Sunday, April 19, 2015
Over the past few decades, the term assistive technology has become muddled with modern technological advances. It is actually a very thin line that differentiates the two these days.
Speakers added to telephones for hand free communication, touch screens, and assorted other devices are available for the general public's consumption and not just the handicapped. It wasn't always so. It makes life and doing easier for everyone.
What sort of new fangled stuff did I buy after my stroke to make me capable of doing what I needed to be done in spite of my limitations? Very little. A hemi walker, raised toilet seat, a wheelchair, and Swedish adaptive cutting board, a rocker T knife which was quickly replaced by an Ulu (thanks John Anderson), a steering knob, a shower chair, a long handled bath scrubber, and a cane. That's it.
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$3.99 + shipping on amazon.com
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Having listed the above, what am I still using after almost three years? The Ulu, cutting board,steering knob, the cane, the bath scrubber, hand held spraying shower head, and the raised seat toilet (sort of). Which items are considered a specialty medical item or durable goods...The cane, the toilet and the cutting board. Notice how small the list of actual assistive technology is? My cane is only used when traveling rough terrain so it's a part-time use thing now.
Of course I did remodel my bathroom so it was handicap assessable too. I now have a walk-in tub and handicapped toilet in my bathroom eliminating the need for a shower chair and the shower head. My old porcelain throne needed to be replaced so smart shopping at my local Re-Store (habitat for humanity) had a used, raised seat one for $40. A girl has got to have a luxurious soak in the tub once in a while...with bubbles!
