Accessible Oven

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Purpose:

To design an oven accessible to individuals with varying degrees of visual impairments. Many home appliances have been streamlined digitally and have removed most tactile cues necessary for people with low to no-vision. There are currently 15 million people in the United states living with blindness or visual impairments. Seventy percent of that population are aged 65 or older and have developed loss of visual perception as a part of the aging process. Everyday tasks like washing laundry or preparing food should be available to everyone regardless of sight and help maintain a level of independence as we age in place.

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

Working with over 100 members of the National Federation of the Blind, we targeted problem areas in current appliance designs and researched improvements in relation to tactile and audible cues.

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
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Opportunities for Improvement


  • Touchscreen controls provide no tactile feedback

  • Sounds only include a series of beeps

  • Knobs have smooth transition with no tactile indication of hi or low

  • Flat top surfaces mean pots can easily be placed half-on creating uneven heating

 
 
 
 
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Considerations:

 
 

Other signs of aging


  • Essential Tremors

  • Flexibility

  • Mobility

  • Arthritis

Ease of Use


  • Simplicity

  • Intuition

Contrast


  • Size

  • Shape

  • Color

  • Texture

Technology


  • Affordable price point

  • Relationship to specific task (ie. heat, settings, alerts, etc.)

 
 
 
 
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“There are machines we can’t use because they have been improved to death.”

-Bryan

 
 
 
 

“The blind don’t need a product to do a task for them, it just needs to be accessible to them.”

- Al

 
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Concept design for KENMORE


  • Optional audible output mode

  • Raised setting controls

  • Temperature is associated by the corresponding size of indicators and length of movement

  • Textured ceramic surfaces help to locate burners by touch

  • High-contrast detailing visually divides surface into 4 distinct cooking areas

  • Molded silicone grips guard against burns and aid those with arthritis when removing wire racks

  • Comfort-grip handle eases pressure points on palm when opening and closing oven door

 
 
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Product Specifications

 

 
 
 
 
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Options for on/off sound feedback allow you to toggle between audible alerts for timers, indicators, temp control, etc.

High-contrast buttons with identifying symbols are accessible to those with low-vision

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tactile feedback in the form of textured ceramic surfaces define where to center a pot on a heat source and provide audible cues as a pan moves across a smooth versus textured surface.

 
 
 
 
 
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Heat-index sliders create a defined low-high heat scale as opposed to traditional 360degree dials.

 
 
 
 
 
 
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Accessible Oven

Design an oven accessible to those with visual impairments.

SCOPE: Product design, consumer research, IRB protocol, appearance modeling, accessible design, technology integration.

MATERIALS: MDF x 3D printing x polystyrene x metalwork x paint x acrylic x 3DS rendering

 
 
 

Special thanks to:

the research volunteers at the National Federation of the Blind and Sponsorship by KENMORE