Muirhead debuts seat cover designs for blind and visually impaired passengers
Scottish Leather Group business Muirhead, today unveiled its newest people-first design concept, which seeks to improve accessibility for blind and visually impaired travellers.
Image courtesy Muirhead
The latest evolution of Muirhead’s ‘Sensation’ collection highlights the importance of texture, colour contrast, and tactile signposting in helping passengers navigate their surroundings with greater confidence.
Building on the success of last year’s neurodiverse-friendly aircraft seat covers, the Scottish supplier’s 2025 collection seeks to inspire CMF designers as they envision the future of people-focused aircraft cabins.
Jamie O’Donnell, Lead Designer at Muirhead, said: “Blind and visually impaired passengers deserve cabin interiors that empower them to travel with confidence and dignity. Thoughtful seat cover design plays a crucial role in making that possible.
“By integrating tactile signposting, Braille, and high-contrast colours into their design choices, airlines can create a more intuitive and comfortable experience – one that enhances accessibility without compromising on style or quality.”
Developed through extensive research, the new collection introduces a range of tactile and high-contrast elements, empowering blind and visually impaired passengers to navigate the cabin independently. The functional colour palette incorporates warm earth tones to evoke a calming atmosphere.
Thanks to Muirhead’s advanced embossing and digital print capabilities, the designs feature raised seat numbering and Braille-embossed safety instructions – transcribed for Muirhead by students from the Royal National College for the Blind.
To cater to the needs of passengers with low vision, the headrests have also been enhanced with digitally printed seat numbers. These elements are carefully integrated into the seat design to assist passengers while maintaining a sleek, sophisticated finish.
Following the success of Muirhead’s Sensory Design Studio last year, they will be showcasing the benefits of their seat covers at AIX 2025.