At Reciprocity Liège, design meets disability with OpenDot

Reciprocity Design Liège, the International Triennale of Design and Social Innovation, this year will talk about fragility, disability and collaborative design. This, no longer “for all” but “for each”, turns now into an instrument of accessibility, integration and social inclusion with heroic micro-projects that really improve everyday life in its most basic actions.

This is the case of Glifo and Lorenzo’s Bike, the two OpenDot’s projects (a Fab Lab from Milan specialized in rapid prototyping, research and experimentation, ed) selected for “Fragilitas. Handle with Care”, the Reciprocity’s exhibition dedicated to the connection between design and healthcare.  These are respectively a writing aid and a three-wheeled bicycle by Unico, a brand by OpenDot and the non-profit organization Together To Go of customized and personalized products to improve the quality of life and increase the autonomy of disabled children.

Glifo is a small, light, washable and adjustable structure, co-created in 3D printing by Luca Toscano, Sara Monacchi and Andrea Pelino, you can embed the pen, pencil or marker in, to draw and color more easily. Designed with parametric software by a team of makers, designers, kinesiologists and therapists, it is affordable, accessible and really effective thanks to its practical grip that alleviates the motor difficulties of the child by reducing the limb contraction.
Lorenzo’s bike, on the other hand, is a tailor made three-wheeled bicycle with shortened cranks, ergonomic seats, back support and adjustable handlebars, specially designed for a six-year-old child afflicted by neurological disorders. Another case of affordability thanks to a customized but quickly adaptable 3D model that is much cheaper than the other devices on the market.
Accessibility, usability, resolution and efficiency seem to be the key to a new design culture that looks at new priorities, first of all design as a field of ethical and social responsibility.