The Co-Chair of the design firm IDEO Tim Brown once stated, “Design can help our lives in the present. Design thinking can help us chart a path into the future.” One of the great takeaways from the lived experience of disability is that design thinking has become inherent to the narrative. This is a moment when businesses must expand their lens and realize the potential that exists ahead. As CEOs and other executives ponder where their competitive advantage lies, a key trendline that is imperative is the role disability plays in the ecosystem of design and the impact it can have on the future of business practice.
Design can come in many forms, and its impact on business can be immediate or it can plant the seed of possibility. A prime example of this comes from the travel industry. In recent weeks Delta Flight Products along with its partner, Air4All released a new prototype seat that will provide powered wheelchair users the ability to remain in their chairs throughout an entire flight. This new patent prototype focused on creating a better customer experience and exploring new ways to deliver equal access, dignity, and comfort for all customers. This merger between profit and purpose will have the capacity to open new markets and be a springboard to disrupt the travel industry. The economic impact of disability travel has reached $58.7 billion. Eric Lipp, the Executive Director of Open Doors a non-profit organization founded to teach businesses how to succeed in the disability market noted that “The true economic impact is higher, potentially even double, since people with disabilities typically travel with one or more other adults.” Corporate leaders need to realize the disability narrative should no longer be seen as a limitation, but rather an opportunity for new terrain for businesses to explore. It is design thinking that becomes the dialect that should be used to open the pathways for new business lines and generate additional revenue opportunities. As we’ve seen in recent months the fashion industry has certainly been a trendsetter in truly embracing disability and design. Whether it be on the cover of British Vogue to entrepreneurs like Victoria Jenkins and her brand Unhidden to a bevy of other entrepreneurs who are leading the charge illustrating the impact of adaptive fashion as it takes its rightful place at the intersection between art and commerce.
Perhaps one of the ripple effects of this nascent marriage between design and disability will be society’s true understanding of how disability is being redefined across the larger culture. With a greater number of products and services to flood the market and more images of persons with disabilities thru a variety of platforms, as well as the addition of designers from numerous disciplines from architects to industrial engineers embracing this lived experience will only help to bolster that groundswell of potential. Yet, ultimately the dialogue between business and the disability community will be the most powerful tool within the design thinking toolbox. This is where professionals across diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility all have a role to play in this design thinking ecosystem. By offering opportunities for innovative solutions and a vision for the future, the trends are looking up for further growth between new market forces that are empowering the Disability Economy.
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