In order to test different closures for accessiblity, I created test boards and used a force gauge to document how much effort each closure took to open.
The force gauge above is what I used to measure how much effort was needed to open certain closures, using the hook attachment for ease. I used pounds as my units. All of zipper and velcro measurements are taken, snaps need furthur testing and documentation.
The board above features velcro, snaps, and magnets. For the velcro, all the strips are the same, however, the method of removable is what is changing. Peel strength is the effort it takes to pull from the top of the strip, shear strength measures the effort exerted from the bottom, which is significantly higher. For tension strength, it is measure by how much effort is taken to pull the entire strip away perpendicually from the board. The cycle life is measuring how the strength pf the velcro decreases over time.
For the zipper board, I also designed and made several designs of zipper pulls to test alongside the zippers, mainly targeted towards people with weak hand strength, arthiritus, or other dexterity impairments.
