Zip Ties, Split Rings, and Paracord

When it comes to dexterity few things are as challenging as zippers. Tiny little tabs designed to be pulled with a pinch between the index finger and thumb. Not quadriplegic friendly.

My simple solution for a lot of years was split rings. I think every keychain in my parents' home was scavenged for this purpose. The fact that my dad had a small collection of keychains help my inventory of split rings to grow quickly. It's remarkable how many zippers there are to benefit from a permanent ring on them. Zippers are everywhere.

The one place that I most wanted my adaptation to be less visible was on the fly of my pants. For that location I chose to use a small black zip tie, as barely visible on the pair of jeans in the photo above. Zip ties like that do wear out in time and a few did break on me, leaving me with a bit of a struggle to do up my pants until it could be replaced with a new zip tie. Thankfully that zipper does not need to be started like on a full-length jacket zipper. I have no secret method to assist in starting a zipper on a jacket. That is simply a matter of trial, error and patience.

Though I still use split rings for a lot of purposes, I have transitioned to using paracord for most of my zipper pulls. There are a myriad of colours to choose from and their flexibility can provide minor advantages over split rings in certain circumstances. I have even begun transitioning away from bungee cord and toward paracord for my pant hooks. The snaps that connect two ends of paracord together to make a pullable tab and loop, like those attached to the yellow and black paracord in the photo above, are cheap and abundant on places like eBay. However, I found the ones I chose to not hold nearly as well as they should. I made certain to make my selection based on the size of paracord I was using, prepare the ends by cutting and melting them and made certain the snap was applied properly, but often it would let go at inopportune times.

The alternative is to simply thread your length of paracord through the zipper eyelet then tie the two lengths in a half hitch, as I have done for the zipper laying immediately to the left of the pouch, the second one to the right of the pink lanyard. A more interesting alternative is to tie an interesting knot in the end and use it as a lanyard, essentially a simplified version of the lanyard I tied to be my keychain. As frequently as we are forced to compromise form for the purposes of function, this is one of those simple places that I appreciate the more decorative look of a diamond knot lanyard over a simple half hitch. I decided to get extra fancy and do a double diamond knot for the longer zipper pull on my camera bag.

Hit me in the comments with your zipper adaptations, if you have any unique methods.

Source: paracord and snaps – eBay. Split rings – dollar store or craft supply store.

Lanyard

You've already seen this lanyard in my post regarding door bumpers to assist in pressing remote buttons. These little well tied loops of rope or cord can be so helpful in so many other ways. Keeping keys attached to something easy to grab a hold of, and easy on the teeth for those times you need to hold on to them with your mouth, is a big deal because the alternative is dropping them. For many quadriplegics, or any wheelchair users for that matter, picking things off the floor can be very difficult. Especially if you already have something on your lap or are in the middle of a snow-covered parking lot.

A lanyard can be homemade, bought cheaply from any discount store, and be almost any length you need to fit your intended purpose. As attractive as the Solomon bar weave is on the upper part of this lanyard, it is the diamond knot that I am most grateful to be able to tie successfully. That knot makes for not just a loop to hold onto but a nicely sized ball of cord to incorporate into a zipper pull, making the challenge of operating a zipper a little bit easier. Here are my thoughts on zippers. While the white part of the cord is illuminated by a camera flash, the green part is because of the glow-in-the-dark material used to make this lanyard. It's a little more expensive than standard paracord but for those times I wanted to be able to find my keys in the dark I'm glad I chose it for this keychain.

The reason I like paracord so much is that when used to secure keys, as shown in the door bumpers post linked to above, is that it is quite easy to detach the keys for those times when you need to separate your vehicle keys from your house keys, such as when leaving a vehicle for service. I prefer this over the quick clasp lanyards that you can purchase in stores because often those clasps are spring-loaded and pivot which makes operating them very difficult, and a danger to a person's lip should you choose to use your teeth and have the clasp snap shut.

In the future we will take a look at other lanyards of the smaller size used to keep smooth and difficult cell phones closer to us and less likely to be dropped on the floor if they slip out of our hands. Because I did not want to be tied down by a lanyard hanging off my phone I chose a very rubbery case and the larger design of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for my current phone, which I talk about in the post regarding touch screens and styluses.

Source: Webbed lanyards - Department or DollarStores
Paracord and Premade Paracord Lanyards - EBay and Etsy

USB Flash Drives

USB ports can be frustrating for anyone - lining up the plug with the port, making certain it's facing the correct direction (help us, if it's a vertical port!) - but with paralyzed hands it's even more difficult. A streamlined design, like that of a laptop, makes for a minimal distance between the drive and the desk or table, providing even less surface area available on the drive to grasp. Thankfully, many USB flash drives have a suitable place to attach a lanyard or split ring. Of course, the split ring attached to my monkey's fist self-defense paracord creation is an exaggeration, but made for a more interesting photo.

Either a lanyard or a split ring will assist in easing the removal, but I find the split ring to give me a more solid place to insert my thumb which also helps in sticking the drive in the port. Many USB peripherals do not have ways to make them more convenient for us. But many do. There are a myriad of interesting and unique designs for flash drives and often something as simple as a binder clip can provide a larger handle on almost any USB device.

Source: Split rings are available from any department or hardware stores.
Interesting USB Drives are abundant at online retailers like Deal Extreme, Amazon or eBay.

Door Bumpers

My original use for these door or drawer bumpers was on the remote starter of my previous vehicle. That remote is not pictured here but it was similar to the right most remote in the photo above. The problem with the previous remote was that it had recessed buttons. The buttons themselves were not the problem. It was that with only four buttons on that old remote one was dedicated to locking, one to unlocking, one to opening the door and lowering the ramp and one to the lifting the ramp and closing the door.. The only way the installers could program the module to start the van was by pressing the lock and unlock keys simultaneously. Because they were recessed this presented a problem for me.

It wasn't that I couldn't do it but I required a surface to set the remote on while I pressed each button with my two thumbs. When I had something on my lap, or no firm surface to rest the remote on, it was difficult. And, when do you need automatic vehicle starting the most? In the winter when it's cold and you don't want to be fumbling with a remote longer than necessary. Self-adhesive door bumpers cut to fit each button was my solution.

It worked but was not ideal because making the buttons that much easier to press made for accidentally unlocking or locking the doors and only once accidentally starting the van. This was also before the time of two-way communication between the vehicle and the remote -- you  now receive notification that your vehicle has started -- so it wasn't until an undetermined amount of time that I realized the van had been started.

Thankfully the buttons on my current remote, pictured left, have just the right amount of tactile resistance and are raised only slightly, requiring a one second press before activating the function. All buttons function as indicated by their symbols but two consecutive presses of the unlock button, with a two second pause between, opens my door and lowers the ramp or picks up the ramp and closes the door. This is a much more convenient way than depending on the door bumpers but they did work when I needed them to.

Source: Department, hardware, and dollar stores.

Pant Hooks

There have been more than a few medical professionals, often from locations where the number of quadriplegics are far fewer, who assumed that catheterization can only be completed, entirely unclothed, while laying on a bed or stretcher. That is an unfortunate and unrealistic understanding by people who should, as much as they need to preserve people's lives, be aware of the need for quality and normalcy in those lives.

In the previous post I spoke of catheters and some of the options available. Aside from performing the task of catheterizing as mentioned in the linked post above, it can be quite simple with the appropriate piece of equipment. The photo is of the technology I devised and, once again, my dad built for me.

Very simply, a piece of welding rod tacked onto a large lock washer then covered with rubber or plastic hose. To each washer a length of desired material was secured. To use it, one hook is secured to the waistband of your pants and underwear while the other end is hooked to the frame of your chair to keep the clothing away from your body.

The red pant hook on the right is 16 years old and still going strong. It is starting to show signs of wear, despite re-taping the crimps that hold the bungee cord to the washer. The hook on the left is my newest iteration with a slight increased angle to the hooks so they hold more securely and the washers being joined by a precisely measured and tied length of paracord.

I don't know how many more years the original hook will last. I have one in my backpack that always stays with me, a spare in the drawer and another at my parents' house. So, when it gives way I will certainly have readily available replacements as well as the original hooks which can easily be re-tied with a new length of bungee cord or paracord.

Regardless of how long it lasts, I know that it has outlasted the original version conceptually thought up by me and fabricated by my occupational therapist while I was in rehab. The one she created was a composition of elastic waistband, coat hangers bent into shape, covered by hard plastic coating. The coat hangers were not covered in any protective material and punched holes in my clothing. As well, after just a few weeks of using it the elastic was already beginning to fray.

Men Versus Women

I know that the system works for me whether I am wearing sweatpants, sport pants, jeans or dress pants. I also know that the amount it is able to lower properly fitting clothing would not be adequate for a female quadriplegic. I understand that there are women who have chosen to have clothing modified with Velcro closures and others who simply need to take the time to lower their clothing far enough to get the job done. That is the extent of my understanding and if any of the female readers of this site wish to contribute technology, be it an actual device, modification or just information, it would be greatly appreciated.

Source: Custom-made by anyone who has basic welding ability. Many of the bungee cords you can buy now have plastic hooks that are much thicker and would reduce the concern of damaging clothing or skin. The difficulty might be in finding the appropriate length of cord so that the tension between pants and wheelchair frame is correct.

Strengthening

Exercise is important for everyone but even more so for we quadriplegics. Keeping our arms and shoulders strong as long as we can, to maximize and prolong our independence, is not just for our physical health but our mental health, as well. The question is, outside of rehabilitation centers, when was the last time you saw a fully wheelchair accessible gym? That is, with cuffs and quadriplegic-friendly handles on the weight machines, not just machines that can be wheeled up to.

Downstairs, collecting dust, is a weighted pulley system with the adjustability (much of which I cannot adjust independently) to perform a small variety of motions to work different muscles and muscle groups. It is not too large and cumbersome but enough so that it does not have a dedicated place in our home to be mounted to the wall. There are a few locations that it could be placed but they are tucked away in most uninviting and unmotivating locations. Therein lies one of the largest obstacles to regular exercise for many individuals, disabled or not, which includes myself. Lack of motivation.

A good friend and I make regular visits to one of the city's indoor facilities which, after a lengthy process of cutting through red tape and persistence in communicating with the right individuals, has a fully accessible workout machine. Unfortunately, it's is in a cramped room with a number of other workout machines used by many individuals who do not understand the importance of not blocking the accessible machine with cooldown mats, chairs and other clutter that prevent us from using it. Add to that the missing handles, pins or other disrepair and what could be a very effective machine has become more of a hassle than a help.

As a result you will find us most mornings wheeling on the track and allocating time to use the therabands in the picture above. Those therabands are lightweight, easy to transport, made to fit our needs and can be used anywhere. It is in front of a TV or near a stereo that I find it easier to grab the therabands and work with them while watching or listening to something, rather than tucked away by myself in the basement where the weights and pulleys would be.

From left to right you have theraband ribbons and theraband tubing, increasing in resistance from left to right. This particular ribbon is latex, unfortunately. The endless white powder that comes off of them is a significant irritant, even an allergy, to a lot of people. I am unaware of non-latex theraband ribbon, which is unfortunate because ribbon is much easier to carry than the tubing. The handles accompanying the green theraband tubing are nicely adjustable to allow any length between them which makes them suitable for the widest variety of exercises. The disc and strap attachment on the slightly stronger blue tubing is designed to be slid behind a door before closing it to provide an anchor point for the tubing. This provides a solid, adjustable, place to pull from without the fear of damaging a lever door handle or other makeshift anchor point. We often slide this between the wooden slats of the benches surrounding the track where we wheel.

Simple loops tied in the end of the purple theraband tubing allow a place to grasp, or wrap around the wrist, to get the right length for various exercises. My strongest theraband tubing came with handles that had a red plastic tube that rolled as you used it. For someone who cannot grasp the rolling part it was a 50 pound slingshot waiting to hit someone when it fired out of my hand. Consequently it was secured with hockey tape and had other wrist straps added to the handles to give a secure place from which to pull. The gray strap was originally one that I had used to secure my legs together and assist in getting them pulled onto the bed when I was still rebuilding my strength, post injury. As with my razor cuff, it was made by an amazing fabricator that worked at the rehab facility I was at. Thank you, again, Beulah.

In addition to the therabands, sitting next to my computer are dumbbells that incorporate Velcro straps. Unfortunately they only go up to 5 pounds and are difficult to double up on one hand or arm comfortably. Even at 5 pounds they often cut into a person's hand when being used. That may be why they are only available with Velcro up to that weight. I imagine if I thought about it and work with some paracord I could come up with a helpful handle for the 15 pound dumbbell in the back, but the fear of dropping it and damaging the floor or hurting myself is greater than the payoff. Thankfully the therabands can very easily be doubled up or stacked to add as little or as much additional resistance as you would like as your strength grows.

Not pictured are the pair of 1.5 pound wrist weights that can be Velcroed on to either the dumbbell or a person's wrist to add that little bit of extra weight. Unfortunately, with our arms being as skinny as they are and no longer tapered, typically the wrist weights slide up and down the arm as you raise and lower it to perform the exercise. Currently one of them is employed as a counterweight for the opposite end of my boom arm used in making many of the photos you see on this site.

Source: Dumbbells - Department and sporting goods stores.
Therabands - Occupational and physiotherapists and online retailers. Bodylastics is where we got our last batch from.