Small things that have big benefits: daily living aids help make everyday life easier

There are many questions when children are born with missing or incompletely formed limbs, or when adults lose their hands or suffer limited hand mobility because of an accident or illness: How will the child learn to ride a bike? How will he/she cope with his/her disability on a daily basis? Assistive technology solutions can help in these instances. As their name suggests, they assist people with disabilities in regaining independence and promote a self-determined life. The options run the gamut from standard products to custom adaptive equipment.

Ornamin is a company from Minden that focuses on great design and sustainability for its eating aids. In a REHACARE.de interview, Milena von der Emde says, "We offer tableware for people with motor disabilities, such as limited range of arm, hand, or neck motion, hand tremors and weak grasps. Our tableware also helps support patients with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, dementia, or those who suffered a stroke. Our design aims to destigmatize people who rely on our support and maintain and promote their independence. The supporting features are hidden in the tableware – fully embracing universal design principles –, thus making them hardly noticeable as they provide discreet support."

The company also offers special cutlery with bendable handles that can adapt to meet the user’s needs. In fact, it is often the little things that help maintain independence in activities of daily living. For example, a raised edge on the board holds bread in place and prevents it from slipping if users only have one hand. A rougher surface on glassware ensures a safer grip. Small changes in design help make ordinary objects usable for a larger group of people. You will also find more information on eating and drinking aids in this REHACARE article.

Pohlig GmbH takes a similar approach and makes special adaptive silicone aids that can be worn if you miss fingers or hands and help you hold objects or ride a bike. Managing Director Michael Schäfer says, "Our everyday aids are made of silicone and customized to fit the finger, hand, or arm of our patients and meet their respective needs. The silicone everyday aids support all areas of daily life. We differentiate between everyday aids that are used to assist frequently recurring essential activities, such as personal hygiene routines, eating, writing or to support mobility, and everyday aids to assist with leisure activities, such as making music and playing sports or performing specific job responsibilities."

The design implements principles of ergonomics, but that doesn’t mean the silicone aids are not chic and stylish. The idea is for users – including children- to wear and use the supports without third-party help. Children love colors, so the aids come in a variety of bright colors, such as pink, yellow, or green. Users can make special requests as early as the production stage. Schäfer explains, "Besides the applicable technical construction standards or guidelines that must be met, addressing the special needs and requests of users is an important part when it comes to the design of our custom-made, personal everyday aids. Meeting these needs increases usage of the tool, making the application more successful. When you take these factors into account, all everyday aids are unique and one-of-a kind. It makes them highly functional custom tools that promote independence in everyday life."

Nowhere is this more evident than when it comes to music: people with injuries to the fingers, hands and/or arms often think learning or continue playing an instrument is no longer an option for them. But that’s not the case at all. Pohlig also builds custom aids to play string, percussion or wind instruments based on the motto: Where there's a will, there's a way!