Let me introduce a coinage first- “as manipulative as a lever”. This is to replace the untimely death of the phrase “as dumb as a doorknob”.
You ask why? If a Vancouver legislation has its way, the city will see no more round door knobs in its private and public buildings. In a move towards a more handicapped-friendly world, they are likely to be substituted by levers at doors and faucets. Howard Koplowitz for the website International Business Times sheds light on the subject.
Understandable in public spaces, excessive in private spaces
The move has come under fire from a section of the public. Many believe that it rightly looks after those disabled people who may have issues of accessibility in public areas. After all, there are parking spaces for handicapped people allotted for the same reasons too.
While there is nothing wrong with it till this point, forcing private homes to change to levers is being equated with “excessive”.
Universal Design
The concept of Universal Design- maximum accessibility for maximum number of people- may draw some heavy flak. No one is contesting that the disabled and the arthritic (apart from the elderly) find it really difficult to turn door knobs but making the knobs redundant is no solution. If anything, it is an aesthetic riddle we have got to solve.
You can read the original article here.
Replacing something high on aesthetics
If it ever dawns upon the Australian government to adopt such a move, I have an idea for them. Go ahead with the move if you so want but let the door knobs at least be there at the doors of public and private buildings. Confused? I mean they add an aesthetic charm and are a beautiful reminder of the past. Make them dysfunctional, use a lever instead to manage the doors but let the knobs remain stuck to the doors (for the sake of aesthetics).
Look into the more fundamental grievances of the disabled
On a stricter note, I feel that any government will do well to address few of the more fundamental concerns of the disabled. Imagine: We still think of the disabled as “Walking Lawsuits” and steer clear of giving them jobs. Is it not more important to work on some kind of “fair employment plan” for them globally?
I can still understand the economic merit in shifting to levers in malls. They do not want to miss out on disabled customers but making it a practice for private homes anywhere around the planet seems like a sorry move to me.
I am really looking forward to your comments on this one.
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