This world was not designed for tall people

This article from Fast Company highlights Arianne Cohen's new book: The Tall Book. Cohen is singing an anthem that I've been droning for years: the society we live in was not built for tall people. Have you ever seen the movie Elf? I often feel like the main character, where I'm just too big for everything around me. I bump my head in the subway, my feet are too big for the stairs, I don't know what to do with my knees and legs when I'm sitting in a plane or a car. Rarely do shoe stores carry the shoes I want in my size. Kitchen sinks are generally too low for me to stand and do dishes, older fridges are way too low for me to find things on the bottom shelf, basement ceilings are dangerous, as are ceiling fans...the list goes on and on.

Scene from Elf, just like me most of the time, with my feet hanging off the bed.

I usually only feel really comfortable in my body when I'm playing sports or when I'm in Holland or Finland. When I lived in Holland I found that the world was built for people of my height - I was average height for Amsterdam. The doorknobs were higher in the doors, the doorways were higher, even the toilet seats sat slightly higher off the ground. And they carried wooden clogs in my size! I wonder if any of those Scandinavian countries have solved the laptop problem yet: standard size laptops are NOT built for tall people; our hands are too big for the keyboard, and we have to slouch to properly see the screen. After many hours of laptop use, I am usually in a lot of pain, and am developing a permanent slouch because of this.

Cohen describes a movement oriented around universal design, implying that a paradigm shift is required to move the definition of universal design from "one size fits all" to "a size for every different person" which is much more inclusive.

Basically, it's time to include 100% of the population as potential users when designers are creating structure and tools for life, whether it be in public washrooms, public transportation, or elsewhere. Let's keep in mind that while tall people can reach things on the top shelf, we often can't hear short people who are looking down and talking away, and we can't fit our hands into the Pringles container. There are advantages and disadvantages to being short and for being tall. And I agree with Cohen, it makes sense to try and be inclusive.

Some notable trends: the next generation is getting taller, and laptops are getting smaller. Could this dichotomy be based on the fact that most of the technology we are using is developed in Asia, where people tend to be slightly shorter than me?