Extended Blind Chain

As the winter sun climbs higher each day it also grows in intensity making the desire to open blinds greater as the heat given by the sun exceeds the cold air let in by opening the blinds. How much easier, or simply possible, it is for an individual in a wheelchair when those blinds have an extended cord or chain.

Often the chain is not so short or high up that it cannot be reached but, a longer chain makes it much easier to open the blinds by allowing each longer pull to be more productive than if a person can just barely reach it. The chain in the photo above was one in our home that I forgot to indicate to the blind installer that I wanted it to be longer. Thankfully, it was simple to buy an extension that fits seamlessly with the existing chain, except for the fact that they were out of the gray chain installed with the blinds so I had to settle for white.

Function over form often rules.

Source: Custom blind installers and many hardware stores.

Door Knobs

Have you ever been trapped behind an unlocked door? Thanks to my paralyzed hands, I have. The rubber palms on The Gloves usually get me out of that bind after a few tries.

Have you ever been delayed behind an unlocked door while you had to set your bag or basket of groceries down to open the door a crack before picking it back up and entering? Everybody has.

This is just one more example where technology as simple as a lever door handle can help everyone out. It doesn't need to be some obvious, ugly modification that sticks out like a sore thumb. It simply needs to be something that works well for everybody and the industry will make it attractive in appearance. Not unlike flat light switches.

Thankfully, both flat light switches and lever door handles are far more common and make the lives of disabled people so much easier while conveniently making other people's lives a little bit easier when their hands are full.

Source: Any hardware store.