An off-white trifold with a green diagram of a kitchen.

Kitchens & Accessibility

ACCESSIBILITY RESEARCH, BOOK DESIGN

Over the course of two weeks, I worked with my partner, Kaeli Walker, to further research the accessibility of kitchens for older adults.

After preliminary research on existing literature, we carried out an online survey and interviewed Kaeli's grandparents.

We synthesized our research into a twenty-five page booklet and slide deck to be presented to our peers.

A folder of Google docs made for this research.

A slide show of research citations and a diagram detailing the next steps.

A photo of Joy Hwang's kitchen. 1 of 3.

Joy Hwang's kitchen 2 of 3.

Joy Hwang's kitchen 3 of 3.

Process image of book cover with kitchen drawing; 1 of 3.

Process image 2 of 3.

Process image 3 of 3.

The book cover is displayed by someone holding the book.

A spread from the book showing a QR code and graphs.

A spread from the book showing more graphs and pie charts.

A green diagram mapping Donna's movement as she prepares dessert in the kitchen.

Slide deck cover page. Title: Kitchens and Accessibility. Subtitle: Designing for the future of all users.

Title: Accessibility Barrier. Bullet 1: Kitchens have not been designed with aging in mind. Bullet 2: Older adults have limited mobility/strength, as well as attention and memory impairment, making it uncomfortable and even dangerous for them in the kitchen. Bullet 3: Much of the elderly population lives in older homes that have not been renovated and few are willing to modify their homes. Bullet 4: Studies show that a majority of older adults are unaware that their kitchens create barriers to safety and efficiency.

Part 1: Survey. Subtitle: A survey of 32 older adults (aged 65+) investigating the difficulty of accomplishing certain tasks in the kitchen. A pie graph showing 75% of respondents said they cook or use the kitchen daily. Two bar graphs showing that top and bottom cabinets caused the most difficulty for respondents.

Part 2: Interview. Subtitle: An interview with Kaeli's grandparents, asking about their experiences in the kitchen and about suggestions they might have for change. Minimal line drawings of Kaeli's grandparents. They are quoted from the interview, saying 'the cabinets above the refrigerator is basically of no use' and that though they have non-slip mats, 'we have to be careful about our foot catching on them.'

Part 3: Behavioral Mapping. A green diagram mapping Donna's movement as she prepares dessert in the kitchen.

Part 4: Final Thoughts. Subtitle: Final ideas and suggestions moving forward for more accessible kitchens. Main findings: cabinets should be reconsidered and the industry standard for kitchens needs to change.