8 Everyday Tech Inventions Originally Designed For Disabled People

Authored by Karla Rossouw

We use a number of technical devices and features on a daily basis, but how many of us stop to think how they originated or whether they are actually being utilised for their intended purpose? While many consumer products are being used for their designed function, a surprising amount of the technology we rely on every single day wasn’t actually targeted towards the general public. Some were solely developed to help disabled individuals overcome very specific physical or sensory barriers, which eventually led to much better products for the rest of us.

There’s a term for this called the “curb-cut effect”, which essentially means that when everyday items are designed to be accessible for physically impaired people, it often leads to unanticipated, positive consequences for everyone else.

Tech Inventions Created for People with Disabilities

The development of assistive devices wasn’t inspired by a single pioneer but happened in multiple stages. Miller Reese Hutchinson created the very first electric hearing aid in 1898 and it didn’t stop there.

A large influx of veterans suffered from spinal cord injuries during World War II, which inspired George Klein to innovate the first electric-powered wheelchair in 1956. But Klein and Hutchinson were certainly not the only ones who advocated for more accessibility.

1. The Electric Toothbrush

We’re frequently told by dentists that electric toothbrushes are better for our teeth because of their ability to remove more plaque and reduce the chances of gum disease compared to manual toothbrushes. That’s why many people might find it surprising to learn that they weren’t created for that specific purpose.

The very first model, called the Broxodent, was introduced in Switzerland in 1954 by Dr Philippe Guy Woog. It was initially designed to help people with limited motor skills and strength, caused by diseases like Parkinson’s or advanced arthritis, who found it daunting to brush their teeth manually.

2. Typewriters and Modern Keyboards

Long before the modern computer, Italian inventor Pellegrino Turri built an early typing machine in 1808 so his blind friend, Countess Carolina Fantoni da Fivizzano, could write letters. Later, in the mid-19th century, a blind French inventor named Pierre Foucault created a “keyboard-printing machine” using levers and keys to help blind individuals write messages that sighted people could read.

Although the keyboard is a fundamental piece of hardware that most of us use to complete our daily work or studies, the keyboard still remains a vital tool that supports people with motor difficulties to navigate websites without having to rely on a mouse.

3. Audiobooks and Playback Speeds

Most people listen to audiobooks because they allow for multitasking, save time, are portable and support those who would like to reduce screen time. But audiobooks weren’t created so that you could listen to your favourite book while folding laundry.

In 1932, the American Foundation for the Blind began producing “Talking Books” on vinyl records to make literature accessible to people who were blind or had low vision. Each side of these records held about 15 minutes of audio, and some visually impaired listeners modified their record players to speed up the audio, which is the exact same principle we use today when we fast-forward a podcast.

4. Text Messaging (SMS)

Texting is arguably the most common way we communicate using our smartphones, and we have the deaf community to thank for that. James Marsters, a deaf orthodontist, invented a device to relay typewritten conversations over phone lines, which enabled tens of thousands of deaf people to communicate with hearing people and eventually led to modern SMS text messaging.

However, it imposed a slight communication barrier as it only allowed text messaging in languages like English and not in the language deaf people were most fluent in, which was sign language.

In 2001, a major project involving Vodafone UK helped ensure 3G texting was inclusive for deaf individuals by integrating features like mobile video sign language, camera-based sign recognition and remote video interpreters.

5. Voice Recognition (Speech-to-Text)

Before we were asking our smart speakers about the weather or restaurants near us while we were driving, voice recognition functioned strictly as an accessibility software tool. The technology traces its roots back to 1952, when Bell Laboratories created a system called “Audrey” that could recognise spoken digits.

By the 1990s, the software had advanced enough to allow visually impaired users to create, open and save written documents simply by speaking. Now, this same technology powers modern virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa which help people who struggle to use standard touch screens interact with digital devices easily.

6. Closed Captions and Subtitles

Surprisingly, closed captions weren’t invented solely for anime lovers to binge-watch their favourite shows. Closed captions first appeared on television in 1971 when a demonstration featured an episode of Mod Squad broadcast with captions for hearing-impaired viewers.
Later on, a hearing-impaired engineer named Ken Harrenstein helped develop the tool that automatically generates subtitles for YouTube videos. Nowadays, it’s a common practice for anyone to use captions, especially when watching a video on a noisy train with the sound turned off.

7. Cruise Control

Ralph Teetor, a highly skilled mechanical engineer who lost his sight as a child, patented the early concept for cruise control back in 1950. He came up with the idea out of sheer frustration because his friend, who regularly drove him around, had a habit of constantly speeding up and slowing down.

To fix that jerky, stop-and-start driving experience, Teetor developed a system that would keep the car moving at a steady pace. What started out as Teetor’s pet peeve turned into a standard automotive feature that makes driving much safer and a lot more comfortable for millions of us today.

Does Inclusive Design Benefit Everyone?

It’s easy to assume that creating specialist tools for disabled people takes a lot of time and money only to cater to a very small audience. But as these inventions show, when you figure out how to make a device work for someone who can’t see a keyboard or hear a phone ring, you don’t just build a niche aid but a fundamentally better product.

These everyday features prove that designing with accessibility in mind is not just a favour to the disabled community. It shows that inclusivity is usually the starting point for ideas that make life easier, safer and more convenient for absolutely everyone else.