Ableism in camera manufacture rant

[Phil_F_NM]

Just like the title of this thread states, I want to bring up ableism in photography, particularly camera manufacture and support. I just finished a conversation with a Nikon rep who was happy to sell me a camera but couldn't do anything to suppply me with a few buttons for a point and shoot.
Backstory: I am in the final few months of my master's degree, studying Art Therapy and Counseling, and I'm a clinical intern at a rehabilitation hospital. Most of my patients have survived spinal cord injuries, stroke, or traumatic brain injury. These injuries leave people with not only outwardly apparent disabilities but also with a dimished ability to communicate and express themselves. That said, more often than not, the desire for expression is there, communication is a human social perogative. The "voice" however it is expressed, wants to be heard as we are all social animals.
Anyway, I have a patient who is exploring his world of the hospital with my assistance helping him manipulate a small digital camera. I asked Nikon if they could supply me with a couple extra buttons for an S9900 so I could modify them off camera, then replace them to enable the patient to fully manipulate the camera controls. No dice. Nikon person said they don't sell parts nor do they do any support of this type. One would think that in a multibillion dollar coporation, someone has brought up user ability. So I suppose like so many other facets of life that marketing or modifying a product for persons with disabilities is something that Nikon nor any other company is interested in. Yes, I know there are profit margins and all that but I'm thinking of using an existing camera and just making the controls a little more friendly to persons who want to make photos but have a barrier in ability to manipulating tiny controls. Buttons keep getting smaller, controls keep getting more and more proprietary (cable releases, dongles), and those who would like to express their visual point of view, make photographic art, or just take some happy snaps, are left out.
Phil Forrest

 

[jsrockit]

Phil...with your camera hacker abilities, I`m sure you will figure it out. Could something like this help?

https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/rubber-buttons-for-electronics.html

Have you though of remote controls? Some are simple.

I would imagine there just isn`t something the manufacturers just can support....customizing one-off cameras. As noble as it would be, how many people would want it?

 

[shimokita]

Sounds like you are talking to sales or support. Try the PR or accessibility group asking for accessibility for "disabled" rather than "parts". You also might have more success if you contact management in Japan rather than Nikon USA. You're not looking for parts...

 

[dave lackey]

I am willing to bet that someone on this forum can help you with a 3D printed solution!!!!

🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

 

[Dan Daniel]

Nikon is the worst possible company to deal with for this type of thing. They control their precious spare parts and repair system so tightly that they make Apple look like basement hackers.

So first, try another camera. Canon and Olympus are two companies that I know have real humans on the other end of the line, and that will even act like humans when you talk to them. I don't mention other companies simply because I haven't dealt with them.

Seriously, walk away from Nikon. Even if you have fifteen Nikon cameras ready to mod, talk to other companies and find one to deal with. Your project sounds like some very good work and one company at least will recognize and support this. Not only will you probably get some direct help, such an affiliation will make a company even more interested.


Also, look for a school with an industrial design department. Or a 'maker space.' Approach them for help with design and fabrication. Not only might they hep directly, an affiliation will make a company more willing to engage. Might even become a nice long-term project for you and others, developing these kind of one-off but needed systems for camera interface design.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Mass production can't handle custom orders.

Just like cookie cutter builders refuse even minimal layout changes if they are not in the options list.

 

[benlees]

Touch screens?

I'm amazed they couldn't donate some buttons! Not surprised, however. Maybe a local camera shop has cast offs?

Of course, if I had to completely avoid corporate greed and inanity I would have to live naked under a bush...

 

[B-9]

Hate those cookie cutter contractors.

I also dislike cookie cutter contracts.

Phil I have a small 3D printer you are welcome to borrow assuming you do not yet have one!

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I don't have a 3D printer but I hear there is one floating within the hospital network somewhere. Maybe it's with the university we're associated with.
I was thinking of the old schoool route of using spare parts to modify off-camera then reinstall. It's probably true about speaking to sales and not support, although the department was called "support".
I was also thinking of introducing an underwater housing for a camera because most of the controls are much larger and easier to manipulate. I've been thinking about this ableist problem for years now. I understand that custom made cameras can't be made but what CAN be made are cameras with larger interfaces. These days, it would be easy to make a camera with large buttons that could be mapped according to user need. That's not a custom feature, that's standard on a lot of cameras, just make them so the user doesn't have to use their right hand and allow for simple shutter triggers using 1/8" jacks or even the old style cable releases. If we could shoot film with the patients, I would already have this problem solved, easily. All the adaptive devices are already out there for old film cameras and many of them don't have buttons smaller than pencil erasers or wheels that need fine motor control.
Phil Forrest

 

[peterm1]

Phil while you are welcome to your rant as you have confessed it to be, I do not altogether agree with it.

For a couple of years I have had a spinal cord injury - courtesy of spinal stenosis (crushing of the spinal cord by the spinal bones -and yes it's every bit as nasty as it sounds) and this hampers me somewhat in photography as in everything else I do. Amongst other things this can manifest as extreme clumsiness and loss of feeling in my hands, making it hard to manipulate things like cameras and buttons on cameras etc (and fly buttons - 🙁 ). I had a spinal operation which should stop it getting worse but will never bring back what has been lost. If one of the best surgeons in the field cannot help me why should I expect a camera company to do so? And why should they - I may be 1/100th of 1% of their market? If that!

I am not inclined to blame others (as is the modern trend - sigh!) for them not looking after my specific needs. And I adhere pretty much to the old way of doing things - as a result of which I do not regard myself as a victim as far too many people do today. Stuff happens in life so I just deal with it. There is a lot to be said for the forgotten "art" of stoicism. Stiff upper lip and all that old boy. (Call me old fashioned - perhaps you would be right).

In short I simply get on with it. If a camera does not suit me then I buy another or stick with one I already have that I like.

 

[Ambro51]

Consider a Nikonos. Large easy knobs, tough as nails, great optics.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Re: Nikonos, our patients can't use film. We don't have the budget for it and most of my patients don't have the dexterity to load a film camera.

Peter, I appreciate your point of view however you still have the ability to use a camera and more importantly, to communicate. Some folks are non-verbal but find both communication/expression in art as well as regulated affect. Expressive therapies help to increase positive mood, give patients some agency, and also help us who are able to understand the challenges they encounter. I find it unethical to tell any of my patients that things happen and they should just suck it up. This is the mindset that shuffles the disabled, whether by acquired injury, or by birth, into an institution waiting to die. It is also unethical to say this same thing to their loved ones who care for them.
While I appreciate your point of view, and hope you keep your ability for the rest of your days, I disagree that folks should simply be stoic and that we, the able, should not try to help them.
Phil Forrest

 

[rbiemer]

Phil, I can only agree with your "rant."

There is some backlash against all the proprietary parts and the various manufacturers that don't want any one but themselves to be able to buy parts or offer service.

I wonder if it might be helpful to approach someone--no real idea who that might be--involved with the "right to repair" movement?

Given what you want to do--not necessarily have a custom camera made but to simply gain access to the parts so that you can modify them to better serve the people you are trying to help.

As well, I can see that this isn't really about "repair" and the suggestion from shimokita makes sense to me.
Does Nikon not have to accommodate disabled workers? Perhaps connecting those two ideas/populations in Nikon's corporate "brain" might get you closer to what you need?

Good luck!
Rob

 

[Dan Daniel]

Phil, seriously, approach industrial design firms and schools. Designers love projects like this. Whether it's a student group or a small design project inside a firm, the chance to explore new issues, flex their skills on challenges like this, the PR bneefits, etc., you'll find someone to take this on.

https://ipd.me.upenn.edu/
https://www.uarts.edu/programs
https://phaseonedesign.net/
https://www.bresslergroup.com/

There are so many things being done with robotics, remote interfaces, machine assists, etc.

One thing I know about the inside of many small cameras is that the switches and buttons are not very robust. So, for example, enlarging a 4-way rocker could lead to leverage forces that it will lead to early failure. An interface designer could break out the electronics and build a solid control box sized for an individual's abilities, etc.