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Eone 2022 Round Up - Conversations and Celebrations

 

 

Inclusive design and community are at the core of what we do. For Eone, our journey in 2022 has been fueled by our goal to learn more about both.

 

Three individuals sit around a table in conversation, smiling and looking at each other. From the left, a lady wearing a mint green top, a watch on her left wrist and a cup of coffee in hand. A folded white cane sits on the table next to her. The central individual looks towards the left individual, she wears a long dark blue top. To the right, an older gentleman wearing a thick white knit sweater, with a smart blue shirt collar peeking through. He smiles at the others and has a fixed white cane resting against his chair.

 

Getting to know our community 

 

Our community has always been made up of people with a shared belief that an inclusive world is a better one. We have been fortunate to meet people from all walks of life who have their own stories and reasons for believing in inclusion as we do. In 2022, we met individuals with their own unique stories which we were so happy to share with our community. 

 

We learned about different approaches to universal design from designer, Oliver Perretta, SOUR Partner, Pinar Guvenc and blind architect, Chris Downey. They shared their own stories and motivations and some amazing examples of inclusive design. 

 

We talked about digital accessibility with our friends John Samuel and Sharon Delaney McCloud. Adaptive climbing champion Justin Salas and Team USA representative and blind skateboarder Anthony Ferraro shared their stories of how vision loss can play a part in elite sport. Bri Scalesse and Sheldon Nguyen showed how their love for fashion, and each other has influenced their inclusion journey. 

 

We were delighted our friend and Eone ambassador Bradley Snyder found time, between changing diapers and completing a PHD, to chat with us about the Paralympics, blind parenting and the future. We were incredibly excited to round off the year with a conversation with TFA Group founder, Jeremy Snyder and author of the inspirational Limitless book, Mallory Weggeman. 

 

This scene was taken from Vision Care US' eye camp hospitals, offering free eye surgery, check ups, and training for local doctors in various locations around the world. Three individuals; two middle aged gentlemen and an elderly lady between them, look happily at the camera. The gentleman on the left wears a horizontally striped red shirt, under a muddy khaki green jacket and a blue Lions Club International baseball cap. The lady; centre, wears traditional Afghan wear, in cream white and red. She has a transparent eye patch across her left eye from a recent surgery. The gentleman on the right wears a light blue traditional Afghan shirt and grey jacket.

 

 

Celebrating others

 

This year, we wanted to celebrate those who are working towards a more accessible world. On special days throughout the year, we highlighted organizations and individuals who were new to us, as well as revisiting the work of some old friends. 

 

On World Photography Day we delved into the work of blind photographer Pete Eckert. 2022 also saw our team getting to know organizations who provide support and advocacy for people with vision loss across the world. We recognized the fantastic work of two nonprofits supporting those with vision loss on Disability Independence Day, Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey and Blind Spot. When Nonprofit Day came around, we took the opportunity to highlight the work of our friends at Vision Care, the San Diego Eye Bank and the Ebeneezer School for the Blind, in Hong Kong. 

 

Shot from the waist up: Christine Ha stands crossed armed, tall and proud in her black chef jacket. She looks directly at the camera. Behind her, the seating area of her second restaurant, Xin Chao, located in Austin Texas.

 

 

Award-winning

 

While 2022 has undoubtedly been a year for our community at Eone, we were also reminded of how we reach our wider community too. We were proud to receive a Silver Telly Award for our 2021 International Women’s Day campaign, #HowTheySeeUs, led by Eone ambassador and Blind Cook, Christine Ha. The campaign reached women around the world, giving them the courage to share their story and inspire others, regardless of their unique ability. We were extremely honored to receive such a prestigious award for #HowTheySeeUs, but for us, this campaign was special because it enabled women of all different abilities, from around the world to feel empowered to inspire others.  

 

 Shot close up: The Eone Bradley Black Mesh rests on a man's left wrist. Around the edge of the image we can see he is wearing a white dress shirt, sleeves rolled, and gray suit pants.

 

 

Inclusive Design

 

Of course, we haven’t been neglecting our roots, which is inclusive design. We design for everyone and this year, we have been working hard behind the scenes to figure out how we can do this better. 

 

We were excited to see the Eone switch reach the community, almost two years after we started work on the design, that would offer not only the essential accessibility you’d expect, but also the freedom of choice and style. We also launched our Relay Program in the summer, which would improve the longevity and sustainability of our timepieces, while also making it possible to offer them at a more affordable price point. 

 

Then, in the fall, we announced we were working on a new, exciting design, the Apex Salas. We worked with Justin Salas, blind Paraclimbing champion to create a more comfortable, more accessible, more striking timepiece that can keep up with the person who wears it. The innovative ‘Hook Strap’ designed by Nick Mankey is flexible enough to move with the wearer and is simply pulled over the wrist for the ultimate accessibility. Watch this space for updates on the launch of the Apex Salas and some exciting content around its release, in 2023.

 

So, 2022 has been quite a year for us, and we couldn’t be happier to have shared it with you, our community. Together, we have learned more about the many different ways accessibility and inclusion impacts the lives of people everywhere. A deeper understanding and appreciation of those differences helps us to design better. What we learned has led to some really exciting projects which will be announced in 2023. Thank you for sharing in our journey in 2022. We wish you and your loved ones a happy and safe holiday season. We hope you find the time to relax, reflect and share joy with those around you. We’ll see you in 2023 for some exciting developments we can’t wait to share with you!

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