IKEA’s ThisAbles Project improves the accessibility of their designs with simple add-on solutions
IKEA is well known for its creative design solutions which are centred on providing an ease of use for the end user, be that product design or store layouts. Even the product assembly instructions are provided in picture format, which are accessible to users regardless of their levels of literacy or spoken language.
Going one step further in providing accessible products, Ikea Israel have developed the ThisAbles Project. This project was developed in association with two non-profit organisations who specialise in promoting accessibility and inclusion for persons with disabilities and the elderly in Israel; Milbat and Access Israel.
Some of the products developed through this project include:
- A glass bumper which can be affixed to the front of glass cabinets to protect against collisions with footplates of a wheelchair;
- An angled mirror insert which can be affixed to high level shelves to provide visibility from a low level point of view;
- A zipper ring which attaches to a zipper handle to facilitate ease of use to persons with limited hand dexterity;
- Easy handles which can be attached to presses or drawers and be operated with a forearm or closed fist, for persons with limited dexterity.
- A clip, which holds a smart sticker, and can be affixed to shelving units. The smart sticker contains information which can be read aloud using a scanning pen and can be used by persons with visual impairments to identify the shelves’ contents.
The full list of products is available on IKEA’s ThisAbles Project website, and plans for many of the products are available for download for 3D printing.
For more information on IKEA’s ThisAbles Project, click here.
If you have any queries on how products or services can be made more accessible and incorporate more Universal Design elements, you can contact a member of our team on (01) 415 12 85 or e-mail [email protected]
