Name: What does this symbol actually mean? - Adrian Treharne
Uploaded: 2017-01-09T03:14:14.000Z
Duration: 4 min 11 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Some of the world's most recognizable symbols exist to sell products,

But there's one whose main purpose is to help people.

You may know it as the wheelchair symbol, or a sign for people with disabilities,

but its formal title as maintained by the ISO

many people are unclear as to what  the symbol actually means,

which has a lot to do with the symbol itself and the way it came about.

In 1968, the International Commission on Technology and Accessibility

that would be readily identifiable  from a reasonable distance,

and couldn't be confused with existing signage.

The winning design,  which didn't have a head,

was created by a Danish designer named Susanne Koefed.

The addition of a head a year later gave it a more human form,

it was endorsed by both the United Nations and the ISO.

With minimal cost and minimal fuss, a global icon was born.

There have been a few tweaks over the decades.

The Graphic Artists Guild added more rounded, human-like features,

and in 2012, the Accessible Icon Project produced a more dynamic version.

Put simply, it's a sign to identify where there are accessible facilities.

The strength of such an internationally recognized image

you don't need to speak the language or have in-depth cultural knowledge.

If you require an accessible toilet, the sign shows the way.

But the confusion comes  from the term accessibility

Many people assume that because the symbol depicts a wheelchair,

that accessible facilities are meant only for people who use wheelchairs,

or those, at the very least, who have a visible physical condition.

that applies to many,  many different conditions.

like lupus, which can cause  pain and fatigue,

In fact, the World Health  Organization estimates

that there are approximately 1 billion people

which means that this group is very likely to include yourself,

And people who use wheelchairs only make up about 65 million,

The vast majority  have non-visible disabilities.

Accessible parking spaces, facilities, and entrances

are designed with  that entire group in mind.

So it's easy to see why in recent years people have begun to raise questions

about whether the symbol is really appropriate for what it's meant to do.

It's common for people  to become indignant,

when they see people without visible disabilities using accessible facilities.

The symbol is unfortunately creating widespread issues

for the very people and families it's meant to help.

The recent redesigns have attempted with some success

to acknowledge concerns  over the current symbol.

But some think that a complete redesign is in order.

How do you replace a symbol  that's familiar the world over?

Subtitles ListPlay Video

What does this symbol actually mean? - Adrian Treharne

assume

recognize

fatigue

concept