Officially known as the International Symbol of Access, the wheelchair icon is one of the most widely recognizable symbols used worldwide, denoting everything from accessible restrooms to reserved parking spots. The problem? It's an entirely passive symbol, lacking action or agency.
Aiming to rectify that, sports retailer Decathlon Canada worked with creative agency Rethink to design a new set of pictograms featuring people with physical disabilities playing sports — both highlighting their abilities and affirming Decathlon's mission of making sports accessible to all.
The icon set can be downloaded from AbilitySigns.ca and has been released under a Creative Commons licence for anyone to use. Specifically for Instagram, Decathlon also created stickers for modifying signs in photos, turning the standard 'person in a wheelchair' into someone playing tennis or boccia ball.
