In 1969 the universally recognised pictogram by the Danish designer Sussanne Koefoed of a stick figure in a wheelchair was adopted as the international standard for disability. There have been moves notably in Canada to change its much-criticised passive upright posture to a more active one where the figure inclines forward to indicate that the user is propelling the wheelchair themselves and not being pushed i.e. they are masters of their own mobility and not entirely dependent on others. However, as yet no compelling alternative has emerged despite its unrepresentative nature.
Mobility is the key to independent living and the statistics relating to falls are grim. Every five hours in the UK someone dies as a result of a fall and they kill more people over 65 than cancer or coronary heart disease. Yet only five per cent of disabled people are wheelchairs users. While the pictogram shows the extreme consequences of mobility loss, the subtlety and range of disability issues it aims to cover are ignored.
In addition, it gives no picture or warning of potential risk and the sign sets apart the population it aims to integrate and assist. All in all it begs the question as to how one can signal vulnerability in a way that is subtle, unequivocal and elicits awareness, empathy and a desire to help? The design team researched Go Steady is a communications campaign with an accompanying logo that can be used in a wide range of media and applied to different public and healthcare contexts.
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Communication campaign, pictograms, stigma, awareness, STATS
The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) brief centred on STATS - the slips, trips and turns that can have devastating effects particularly for older people. The NPSA invited designers to consider the consequences and contexts in which they occur and design an innovative solution to minimise the incidence or the impact of the consequences.
Visual communication, interaction design, product design
