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international symbol of access
ELIZABATH GUFFEY, CONVERSATION WITH STEVEN HELLER
Elizabeth Guffey’s book Designing Disability: Symbols, Space, and Society explores the history, theory, and politics of the International Symbol of Access (ISA), designed in 1968. Guffey, who is the author of numerous books and articles about design and society, spoke with Steven Heller about her research about the iconography of accessibility.
As a disabled person, were you especially motivated to research the evolution of the International Symbol of Access (ISA)?
The cerebral palsy is unchanged, but my own abilities (walking, standing, etc.) have become more acute and limiting as I’ve grown older. Just walk- ing across a room takes a lot of effort for me. And so, my own awareness has changed. I understand how able-bodied people may perceive these issues, but I also live as a disabled person today. And this has made me keenly aware of the symbol and its relation to reality.
You write, “When I began writing this book, I was under the illusion
that this would be a short article about a design that shaped my life for many years.” What did you learn that expanded your coverage?
I thought I knew everything about the symbol, but even I was surprised to learn that it represented an entirely new way of thinking. It was designed in 1968 and only gained acceptance in the US and Europe starting in the mid-1970s. There are probably lots of people who remember a time when the symbol simply didn’t exist. But now several generations have grown up with the little wheelchair figure and take it as a normal part of life. I think that familiarity and general acceptance represents a step forward for us a society.
I was surprised to learn about North American and European ap- proaches toward disability itself. The wheelchair symbol is actually a graphic compromise between these two camps. In North America,
   
























































































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