On International Left Handers Day, students share the everyday struggles of navigating a space built almost entirely for the right-handed majority.
Thursday, August 13, marks International Left Handers Day, an annual event meant to highlight the daily challenges faced by left-handed people living in a space built predominantly for right-handers.
Handism is prevalent even though 10% of the global population is left-handed. From lecture halls to basic household items, almost everything is designed for the right-handed majority.
For many lefties, this bias starts at home from a very young age. In many families left-handed children are trained to use their right hand for writing or eating.
Using right-handed tools every day might seem like a small issue to most, but it leads to physical discomfort and a slower working speed.
At Wits University, students share how these design barriers shape their daily lives.
Enhle Luthuli, a fourth-year postgraduate diploma in specialized accounting student, said, “I was never aware that they were actually left-handed scissors, which I acquired once and made my life easier as I could see where I was actually cutting”. Writing also presents physical challenges. “I have become so picky with the type of pens I write with because if the pen is a gel pen, my hand may smudge on what I had just written resulting in my work looking untidy,” she added. In lecture halls Luthuli makes it a point to sit on the far left side to avoid bumping arms with right-handed peers.
Katlego Modiba, a third-year accounting science student, noted that specific everyday objects still create challenging moments. “You feel demoralized when you encounter a situation that forces you to change your hands,” Modiba said. He explained that everyday tasks like using a tin opener or shifting gears while driving can be tricky because as a left-handed driver using their stronger arm can damage the car when too aggressive. In high school, Modiba even had to give up softball because all the available sports gloves were made for right-handed players.
Compounding these struggles is the reality that left-handed items like specialty scissors and sports equipment often cost more than the standard right-handed ones. Because schools and sports teams rarely buy these pricier options, left-handed people often do not know they exist, leaving them with no choice but to adapt or pay the price out of their own pockets.
Yet, despite having an official date on the calendar. International Left Handers Day usually passes without most left-handed people knowing it exists, let alone celebrating it.
This raises an important question: is International Left Handers Day really meant for left-handed people or is it a necessary wake up call for a right-hand dominated society? Behind every smudged notebook, awkward seating choice and missed opportunity lies a quiet daily effort to adapt. A little empathy and more inclusive design can ensure that no one feels left out in a world that so easily forgets them.
FEATURED IMAGE: A graphic highlighting the purpose of International Left-Handers Day. Photo: Rearabilwe Tsebela
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