How will we be when we are old?

Hiking in the Smokies, I was on the Chimney Tops Trail a few years ago. This is one of the more rugged trails that the majestic mountains have to offer, and if you make it to the top, you are rewarded with a panoramic view. It was a hot day, the rocky ledge at the end of the trail (picture attached) was pretty hot to grip, and there was no way I was getting to the top without gripping it. Long story short, I stopped just a few yards before I got to the top, where the view was brilliant as well. On the way back, I saw an old couple, likely in their 80’s, heading towards the top. I don’t know if they made it, but they sure looked determined. When I am that age, I would like to be like them – enjoying life and in good health.

What will we be like when we grow old? Will we have experienced all that life has to offer and look back upon it with satisfaction? Now I am beginning to get philosophical. In any case, researchers at the Center for Universal Design (CUD) at the North Carolina State University have come up with an ‘aging suit‘ that lets the wearer experience at least the physical challenges that are commonly associated with aging. The idea is to let users experience the difficulties older adults may have in performing a physical task, perhaps a task as simple as filling a jug of water. The ultimate goal is for the suit to aid in the design of products and workplaces that are more friendly to older adults. What a fantastic idea! Of course, the suit will not model the metabolic changes within the body itself, but even so, it offers a chance for young adults, or even caregivers, to experience the physical limitations faced by older adults: parents, relatives, or people living in assisted communities. That, in itself, is a valuable experience.

Several projects underway at the CUD are aimed at fulfilling their mission: improving environments and products through design innovation, research, education and design assistance. All projects seem to use the principles of Universal Design, which are listed on their website as:

1. Equitable Use: The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.
2. Flexibility in Use: The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.
3. Simple and Intuitive Use: Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.
4. Perceptible Information: The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities.
5. Tolerance for Error: The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.
6. Low Physical Effort: The design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue.
7. Size and Space for Approach and Use: Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user’s body size, posture, or mobility.

Innovators, companies, and for that matter, any institution that sells a product or provides a service to the public would do well to follow these principles. Take a minute to look at your surroundings and think about whether the products you see are, indeed, compatible with universal design principles. I end this post with two questions for you:

What products or services can you think of that can be enhanced by universal design? And how would you like to be when you are old?

Copyright © 2023 Vidya Krull. All Rights Reserved.