Did you know that some designers put on special gloves to find out how crippled hands with osteoarthritis behave?

Glasses to simulate vision problems?

"The goal is not to create objects or furniture that is specifically intended for people with a disability, but to find a universal solution", specifies Antoine Fenoglio, co-founder of Sismo.

Founded in 1997 with Frédéric Lecourt, this designer agency, already very concerned with use, utility and ethics, has gradually taken on the issues related to disability.

“The meeting with the philosopher Cynthia Fleury was decisive,” says the co-founder.

It allowed us to have a medical approach to design and to move towards taking care of it.

Since 2019, the philosopher and designer have been leading conferences on Design with care.

Can design fix?

" We are going forward. The need to take these vulnerabilities into account, especially in businesses, is increasingly felt, ”says Antoine Fenoglio. The SISMOs advise brands and companies. Their clients: government departments, insurance companies, major retail and automotive brands, and even Twitter. “The commitment to inclusion is more and more of today's issues. The themes of care, attention and listening are taken more into account. "

Can design fix?

This is the question raised by the carriers of design with care.

“Design must act in favor of autonomy, which is the priority of people with disabilities.

We are working to ensure that designers do not see these handicaps as obstacles but as opportunities for creation.

There is a whole field to explore and we will see new things in the months and years to come ”, promises Antoine Fenoglio.

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The accessible sink is beautiful

Depending on the disability, configuring your home to gain autonomy is not an easy task and may require the help of an architect specializing in accessibility: “We work on the habitat and on the body, two intimate things”, explains Franck Poncin, occupational therapist and interior designer. So, to begin with, he goes slowly, with what he calls “technical aids”: removing the carpets, raising a bed 15 cm, playing with the lights, making the switches accessible, changing the door handles, taps… “Everything must be accessible, easy to find,” he emphasizes.

Entry-level brands, Leroy Merlin, Castorama or Ikea, have recently entered this niche.

“They hired designers to work on PMRs.

You can find adapted kitchen door handles, aesthetic shower chairs… There is no reason that people with disabilities cannot choose their sink!

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