Bartleby: Better by design

摘要

BEFORE 2016, Hiroki Takeuchi had not really thought about the difficulties faced by someone in a wheelchair. But while cycling near Regents Park in London he had an accident that paralysed him from the chest down. He was in hospital for three months and when he did return to work he could manage only one day a week. It took 18 months for him to rebuild his strength. One consolation for Mr Takeuchi was his work environment and the support it gave. That was because he ran his own company-GoCardless, which processes direct-debit payments for businesses. The firm's board waited patiently while his health improved. It also helped that the business could move offices. At the previous site, the desks were tightly packed and it was difficult to manoeuvre a wheelchair. The new office is more open and has parking spaces, so he can drive a specially adapted car to work. He comes in later than others, as it takes a long time to get ready in the morning.