There are times in history where a product or design that were designed for someone with additional needs became so well used by all; that it is simply seen as universal.
One of these products sits proudly on my kitchen worktop. It is a Brevil One Cup water dispenser. (Other brands are available)
The One Cup was designed to be a more energy efficient way to make a cup a tea; as it only boils the water for one cup (the marketing team probably spent a lot of money and time naming this product). With a turn dial on the top to adjust the amount it pours for various cup sizes, I can literally put the cup underneath, press the button and walk away, no need to lift a boiled kettle, no need to use a liquid level indicator or colour coordinate my cups to be able to see the water level. I know people who have brought this product as they are unable to lift a kettle anymore and in fact I use a measuring jug to refill the water reservoir.
Here in the UK at the moment we are experiencing a heat wave, with temperatures soaring above 24 degrees, my guide dog Ben has been off work. He is chilling at home in the cool with the fan, while I am heading out more with my (not so faithful) long cane which is known as Candy the Cane.
Using a long cane for me is exhausting, I rely more on familiar land marks and use a ‘shoreline’ technique; where I either use a building line or grass verge to orientate myself.
And given the warmer weather I have been making use of air conditioned buses rather than walking.
Fareham bus station was renovated and opened in 1993, now whether this was part of the design, or just a happy coincidence; the station layout is very accessible and easy to orient around.
The station itself is open on both ends, with benches on the left wall and triangular glazed seating areas on the right beside the opening to get on the bus at the stand.
Each stand is in alphabetical order as you enter at the main entrance. But in addition to this the paving within the station is set out to pale large concrete squares and is broken up by a darker brick that to the unknowing eye is just a pretty pattern; when in fact it is a shoreline system.
For the brick placement sets out a safe walking area, it runs on the left to be in front of the benches I previously detailed. Then to the right it marks out where the large board with the bus time tables are, then laying horizontal to this is more bricks, this bricks actually mark out where the opening in the stand is to get on the bus. And what stops you walking out on the forecourt I hear you ask? The area outside the bus station where you would walk onto the bus is laid to concrete, so a different texture for a long cane.
The horizontal bricks enable a long cane user to count in, so should they require Stand E then they know that the fifth set of horizontal bricks is where they need to be.
This feature of the flooring and placement is probably missed by most; but for those that rely on it, it is ingenious.
Sadly, while researching for this post I was unable to find any information to know if this was in fact part of the design or simply a happy coincidence.
Either way, during this time when my cane doesn’t respond to “find the way” as my guide dog would; I am very appreciative of it.
