My accessible refrigerator was designed to fill a gap in the market, creating a product that caters to elderly people who live in an assisted living situation. This tackles the issue of accessibility whilst still being an aesthetically pleasing design for the kitchen, something that is not seen in the market currently.  

Chill Reach fits perfectly into the corner of the user’s kitchen, utilising space which is often disregarded or difficult to reach. 

The user market wants to be as independent as possible so making this accessible refrigerator ‘Chill Reach’ will enable them to continue to be relatively self-sufficient with minimal levels of help from carers using their refrigerator. 

This design is made up of two sides, one being the swing door and the other is the slide-out door.  

The swing door utilises a window-like mechanism to present the door-attached-shelves closer to the user meaning less strain for users with arthritis and closer viewing for users who have low vision or with dementia. 

The slide-out door allows the back of the fridge, that can be extremely hard to access for elderly people, to slide out and become reachable for the user. Incorporated within the slide-out door is a pull-down mechanism which bring the top two draws downwards for easier physical access, viewing and cognition. 

Both doors include a magnetised door gasket that is strong enough to seal the door but does not require lots of strength or straining from the user. 

The refrigerator includes ergonomic handles that have been prototyped and tested to allow less straining in the hands of the user through a larger surface area. 

The cooling mechanism in the fridge (compressor, condenser and evaporator) allows efficient temperature regulation and flow throughout the whole refrigerator, ensuring long-lasting food and drink.