Our Story
Eone was founded to solve a problem: to tell time, people who are blind have had to choose between intrusive talking watches, or fragile tactile watches. There were hardly elegant, quality alternatives. Eone founder Hyungsoo Kim was a graduate student at MIT when he learned of this problem through a friend who is blind. Guided by the conviction that everyone has a right to time, he collaborated with designers and persons with vision impairments to create a watch that everyone—sighted or blind—can use and enjoy.
Inclusive Design
At Eone, two things we really care about are good design and inclusion for persons with disabilities. What started as a simple problem shared between friends blossomed into Eone’s mission to create beautiful, functional products that meet the needs of as many people as possible.
Sometimes called universal design, inclusive design addresses as many people’s needs and abilities as possible. This focus is at the center of the design process so that users with diverse needs can all enjoy a product together. Instead of a one-size-fits-all user experience, inclusive design recognizes that human needs are diverse and that our needs can change with circumstance.
I will not let my blindness build a brick wall around me. I would give my eyes one hundred times again to have the chance todo the things I have done, and the things I can still do.
-Bradley Snyder
The Bradley timepiece is named after former naval officer Bradley Snyder, who became blind defusing bombs in Afghanistan. Brad persevered after his injury, learning how to thrive in a world that wasn’t designed for people with vision impairments. He competed in the 2012 and 2016 Paralympic Games, winning multiple gold and silver medals, and shattering a world record.
We chose Brad as our spokesperson because of his dedication to breaking down barriers for people who are blind—speaking out against stereotypes and proving that the obstacles of living with a disability come from social inequality and not from disability itself.