The curb cut effect is the phenomenon of disability-friendly features being used and appreciated by a larger group than the people they were designed for. For example, many hearing people use closed captioning.[1] The phenomenon is named for curb cuts – miniature ramps comprising parts of sidewalk – which were first made for wheelchair access in particular places, but are now universal and no longer widely recognized as a disability-accessibility feature.[2][3]
The curb cut effect is a subset of universal design, which is the purposeful design of an environment so that it is accessible to all people regardless of ability or disability.[4] The curb cut effect differs slightly from universal design as the curb cut phenomenon is often unintentional rather than purposeful, but results in a similar outcome.
Below are some examples of the curb cut effect.
The curb cut effect has become a prominent phenomenon as society focuses more on designing accessible and inclusive environments. Implications of the curb cut effect include an increased awareness around universal design within the general population. The fact that many features explicitly designed to be disability-friendly have been utilized and enjoyed by people outside of the initial target population has encouraged inclusive design. The curb cut effect has helped prove that there could be economic benefits derived from including or developing accessibility accommodations in a business setting.[6] Amongst positive implications, the curb cut effect has also resulted in negative changes, such as the lack of individualized design for disabled populations.[7]