Open to All

Design has a powerful influence on how we access and experience everyday environments. This is particularly true for the 20% of us living with a temporary or permanent disability. Designers in the Pacific Northwest have made tremendous strides in creative problem-solving around accessibility, from rethinking home design to inventing enabling technologies. Human-centered design is a tool for unlocking human potential. Inclusive design expands our opportunities to participate fully in society, and to share our individual talents and gifts, regardless of our abilities. Our environment is full of innovations – curb cuts, power doors, smartphones with texting capabilities – originally designed to support people with disabilities, but in fact benefiting all of us. Yet obstacles still exist, sometimes obvious and sometimes subtle, which stand in the way of our potential as human beings. We looked at how the design of spaces and tools can better match the diversity of the individuals who interact with them. From architecture to fashion to technology, design in the Pacific Northwest is stepping outside the box, inventing new and unique opportunities for all members of our society. By examining the convergence of beauty, function and innovation, we explore the designer’s role in moving beyond “one size fits all.”