Open Source Impairment Toolset
Magdalena Kowalski
About 27.2% of the US population lives with a physical disability which directly impacts their experiences and interactions with products daily. This thesis explores an opportunity to create open-source testing tools that allow designers to gain a greater understanding of the challenges that are not readily apparent to everyone. The goal is to produce tools that increase empathy and understanding to inform more accessible design solutions.
Restraint
RESTRAINT allows users to experience a loss of mobility and a painful stinging sensation in the joint areas, two common symptoms of Arthritis.
Tremor
TREMOR allows users to experience a loss of control as the tool starts to shake the user’s hand uncontrollably, mimicking the experience of early stage Parkinson’s Disease.