Disability Inclusion Design

This ice cream shop is my portrayal of a way communities can be more disability-inclusive. I highlighted three modifications this ice cream shop adopted in order to be more accessible: at least one employee who knows American Sign Language (ASL), a braille menu, and a wheelchair-accessible window. Because of these mods, this shop is now wheelchair, sight, and hearing impaired-friendly. In the painting, the man in the left-hand window is signing to a woman wearing a cochlear to aid her hearing, while on the right-hand side is a man ordering a treat in his wheelchair. In the center, there's a reachable braille menu for any vision-impaired customers, along with textured floor tiles and hand a handrail. Portraying these concepts in an ice cream shop is great because anyone of any age could be found here enjoying a frozen treat. The last time I was visiting my grandparents my grandpa took my sister's and me to an old, well-known ice cream shop and I value that moment. Everyone, regardless of any disabilities, should have an equal opportunity of creating similar memories.

This artwork was created using acrylic paint on bristol board. Painters tape helped keep lines clean and the borders neat. I used paint because I wanted to create a cartoon effect and could get smooth opaque coloring with acrylics. After painting, I used a Fiber Castel brush tip pen to clean up any messy edges and outline everything, enhancing the cartoony look.

This ice cream shop is full of vibrant colors and the red walls contrast with the checkerboard floor, firmly establishing the setting/background of this piece. I focused a lot on detail in this piece because the small things count, such as the ice cream bins seen behind the workers holding identical flavors showing that just because you're at a different window doesn't mean you're getting different service. Texture is created on the walls by adding more coats of paint in some areas than others to create a more paneled wood look, while the clean, straight lines creating the floor tiles convey a smooth, polished texture. As this project evolves it's satisfying to go in with the black pen, defining all of the shapes and bringing the scene to life. My next step with this project could be to share it with others around me to raise awareness about how our community does or does not contribute to making daily life easier for those with disabilities.