{"id":8905,"date":"2021-03-23T15:22:06","date_gmt":"2021-03-23T19:22:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/?p=8905"},"modified":"2021-03-23T15:22:06","modified_gmt":"2021-03-23T19:22:06","slug":"accessible-products-helping-everyone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/accessible-products-helping-everyone\/","title":{"rendered":"Accessible for All"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 5<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

When Brands Make Their Products Easy to Use, Everyone Wins\u2014Regardless of Their Physical Abilities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For most of the 20th century, common kitchen tools were made of hard materials like stainless steel, in shapes that made them uncomfortable to grip. They got the job done, but damn<\/em>, they could make your hands hurt. It was clear that these products were not accessible, designed with very little consideration for the hand holding them or the person using them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Businessman Sam Farber noticed that his wife, Betsey, had trouble holding her vegetable peeler because of her arthritis. He wondered why most kitchen tools weren\u2019t easier to use, and so he set out to do something about it. In 1990, Farber founded kitchenware brand OXO to develop a series of tools with thick, rubbery handles<\/a> that would help individuals with arthritis. The OXO Swivel, a vegetable peeler, was the signature item in the Good Grips line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The OXO Swivel, from the Good Grips line of kitchen tools. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Thirty years later, the peeler\u2014alongside the rest of the Good Grips tools\u2014is still the industry standard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why? Are there that many arthritic home cooks out there? Not really. While the grip helped individuals with arthritis to peel vegetables, OXO ended up making a tool that was more comfortable for everyone to use, whether they had arthritis or not. It was one of the earliest examples of a product designed for individuals with a physical challenge benefitting even those who weren\u2019t similarly challenged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent months, some tremendously well-designed accessible products are hitting the market, and they\u2019re actually better for everyone\u2014even those who don\u2019t require any additional accommodation. Designing for everyone makes everything better for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nike Go FlyEase<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since 2015, the Nike FlyEase line has been key to anyone who had trouble putting on and taking off shoes. A few of its earlier models included one-hand lacing or zips along the sneaker for easier tightening and releasing. But its latest entry in the line is the first one that\u2019s totally hands-free. Thanks to a unique \u201chinge\u201d function that locks the sneaker in an open position, the Nike Go FlyEase<\/a> is impossibly easy to put on and take off. But most importantly, it looks just like a normal <\/em>Nike<\/a> sneaker. In fact, it\u2019s pretty fly. It\u2019s designed for those who need accommodations, but it\u2019d look good on anybody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sneaker was released to a small part of the Nike community in February, and a wider release is planned for the end of April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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