Misfitting Response
“ Disabled people are adept at devising dynamic solutions to the ‘misfit’ between their needs and the ableism rife in everyday life, whether hacking commonplace objects or pioneering brand-new design initiatives. Such inspired interventions have positive repercussions for society at large too”
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“Accessible design isn’t just about compliance, it’s a form of cultural participation, and UK regulations tend to focus on mobility needs without paying heed to the spectrum of lived experiences, often resulting in a one-size-fits-all approach that could be read as tokenistic. Through the DisOrdinary Architecture Project, co-founded with Zoe Partington, Matrix pushes the profession to move beyond minimal compliance towards a more nuanced and creative culture of inclusivity design. For the 2022 Theaterformen Festival in Braunschweig, Germany, for example, it transformed a set of bike racks into seating, critiquing both the lack of public seating in the vicinity and the primacy of moving bodies over those wanting pause. Such interventions show how architecture could reimagine public space, shifting the default away from speed and towards care.”
Priya Khanchandani (Author, THE WORLD OF INTERIORS)
