Hello, and thank you for taking the time to help me better understand how furniture does/does not support and enhance the independent life of a person with a physical disability. I am a furniture maker and want to focus on work for individuals with a physical disability, but do not have a disability and so decided to use this tool to begin to understand design needs. I will use your input to design and produce prototypes of furniture pieces that will better meet the needs of the individual with a physical disability. The focus is on key furniture pieces in the main areas of one’s home. Questions are meant to identify a few key elements that would improve the design of a piece of furniture.  The questions try and get at the following:  

Purpose and Problem
Each piece of furniture has a purpose. The design of that piece should meet the user to fulfill the purpose. If one has to adapt to a piece furniture, or if the furniture limits the range of actions or experiences in one’s home, then the purpose of the piece has not been met. Please share with me any frustrations you encounter with your furniture when you go through your daily routines.  The questions ask you what pieces fall short of making your life easier and what would they need to do in order to meet your needs.

Dimension and Material  
Mass market furniture is designed around the average dimensions of the standard individual.  This excludes consideration of nearly 20% of the population.  Please assess the furniture in your home with respect to its dimensions, shape, form and material.  Share your thoughts on whether a piece could be safer, more comfortable, or pleasurable to engage, or easier to use if it was designed with different dimensions or had a particular shape or was made of a different material.

I do not ask, but if you wish to provide information on your disability because you feel it is relevant to your responses or comments, then please feel free. I realize that furniture design is a broad topic and a general survey of open-ended questions may easily generate numerous, wide-ranging responses; but I could not think of a better way of gathering relevant information from the target audience. Responses are anonymous, and so I cannot contact anyone who responds to my questions.  As a consequence, I ask that you be as clear as possible in your responses. Answer any or all of the questions, or just provide me your thoughts. I welcome and appreciate any constructive input or insight regarding whether the furniture in your home serves your live and your needs and how it can be improved. Again, thank you.

If you wish to contact me, please go to my website (https://www.moriartyfurniture.com) and send me an email via the *Contact* or directly send me an email at: moriartyfurniture@gmail.com.