Disabled Iconography.

 Top - Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Bottom - Traditional

   Whilst making a routine trip to the Gentleman’s room at Y.S.P, my attention was caught by the updated, sharper version of the traditional ‘Disabled’ logo upon the Toilet Cubicle. This Icon appears to present a more accurate resemblance of the human form with a slimmer and more accurate circle to represent a wheelchair. It is unclear why this icon has been updated by or for Y.S.P, as there doesn’t appear to be an issue with the functionality of the previous, more basic icon.

   Potentially the most obvious explanation is that; the icon has been redesigned to represent a more humanistic form with the ‘chair’ aspect of the icon appearing less obvious. On a semiotic level, this adjustment could be seen as an attempt to aid in breaking down certain cultural boundaries and understandings that Disabled people have to challenge. In elaboration, highlighting the visual representation of the ‘person’ more than the visual representation of their ‘Disability’ signifies a relation to the person more than the chair.

   Another logical theory regarding this icon is that I had, in fact, misinterpreted it as a ‘Disabled’ toilet, potentially revealing that it is actually a ‘large Beanbag room’ or even a ‘life-sized Pacman room.’