Design - April 2019
Personal Project / Not your enemy
Intro
While researching some information for a student project, I discovered a lot of individuals in the United States are very upset by the fact that Narcan {naloxone) is offered for free, while other life-saving medications and resources are incredibly expensive. The fact is that people are dying in the United States because medication costs are so high. Regardless, people must remember that many people in the world struggle and who also need support. Others who are struggling also require help and that includes those struggling from addiction. Drugs like insulin should be affordable and accessible but so should naloxone, and that is what this project highlights.
Discrimination between those who struggle
While exploring twitter I found a plethora of statuses, memes, signs, and threads with the shared message that giving out naloxone for free while charging hundreds of dollars for other medications was a mistake.
Many of the messages target addicts as not worthy of social programs for free naloxone and see addiction as a choice where addicts should be excluded from life-saving care. While one could argue about the factors leading to addictions, the point of this project was to address the fact that everyone who needs medical assistance deserves proper affordable health care. We should support everyone who needs help and we should not exclude specific groups from having access to care.
Original Statement
Altered Statement
I wanted to create a physical experience that would help individuals see the way hateful messages can be changed to call for solutions without excluding others who are struggling. In the end, I decided to do a booklet that contained a variety of online messages that discourage giving naloxone for free. I tried many different kinds of booklets before I decided to do a laser-cut booklet.
The book contains two versions of each statement or status. The original message found online and the same message without the discriminatory language. When someone flipped from one page to the next, light would only shine through the text that was kept on both pages.
Flipping through this booklet is an experience that emphasizes the importance of being inclusive and creating solutions for all people. This project is much more effective in person so that one is able to flip through the pages and see the light shine through the important parts of the message. Being able to see the highlighted message is key to the experience and success of this piece.
Making an impactful Experience
