From Stickers to State Law: The Accessibility Icon Story

Design meets activism. Philosophy meets iconography. Wheelchairs meet graffiti.

In this philosophy-packed episode of Podcast Awesome, Matt chats with professor, artist, and co-founder of the Accessible Icon Project, Brian Glenny. Together with colleague Sara Hendron, they took a bold journey to make a tweak to the accessibility symbol — which led to a humble street art sticker to statewide legislation.

Brian’s story unpacks how a wheelchair icon went from stiff and static to dynamic and full of agency — and how that tweak sparked a global conversation about representation, identity, and inclusion.

Along the way, we hit:

• 🧠 The neuroscience of symbol recognition
• 🎨 Graffiti roots and punk rock influence
• 📜 Ethics and accessibility in visual design
• ♿ The making of a movement: from sticker campaign to state law
• 🤯 How even tiny geometry tweaks carry political power

If you’ve ever wondered how symbols shape culture — or why an icon isn’t “just an icon” — this one’s for you.

And knowing? Yep. That’s half the battle.

🔗 Links & Credits

🚧🎨🏙️Brian's Wiki Page

👀 Learn more about Sara Hendren

🎵 Theme by Ronnie Martin
🎹 Interstitial music by Zach Malm
🎛️ Audio mastering by Chris Enns (Lemon Productions)
🎥 Video support by Isaac Chase

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#PodcastAwesome #AccessibleIconProject #BrianGlenny #DesignActivism #InclusiveDesign #IconographyMatters #DisabilityRepresentation #GraffitiArt #DesignEthics #Semiotics #ContentIsCulture #DesignPhilosophy

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