There have been mechanical hands in the past offered to those living with a disability however this new creation from BeBionic is the first to feature rotational articulation. Another improvement is the presence of wireless capabilities when communicating between the hand and the computer. Previous models only allowed communication via USB.

Where this disability product really shines is with its ability to allow the user to customize commands to their liking in regards to speed, force and grip patterns for everyday tasks. Disabled people will be able to supercharge their lives by enhancing their daily living routines and computer skills like typing.

The disability product from BeBionic will be available to the public through worldwide distribution in June. The units feature 19 different realistic silicone skin tones.

One of the newest enhancements comes to us in the form of a tiny magnet developed by a team from Georgia Institute of Technology. This magnet is used to help those living with mobility disabilities to steer a wheelchair and even operate their computer using only the tip of their tongue. The magnet is as small as a grain of rice and allows people to maneuver their wheelchair around a room. With that same precision they can direct a cursor across a computer screen in order to get tasks done.

How Does It Work?

In order to make all of this possible a headset is worn by the user which detects the magnetic tracer on the tongue. This tracer then transmits the data it receives wirelessly to a portable computer that is small enough to be carried on the user’s clothing or on the wheelchair itself.

The team from Georgia Institute reported on the success of their device in a meeting at the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America in Washington. It stands to reason that this device may have other applications as well in regards to helping those living with a disability enhance their day to day lives.

Such a device can work wonders to help disabled people living independent lives. The Tongue Drive Device as it has been named can function in its duties once it is implanted or pierced to a user’s tongue. Users then operate their wheelchair and compute by moving their tongue. So why was the tongue chosen as the driving force for this invention? Unlike the hands and feet the tongue is not controlled by the brain through the spinal column. Instead it is directly connected to the brain by a cranial nerve that in most cases goes undamaged in severe spinal cord injuries or neuromuscular diseases.

Live Independently

With researchers working diligently to help with the advancement of assistive technology people suffering from disabilities are getting more opportunities to live independently. These technologies help them to interact with their environment in more comfortable ways and also aids in their communication with other people.

In conjunction with LinkMe Mobile, Ipplex brings together real-time object recognition technology with optical character recognition capabilities. Looktel is an application that helps people with visual disabilities recognize objects around them. The application uses the built in camera in mobile phones to help people living with disabilities to identify whatever it is they want by simply pointing the camera at the object. The device will then pronounce the object’s name quickly and clearly in easy to understand speech. The list of objects that LookTel can assist a disabled person in identifying ranges from money, packaged goods, CDs and medication bottles and even buildings. The application can be updated to recognize even more items that the visually impaired need by attaching preprinted image tags to them and recording an audible description.  LookTel can recognize landmarks and signs for personal navigation to assist the disabled even further. The software also connects to GPS via Google Maps. Features like these help those living with a disability gain more independence in their daily life.

LookTel lets the disabled person connect with a trusted friend or colleague to lend further assistance. This feature lets the user speak with a guide through either audio or audio-visual via video calls directly from the phone. The features come into play depending on the level of disability. Data sent from the phone to friends and family help them to assist their disabled loved one with identifying landmarks.

Disability products make a tremendous difference in a disabled person’s life especially if they live alone as these products allow for independence and products such as mobility scooters, wheelchairs, canes and walkers as well as handrails, shower chairs, shower seats and walk in bath tubs are all specially designed to help a handicapped person deal with everyday personal hygiene and life in general.

One can also obtain items such as combs and hairbrushes which have extended handles allowing people to brush their hair that have limited range of movement. There are bedside commodes for people that are confined to wheelchairs.  Disabilities equipment such as grabbers is used to obtain an item that is hard to reach and many other kitchen gadgets which are designed especially for disabled living affording these people freedom and independence.

Nowadays most companies as well as outdoor activity concerns and beaches have had special ramps erected for those confined to wheelchairs. There are beach wheelchairs available making it easier for a disabled person to enjoy a day on the beach. There are various manufacturers globally that supply mobility equipment as well as online.  If you go online you can browse through all the products that are available and one can order directly and it will be delivered to your doorstep.

Disability equipment makes a handicapped persons life more fulfilling and easier as well as their care givers. It is advisable to shop around which will give one a good idea of what is available as there are thousands of products to choose from. Many of the items mentioned are covered by medical insurance but it is advisable to check before you buy and make sure the equipment is covered.

Other items available for disabled living includes hand cycles, tandems, eating and drinking utensils, toileting, modified vehicles, stair lifts, platform lifts and stair lifts as well as disabled lifts. Items such as special chairs and seating, pressure relieving cushions and mattresses. There are communication aids, accessible computing, alarms, hoists, rehabilitation equipment, orthotics as well as pediatric play equipment. Kitchen equipment such as adaptive knives, spoons, forks, plates and other helpful products makes it safe and fun when one has a living disability. Also available is clothing protectors, bibs and food bumpers. One can also purchase sliding bed tables, tilting tables which all have a non slip mat attached.

There are also adaptive dressing aids such as elastic shoelaces, one hand button aids and products which improve health and vitality such as mineral bathing salts and no rinse shampoo and conditioner and other no rinse bathroom products. One can also obtain a urinal that fits into a pocket or purse and in addition there are many other adaptive household disability aids making daily activities easier and less stressful for a handicapped person.

Available are special learning disability schools which are the best options for children suffering from learning as well as physical disabilities. These types of schools provide the child with the best and most updated disability products to enhance the child’s disabled living condition. The school curriculum provides occupational therapy as well as a host of other professional therapies. Each disabled child’s needs differ and the assistive child disability products help the child to work around the disability.

Disability equipment and mobility equipment such as walking aids, voice activated instruments, utensils, wheel chairs and much more are now being supplied by schools and this is how schools are helping with child disability products. In addition individual treatment plans are devised and methodical teaching processes are devised to suits each child’s special needs in conjunction with parents, occupational therapist, psychologist and teacher.

Children adjust to disabled living far more effectively than adults do as they integrate far quicker and respond to treatment and learning protocols and many of these children may only have a physical disability and intellectually they have an above average IQ which is a catalyst that helps the child continue to work through their disability with the help of child disability products. On the other hand mentally disabled living is far more complexed.

Children suffering with disabilities need to be handled with respect and tact as these children struggle with issues related to self esteem and this is where the teachers and parents need to understand the emotional issues involved and manage the child’s disability in way that will empower and strengthen the child as disabilities are not cured but can be well managed allowing the child to take charge in their own disability management which will benefit the child in later years.

These types of schools provide disabled lifts, ramps, special fixtures such as grips in bathrooms and in and around the school as well as special toilet accessories, disabled children’s toys and educational accessories which help the children become independent and stimulate them and helping them stay more focused. Disability products are introduced to the children gradually especially eating utensils as these utensils are modified with longer handles enabling the child to control their hand eye coordination.

Parents want the best for their child and the first steps parents need to take is helping their child succeed in school and cope with their disability. Many children go onto graduating from elementary school to junior school which can be a traumatic experience for them and this is where parents and teachers play a major role in making the transition painless as these children need to retain concepts.

This device is specifically designed for individuals with upper limb disabilities who cannot use their hands to move a mouse. It acts on the body’s natural ability to grip between the toes for controlling the mouse. You position the device similar to the way one would wear their flip-flops with the between their toes. The sensors beneath the first ad second toe act as the left click button and right click button. Both toes grip the clamp in the center in order to move the mouse horizontally and vertically.

With its sleek design and ease of use the Flip Flop Mouse should have disabled people using the PCs with easier  mobility then ever before.

Most people take their health for granted and don’t give disability a second thought however when they see disabled people it makes them aware of their own vulnerability and healthy peoples reaction is to look the other way as well as ignore the disabled person. Most seniors that suffer from arthritis or osteoporosis need a walking stick which helps stabilize walking others may need a walker to help then get from A to Z and others that have had hip replacements need aids such as crutches.

When one suffers from a disability there is a loss of independence as well as freedom and these people are not able to move freely or in some cases do the things healthy people do. The most debilitating circumstances are when people that have lived a normal life suddenly become disabled and lose their independence and then need to make the necessary adjustments. However no matter what type of living disability one experience’s there is a huge range of products to ensure they can maintain an independent life.

Years back there were very few disability products available in comparison to modern day and the handicapped found it hard and debilitating to cope with everyday living as well as getting from point to point. Technology has advanced and one can now obtain virtually any aid from mobility scooters to modified cutlery. People suffering from disabilities need to create a functional and safe home first and foremost.

Comfort and support while sitting or sleeping is imperative to a living disabled person as this helps the muscles relax. There is a range of beds and chairs that have electronic buttons and some even have a built in massager. When it comes to toilet functions there is a large range of disability products available such as grab rails, ramps, walk in baths, adapted showers, commodes, slip free mats, shower chairs and much more.

For those that suffer from partial blindness there are products that talk such as kitchen and bathroom items available. People that have partial disabilities might only require a walker or walking stick and those that suffer from paralysis would need wheelchairs which are now electronic and easy to use. Ramps are installed in homes where people use wheelchairs making it easy for them to move around in safety.

Included is a range of adapted toilet accessories, kitchen accessories and personal accessories which makes living far easier and which also allows for the disabled to retain their independence as well as safety. One can go online and view the range of disability aids as well as order directly.

Disabled living is a philosophy and many disabled persons work showing self determination as well as self respect and should be given equal opportunities. Not until the late 1960’s did organizations form by disabled people themselves to promote the concepts of integration, rehabilitation and normalization for those with a living disability.

Independent living of handicapped persons does not entirely mean that they want to do everything for themselves and that they do not need assistance and want to live in isolation. It means that independent living for the disabled requires choices as well as control in their everyday lives which most people take for granted. With the help of mobility equipment they can drive or catch public transport and attend school or work normally as they are ordinary people and need to be recognized and loved for who they are.

A living disability does not mean that the handicap should be monitored by professionals around the clock. Many of the disabled are quite capable of attending normal schools and universities and are capable of working in normal environments even though they may depend on disability equipment or disability products does not mean to say that they have a disabled brain capacity.

In some instances there are those that suffer from sever disabilities or are severely handicapped and cannot in any way attend to themselves as well as not being capable of working or even comprehending their surroundings and a disability of this nature requires constant care and in most cases these people are institutionalized. Depending on the individuals disability an income supplement or even a personal assistant may be required.

Happy independent living for the disabled allows them to control their own services and that they are free to choose among competing service providers which in turn allows the handicapped to live with dignity among their community. There are various support groups run by disabled people who mentor other handicapped people showing them how to assume responsibility for their own lives and show them how to develop coping strategies. These people are shown how to run their ever day lives in preparation for disabled living.

These centers and organizations work in conjunction with regional and local governments which raise awareness as well as improve the infrastructure and prohibit discrimination as well as segregation. Over recent year’s disabled living awareness and action has been acknowledged throughout the globe ensuring the safety, health and well being of disabled persons. Happy independent living for the disabled is a philosophy of care and services promoting dignity and independence.