Disability-Friendly Alternatives to Plastic Straws

Banning plastic straws might seem brilliant, but there are a few reasons why blanket bans aren’t actually ideal. One important reality being that many people with disabilities need them—whether due to involuntary movements, muscular or swallowing issues, or various other reasons. As Karin Willison writes for The Mighty, “the straw debate has increasingly devolved into a (mostly online) battle between environmentalists and disability rights activists.” …

Nike’s Sneakers for Differently-Abled People

When Nike’s first-ever employee suffered a stroke, CEO Mark Parker directed the design department to create a one-of-a-kind, easy-on and easy-off shoe to aid the company’s old friend. Now, Nike is revisiting sneaker design for the differently-abled after seeing a social media post from 16-year-old Matthew Walzer, who suffers from cerebral palsy. The result is the Zoom Soldier 8 FLYEASE, a basketball shoe that easily …

A Helpful App for Blind Subway Riders

A mobile app and guidance system concept called Lantern may one day help blind New Yorkers navigate the city’s convoluted subway system. The app works by communicating with bottle cap-sized beacons located around a subway platform, directing users to nearby turnstiles and notifying them if they come too close to a platform’s edge. The idea was conceived by Eugene Gao, a New York-based copywriter who …