DESIGN FOR AMERICA: PROJECT ASCEND

Empathetic design for both wheelchair users and airline baggage handlers

Project Ascend was a joint venture between Design for America and Open Doors Organization (ODO), a nonprofit aimed at making travel and tourism more accessible.

Open Doors Organization challenged us to improve the accessibility of air travel for people who require motorized wheelchairs. Statistics show that approximately 85% of motorized wheelchairs sustain impactful damage during flight. Through ODO, my team of 4 undergrads met with travelers who fly with motorized wheelchairs and conducted research.

We also met with baggage handlers working at Midway Airport to understand the challenges they faced and discovered a lack of appropriate equipment and information for the handlers to safely and effectively store motorized wheelchairs.

Our solution was two-pronged, focusing on bridging the information gap through intuitive stickers and protecting the fragile components with durable and easily-attached padding. Through stickers and equipment, we could allow the baggage handlers to intuitively lift and move the wheelchairs safely, reducing damage to wheelchairs and providing confidence and peace of mind to travelers.