SAN ANTONIO – If you are right-handed, try picking up a pen with your left hand on Thursday. If you are left-handed, kick back and relax — the day is all about you.
Aug. 13 marks International Left-Handers Day, an annual observance created to celebrate southpaws and raise awareness about the unique everyday challenges faced by left-handed individuals in a predominantly right-handed world.
First established in the United Kingdom in 1992, the day pays tribute to the hard work and adaptability of lefties, who make up roughly 10% of the global population. From kitchen utensils and spiral notebooks to power tools and school desks, modern infrastructure is overwhelmingly designed for right-handed use, forcing left-handed people to constantly adjust.
The cultural footprint of left-handedness has extended deep into media and entertainment over the years. One of the most famous pop-culture tributes came in the animated television series “The Simpsons,” when the character Ned Flanders opened “The Leftorium” — a specialty retail shop in the Springfield Mall dedicated entirely to products designed for left-handed people.
Organizers of International Left-Handers Day encourage right-handed individuals to spend part of the day attempting routine tasks, such as writing or using scissors, with their non-dominant hand to gain perspective on the subtle biases built into everyday objects.