OXO, Cuisinart, and Julia Child: The Secret (Accessible) History Behind Your Kitchen

OXO, Cuisinart, and Julia Child: The Secret (Accessible) History Behind Your Kitchen

From Gastropod by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley

February 10, 2026 · 51 min

About this episode

The episode explores the history of kitchen accessibility and the evolution of cooking tools designed for people with disabilities.

For many people with disabilities, the kitchen can seem a deeply unfriendly place. From counters that require users to stand and cabinets that are often out of reach, to ovens that can’t be opened in mobility chairs and tools that are hard to grip or difficult to read—cooking can seem like an impossible challenge. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, since the mid-1900s, researchers, designers, and people with disabilities have worked together to reimagine the kitchen in ways that have made it better for all of us. Listen in for this hidden history behind many of your favorite cooking tools, from OXO Good Grips to the Cuisinart food processor, as well as the inspiring stories of how today's blind and disabled cooks have hacked their kitchens to achieve both dinner deliciousness and culinary glory. All that, plus cameos from the household names who turn out to be accessibility legends: Betty Crocker and Julia Child! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Hosts: Cynthia Graber, Nicola Twilley

Topics covered

  • accessibility
  • kitchen design
  • cooking tools
  • disability
  • history of cooking
  • inclusivity

Keywords

  • kitchen accessibility
  • cooking tools
  • disability
  • Julia Child
  • Betty Crocker
  • OXO
  • Cuisinart
  • inclusive design

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: OXO Good Grips, Cuisinart

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