The City of New York has decided to update the familiar blue-and-white ‘handicapped’ sign with a new design.
What do you make of the new approach to the 'handicapped' logo?
Many of you will be familiar with the logo design of the 'handicapped' signage that is used across the world (shown below). Featuring a stick figure in a wheelchair with a blue-and-white colour scheme, the old logo has been criticised as portraying the handicapped as 'passive'.
The traditional logo has been criticised by activists for portraying disabled people as passive
A design team at Gordon College, Massachusetts took it upon themselves to create a new logo that aims to change the old logo's connotations. Showcasing a stick figure leaning forward and active, the new logo still maintains the traditional blue-and-white colour scheme.
The new logo is being promoted by disability organisations include The Enabling Unit at UCMS, India
Commissioner of the Office for People With Disabilities in New York, Victor Calise says that the new design is "a forward-moving thing" and that the logo now in use is "stagnant". The team hope that the new creation will spark debate among the design industry and cause a re-evaluation of disability issues.
The new logo is also being promoted by a number of disability organisations include The Enabling Unit in Delhi, India. The Accessible Icon Project website has a detailed breakdown here of how the design was put together.
