The Ability Curve: We Will All Be Disabled Eventually

dougkatz8
Jan 2
3 min read

We all move along the Ability Curve. Designing for each other means designing for ourselves — now and in the future

Biology Always Wins: The Reality of the Ability Curve

We don’t like to think about it, but here’s the truth: You will be disabled someday.

Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But eventually, biology catches up to all of us.

It could be an injury. A chronic illness. Aging joints. Shaky hands. Slower reflexes. Lost strength. It happens to everyone — not because we’re broken, but because we’re human.

That’s the idea behind The Ability Curve. It’s a reminder that ability isn’t fixed — it’s a spectrum, and we all move along it throughout our lives.

Not “Able or Disabled” — Just Real Life

We’ve been taught to think of people as either “normal” or “disabled.” But it’s not that black and white.

One day, you can open a jar. The next day, your wrist hurts too much. One day, you’re carrying groceries easily. A year later, your knees are shot. One day, you’re cutting vegetables like a pro. Then arthritis changes your grip.

Your ability shifts all the time — and most tools and products don’t account for that.

Why I Designed a Different Knife

I love to cook. But after years of injuries and physical wear, my hands stopped cooperating.

What I found was disappointing: Most kitchen tools require perfect grip strength and coordination. If you don’t have that, you’re not just frustrated — you’re at risk.

So I invented a new kind of kitchen knife, called NULU, that uses a totally different geometry — one that makes cutting easier, safer, and more controlled for people with reduced strength or movement.

But here’s the twist: it didn’t just help people with disabilities. It helped everyone.

That’s when I realized — the best design isn’t made for the “abled.” It’s made for real people.

The World Isn’t Built for the Curve

Most products are built for “average” users. But the average person doesn’t stay average for long.

We get older. We get injured. We get tired. And yet, we’re still expected to use the same tools as if nothing’s changed.

The Ability Curve shows us that our environments are often what disable us — not our bodies.

Aging Is Just Slow-Onset Disability

By age 55, many people already have joint pain or reduced mobility. By 65, even more do. By 75, nearly everyone does.

But we don’t call it “disability.” We just call it aging. That’s semantics. Functionally, it’s the same thing: reduced ability that affects how we live.

If we design for people at the edges — people with reduced ability — we’re actually designing for the future versions of ourselves.

Good Design Is Human Design

Think about it:

Curb cuts were made for wheelchairs. Now delivery drivers, parents with strollers, and travelers all use them.
Captions were made for the deaf. Now we watch Netflix in bed with the sound off.
Easy-grip tools were made for arthritis. Now they’re kitchen bestsellers.

The lesson? What helps people with challenges helps everyone.

What You Can Do

If you’re getting older, helping someone with physical limitations, recovering from injury, or just feeling worn out at the end of the day, you are already somewhere on the Ability Curve.

So ask yourself: