Creative Cabinet Design for a Special Needs Couple

Well, not long ago an interesting couple asked me to help them sort out their audio video equipment. Now to be sure the need of this couple was very special. You see the couple is blind and wanted to have their audio equipment easily accessible, they wanted a lot of storage (well organized) for their CDs and they wanted to be able to manage it all by feel.

So I put my creative prowess to work. I came up with a two-piece design that allowed the cabinets to be easily managed and moved around. The lowers have three drawers each holding 67 CDs apiece. One side has a specifically designed unit for accommodating the stereo components. It was important to provide open access to the back of the equipment. Being blind they wanted to be able to reach inside and feel the hook ups and wiring. So I left the back open and put the whole thing on roller bearings so that the whole thing could rotate.

Also, for my conservation and sustainability friends, I used reclaimed locally sourced pine, water borne low VOC stain and gloss top coat. So it was sustainably produce and specifically designed to meet the special needs of a blind couple.

Overall the execution proved a little problematic, but the functionality suited the needs of this couple quite well.