5 Holiday Gift Ideas
This is the time of year when we are all thinking about purchasing gifts for our loved ones. My mother asks me every year to send her a list of things that I want for Christmas and my thought process always begins with what I might want, what I need, and then what can I use independently considering my physical limitations. I also consider ideas that may help me live more independently and things that I normally wouldn't be able to buy for myself.
As many of us know after a spinal cord injury we rely on assistive technology to help us lead more independent lives. So here are some thoughts on good gift ideas for those who are striving to be more independent.
By the way, The Greater Boston Chapter is not sponsored by any of these products, but I do want to plug Amazon Smile. Please remember that if you have an Amazon account you can set up an AmazonSmile donation account very easily, and donate to our organization. It is very easy to do and 5% of every eligible purchase goes to our organization without taking any money out of your pocket. Some of the items I mention are available, and are eligible for AmazonSmile. We would greatly appreciate you activating AmazonSmile to help us continue our mission.
1. Xbox Adaptive Controller and Logitech Buttons kit:
Last year I got the Xbox adaptive controller for Christmas and it is amazing how much easier it is for me to play. Games that I could not play before, I am now able to play with ease once I got used to the configuration. If this is something you are considering, note that with the majority of Xbox games you can change the button configurations to meet your individual needs.
I haven't purchased the Logitech Button kit yet but I do have a couple of "Buddy Buttons" that tend to be more expensive than the Logitech kit. The buttons I bought were $62 a piece. The Logitech kit comes with a variety of different buttons and will set you back about $100. With this kit you will save some money, and it is a higher quality kit.
2. Fleximug
This is something that I've been using for a few years now. I'm a quadriplegic and a power chair user. I used to use water bottles that would hang off my chair in funny ways that were usually out my reach, or I had a cup holder with a regular cup and a long straw that always got in the way - always annoying... When I heard about Fleximug I purchased one of the 36 inch long straw hands, 20 oz insulated cups. So now I'm able to drink hands-free with a straw that's pretty much out of the way. I will say that there are some drawbacks to consider, it's a little difficult to clean the straw (straw cleaner is included), you do suck in a little extra air due to the straw being so long... so it can cause a little extra burping after drinking, But the pros definitely outweigh the cons. I highly recommend this product.
3. Adaptive clothing and accessories:
One of the biggest things that helps with Independence is being able to get your clothing on and off, or being able to maneuver your clothing in order to do catheters, or use the toilet. Here are a couple of websites that you can check out for various adaptive clothing items. Some adaptive clothing can be expensive, as with anything in the disability world. But something as simple as a magnetic fly or magnetic buttons for a shirt can be the difference between being able to be independent or not. In my opinion, you can't put a price on that. Another way that you can find adaptive clothing is to locate a seamstress that is open-minded and creative (I'm looking up to heaven with appreciation because I have an aunt who is a seamstress and very creative with alterations). The seamstress will take your own clothing and deconstruct, then reconstruct flies, pockets, seems, etc to suit your needs.
This website has some cool clothing and a lot of the accessories are even better. Many wheelchair users need bags and attachments to hold items on the chairs. She is worth checking out.
Their clothing is fairly expensive, but quality and style is top-notch.
Tommy Hilfiger has a child with autism, which opened his mind to adaptive clothing. Focusing on clothing that looks like regular clothing instead of something that is made for someone that has a disability, "Tommy Adaptive puts a new twist on tradition, delivering modern style with innovative modifications that empower people and make dressing easier."
4. Smart Home Products:
This is a big category, mostly because so many things are becoming technologically "smart". Everything from home assistants, to light fixtures, to refrigerators. I will talk about a couple of products here, but really the possibilities are almost endless, and expanding. We, as consumers and innovators are on a path to having our whole homes set up as Smart Homes.
Assistants
Google Home and Alexa/Echo are becoming must haves for people with disabilities. They are the door to the rest of your accessible smart devices. When paired with a smart phone you're able to control most electronic devices in your home. I personally use the Google Home Assistant, and still have not set up all the devices I can have in my apartment, but the things that I have set up have made my life a lot easier! Right now I really only use Google Home to control some of the light fixtures in my apartment and my TV, but it's also great for setting up alarms, making phone calls, and setting reminders. Price on these items typically range around $100 or less and setup is fairly easy. Most devices do require a little patience in setting up because this is still considered to be new technology, so they're still a little buggy. For example, you may need to repeat the command, or if there's a lot of background noise it may not work. I would say for the most part Google Home has definitely made things a lot easier for me
It's really difficult these days to buy a TV that isn't "smart". Paired with the home assistants or your smartphone you're able to control cable boxes and streaming services. On my phone I have a FiOS remote app for both my cable box and my Roku TV, and I can control my Chromecast. And if for some reason my phone is not with me (which is rare), I can command by voice just by saying "OK Google" and a preset command like "turn volume up"
Lights are also a fairly inexpensive and easy thing to set up. I use the Philips Hue products for my lamps that are set up throughout my apartment, and after the first initial setup, they work pretty flawlessly. There are ways to get all of your light fixtures set up to your smart home devices, but that can require an electrician. Know that there are services that can help you with setup as well. For example: Easter Seals has programs for people that are eligible to help you with such technologies and costs.
Some of the other devices that I have not purchased yet, but know could make a person's life a lot easier are door locks that enable you to use your phone as a key, thermostats, security cameras, refrigerators, microwaves, laundry machines…. Again, the possibilities are just about endless.
5. Cleaning the house:
This task can be especially difficult for some people with disabilities. That's where Robot vacuums come in. I personally don't need one but know firsthand how hard it is to vacuum from a big bulky wheelchair. Most vacuums are cumbersome, heavy, and the cords get in the way. Many autonomous vacuums come with settings that will get the vacuum to come out at a preset time and vacuum your house. They are not perfect because you do still need to empty the canister, but the hard part of the job has been done for you. Prices range anywhere from $150 to $1,000. Most homes can use the vacuums that are in the $150-$300 range.
Well, those are my few suggestions for some cool gift ideas, we have come a long way in just a short amount of time to make things more adaptable for people with disabilities. Though many of these devices are not perfect, and there still needs to be a lot of thought and creativity to make our lives completely independent. These devices can definitely make our lives easier, and it's certainly a very good starting point. If you own any of these devices and have your own opinions and experiences with them please feel free to share in the comments below. I'd love to know what you think, and maybe your review may help someone else make the decision on whether or not the specific product will actually help them in their own lives.