Sunday, December 12, 1999
Make life easier with these gifts
Gadgets geared to disabled people
BY DEBORAH KENDRICK
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Shopping for just the right gift for people you love is always a challenge, but the challenge can be even great when your friend or family member has a disability.
The number of mail-order sources for unique products to fit a variety of special needs is growing in such a way that it is easier than ever to order from your telephone or computer.
While some companies specialize in products targeting a particular disability, others take a more comprehensive range. Here are some hot new items as well as long-standing favorites to get you started.
Gadgets for daily life
• Independent Living Aids, (800) 537-2118, www.independentliving.com, offers a wide range of talking clocks, talking watches, (starting at $10), even a talking scale or microwave ($369.99.)
More practical items for people with limited hand strength or movement include the Easy Touch Door Handle, which slides over any standard door knob to convert it into a lever ($14.95), or the Sock and Stocking Dressing Aid ($10.95.)
For the person on the go or who simply needs to stay in touch, Motorola Walkie Talkies are a popular new product, an Independent living Aids representative says.
These units (from $90 to 4150 for two) extend up to a two-mile range of clear conversation between two people. They can successfully keep you in contact with someone elsewhere in the home, school, shopping mall or even another car on the highway.
The AmeriPhone Portable TTY Q-90, ($249.95), is a lightweight portable TTY (telecommunications device for the deaf) with standard-sized keyboard, that would be a delight to anyone who is deaf and want to make phone calls away from home.
The unit can be connected to any cellular or cordless phone or a standard computer printer, if messages need to be printed out for later review.
Gadgets that make food preparation easier are generally appreciated by everyone, and there are hundreds of products now available with the needs of people with visual impairments, mobility impairments, arthritis or limited hand function in mind. ILA carries the Auto-Flip spatula ($15.95), a stainless-steel spatula that flips food with the press of a lever.
• Carolyn's Enhanced Living Products, (800) 648-2266, offers an array of daily living products — vanity mirrors with magnification, closed-circuit TVs for enlarging printed materials, etc. — but also has some games adapted for easier play. Try magnetic versions of checkers, chess or backgammon (each $16.50), where pieces are held to the board by magnets.
Talking VCR
• Ann Morris Enterprises, (800) 454-3175, www.annmorris.com, offers hundreds of products for every aspect of daily living from work to home.
A talking VCR makes programming easier for everyone by confirming steps verbally ($185.00), and an automatic umbrella ($19.95) goes both up and down with the press of a button. Other products include kitchen devices, tape recorders, timers and computer games.
• Locally, the Cincinnati Speech and Hearing Center, 221-0527, offers a variety of telephones, personal assistive listening devices and other useful communications aids. The Clovernook Center, 522-3860, has a small collection of talking clocks and other products.
Cincinnati writer Deborah Kendrick is a nationally recognized advocate for people with disabilities. Write her at Cincinnati Enquirer, Tempo, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati 45202. E-mail: dkendrick@enquirer.com.
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