Kurt Kohlstedt

1 week ago | 99percentinvisible.org | Kurt Kohlstedt

Each of the five pieces in this miniseries, leading up to this one, has considered a different subset of adaptive design problems for people dealing with one working hand, like I was in the wake of a serious accident. We’ve covered various solutions I researched, evaluated, and adopted along the way; some of which I found, others I adapted, and still others I created.

1 week ago | 99percentinvisible.org | Kurt Kohlstedt

A severe arm injury can leave you with a lot of time on your hands, while simultaneously limiting your recreational options. For me, two-handed video games were out, at least until I had the time and patience to research and learn to use accessible gaming controllers. At the same time, physical therapy soaked up any athletic energy I might have had for sports and such.

2 weeks ago | 99percentinvisible.org | Kurt Kohlstedt

I’m a backpack person. Whether for everyday carry or for travel, I’ve always preferred backpacks to sling, messenger, duffel, and, above all, roller bags. But after I severely injured my right arm, I was forced to cycle through alternatives, particularly for day-to-day purposes. I found smaller, single-shoulder bags uncomfortable to wear for long periods; most also lacked space (and padding) to safely carry stuff I regularly need, like a laptop.

2 weeks ago | 99percentinvisible.org | Kurt Kohlstedt

Last year, I found myself working my way through my wardrobe, considering what I could and couldn’t wear comfortably with a newly disabled right arm. Among other concerns, I knew a lot of my clothes would be harder to put on and take off for the foreseeable future. But in the course of my digging through drawers, I came across an old pair of pants surprisingly well-suited to my left-handed situationI’d forgotten I even owned these pants, but here they were, seen with fresh eyes in a new light.

3 weeks ago | 99percentinvisible.org | Kurt Kohlstedt

After an accident incapacitated one of my hands, even trying to tie my shoelaces became an exercise in frustration. But I also wasn’t keen on giving in and boxing up my laced shoe and boot collection in favor of slip-ons. So rather than sole soul searching for new footwear, I began looking for loopholes – ways to get around the knotty problem of tying laces, but without kicking my current footwear to the curb.