Disability. The prefix dis- is used with some nouns, verbs and adjectives for giving a word the opposite meaning. Less able, not able. Some people would disagree with this meaning. We as a society tend to take pity on disabled people, assuming they are unfortunate or depressed. But most of the time, it is us who put these limitations on the people.
Kaitlyn DeBiasse, design tutor at the Glasgow School of Art, explained there are two types of disabilities: from the body, caused by an impairment, and from society, caused by barriers in society.
I think there is a taboo on this subject. If someone has some sort of disability, it catches our eye, but we tend to quickly look away. We try to be discrete; we don’t want that person to feel uncomfortable. Obviously, it will depend a lot on them. Some people might feel comfortable and confident with their disability, whilst others might feel insecure.
As designers, I believe we have the responsibility and opportunity to change this. If you look at prosthetic limbs, they tend to be a beige colour. They are done this way so they go unnoticed, trying to be camouflaged. Even band aids do this. And this is great as long as the user likes it and that’s what they want.
But what happens when they don’t want their prosthetics to go unnoticed? What happens when the person wearing the limb is not a white person? This is when we can make a difference. Designing prosthetics that not only are practical, but that appeal to the wearer, that stop hiding amputees’ disabilities but instead highlights them in a positive way. Something they can use as a way to express themselves. Artists like Sophie de Oliveira Barata are already doing this. And thanks to today’s technology and resources, such as 3D printing, this is easier than ever.