What are some “low tech” devices that can make homes more accessible? - Kim Eberhardt Muir, MS
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What are some “low tech” devices that can make homes more accessible? |
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Kim Eberhardt Muir, MSProgram Specialist, Spinal Cord Injury Program, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago |
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There’s a lot of low-tech things out there that you can do to make your home more accessible. They don’t cost a lot, but they make a world a difference. Touch lamps, that’s another great thing that you can use at night—doesn’t take a lot of manipulation, very easy to use. Other things—pull-out drawers in the kitchen, very easy to do. You can also make what’s called a dummy door, or a pull-out work surface, so you maybe can’t reach the counters, they’re a little high in the kitchen, but you can use one of these at a lower level where a drawer would be, that can be your meal preparation space. The side-by-side refrigerators, I think, are optimal for wheelchair, or a freezer on the bottom versus the top. I think that makes things a lot easier. I like to have a call system—especially for someone that’s a higher-level injury—in the bedroom. A call system will enable them to call for help, and someone will always hear them. Especially on a ventilator, or for someone who has a trach, tracheostomy, so they may not have a voice that’s not quite as loud, so having that feature, even a simple baby monitor will work; it’s a wonderful thing to have. Other things—I think hardwood floors are good to have; it makes it a lot easier with not just odor, with mobility, and things like that. Some people will put corner protectors on their walls, especially with a power wheelchair. People tend to, in a smaller environment, hit things a little bit more often, so darker color walls, or having those corner protectors are nice for a manual wheelchair user.
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What are some “low tech” devices that can make homes more accessible? |
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Kim Eberhardt Muir, MSProgram Specialist, Spinal Cord Injury Program, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago |
More Videos by Kim Eberhardt Muir | |
Transcriptadd | share |
There’s a lot of low-tech things out there that you can do to make your home more accessible. They don’t cost a lot, but they make a world a difference. Touch lamps, that’s another great thing that you can use at night—doesn’t take a lot of manipulation, very easy to use. Other things—pull-out drawers in the kitchen, very easy to do. You can also make what’s called a dummy door, or a pull-out work surface, so you maybe can’t reach the counters, they’re a little high in the kitchen, but you can use one of these at a lower level where a drawer would be, that can be your meal preparation space. The side-by-side refrigerators, I think, are optimal for wheelchair, or a freezer on the bottom versus the top. I think that makes things a lot easier. I like to have a call system—especially for someone that’s a higher-level injury—in the bedroom. A call system will enable them to call for help, and someone will always hear them. Especially on a ventilator, or for someone who has a trach, tracheostomy, so they may not have a voice that’s not quite as loud, so having that feature, even a simple baby monitor will work; it’s a wonderful thing to have. Other things—I think hardwood floors are good to have; it makes it a lot easier with not just odor, with mobility, and things like that. Some people will put corner protectors on their walls, especially with a power wheelchair. People tend to, in a smaller environment, hit things a little bit more often, so darker color walls, or having those corner protectors are nice for a manual wheelchair user.