IKEA's ThisAbles turns furniture into accessible design via free 3D-printable add-ons

For the estimated 10% of the world's population living with a disability, ordinary furniture is a consistent problem: getting up from a sofa or turning on a light can be a struggle. Specially designed furniture exists, but it typically costs around twice as much and looks clinical — a constant reminder of being less able-bodied. The project began when Eldar Yusupov, a McCann Tel Aviv copywriter with cerebral palsy, suggested adding something to his own IKEA sofa to make it taller and easier to stand up from.

The team chose to hack existing products rather than design new ones that disabled people would have to buy again. IKEA Israel partnered with NGOs Milbat and Access Israel, hosted a hackathon in its Tel Aviv store, and developed 13 add-ons for its most popular items: sofa leg risers, easier-to-grasp handles, and bumpers that protect glass cabinet doors from wheelchair contact. The blueprints, instructions and demo videos are free to download and 3D print from the campaign website, together with an open area for sharing and suggesting new hacks.

What started in Israel became a worldwide movement. Because 3D printing was built into the project from the start, anyone anywhere could produce the add-ons at near-zero marginal cost, and the open-source call for feedback kept the library growing beyond the original 13. The work took the Health & Wellness Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2019 and a Black Pencil in the Equality & Diversity category at the D&AD Impact Awards the same year.