Parking Meters

By now it is no secret that dexterity limitations of quadriplegics are possibly our biggest struggle, directly or indirectly. Putting coins in a parking meter is one of the ultimate tests. I have lost more than a few quality cups of coffee worth of coins to the gutter over the years. Every time I go to the University of Saskatchewan for photography, exercise or whatever other reason, I feel like I am part of a cruel experiment. Why do I feel like this when using the designated handicap parking meters at the University? Because of the way they face.

Follow along with my reasoning, if you will. As you will notice, the coin slot faces the street. If the individual with a disability is driving they cannot reach the meter from the driver's side as they will be on the street. Once they get out, the meter is too far away to reach from the street by wheelchair or walker which means they will need to get up and onto the sidewalk to deposit coins, just like a standard meter. However, the space between the meter and the edge of the curb is only between 30 and 45 cm, between 12 and 18 inches. The photo above distorts this distance because of the wide angle lens I chose to use, but believe me when I say it is less than 18 inches between the post and the curb.

This short distance between the curb requires the individual to back up to the curb to deposit coins while facing the coin slot. This introduces the risk of falling backwards off the curb, regardless of the disability in question. If you add some improperly cleared snow to the equation, creating a cone of snow around the meter's post, you make it even more difficult for the user to get close enough to deposit coins. For these reasons I avoid the designated spots whenever possible. However, with parking at the University being at a premium, often the only spots available are the designated ones.

I would greatly appreciate understanding the reasoning used by the person responsible for designing the meters this way. All of the designated meters at the University are like this so I know that it was not just a coincidence. There are no designated meters or spots around the city of Saskatoon so difficult meters are not a problem. But angle parking, with end spots blocked off by planters or other decorations, which make the use of a van with a lift or ramp impossible, are a problem.

The city of Saskatoon and the University of Saskatchewan used to have pay-by-cell phone but, for whatever reason, it is no more. Other payment methods, such as a card-based system, are enabled but this is useful to me only on a very occasional circumstance when I visit the University so I have not pursued that option.

Despite my criticism of the city of Saskatoon's lack of access, they have done one thing very well. They have implemented an annual $20 fee that provides disabled individuals with a sticker that is adhered to their parking placard which allows a free 36 hour parking limit at any standard meter in the city. Of course, you have paid your $20 annual fee, but the convenience makes it completely worth it at a very reasonable cost, in my opinion. The only thing we need now is for them to make a deal with the University, St. Paul's Hospital, Innovation Place and private lots throughout the city so that we can easily use those, as well.

Parking access varies from one city to another. It may have been costly to park in downtown Vancouver but they had a very easy to use smart phone app that allowed you to pre-enter your credit card information, enter the meter number you are parked at, and choose your length of parking. It also allowed enabling notifications to let you know when your time was running low so that you could apply more time. This was not just for accessible parking, it was for everyone and was a brilliant system that eliminated the need to carry change with you. In Seattle, any accessible parking placard approved in North America provided you with free parking at any meter. Period.

Solutions: Explore the options available in your city for accessible parking, don't be afraid to speak to your city counselor and, when traveling, examine what is available in the locations you will be staying.

UPDATE: Smart meters are finally coming to Saskatoon! This pay system was enjoyed by us during our trip to Vancouver and Seattle in 2013. The option to pay with a card, a smart phone app, and still pocket change, made quicker, easier, more precise and exactly what works well for the disabled community.

Card Holder

Card season is upon us more than ever. That first snowfall outside, as seen in the photo above, happened way too early this year and last year but there is little a person can do except to find favorite ways to be entertained indoors. Any game with cards is a popular one.

There are commercially made cardholders available on the market but I have found that many of them require as much dexterity as holding cards does. Such things as spring-loaded clips or awkward angles where cards sit in fan-shaped slots, both of which are no easier than simply holding the cards with paralyzed fingers.

The cardholder you see on the table was the result of my dad seeing his son struggle with the cards, telling everyone to "hold on, a minute," finding a scrap of lumber, cranking the tablesaw blade to a 45°, running a cut half-deep through it and then slicing the scrap of lumber into two equal pieces. The result was two identical cardholders that I use for any game that requires holding more than about four cards. This cardholder is long enough for at least 13 cards. Occasionally, for games that use nonstandard decks of cards, I wouldn't mind if it were a little bit longer. Usually in those cases cards can be grouped together, though. Length is something to consider if you are having one made for yourself.

Having it sitting on the table allows me to use two hands to pick up and arrange cards and it is easily tipped on its face to conceal my hand, should I need to leave the table for a minute.

This is not a tool exclusive to a quadriplegic. A person with carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, tremors or any other condition affecting dexterity would benefit from something like this and be able to maintain a fluid pace of gameplay.

Source: Custom made. Commercially made devices available at some medical supply stores, through an occupational therapist or online.

Exam Gloves

*Snap!*

Has anything pleasant ever come from the sound of an exam glove being snapped into place? Well, it may not be pleasant but, it is very necessary for the well-being of many people including the individual wearing the glove and the individual being helped by that person. These gloves are very necessary in the life of a quadriplegic as well as most persons with any type of neurological disability.

Latex exam gloves are becoming far less ubiquitous than they used to be because of a significant increase in latex sensitivity to outright allergies in people. I know that I become quite congested when exposed to latex, be it exam gloves at the dentist or latex therabands. Thankfully exam gloves are available in different materials such as vinyl.

They come in powdered and unpowdered. The powder is only on the inside of the gloves but they are in a boxes of 100 together so the powder inevitably gets spread around. It can cause dry skin for the user, it gets on and in everything, as well as being a potential irritant to both the wearer and the care recipient, but they are easier to apply to sweaty or moist hands. As such, the unpowdered variety are more common. They are more difficult to put on moist hands, but avoid the potential problems introduced by the powder.

The downside to vinyl gloves over latex is that they can affect dexterity. For many things the reduction is not a problem. For procedures such as dentistry or surgery that precise tactile feel is critical. The unavoidable wrinkles in vinyl gloves, which demonstrate their lesser elasticity, can be seen in the photo. Other factors where latex outperforms vinyl is their puncture resistance, again very applicable to the two aforementioned professions.

Latex and vinyl are not the exclusive materials used to make examination gloves but they are the least expensive. Those materials are accompanied by gloves made from the more costly polyisoprene, nitrile and neoprene, all with varying qualities including strength, fit, chemical resistance and environmental impact. The full chart I used for my research can be found here. Not all types can be found in individually packaged, sterile packaging for uses such as surgery, or more commonly, a caregiver catheterizing a patient. For those specific uses your choices may be more limited.

Exam gloves keep the user safe and keep the messy business of life with a disability a bit more contained and a bit more easily cleaned up.

Source: Drug and department stores, but for bulk pricing, medical supply companies.