New shelf system for paraplegics
Anyone living with others runs into issues of where things are put on shelves. If the shelf is near you it is relatively easy to grab what you need. But if the shelf is higher than you good luck trying to access something on that shelf. I have a device that extends your arm by about two feet. It has a grabber on one end and a handle and trigger on the other. The idea is to grab the object and then while holding the trigger pull the object towards you. FOr small objects that are lightweight it works well, but for anything heavier than a glass it will not work. Plus if the shelf is more than two feet from you then you cannot grab it. The only things left to do are either ask someone to get the object down or to try and knock it off the shelf and catch it before it hits the floor. Since these methods are a pain, another way needed to be found. A company called design.fr has created a shelving unit that can move shelves up and down. So any shelf can be brought down to wheelchair level and then moved back when done. (Source: design.fr)
THe neat thing about these shelves is that they look great in the home and the able bodied can just put things on the shelves without fiddling with the technology. Any number of shelving units can be placed next to each other to give you a large area to store books or any other tchotchkes that belong on a shelf. This idea should be built into any homes that are for the disabled as they will immediately be put to good use. If this technology was installed in the kitchen then shelves holding heavy plates and cups could easily be grabbed. I presently have no way to get to anything except on the first shelf and even then I’m usually bouncing falling objects off of the counter. With movable shelves I could get to any shelf and could prepare my own meals without the aid of someone else in the house.
To the able bodied this sounds like a little thing that is a waste of money. But for those of us that want to live by ourselves or want to do life tasks without help this is the way to go. It means a lot to be able to prepare lunch or dinner without objects bouncing off the counter and floor because they were placed too high from my chair. It’s a simple thing, but most folks are too busy just cleaning up to worry where things are in the kitchen. These shelves fit into everyone’s life without making them change anything. That is the best type of modification that can be done to any home.
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