Incluze

Winner of the Future of Housing Award presented by Metaloq at ACIDO's Rocket Competition.

Adult-Sized Change Table

Capstone, 8 Months

A small, accessible bathroom is shown. The walls are covered in large, rectangular white tiles. A white sink with a white countertop is in the corner, next to a white trash receptacle. A white toilet is positioned in the center of the room, with a grab bar on the wall next to it. A small disposal bin is next to the toilet. A dispenser for hand sanitizer is mounted on the wall near the sink. A roll of toilet paper is mounted on the wall. The floor is a black and white checkerboard pattern. A mirror is mounted on the wall above the sink. The lighting is bright and even.

The image shows a spacious, modern public bathroom. The walls are a light beige or cream color, and the floor is a polished, light beige or cream-colored tile. Two vanity units with three sinks are positioned facing each other down the center of the room, mounted on a continuous marble countertop. The sinks are white. A small tray holding rolled towels and a teal/turquoise colored dispenser sits on the countertop. Small potted plants are displayed on either side of the vanities.

A light-blue circle, labeled "Persons with Disabilities," is at the center of a larger graphic. Surrounding this central circle are several smaller circles, each representing a different category of people. Under the family/friend category there are: unpaid caregivers, parents, partners, and siblings. Under the workers category, there are: paid caregivers, therapists, and education staff. Lastly, under accessibility professionals cattagory, there are: manufactures, designers, and advisors.

Project Initiation

The project started with exploring the idea that there is an aesthetic difference between products and services that are deemed to be “Accessible” and those that are not. Accessible products are often designed as medical devices, focusing on function over form. Designers wanted to use Material-Led Design to make an accessible product that blended aesthetics and functionality.

Research was inspired by this concept and “Stakeholder Tree". User interviews, field research, and secondary research was used to investigate this problem and form a solution.

Problems

Icon of a user in a wheelchair, user standing up, and user standing up crossed out.

Accessible design often forgets aesthetics, creating both physical and social barriers for people with disabilities and their loved ones. In addition, most Adult-Sized Changing Tables are wall-mounted on a long side, limiting access and usability.

Research

Health and Safety

Marketing

Aesthetics

Designers consulted healthcare, education, and accessibility professionals, as well as users, to gather insights on health, safety, marketing, and aesthetics. This data guided the project.

Users

Users include individuals who use catheters, need to lie down for toileting/changing, or wear incontinence briefs. They are typically assisted by paid caregivers, family, and/or friends.

Concepts

Research was used to inspire sketching and concepts for the design. This started with applying a new aesthetic design to the existing Adult-Sized Change Table Design. In addition, small changes were considered to improve the functional elements. After re-evaluating the project, designers completely re-designed the product. This incorporated a similar mechanism to a Murphy bed as shown below. Tweaks were made after the concept stage to improve the design.

Top, right, and front views of the final concept sketch of the product in different positions. There is a technical diagram of the leg in the top right with two telescopic linear actuators. Refer to surrounding text for further details.

Ergonomic Model

To test the human factors, an ergonomic model was constructed out of recycled 2x4”s and plywood. The model was carefully planned out, using dimensions from the Accessible Canada Act and digital sketching. Once the model was planned with a cut list, designers went to work to construct the model to hold humans and simulate the movement of the concept, with door hinges. Grab bars with railings were added to the frame.

Mechanisms

Gate Redesign: A decision was made to forego the gab bars to integrate the hinge and gate lock into the table.

Lock: Controls the movement of the drawer and leg at different parts of the use cycle.

Lift/Rotation: Allows the table to move up/down and be deployed/folded.

Technical sketches, see text on the left for text description on the left.

Three renderings with person silhouettes are shown. The first shows a person in a wheelchair and a person standing next to the product folded up. The second shows a standing person next to a person seated on the unfolded, lowered product. The third shows another person, standing, near the raised table with a person laying down on it.

The table is raised to the caregiver’s waist height for changing. The gates can be left up or folded down as needed.

The caregiver unfolds the product and helps the user transfer to the table. Transferring can be done by sitting on the table, laying down, and sliding the drawer under the user’s legs.

Persons with disabilities and caregivers enter the bathroom while the product is folded. Ample room is given to maneuver a mobility device in place.

Use

Transfer

Approach

An exploded view of the product with part callouts for the Motor, Traveler, Table, Gate, Lock, and Leg Subassemblies.

Motor Subassembly

Traveler Subassembly

Gate Subassembly (x2)

Table Subassembly

Drawer
Subassembly

Lock

Leg Subassembly

Remote
Subassembly

A uniform, light gray surface with a subtle, speckled texture. Small, light gray specks or dots are distributed evenly across the entire image, creating a granular appearance. The overall impression is one of a smooth, matte finish. There are no discernible patterns or variations in the shade of gray.

Solid Surface

Hygienic while being made of recycled materials.

A close-up view of a smooth, dark-brown surface. The surface has a subtly pronounced, linear wood-like grain pattern running horizontally. The color is a consistent, deep brown with no significant variations in tone. The texture appears very even and polished.

Wood Vaneer

Accent material that blends into Biophilic Interior Design.

A close-up view of a dark brown textured surface. The textur is a simulated leather, with small, subtle bumps or dimples creating a slightly uneven, pebbled effect. The color is a consistent, deep, neutral brown. There are no other discernible features or details in the image besides the texture.

Leather Vinyl

Soft material that is hygienic and lightweight.

A plain, solid gray background. The gray is not a uniform shade, but rather transitions subtly in tone, creating a soft, diffused effect. There are no discernible textures or patterns. The overall impression is one of muted, neutral color.

Frosted Acrylic

Light-weight material that contrasts well with other features.