Adapt or Design
Last year, 99pi’s Kurt Kohlstedt suffered a severe injury that incapacitated his right arm and dominant hand. In the aftermath, new everyday challenges led him to research, test, and even develop accessible design solutions. These experiences set the stage Adapt or Design, a twelve-part project of 99% Invisible in three acts.
First, the six-article mini-series Single Handed dives into adaptive designs for people with one functional hand. Next, the three-article micro-series Broken Plexus addresses assistive designs for severe injuries and long-haul recoveries. Finally, Left to Write is a three-piece set about adaptive writing technologies, including single-handed keyboards and typing systems.
The project name is a play on “adapt or die,” but it also references a recurring post-injury dilemma: whether to adapt, or to design a fix, absent an existing adaptive design solution.
The project logo design is a nod to the current condition of my (Kurt’s) arm, which awkwardly operates a bit like one of those mechanical grabbers in “claw game” arcade machines.
Act One: Single Handed
Adapting to life with one working hand, I used to joke that everything was three times harder and took three times longer in the wake of my injury; except, I wasn’t entirely kidding. But the more I identified and addressed everyday problems, the more I was able to reclaim my time, energy, and life … with the help of adaptive design solutions.
Part 1: After a week in the hospital, getting discharged felt great. But simply swapping a hospital gown for street clothes highlighted unexpected issues.
Part 2: Shoelaces present a problem; the solution could be cheap, fast, good – pick two. Shoe-lutions include lace locks and assistive footwear.
Part 3: Before shopping for inclusive apparel, it can pay to look closely at one’s wardrobe for clothes that may work with new tools or modifications.
Part 4: Sling and messenger bags lack everyday utility and comfort. Absent off-the-shelf options, a backpack can be hacked for crossbody-style carry.
Part 5: Many recreational options may be out of reach, but e-readers remain accessible, and can be augmented with add-ons for one-handed use.
Part 6: Sometimes those around us are best situated to spot problems right in front of us. They can be great sources of novel adaptive design ideas.
Act Two: Broken Plexus
As my long-haul recovery dragged on, a dynamic subset of long-term design challenges emerged, reflecting change over time. Rehabilitation workout sheets stacked, leading me to create a workbook; issues with orthoses wore on me, provoking interventions; and seasonal changes coupled with mending nerves shaped my shifting wardrobe.
Part 1: Wrangling exercise sheets can feel like workout, but organizing in pain can yield tangible gains, even beyond a well-designed workbook.
Part 2: Even the best off-the-shelf orthoses can wear on one over time, with emergent pain points that demand various custom interventions.
Part 3: Nerve damage can feel chaotic at times, dampening some sensations, magnifying others, yet calling for a balanced approach to apparel.
Act Three: Left to Write
As a writer, my biggest post-injury concern revolved around my ability to pursue this profession and passion. So I started researching adaptive keyboards for functionally one-handed users, which led me to develop a single-handed typing system for two-handed keyboards — one that I could share with others, and have below!
Part 1: Despite the wide range of available designs, one-handed keyboards have various drawbacks that can be dealbreakers for some users.
Part 2: Ultimately, I created a custom typing solution, programmed for one-handed use but compatible with two-handed keyboard hardware.
Part 3: The “KURTY” typing system adds single-handed functionality to QWERTY keyboards in minutes — it’s free for you to download and use.
Postscript: Adapting, Designing & Writing
I set out to write a single article about adaptive design, to be paired with an episode about one-handed keyboards. As I developed my own adaptive writing solution, however, putting my experiences down on (proverbial) paper became easier … and the scope started to expand. I continue to recover slowly and incrementally from my injury, but am still limited to typing with my non-dominant left hand (and may be forever). So I continue to find my custom keyboard setup useful and hope others who download it will as well.
Meanwhile, I sincerely and deeply appreciate the support I’ve gotten not only from my colleagues, friends, family, and partner, but also from the many 99pi fans who have engaged with and responded to this series — I’ve been so pleasantly surprised by the reactions both from people I know and others I don’t. Thank you all!