/liron-gino-design-vibeat-listening-devices-wearable-hearing-impaired-tactile-music/