UK – The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has unveiled a pregnancy test prototype for women who are blind or partially blind.
Hoping to raise awareness of accessible design, the prototype raises tactile nodules to denote a positive result, allowing women with sight loss to physically feel the outcome without relying on others to assist them. The charity’s latest campaign works in tandem with this project, releasing video interviews with blind women who discuss the ridicule and insensitivity they faced when using traditional pregnancy tests.
RNIB hopes to inspire further inclusive products for the disabled, by releasing the data and research used to create the test. ‘Accessible design isn't something that's far off in the future; it's here and now, and we wanted budding designers to be able to think accessibly in future by sharing our work,’ explains Eleanor Southwood, chair of RNIB.
To discover more assistive products that recognise the needs of disabled consumers, read our Implicit Inclusivity design direction.