Able-bodied consumers complete everyday chores without a second thought. For the disabled, however, every normal daily activity the able-bodied take for granted is often a challenge.
Whirlpool proposes to alleviate the challenge for the disabled of at least one household chore – loading and unloading a dishwasher.
Whirlpool’s new Spin&Load Rack spins 360 degrees to enable the disabled to reach all corners of a lower dishwasher rack from a single seated position.
Spin&Load can be installed by the consumer and is compatible with all Whirlpool 24-inch dishwashers, including those from Whirlpool brands Amana, JennAir, KitchenAid, and Maytag, manufactured after 2018.
“The Spin&Load Rack is a great example of Whirlpool brand’s commitment to human-centered innovation and inclusive design that empowers families to accomplish the chores on their to-do list,” boasts April Taylor, Whirlpool brand management senior analyst. “It’s important to us that we invest in creating inclusive and diverse products that empower all of our consumers and make a positive difference in their lives.”
According to Whirlpool, Spin&Load arrives in simplified and inclusive packaging that ensures all customers can easily open and unbox the Rack with one hand.
Like all Whirlpool products, the company proudly points out that the Spin&Load Rack is manufactured in the U.S. The Benton Harbor, MI-based Whirlpool brags it is the last appliance company to domestically design and manufacture its products, and that “80 percent of what we sell in the United States is made in the United States,” according to Taylor.
AVID Origins
Spin&Load is the first product of what the company hopes is a series of appliance access solutions for the disabled from Whirlpool’s Awareness of Visible and Invisible Disabilities (AVID) employee resource group. Founded in 2015, Spin&Load emerged from a 2022 AVID intern innovation challenge to address product pain points for customers with disabilities.
“Interns were comprised of cross-functional members from all of our different groups,” explains Katelin Frayer, engineering analyst at Whirlpool. “We charged them to reach out to their family members [and] friends with disabilities and ask them about what their pain points were and then come up with a solution of how they could solve it.”
Prototypes were submitted to members of the United Spinal Association, whose feedback informed the final design.
“United Spinal is proud to partner with Whirlpool on the Spin&Load Rack – a dishwashing innovation that brings us closer to a world where accessibility is built into everyday life,” proclaims Vincenzo Piscopo, United Spinal Association CEO and president. “With one in four U.S. households including a family member with a disability, creating products that meet the needs of all consumers is more important than ever.”
Taylor also hopes the benefits of the Spin&Load Rack are obvious and attractive to all consumers, especially for those where an open dishwasher door blocks access to the rest of their kitchen.
Availability
Initially, the Spin&Load Rack is available directly from Whirlpool for $149.99. However, the company is currently conducting a retail test with Nebraska Furniture Mart in Omaha to prepare for a brick-and-mortar sales rollout.
To market the Spin& Load through social media, Whirlpool is collaborating with Tony Award-winning actress, singer, and author Ali Stroker. Stroker is the first actor to use a wheelchair to appear on Broadway, and whose motto is “Turning Your Limitations Into Your Opportunities.”
“I’ve often had to adapt to the environments around me,” Stoker says, “and it feels good knowing that Whirlpool brand has designed something that empowers a wide range of individuals and their families.”
Whirlpool’s AVID effort, however, leaves the company between an IP-profit rock and a disabled hard place. After all, considering its benefits, shouldn’t the Spin&Load and other potentially forthcoming AVID solutions be available to all disabled appliance customers, regardless of brand?
“Yes, our specific design is meant to be compatible with our corporation’s products,” Frayer acknowledges. “[But] we would hope our innovation is something the competition is looking at. If they change their designs to catch up with Whirlpool, that’s a way [the disabled] win.”
See also: Fire Magic Debuts Two New Outdoor Cooking Appliances
