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Stef Walter (stephaniewalter@front-end.social)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Jan-2026 06:54:08 JST Stef Walter

When we design for disabilities, we make things better for everyone. This is called the Curb-Cut Effect. The term was coined by disability students and activists in the 70s, who added curb cuts to the Berkeley sidewalks to make access easier for those in wheelchairs. They discovered those also helped people with strollers, using trolleys for deliveries, etc.
In conversation about 2 months ago from front-end.social permalink
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1. Illustration of The curb-cut effect: a range of people of all ages next to a crossing, road, and park show how the curb cut design for disabilities benefits everyone.
  https://cdn.masto.host/frontendsocial/media_attachments/files/115/841/554/952/520/370/original/03d43e3180e1f4fd.jpg
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  Stef Walter (stephaniewalter@front-end.social)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Jan-2026 08:08:58 JST Stef Walter
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  A more modern example would be captions in videos: they are a feature designed for deaf and hard of hearing people, but also benefits people with ADHD and auditory processing disorder, people who want to listen to a video without sound for various reasons, etc.
  Illustration by Sketchplanations: https://sketchplanations.com/the-curb-cut-effect
  In conversation about 2 months ago permalink
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  1. Domain not in remote thumbnail source whitelist: images.prismic.io
    
    Sketchplanations - Simplifying complex ideas in sketches
    
    The curb-cut effect illustrates how when we design to benefit disadvantaged or vulnerable groups we end up helping society as a whole. Angela Glover Blackwell explains how campaigning by students with disabilities in Berkeley in the early 1970s led to adding curb cuts to the Berkeley sidewalks to make access easier for those in wheelchairs. Yet it wasn't just people in wheelchairs that it helped. Curb cuts also made life easier for people pushing children in strollers, people using trolleys for deliveries, people pulling a suitcase, those wheeling bikes or on skateboards, and it also helps save lives by guiding people to cross at safe locations. Another example is adding closed captioning to TV that helps anyone watch in a noisy bar, a waiting room, or watching an airline safety video. Or a classic example of universal design in the OXO Good Grips range originally made to be comfortable for holding a peeler even if you have arthritis. It's also a useful analogy for "how laws and programs designed to benefit vulnerable groups, such as the disabled or people of color, often end up benefiting all," (PolicyLink) whether that be increasing broadband access, improving public transport or taking cuts out of curbs. Here's a short, fun video of Gary Karp explaining the curb-cut effect. Thanks to my patron Quintin Balsdon for sharing it with me.
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  Daniel Hernández (daniel@mstdn.degu.cl)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Jan-2026 08:09:13 JST Daniel Hernández
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  @stephaniewalter This is an excellent explanation! The same applies to many things. For example, making the Web more accessible not only helps people with some disabilities but all the people.
  
  In conversation about 2 months ago permalink
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  Børge (forteller@tutoteket.no)'s status on Wednesday, 14-Jan-2026 22:19:57 JST Børge
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  - Coreworlder 🎲
  @coreworlder @stephaniewalter Who knew viking warriors has such heavy accents!
  
  In conversation about a month ago permalink
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  Coreworlder 🎲 (coreworlder@dice.camp)'s status on Wednesday, 14-Jan-2026 22:20:11 JST Coreworlder 🎲
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  @stephaniewalter Of you would like more examples then Microsoft has an introduction to inclusive design which has a bunch along those lines which I like.
  https://inclusive.microsoft.design/tools-and-activities/Inclusive101Guidebook.pdf
  This diagram is taken from there.
  In conversation about a month ago permalink
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  1. An (illustrated) table showing different ways people might not be able to interact with the world in a typical way that links methods to permanent, temporary and situational reasons. Touch: one arm, arm injury, new parent (who has to hold a baby) See: Blind, cataract, distracted driver Hear: Deaf, ear infection, bartender (working in a loud environment) Speak: non-verbal, laryngitis, heavy accent
    https://cdn.masto.host/dicecamp/media_attachments/files/115/847/345/966/332/855/original/9081619d545cf3c7.jpeg
  2. Untitled attachment

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