From ancient adaptations to modern innovations: A historical perspective of disability inclusive furniture

Hannah Meiklejohn-Kerr

doi:10.31893/humanitj.2024011

Keywords:

Abstract

Adaptive and inclusive furniture can be particularly beneficial for people with disabilities, including hidden disabilities. By considering accessibility, body forms, specific needs and multisensory design principles, furniture can improve comfort and even help promote independence. In Ancient Greece, wheeled beds were used to transport those unable to walk. In China, wheelchair-type furniture and rolling beds have been used since at least the 7th century AD. Throughout history, people have been adapting their own furniture to address their needs, leading to a drive for more inclusive furniture design within the commercial furniture industry. As a result of a shift toward inclusive design, adaptive furniture such as over chair tables and electronic riser recliner chairs have become familiar furniture items. Today, 3D printing technology is revolutionizing adaptive furniture design, potentially allowing for personalized, custom-fit solutions that cater to individual disabilities and needs, while the field of robotics is making progress for providing smart furniture solutions. This paper explores the history of furniture designed with disability in mind and the benefits of specially designed furniture to people living with disabilities. With the purpose of discussing disability needs and contemporary challenges, the paper synthesizes qualitative research in fields of disability studies, medical history, and furniture history to trace the history of disability consideration in furniture design. The research considers the benefits of disability considerate furniture, and future needs of disability inclusive furniture, including the need for style and aesthetic choice in specialist and inclusive furniture.
References
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9. Frith, J. (2014). History of Tuberculosis. Part 1 – Phthisis, consumption and the White Plague. Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health, 22(2), 29-35. https://doi-ds.org/doilink/11.2021-59178487/JMVH Vol 22 No 2
10. Gorvett, Z. (2024). These cosy, wardrobe-like pieces of furniture could reportedly sleep up to five people. Why did they fall out of fashion? https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240122-the-strange-reasons-medieval-people-slept-in-cupboards. Accessed on May 7, 2024
11. Gov.UK. (2024). Definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010. https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-underequality-act-2010. Accessed on May 2, 2024
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17. Lewin, P. (1954). Gout Rocker. JAMA, 155(15), 1368. doi:10.1001/jama.1954.03690330072022
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19. Luis-Ferreira, F., Sarraipa, J., & Goncalves, R. (2019). Smartification of Home Appliances for Safety Assessment and Risk Alert. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 52(10), 207-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2019.10.065
20. Mahran, H., & Kamal, S. (2016). Physical Disability in Old Kingdom Tomb Scenes. Athens Journal of History, 2(3), 169-192.
21. McNulty-Kowal, S. (2022). This Self-Compressing Chair is a Therapeutic Furniture Designed for Individuals With Autism. https://www.yankodesign.com/2022/01/19/this-self-compressing-chair-is-a-therapeutic-furniture-designed-for-individuals-with-autism/. Accessed on May 4, 2024
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23. Noe, R. (2020). Designing Furniture With a 7:1 Color Contrast Ratio Makes a Enormous Difference for the Visually Impaired. https://www.core77.com/posts/103624/Designing-Furniture-With-a-71-Color-Contrast-Ratio-Makes-a-Enormous-Difference-for-the-Visually Impaired. Accessed on May 3, 2024
24. Oliveira, P. F., Calado, J. S., Sarraipa, J., & Jardim-Gonçalve, R. (2022). A Framework for Embedded Hardware on Furniture Smartification Design. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 55(2), 493-498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2022.04.242
25. Panasonic Group. (2014). Care Service Robot is First in the World to Obtain ISO13482. https://news.panasonic.com/global/topics/4761. Accessed on May 9, 2024.
26. Pullin, G. (2011). Design Meets Disability. The MIT Press.
27. Pullin, G. (2022). The Brilliant Objects Embodying the Meeting of Disability and Design. https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-brilliant-objects-embodying-the-meeting-of-disability-and-design/. Accessed on May 6, 2024.
28. Ruscoe, G. (2019). History of the Wheelchair. https://history.physio/history-of-the-wheelchair/. Accessed on May 1, 2024.
29. Slawson, M. (2019). Wheelchairs through the Ages. https://www.civilwarmed.org/surgeons-call/wheelchairs/. Accessed on May 1, 2024.
30. Sneed, D. (2020). The architecture of access: ramps at ancient Greek healing sanctuaries. Antiquity, 94(376), 1015–1029. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2020.123
31. Stein, J. (2014). Dyslexia: the Role of Vision and Visual Attention. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 1(4), 267–280. doi: 10.1007/s40474-014-0030-6
32. Stephens, H. (2020 [1841]). The Book of the Farm. Volume I ([Print Replica] Kindle Edition ed.). William Blackwood and Sons .
33. Sullivan, R. (2001). Deformity: A Modern Western Prejudice with Ancient Origins. Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, 31, 262-266. doi: 10.1007/s40474-014-0030-6
34. Tosi, F. (2020). Ergonomics and Design for All: Design for Inclusion. In F. Tosi (Ed.), Design for Ergonomics: Springer Series in Design and Innovation, vol 2 (pp. 161–181). Springer.
35. Uludüz, C., & Aydın, C. (2022). Machine as the Designer of Generative Solutions in Chair Design. Journal of Computational Design, 3(1), 81-104. doi: 10.53710/jcode.1070450
36. Vaughn, A. (2024). How to Include Disabled People in the Design Process. https://www.designwithdisabledpeoplenow.com/disabled-design-process. Accessed on May 5, 2024.
37. Weiner, M., & Silver, J. (2016). Merlin’s ‘invalid or gouty chair’ and the origin of the self-propelled wheelchair. Journal of Medical Biography, 24(3), 412–417. doi: 10.1177/0967772015584738
38. Zucconi, L. (2023). Reading Ancient Temples through the Lens of Disability Studies and Mobility Design. Biblical Theology Bulletin: Journal of Bible and Culture, 53(4), 214-226. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461079231210529

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to cite

Meiklejohn-Kerr, H. (2024). From ancient adaptations to modern innovations: A historical perspective of disability inclusive furniture. Humanities Journal, 1(3), 2024011. https://doi.org/10.31893/humanitj.2024011

[1] Arnott, N. (1838). On Warming and Ventilating: With Directions for Making and Using the Thermometer-stove, Or Self-regulating Fire, and Other New Apparatus. Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longmans.

[2] Belolan, N. (2020). The Material Cultire of Gout in Early America. In E. Guffey, & B. Williamson (Eds.), Making Disabiity Modern: Design Histories (pp. 19-42). Bloomsbury Visual Arts.

[3] Campbell, M. (1999). From Cure Chair to Chaise Longue: Medical Treatment and the Form of the Modern Recliner. Journal of Design History, 12(4), 327-343. https://doi.org/10.1093/jdh/12.4.327

[4] Clarkson, P., & Coleman, R. (2015). History of Inclusive Design in the UK. Applied Ergonomics, 46, 235-247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2013.03.002

[5] Contagious (2019). Ikea, ThisAbles. https://www.contagious.com/news-and-views/ikea-thisables. Accessed on May 2, 2024.

[6] Fagan, B., & Durrani, N. (2019). What We Did in Bed: A Horizontal History. Yale University Press.

[7] Fields, B. (2003). Bridging usability and aesthetic design of wheelchairs. Usability Special Interest Group Newsletter, 9(4).

[8] Frischer, R; Krejcar, O; Maresova, P; Fadeyi, O; Selamat, A; Kuca, K; Tomsone, S; Teixeira, J. P; Madureira, J; Melero, F. J (2020). Commercial ICT Smart Solutions for the Elderly: State of the Art and Future Challenges in the Smart Furniture Sector. Electronics, 9(149), 1-32. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics9010149

[9] Frith, J. (2014). History of Tuberculosis. Part 1 – Phthisis, consumption and the White Plague. Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health, 22(2), 29-35. https://doi-ds.org/doilink/11.2021-59178487/JMVH Vol 22 No 2

[10] Gorvett, Z. (2024). These cosy, wardrobe-like pieces of furniture could reportedly sleep up to five people. Why did they fall out of fashion? https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240122-the-strange-reasons-medieval-people-slept-in-cupboards. Accessed on May 7, 2024

[11] Gov.UK. (2024). Definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010. https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-underequality-act-2010. Accessed on May 2, 2024

[12] Guffey, E., & Williamson, B. (2020). Introduction: Rethinking Design History through Disability, Rethinking Disability through Design. In B. Williamson, & E. Guffey (Eds.), Making Disability Modern: Design Histories (pp. 1-17). Bloomsbury Visual Arts.

[13] Hall, C. P. (1971). United States of America Patent No. US3585356A.

[14] Hauser, S., Mutlu, M., Léziart, P., Khodr, H., Bernardino, A., & Ijspeert, A. (2020). Roombots extended: Challenges in the next generation of self-reconfigurable modular robots and their application in adaptive and assistive furniture. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 127, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.robot.2020.103467

[15] Jarrett, C. (2005). We need to include people with disabilities in our designs. https://www.effortmark.co.uk/we-need-to-include-people-with-disabilities-in-our-designs/. Accessed on May 2, 2024

[16] Joy, E. (1974). Early Nineteenth Century Invalid, etc. Furniture . Furniture History, 10, 74-77. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23403411

[17] Lewin, P. (1954). Gout Rocker. JAMA, 155(15), 1368. doi:10.1001/jama.1954.03690330072022

[18] Li, J. (2024). Smartening Legacy Objects:Transforming Legacy Physical Objects into Smart Entities through Robotic Augmentations (Doctoral Thesis). University of California, CA.

[19] Luis-Ferreira, F., Sarraipa, J., & Goncalves, R. (2019). Smartification of Home Appliances for Safety Assessment and Risk Alert. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 52(10), 207-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2019.10.065

[20] Mahran, H., & Kamal, S. (2016). Physical Disability in Old Kingdom Tomb Scenes. Athens Journal of History, 2(3), 169-192.

[21] McNulty-Kowal, S. (2022). This Self-Compressing Chair is a Therapeutic Furniture Designed for Individuals With Autism. https://www.yankodesign.com/2022/01/19/this-self-compressing-chair-is-a-therapeutic-furniture-designed-for-individuals-with-autism/. Accessed on May 4, 2024

[22] Nias, K. (2019). History of the Wheelchair. https://blog.sciencemuseum.org.uk/history-of-the-wheelchair/. Accessed on Retrieved May 1, 2024.

[23] Noe, R. (2020). Designing Furniture With a 7:1 Color Contrast Ratio Makes a Enormous Difference for the Visually Impaired. https://www.core77.com/posts/103624/Designing-Furniture-With-a-71-Color-Contrast-Ratio-Makes-a-Enormous-Difference-for-the-Visually Impaired. Accessed on May 3, 2024

[24] Oliveira, P. F., Calado, J. S., Sarraipa, J., & Jardim-Gonçalve, R. (2022). A Framework for Embedded Hardware on Furniture Smartification Design. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 55(2), 493-498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2022.04.242

[25] Panasonic Group. (2014). Care Service Robot is First in the World to Obtain ISO13482. https://news.panasonic.com/global/topics/4761. Accessed on May 9, 2024.

[26] Pullin, G. (2011). Design Meets Disability. The MIT Press.

[27] Pullin, G. (2022). The Brilliant Objects Embodying the Meeting of Disability and Design. https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-brilliant-objects-embodying-the-meeting-of-disability-and-design/. Accessed on May 6, 2024.

[28] Ruscoe, G. (2019). History of the Wheelchair. https://history.physio/history-of-the-wheelchair/. Accessed on May 1, 2024.

[29] Slawson, M. (2019). Wheelchairs through the Ages. https://www.civilwarmed.org/surgeons-call/wheelchairs/. Accessed on May 1, 2024.

[30] Sneed, D. (2020). The architecture of access: ramps at ancient Greek healing sanctuaries. Antiquity, 94(376), 1015–1029. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2020.123

[31] Stein, J. (2014). Dyslexia: the Role of Vision and Visual Attention. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 1(4), 267–280. doi: 10.1007/s40474-014-0030-6

[32] Stephens, H. (2020 [1841]). The Book of the Farm. Volume I ([Print Replica] Kindle Edition ed.). William Blackwood and Sons .

[33] Sullivan, R. (2001). Deformity: A Modern Western Prejudice with Ancient Origins. Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, 31, 262-266. doi: 10.1007/s40474-014-0030-6

[34] Tosi, F. (2020). Ergonomics and Design for All: Design for Inclusion. In F. Tosi (Ed.), Design for Ergonomics: Springer Series in Design and Innovation, vol 2 (pp. 161–181). Springer.

[35] Uludüz, C., & Aydın, C. (2022). Machine as the Designer of Generative Solutions in Chair Design. Journal of Computational Design, 3(1), 81-104. doi: 10.53710/jcode.1070450

[36] Vaughn, A. (2024). How to Include Disabled People in the Design Process. https://www.designwithdisabledpeoplenow.com/disabled-design-process. Accessed on May 5, 2024.

[37] Weiner, M., & Silver, J. (2016). Merlin’s ‘invalid or gouty chair’ and the origin of the self-propelled wheelchair. Journal of Medical Biography, 24(3), 412–417. doi: 10.1177/0967772015584738

[38] Zucconi, L. (2023). Reading Ancient Temples through the Lens of Disability Studies and Mobility Design. Biblical Theology Bulletin: Journal of Bible and Culture, 53(4), 214-226. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461079231210529

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References

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