Martin Maguire’s research while affiliated with Loughborough University and other places

A study was conducted among 30 older adults in Mauritius about the use kitchens. They were interviewed firstly about the kitchens they had experienced in the past, and secondly to discuss and demonstrate their current kitchen and how easily they could use it. It was found that while some of the participants had age-related disabilities, they were all doing their best to cope with kitchen tasks. However, many were found to be attached to traditional equipment rather than newer labour-saving products. The study shows that there is a need to for a more inclusive approach to kitchen design to make life easier for this group of people. There is also a requirement to promote the benefits of modern kitchen gadgets as allowing them to live independently for longer.

A series of 14 tactile symbols were developed to represent different colours and shades for children and young people who are blind or have visual impairment. A study compared three different methods for representing the symbols: (1) embroidered thread, (2) heated ‘swell’ paper, and (3) representation in plastic using Additive Manufacturing (AM; three-dimensional printing). The results show that for all three materials, the recognition of particular symbols varied between 2.40 and 3.95 s. The average times for the three materials across all colours were 2.26 s for AM material, 3.20 s for swell paper, and 4.03 s for embroidered symbols. These findings can be explained by the fact that the AM material (polylactide) is firmer and more easily perceived tactually than the other two materials. While AM plastic offers a potentially useful means to communicate colours for appropriate objects, traditional media are still important in certain contexts.