Learning About Barrier-Free Design with a Special Toothbrush: A Tool Everyone Can Use Easily

Accessible in Japan
Learning About Barrier-Free Design with a Special Toothbrush: A Tool Everyone Can Use Easily

Hello, students from around the world! I teach barrier-free (accessible) design classes to elementary and middle school students in Japan. I’m writing this article to share information about barrier-free design in Japan with you. I hope this information about barrier-free design in Japan will inspire you to think about accessibility in your own country!

Barrier-Free Quiz

Let’s start with a quiz!

A toothbrush that everyone can use easily is designed with a [ ] shape.

Do you know the answer? Let’s see!

Answer: 360° (360 degrees)

360-degree toothbrush image

Image from Kids Design Award website (https://kidsdesignaward.jp/search/detail_100146)

About the 360-Degree Toothbrush

This special toothbrush has bristles in all directions, covering 360 degrees. Unlike regular toothbrushes, you don’t need to move your wrist or change the brush’s direction to clean your teeth easily.

This design has several important features:

  1. Easy for everyone to use: From young children to older adults, anyone can use it easily.
  2. No special technique required: You can brush your teeth well without any special brushing skills.
  3. Effective: It can remove plaque (the sticky film on teeth) thoroughly.

What is Barrier-Free Design?

Barrier-free design means creating things that are easy for everyone to use. This 360-degree toothbrush is a good example of barrier-free design.

Barrier-free design is especially important for:

  • People with disabilities
  • Older adults
  • Young children
  • People with injuries

But actually, barrier-free design is convenient for everyone!

Barrier-Free Design Around the World

Many countries around the world recognize the importance of barrier-free design. For example:

  • In the United States, the term “Universal Design” is often used and applied to buildings and products.
  • In many European countries, there are laws requiring public places to be accessible.
  • The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities emphasizes the importance of accessible environments.

What About Your Country?

Now, let’s think about your country:

  • What barrier-free designs do you see in your school or town?
  • Besides toothbrushes, are there other things designed to be easy for everyone to use?
  • If you were a designer, what kind of barrier-free product would you want to create?

Try discussing these questions with your family and friends!

What We Can Do for a Barrier-Free Society

There are many things we can do to help create a barrier-free society:

  1. Be considerate: Think about others and act with kindness.
  2. Use barrier-free facilities carefully: Take care of them so everyone can use them.
  3. Help those in need: Offering your seat on the train or holding a door open are great ways to help.
  4. Learn more about barrier-free design: Research at your library or on trusted websites.

Barrier-Free Explorer Team

Next time you’re outside, pretend to be part of a “Barrier-Free Explorer Team” and look for barrier-free designs around you. For example:

  • Lower ATMs that wheelchair users can easily reach
  • Tactile paving or audible traffic signals for people with visual impairments
  • Public restrooms designed to be easy for everyone to use

It can be fun to discuss the barrier-free designs you find with your family and friends!

Finally, I have an important message for all of you.

This article is based on experiences and ideas from Japan. Barrier-free approaches and ideas might be different in other countries and cultures. Talk with your family and teachers about how things are in your country. Let’s think about creating a world that’s easy for everyone to live in while respecting our differences. I’m not trying to force Japanese ideas on anyone. Also, always prioritize safety and act with trusted adults. Please keep this in mind.

Also, this article simplifies some explanations to make barrier-free design interesting to you. For accurate information, please check the websites of your country’s government agencies responsible for accessibility.

For inquiries: https://lahainars.com/contact/

Note: I’m not very good at English, so please send inquiries in simple and short English sentences.

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