The Instinct of Independence

It was 30°C (87°F), the kind of heat that sticks to the pavement and radiates through your shoes. We were out test-driving the Morgan M Versus power wheelchair, focusing intensely on its performance over curb drops and pavement slopes. We were searching for the perfect balance between performance and user comfort. The sun was brutal, and the conversation was serious. 

But then, the atmosphere shifted. 

From somewhere down the block came the unmistakable, tinkling melody of an ice cream truck. In an instant, the “technical” disappeared. We stopped analyzing the suspension’s response to a two-inch drop; the technology simply “shut up” so the moment could happen.  

In that moment, everyone just instinctively drove up to the truck. The Morgan M Versus stopped being a test unit and became a part of “the chase”. 

For someone with a physical challenge, the world usually requires a constant calculation of “Is there a ramp?” or “Can I reach the window?” But that day, the map vanished. We moved as a pack, a group of people escaping the heat. 

As designers of assistive technology, we often think of independence as a series of major milestones: performing a job, or traveling alone. But I realized then that independence can also be found in the micro-moments. It is the power to join the crowd without a second thought. It is the ability to act on a whim, just like any able-bodied person would.