TOOLS AND TECH

TECHNOLOGY & TOOLS

Our robot overlords may be on their way, but meanwhile advances have made it easy to control nearly every aspect of your home independently. Here some smart solutions and some tech-free storage hacks so you can survive the robot uprising.

HACK 1

BRING IT DOWN TO YOUR LEVEL

Installing hanging rods and hooks where you can easily reach them is a no-brainer, but doing so doesn’t mean you have to leave the upper recesses of your rooms empty. Kimberly Chamberlain, a T4 para from California, lined her closet with pull-down rods that she can easily bring down for access. “The pull-down rods allow me to fill my closet and get to everything independently,” she says.

A smart thermostat offers the easy, hands-free temperature regulation many wheelchair users dream of. With remote sensors for temperature, humidity and energy use, and a built-in speaker with Amazon Alexa, Ecobee’s SmartThermostat does a lot more than regulate the heat. Pricier than some of its competitors, Ecobee’s offering thankfully doesn’t require a subscription and you can use it with or without their free app. As long as one of the units can hear you, all you need to operate the SmartThermostat is your voice. As an added bonus, you can use the speaker as an intercom to other units or for typical Alexa functions. Ecobee.com. $189.

LUTRON HOME SYSTEMS AND LIGHTING WEMO SMART SWITCHES AND PLUGS

Belkin’s Wemo line of products is an excellent option for anyone looking for the smart-home experience on an applianceby-appliance basis. Wemo offers a selection of affordable smart plugs and light switches that allow you to control your lights from the wall, the Wemo app, or with your voice. The switches and plugs connect to your existing home WiFi network to give you easy wireless control of your lights, with no subscription or hub required. belkin.com/us/smart-home/c/ wemo. Starting around $20.

Installing a complete wireless system to control your home’s lights and blinds may seem cost-prohibitive or too complex, but a well-designed system can be a game changer, according to those who’ve invested the time and money. With three different total-home systems, single-room systems, and their own blinds and lights, Pennsylvania-based Lutron is the leader in whole-home lighting and electrical solutions. Their products come with their own app and offer hands-free and app control with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Home and more. Lutron.com.

HACK 2

ROLLERS!

Michael DiBiasio, a T9-L1 para from Rhode Island, maximized the awkward dead space under a stairwell by mounting the lowest of three shelves on rolling garage door tracks (right). “The rollers allow me to push the shelf to the back of the closet if I want to access the little-used items I store there, like holiday décor and luggage,” he says. The easy hack maximizes space and efficiency.

ADAPTS PORTABLE TRANSFER SLING

Available from ADAPTS LLC 844/423-2787 or adapts.org

ADAPTS is a portable and affordable manual-transfer sling designed to help wheelchair users during an emergency evacuation. Invented for emergencies when your wheelchair is not available, ADAPTS is the rescue sling you can use every day: at the pool or beach, for hiking and camping. ADAPTS travels with you!

ACCESS TRAX MAT

Available from Access Trax, LLC 619/292-8766 or accesstraxsd.com

Access the outdoors easily with the Access Trax lightweight, portable access mat! Don’t let sand, grass, gravel or snow be a barrier. Access Trax mats can be set up in seconds by one person, and transported in the back or your car or as checked luggage on planes! Access your life.

ADAPTIVE RIFLE SCOPE CLIP-ON

Available from Digital FOV, LLC 404/590-6513 or AdaptiveHunters.com

Digital Crosshairs adaptive rifles scope clip-on enables visually impaired and mobility-impaired hunters, and those enjoying shooting sports, to more independently target a scope using a gamelike display. The display can be hand-held, gun-mounted, or custom-mounted where needed.

E-Z PULL DOOR CLOSER

Available from Swervin Earl Productions Inc. 941/456-0815 or e-zpulldoor.com

An assistive device that allows wheelchair, walker and scooter users to close a door behind them when the doorknob is out of reach. Easy to install. Made from clear polycarbonate, so it blends in with any decor. Invented and produced by a T9 para vet!

GO-ANYWHERE CHAIRS

Available from GO! Mobility Solutions, 800/359-4021 or GoesAnywhere.com

These unique products enable people with physical disabilities and their families to travel wherever they’d like to go, whenever they want to go. Completely portable, these commode/shower chairs pack-away quickly and easily in their wheeled travel bags. Convenient and lightweight GO-Anywhere Chairs are safe, durable, easy-to-use, comfortable and maintenance-free. We ship worldwide and customer service is second to none!

KÉROUL, ACCESSIBLE TOURISM AND CULTURE

Available from Kéroul 514/252-3104 or keroul.qc.ca

Kéroul is the only organization promoting tourism and culture for people with disabilities in Québec. Its brand “Québec for All” is a platform and a brochure promoting accessible Québec. Its database is composed of more than 2,000 tourist establishments certified accessible or partially accessible by Kéroul.

IZIP DRIVE CONTROL FOR POWER WHEELCHAIR

Available from Magitek, LLC 260/488-4447 or magitek.com

Since 1999, Magitek LLC has pioneered Complex Rehabilitation Technology, specializing in Human Interface power wheelchair controls for severely disabled persons.

Magitek forges original ideas into reality for people who require more complex, yet easy to use, devices for mobility and peripheral access systems that enhance the quality of their lives.

TORNADO BODY DRYER

Available from The No White Flags Project 561/460-3785 or nowhiteflags.org

Dry yourself without a towel after a shower. Go to nowhiteflags.org and see if you qualify for a fully paid Tornado Body Dryer as this non-profit would just like to make your life a little easier. You can also purchase the unit at a $500 savings through our organization!