When sophomore Maya Patel walks into a classroom, she instinctively looks for one thing before sitting down: a desk that won’t force her arm into an awkward angle.
“I always have to scan the room,” Patel said. “Most of the desks are made for right-handed people, so I end up twisting my body just to write comfortably.”
About 10% of the world’s population is left-handed, according to the National Institutes of Health. Yet many everyday objects, especially in schools, are designed with right-handed users in mind.
For left-handed students like Patel, that reality shows up in small but constant ways.
Spiral notebooks press into the side of the hand while writing. Smudged ink trails across pages. Classroom desks often have attached writing surfaces positioned on the right side, making it difficult to rest a left arm naturally.
“It’s not something people think about,” Patel said. “But when you deal with it every day, you notice how many things aren’t really built for you.”
Even simple tools like scissors can present challenges. Standard scissors are shaped so that the blades align properly when used in the right hand. When used in the left hand, the blades can separate slightly, making cutting less precise.
Over time, many left-handed people adapt.
“I learned how to adjust my notebook or sit at a different angle,” Patel said. “You just figure it out.”
That adaptation often starts early. Some left-handed students report learning to use their right hand for certain activities, not because they prefer it, but because it is easier in a right-dominant environment.
While handedness might seem like a minor difference, researchers have long studied how brain development influences whether someone favors their left or right hand. Scientists continue to explore the genetic and neurological factors behind it, though no single cause has been identified.
In everyday life, however, the impact is less about science and more about design.
School desks, computer mice, sports equipment and even kitchen tools are often produced primarily for right-handed users because they represent the majority of the population. That does not mean the design is intentional exclusion, but it does shape daily experiences.
“Most of the time it’s just inconvenient,” Patel said. “But sometimes it makes you realize the world kind of assumes you’re right-handed.”
For Patel, the adjustments have become routine. She shifts her paper slightly to the right. She avoids certain desks. She rewrites notes that smear.
“It’s not a huge problem,” she said. “It’s just something you get used to.”
Still, those small adjustments highlight how something as simple as dominant hand can quietly influence everyday life. For left-handed students, adaptation may be second nature, but the design of ordinary objects tells a subtle story about who the world was originally built for.
