Form and function
Image Description: Kae’s black cane is resting at an angle on a white couch at the Cozey furniture showroom store in Toronto.
My home is my pride and joy—a safe, comfortable space I never had until recent years. Before that, finding an accessible and affordable place felt impossible, leaving me bouncing between temporary housing and never truly being able to settle. Now, having a home that meets my needs has given me a sense of stability, independence, and peace I never thought I’d get to have.
As my condition progresses, I continue adapting my space to support both my safety and autonomy. But here’s the challenge—most assistive and adaptive products look clinical, outdated, or uninviting. Nobody wants their home to feel like a hospital-style living environment. I constantly navigate the balance between creating a space that feels like me and ensuring it remains functional and accessible, all while juggling cost.
Being able to shape my environment to fit my needs has transformed my quality of life. Accessibility shouldn’t mean sacrificing style—safety and beauty can coexist. Yet, the industry often only offers the bare minimum when it comes to meeting disabled people’s needs. Thankfully, here are some companies proving that function, dignity, and great design can come together, making accessible living not just practical but joyful.
Image Description: A wall of picture frames with Capella Design’s ‘Selora Grab Bar Frame’, seamlessly blending in the middle amongst the other frames. It features a modern grab bar built-in underneath the frame.
Image Description: A black manual wheelchair is placed on the right-hand side of an ADA-compliant single sink vanity (made with Italian Carrera marble and black, durable steel), showing it can fit underneath comfortably. The mirror is pivoted as well. Both the vanity and mirror are made by Pottery Barn.
Image Description: A toilet is pictured with Kohler’s 3-inch ‘Hyten Elevated Toilet Seat’ installed, seamlessly blended in, virtually undetected, which looks like a normal toilet seat only it is taller.
Pictured left to right:
1. Capella Design 🇨🇦
2. Pottery Barn x Michael Graves Design 🇺🇸🇨🇦
3. Kohler 🇺🇸🇨🇦
Know of any others? Tag them below! What’s one design or product that’s made your space feel more accessible and stylish?