Take a look at Rapid Interim Housing – a prototype being developed in Australia to help solve accessible housing issues. This solution would provide temporary accessible housing for younger people who are newly disabled, instead of having them stay in hospitals or aged care facilities.
Our O-Tip of the week series we will be providing valuable “OT-Approved Life Hacks” to provide you with simple and helpful solutions for living.
For the month of January, our O-Tip series will help you to get acquainted with your devices and the awesome accessibility features you may not be aware of.
If you struggle to hear your phone’s notifications or to feel the vibrations there is an additional option — the LED flashing indicator. This indicator light allows you to see when you have new notifications on your device. Here is a step by step guide on how to set up the LED flashing indicator for both Apple and Android devices.
For Apple Users:
For Android Users:
Our O-Tip of the week series we will be providing valuable “OT-Approved Life Hacks” to provide you with simple and helpful solutions for living.
For the month of January, our O-Tip series will help you to get acquainted with your devices and the awesome accessibility features you may not be aware of.
If typing on a smartphone or tablet is difficult for you, there’s a solution for that. “Talk to text” converts what you speak into text that you can input, email and or text to others. Just be sure to warn others about potential spelling mistakes that may occur! Here is a step by step guide on how to use the talk to text function on both Apple and Android devices.
For Apple Users:
For Android Users:
Our O-Tip of the week series we will be providing valuable “OT-Approved Life Hacks” to provide you with simple and helpful solutions for living.
For the month of January, our O-Tip series will help you to get acquainted with your devices and the awesome accessibility features you may not be aware of.
For those who struggle reading text on a small device, this tip is for you! Last week our O-Tip provided information about where to find the accessibility features based on the type of phone you have (you can review it here). This week, we look at how you can increase the size of the text and how to use the magnifier function when needed.
For Apple Users:
For Android Users:
Our O-Tip of the week series we will be providing valuable “OT-Approved Life Hacks” to provide you with simple and helpful solutions for living.
For the month of January, our O-Tip series will help you to get acquainted with your devices and the awesome accessibility features you may not be aware of.
Did you know that on both Apple and Android devices there are many accessibility options you can change to assist you with your unique needs? Below is a quick primer on where to access these features on your smartphone or tablet. In the coming weeks, we will delve deeper into some of the great features!
For Apple Users:
For Android Users:
How does your local playground stack up when it comes to access for all? Is it accessible? Older playgrounds were not built with accessibility in mind; however, newer builds are breaking barriers for users with not only physical disabilities but invisible disabilities such as autism and sensory processing disorders. In the following article learn more about how the universal design of playgrounds is becoming standard, creating more welcoming spaces for children and youth of all abilities.
There is a greater awareness in society that our buildings and spaces must be more accessible to the greatest majority of people. But what exactly makes a building accessible? Take a look at this fantastic blog care of the Rick Hansen Foundation that discusses how there is more to accessibility than just the physical space.
Rick Hansen Foundation: From Where I Sit: Five Traits of a Meaningfully Accessible Building
Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)
Co-Written with Jacquelyn Bonneville, Occupational Therapist
As occupational therapists, we often see clients experience issues with dressing after an injury or as a result of a disability. How do you dress when you have one arm? Or, how can you don pants, socks and shoes when you have not feeling or movement in your lower body? What about managing zippers and buttons with reduced fine motor control? Spasms, reduced range of motion, the inability to stand for dressing, or body changes that make clothing options limited? There are many reasons why dressing can become a problem.
As a society, we use fashion for several reasons – to manage the weather, for privacy from sensitive parts, and as an expression of ourselves. Clothing and clothing choices are important.
Business-wear and athletic wear are two areas of fashion that are generally limiting for persons with dressing challenges. For this blog, we wanted to introduce some simple, but still fashionable and functional, adaptations that can help manage the task of dressing if this has become difficult!
Lock Laces or Elastic Shoe Laces
Elastic and lock shoelaces are permanently tied, and allow for stretch of the shoe when putting it on or taking it off. This makes it a functional, inexpensive solution for anyone who doesn’t want to worry about their laces coming undone (especially athletes!), or for people who struggle with tying their shoelaces tight enough, or with the intricacies of actually tying the laces. Note that often these are great in combination with a long-handled shoehorn.
Nike Flyease Sneakers
Nike has a line of slip-on ‘wrap-around-fasten’ shoes that are fashionable, including running shoes, kids shoes, and basketball style high-top sneakers (designed with basketball superstar LeBron James). Though designed for young adults with Cerebral Palsy initially, these shoes are suitable for anyone who wants some stylish sneakers, without the hassle of laces.
Under Armour Magzip
Zippers are often an integral part of our Canadian Fall and Winter attire to help secure our clothing to keep us warm. Zippers can actually be very challenging to co-ordinate for many reasons, and Under Armour tackled “fixing the zipper” in 2014 with their Magzip technology in a variety of unisex athletic-wear styles. The bottom part of the zipper is magnetic, meaning that it is far easier to ‘thread’ and pull up than a standard zipper, without sacrificing athletic hoodie style. See the press release for more information and a video explaining the technology.
IZ Adaptive Jeans
Jeans are a staple of many wardrobes, but they certainly shift and move when people are sitting or standing. For people who spend a lot of time sitting, including office workers and people who use wheelchairs, jeans can be extremely uncomfortable; jeans regularly have rivets on the back pocket which can cause discomfort while seated, they have the same rise around the waist so when you sit they are either too low or bunch up, and the front button can dig into your waist when you sit down.
IZ Adaptive has designed a line of jeans designed for wheelchair users that offer an easier ring to work the zipper, a clasp instead of a front button, and are overall designed with the different body position of a person while sitting instead of standing. Be sure to look online for other companies offering similar adaptive jean designs!
Part of the role of Occupational Therapy is to have insight and knowledge about products that will help an individual function independently, without sacrificing style, priorities, or efficiency. For more information about customized products that may work for your individual needs, speak with an Occupational Therapist!
As a last inspiring thought, check out this link to the story of a beautiful model with Down Syndrome, Madeline Stuart, who is changing perceptions of disability, while being stylish at the same time.
Previously posted January 2016
Summer vacation is here! For those looking to get away or those looking for fun day trips as part of a staycation, the possibilities may seem endless, however, for someone with a disability they may be limited. The good news is that there are many fully accessible destinations, activities, and adventures across Canada! Take a look at the following care of the Rick Hansen Foundation to explore ideas for fun in the sun experiences that are available to all.
Rick Hansen Foundation: Vacation Ideas for Travelers with Disabilities
Learn more about accessible travel in our previous post, Vacation Plans? Consult our Accessible Travel Guide.
Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)
Have you ever wondered why the design of the objects we use and spaces around us are getting better and seem to relate to our bodies or the way we do things in a much more obvious way than ever before?
Barrier-Free Design allows the greatest majority of people equal access to the private and public spaces of our built environment. The aim is to minimize or eliminate physical, cognitive, and sensory barriers in our homes, businesses, and public spaces and even our streets.
Consider the front entrance of a building. Sidewalk curbs, uneven walkways, multiple stairs, heavy doors, and lack of handrails. All these can prevent access because they can create barriers for individuals.
Universal design methods such as curb cuts, level and slip-resistant walkway surfaces, properly designed ramps, accessible washrooms, automatic doors, lifts, and colour-contrasted handrails are all examples of ways to support increased and barrier-free access not just for folks with a physical disability but for all of us, including children, the elderly, parents with strollers and many others.
Occupational Therapy promotes a wide range of barrier-free design and universal design principles that have helped to make better buildings and spaces in our communities.
There is a greater awareness in society that our buildings and spaces must be more accessible to the greatest majority of people. There are far more products and methods for creating barrier-free environments today than ever before which can be great for finding the right product or design solution for an individual. On the other hand, the vast and ever-growing range of products and design solutions can also be confusing, making choosing the right product a difficult one. Occupational Therapists have the knowledge and experience to help facilitate the right approach by drawing on current research and best practices for creating barrier-free spaces.
Occupational Therapists provide helpful information and design advice to architects, designers, and contractors when it comes to creating barrier-free spaces inside homes, businesses, gardens, and even public spaces. And since there is a wide range of barriers that can contribute to preventing an individual from completing an activity such as reaching or bending, OTs help by determining what the barriers are for an individual and facilitating products and design strategies that can help surmount these barriers.
As OTs, we have the privilege to serve the needs of many people in the community and using our skills and practices to help people meet their individual needs of daily living and have productive and rewarding life experiences. For many, this may only be accomplished by implementing a barrier-free experience in their homes, businesses, and places they like to visit.
For example:
Ultimately, the goal of barrier-free design is to promote equal access and participation for everyone. There have been many steps taken toward ensuring this type of design prevails in our communities. There are new laws supporting improved accessibility within Ontario as of January of 2015. Is your building up to code? Consulting an occupational therapist can help to ensure your space meets the new criteria.