Designed for Living

Arthritis is the nation’s leading cause of disability and a burden on the lives of far too many people. It affects 1-in-5 Americans, and places limitations on their daily activities such as dressing, cooking, working and walking even short distances, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Helping people overcome the challenges of arthritis is a core mission of the Arthritis Foundation, a leading national organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with the disease. Understanding the needs of people with arthritis led the Arthritis Foundation to create its Ease-of-Use Commendation.

Through this unique and innovative program, the foundation encourages the development of packaging and products to help people overcome physical limitations. There are now more than 100 products carrying the Ease-of-Use Commendation.

Ease-of-Use products can dramatically improve the lives of people who struggle with everyday tasks because of arthritis. In fact, products recognized as Ease-of-Use make tasks easier for anyone. These products increase mobility, save time and reduce the prevalence of daily pain. They also allow people with arthritis to perform tasks they might normally avoid.

“Since arthritis affects every area of life, our goal is to identify and recognize products in every imaginable field for their ease of use,” said Rick Bell, managing director of cause development with the Arthritis Foundation. Bell leads the team that assists companies through the testing and review process.

“Right now, we have dozens of products, ranging from prescription medical devices to gardening tools to kitchenware,’’ he said. “All of these products are important to help people with arthritis live well.”

What Makes It Ease-of-Use?

To ensure the highest level of credibility for products in the Ease-of-Use program, the Arthritis Foundation partnered with experts at Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). All products are put through rigorous tests with experts in the field of product design. Additionally, each product goes through hands-on testing by people living with arthritis. Not all products pass the test, with nearly 30 percent failing to make it into the program.

Brad Fain, Ph.D., principal research scientist, human systems engineering branch of GTRI, conducts Ease-of-Use testing on behalf of the Arthritis Foundation. Fain believes that designing easy-to-use products for people with arthritis is smart business, a helpful public service—and maybe even the future of product development.

“The prevalence of arthritis is increasing,” he noted. “So from a public service standpoint, reducing those limitations is the right thing to do. From a business standpoint, companies can make their products easier to use to improve sales and keep a growing demographic engaged with their products.”

Fain encourages manufacturers to consider “universal design” from the beginning stages of development. That means making products easy to use for everyone, which is a natural benefit of enhancing usability for those with arthritis. This makes Ease-of-Use products valuable for all consumers.

Consumers Speak

Having people with arthritis participate in the testing is a crucial aspect of the Ease-of-Use program. Not only is the feedback helpful to the companies that test products, but the Arthritis Foundation continues to learn more about the needs of people with arthritis. This learning extends beyond product testing as the foundation seeks to understand and validate the need and demand for Ease-of-Use products.

In a recent survey of people with arthritis, nearly 70 percent of respondents stated that the Arthritis Foundation’s Ease-of-Use Commendation logo helped influence their purchase decision, and more than 50 percent of consumers had purchased an Ease-of-Use product within the past six months. This study helped confirm that consumers value the program and the Arthritis Foundation is meeting a critical need.

“We understand the needs of people with physical limitations,’’ Bell said. “We want to work with the business community and health care providers to find solutions that will help people overcome those limitations.”

How to Submit Products

Products are introduced to the Arthritis Foundation’s Ease-of-Use program in a variety of ways.

Often companies learn about the program, understand the need and seek out the foundation’s expertise. The Ease-of-Use staff also identifies products that could potentially meet a need and contacts manufacturers. Health care professionals who work with patients with physical limitations are also encouraged to share any products that they find helpful to their patients.

To learn more about the Ease-of-Use Commendation, visit www.arthritis.org/ease-of-use. To recommend a product for the program, contact Elnetta Mitchell at 404-965-7527 or [email protected].

Senior Care Products, Spring 2012