TOUCH PLATES FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED
Senior Capstone project and 2nd place winner of the 2012 national student design competition featured at the International Home & Housewares Show in Chicago, IL.
Touch Plates for Visually Impaired is a series of three objects that surround an electrical outlet, a light switch surround and a door-lock surround, serving as tactile wall guides for the visually impaired. The touch plate products are three circular rubber forms, similar to a bull’s-eye target in shape. The intent is to replace existing covers and enlarge the surface area where a hand could feel for and locate its shape against a wall. The products have a finished surface to distinguish their texture from a flat surface and are colored in such a way to add visual contrast.
After conducting interviews with a target audience I reached out to a production company to bring the idea to fruition. We collaborated on creating a working prototype light switch plate that could be swapped out with any existing light cover.
