28 OCTOBER 2021
Ever struggled to open a jar, plastic packaging, a can, or even the packaging around your medication? Most people have – including those who enjoy relatively good physical dexterity and strength. For people who live with chronic pain this can be a big daily hurdle.
At Painaustralia we believe it is essential for products and packaging to be designed to be readily accessible for all consumers, taking into account variability in the level of physical ability.
Inaccessible products and packaging can cause day to day frustration for people without disability, but for those who live with chronic pain, particularly the kind that impairs use of the arm, wrist hands and/or fingers, these products and packaging can often be impossible.
Painaustralia is part of the Accessible Product Design Alliance (the Alliance), an initiative representing 11 groups started by Arthritis Australia who are calling on the government and the packaging industry to make regulatory and design changes that will improve packaging design and make products more accessible to consumers.
The organisations that form the Alliance include Arthritis Australia, Arthritis New Zealand, Cerebral Palsy Alliance, Cystic Fibrosis Australia, Huntington’s Australia, MND Australia (Motor Neurone Disease), MS Australia (Multiple Sclerosis), Muscular Dystrophy Foundation of Australia, Parkinson’s Australia, Stroke Foundation of Australia, and Painaustralia.
Many people living with chronic pain have expressed to us their frustration with poorly designed packaging that makes daily functions more difficult and, in some instances, can even cause harm. For instance, trying to prise open a jar that is tightly sealed can lead to people trying to pour boiling water over it and, in the process, scalding themselves. Or they might use a sharp knife to try and open a lid leading to cuts or other knife-related injuries.
Also problematic for many is the loss of independence they experience when they need to rely on others to help them use everyday products. The sense of inadequacy at not being able to perform what should be straight ahead everyday tasks can be overwhelming.
Difficult to use products and packaging can affect people’s ability to manage their health, as well as undermine independence and self-esteem. An Australian study on patients with rheumatoid arthritis, for example, found that difficulties opening medication bottles was a major impediment to properly managing prescribed treatment.
The Alliance is focused on raising up consumer voices to industry and government for immediate change to remove unnecessary physical pain and discomfort, stress and frustration that can impact a person’s independence.
In 2017-18 just under half (47.3%) of Australians (approximately 11.8m people) had one or more chronic conditions, an increase from 2007-08 when 42% of people had one or more chronic conditions. And with our population ageing and the increasing prevalence of people with chronic conditions, the need for products that improve our functionality are more important than ever before.
Up to 20% of the population have impairments that limit their ability to open, use and enjoy standard consumer products. These impairments include poor vision, issues with mobility and limited strength and dexterity. Those affected include older people, people with disability and people with chronic conditions such as arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions, chronic pain, neurological conditions, movement disorders and other related degenerative disorders.
There is a significant demand for accessible products. The market for these products is growing, and consumers will ‘vote with their feet’, opting for more accessibly designed products that will enable them to function better in their daily life.
Measures to improve the availability of accessible products and packaging offer new opportunities for government and industry to support inclusivity and independence for people with disability as well as a more positive consumer experience for all. People with chronic pain deserve this consideration.
These calls for better design to enable ease of use can also inform the drive to reduce packaging waste, a critical issue for our environment.
Like all the members of the Alliance, we are calling on companies and organisations to make packaging and products easier to manage. Such small changes can make a significant difference to those who are living with pain. And maybe many more of us will be less frustrated as we try to open the myriad of packages we encounter in our daily lives.
Carol Bennett, CEO
If you have a story to tell about design flaws that hamper your ability to function well while living with chronic pain, or a good news story about accessible packaging, please let us know at admin@painaustralia.org.au
You can find out more about the alliance at https://arthritisaustralia.com.au/accessible-design-division/accessible-product-design-alliance/
Recent media
On 14 September 2021, I spoke to ABC Radio National AM show’s presenter, Nas Campanella, about the obstacles some types of product packaging can present to those living with chronic pain and promoted the push to create accessible packaging and products. Listen to the full interview here.
I also spoke with Indira Naidoo on Afternoons (from 3:50 to 20:42).
On 18 and 28 September 2021, Painaustralia was mentioned as part of The Accessible Product Design Alliance in The Senior and Multiple Sclerosis News Today.
Other Alliance media includes:
- NZ Scoop online https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2109/S00054/calls-for-accessible-product-design.htm
- National Tribune https://www.nationaltribune.com.au/calls-for-change-as-inaccessible-product-design/
- Mirage News https://www.miragenews.com/calls-for-change-as-inaccessible-product-design-631291/
Alliance Instagram https://www.instagram.com/accessiblealliance/