At MSA we focused on designing for disability. Through our virtual visit to the Royal Collage of Surgeons we gained a greater understanding of how society’s perception of disability has evolved over time. From a surprising amount of respect and even worship in ancient times to 19th century freak shows then equal right campaigning in the 60s through to the Disability Discrimination Act in 1995. Throughout history it was often only physical disabilities that were given any attention (good and bad). Only the freak shows did this directly through displaying physical deformities to a crowd as entertainment. I feel we still get drawn to physical disability today when thinking about design in particular. This I suspect is due to them being more immediately obvious to our sight centred world. For this reason I focused on neurodiversity; first looking into autism then ADHD. I found during my research that ADHD has many positive aspects which are often overlooked. This informed my studiowork by encouraging me to design a space that focuses on strengthening these superpowers in a child. Being Human is about being valued in society and this is best shown through allowing everyone to embrace what they are great at. Often it is design that is at the centre of breaking these barriers. A child with ADHD can transform in character and ambition when in the correct environment. We just need to build that environment.
Experience:
Being HUMAN 2020/21