Financial problem confronted by people with disabilities and analysis about wheel chair design.

Thanks to the long-term efforts of many volunteering people, the people with disabilities in USA had acquired equal privileges in many areas. The emergence of ADA project makes their life more convenient and comfortable. However there still are a lot of problems waiting to be changed. Through learning the history of disabilities, we can be aware of some troubles that are really needed to be paid attention by public.

Longmore helps me to know that how many problems the people with disabilities are going to face and how important to learn history of people with disabilities.

Many people with disabilities suffered the inconvenience and pain because of poverty.  Due to the reasons like physical and “ invisible discrimination”, finding a job is somehow not easy for people with disabilities. Some people with disabilities can’t finish their education because of their physical condition and their financial problem, after that they can only have a little experience of professional knowledge, which also increased the difficulty of finding a job. This is a vicious loop. Most jobs which don’t require the professional knowledge and technology are always trivial and exhausting, like physical labors. Even the companies which don’t have the issues like “ invisible discrimination”, but those kinds of works is not suitable for people with disabilities, they cannot afford it. 

If they cannot acquire enough financial support, at the same time if they don’t have other family members to take care and support them, their life would become much more difficult.

Another serious trouble is medical problem. The policy in USA may give people with disabilities some financial support when they need, but in China, pension of only a limited amount per person will be given by the government, it couldn't cover much of their living cost. If they don’t have any income, they have to face a big challenge from their financial problem. At same time people with disabilities should have a equal chance to receive the education, they need to know the history of disabilities and maintain their rights better.

Therefore, the poverty and education of people with disabilities is a serious social problem. Companies should be able to provide some work positions which are suitable for people with disabilities, for example, civil servants and hand-crafters. So people with disabilities can have a fixed income. 

The people with disabilities have right to continue education, gain knowledge. So the community likes university should create a good environment for people with disabilities, convenient school bus, accessible building, class rooms which are filled with suitable facilities( tables for wheelchairs, easy use technology tools, etc.) and special services( sign language, volunteers, Braille reading, etc.) Reasonable price of tuition to encourage them going to university.

Learning history of people with disabilities when these people are at their childhood can help them to better understand how to improve people with disabilities’ life and knowing their responsibility. Children learning disabilities’ history can let them know the way to use the words without ableism, they will know how many difficulties and problems that people with disabilities are facing, and how hard and struggling they have tried to solve the problems and win the rights. Learning the history of disabilities can help people to understand each other much better, it is pretty meaningful for have a accessible society for the people with disabilities.

For people with disabilities who are relying on a wheelchair to move around, wheelchairs play a very important role in their daily life, from a designer’s perspective the wheelchairs is not only a tool to support their bodies, but also to support their spirit. Therefore, the wheelchair’s design also need to consider the user's emotional needs, so designers try their best to provide a better user experience by wheelchair product.

”Willchair”electric wheelchair provides a "driving mode", "auxiliary standing mode", "assisted toilet mode" three different functions mode, designers are hoping to help people with disabilities to solve walking, standing, toileting three problems so that they can independently accomplish more things, to building the confidence in their life, but designers also hope the products like this can attract more people to pat attention on how to make the people with disabilities’ life more efficient and comfortable without an ableism.
( The pictures are downloaded from internet.)