Design for the edges

How accessibility sparks smarter, more universal design

Over the past two decades, our team and I have spent countless hours in homes, healthcare settings, and community spaces, watching how people navigate the rhythms of everyday life. What stays with me are the quiet adjustments or life hacks. A bed lifted on risers to slide a storage bin of medical supplies underneath to stay within reach or to better facilitate a transfer. A bottom dresser drawer left empty because it is out of reach and there’s concern it could lead to a fall. A nightstand pulled a few inches away to make space for a CPAP hose or oxygen tubing.