how assistive technology can help people with disabilities
Diagnosed at age 29 with rheumatoid arthritis 10 years ago, the mother of three was racked with pain and fatigue for almost a year before doctors diagnosed her condition. But she wasn’t about to give up on the things she loved to do. On medication to prevent joint damage, she has learned to look for tools that help her adapt to her daily tasks.
“I look for everyday little things that can make life easier,” she said.
This is a great article about using assistive tools to effectively cope with a painful condition. There are many ways to adapt to having physical limitations. Some of the assistive tools I use are
I use a device called a reacher to pick up things that I dropped on the floor I find this device very useful
I have a tray table that attaches to my wheelchair which makes it easier for me to eat when I'm traveling (some hotels don't have tables that my wheelchair can fit under.) And I also can put my laptop on the tray table
I have a special chair that I use to take showers in and I also have a wheelchair accessible bathroom.
Computer software
Dragon NaturallySpeaking - I do all my writing with this software program I talk into a microphone and the software writes what I say on the screen.
Zoom Text - this is magnifier/screen reader software. My eyesight is not terrible so I don't have to use the magnifier very much (the magnifier can make things on the computer screen very large) but I read very slowly so I use the screen reader all the time it allows me to read long articles at a reasonable pace.
Read the entire article above for suggestions on where to get some assistive technology products.
I too suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, and agree that the tools out there now really help. Zoom Text is AMAZING! A friend highly recommended that I check it out, and I am so thankful. I have tried other similar products, but none compare.
I would love to pass along my recommendation as well!!
Posted by: Melissa | August 12, 2008 at 10:38 AM