Make Your Own Assistive Technology

Sometimes we need AT on the job. We know the legal ramifications surrounding AT thanks to DLRP. Sometimes we can even find funding for it fairly easily. There are times though that we need to perform a certain function on the job and we suspect there is some AT out there that will facilitate the completion of that task but are at a loss to identify that AT. Nowadays it is fairly easy to google a few keywords to find the AT but if that fails, I suggest quizzing the pros who monitor Closing the Gap web site. As mentioned in a previous blog, they provide assistive technology resources for folks with disabilities. Forums at the Gap provide a cyber venue to discuss AT needs. But what if you still can’t find what you need? If you can’t find it you may need to make it.

Making your own AT requires common sense as well as some mechanical aptitude and engineering acumen. Don’t worry; you don’t need to be a rocket surgeon to make your own AT. I’ve been making AT for years and can guide you through the process. I’ll use a writing brace, I designed with the help of an OT, as an example.

As a C-5 quad I need some type of brace to brace to write. A well meaning prosthetist / orthotist designed a $900 brace for me. Unfortunately, it was very cumbersome to use. In fact, it was heavy, tiring to use and I couldn’t put it on or take it off myself. I needed something different, something better, so I decided to design my own.

Surprisingly enough, the first step is to define the purpose of the AT. The second step, the most critical step, is to decide the constraints of the AT. Brake it down into steps.

The writing brace must:
Hold a pen
Translate shoulder movement to pen movement
Be lightweight
Be easy to put on and take off

As I looked at the list a few things became obvious. First, it needed to be lightweight. My first brace was made from stainless steel. Strong yet heavy. I figured I could make the new one lighter by using a lighter material and possibly shortening the brace. The next illumination came from the combination of holding a pen and being easy to put on and take off. This part is very important. The brace was to hold a pen – plain and simple. That being the case – why did the first brace have to hold my fingers? The old brace had a mechanical piece to hold my fingers in place, holding a pen. That was just plain poor engineering. I shouldn’t have to emulate a natural grip. I enlisted my attendant to remove the finger holder from the first brace thereby lightening the brace and making it easier to put on and take off. I also had him cut a few inches of it, again making it easier to put on and take off. To further simplify it I replaced the leather straps with Velcro. It turns out the Velcro straps were difficult for me to use until I attached a metal ring to the end of the strap. That allowed me to swing my arm, throwing the ring in the direction I wanted the strap to go. The modified brace was easier to use but still heavy and I hadn’t attached the pen to it yet. I decided to simply move on to make a new brace based on what I learned from the modified brace.

modfied brace

I enlisted the help of an OT (I think her name was Sharon). I told her what the metal part of the brace should look like. She had a maintenance man cut it out of scrap metal and shape it. I then had her have the maintenance man attach a bulldog paperclip to it to hold a pen. The next step was to attach 2 velcro straps to it. As fate would have it there was only time to attach one strap. That was a stroke of luck as one worked just fine, greatly simplifying things. The result was simply amazing. I finally had everything I wanted in a brace! It dramatically improved my vocational potential. I used this brace extensively while earning my MBA and then in my vocational life. The only downside was I had to be careful not to bend the light-weight metal.

There are times when we need more help to make AT. Those are the times to turn to the universities. As an example, I couldn’t find the type of hand controls I needed to drive my van, so I called a local university. I spoke to a professor who taught a mechanical engineering class and asked him if he would consider using hand controls for a vehicle as a class project. He agreed. It wasn’t long before I was working on the project with a group of students. To make a long story short, we never did come up with a workable design but it was a noble effort.

Unions offer a wealth of experience and talent. Many years ago, when I worked in New Mexico, we had an arrangement with at least one of the unions. Union members were able to enhance their position in the union by doing volunteer projects such as building wheelchair ramps for people who otherwise did not have the wherewithal to build their own. We also worked with a non-profit organization made up of retired telephone workers. There expertise was electrical in nature.

In summation, if you can’t find it, make it. If the project is more than you can do yourself, tap the warehouses of talent and knowledge in your community – universities, unions and non-profits.

Some of the better assistive technology resources are listed below