The heart of any home is the kitchen. Because it is the place where you find nourishment and warmth, the kitchen should be a barrier-free environment stocked with adaptive, accessible devices just right for you. This issue of Gear Guide provides information about creating a kitchen to suit your specific needs.
How to Create a Barrier-Free, Universal Kitchen
If you have decided to make your kitchen into an accessible, efficient work environment, consider consulting a specialist – an architect or an interior designer – trained in creating a universal, barrier-free environment. The following organizations (see list below) will be good contacts as you plan your dream kitchen.
The Center for Universal Design (CUD) is a national information, research and technical assistance center, which evaluates, develops and promotes accessible and universal design in buildings and related products.
The information specialists at the ACA National Limb Loss Center (NLLIC) can also assist you in your search for an interior designer or architect. (1-888-AMP KNOW )
The National Kitchen and Bathroom Association (NKBA) can provide you with information about their certified architects and interior designers specializing in universal, barrier-free kitchen and bathroom environments.
You might also want to take a look at books on creating accessible, barrier-free environments such as “Gracious Spaces,” by interior designers Mary Jo Peterson and Irma Dobkin.
Adaptive Appliances
(arranged in alphabetical order followed by manufacturer and seller contact information)
Cook Top – ceramic cook tops by Whirlpool and Frigidaire make cooking easier because you can just slide (rather than lift) heavy, cumbersome pots and pans on and off burners. Because the surface of the cook top is level and smooth, cleaning up doesn't mean digging into nooks and crannies to get to spills – all you have to do is wipe down the surface with a wet sponge.
Dishwasher (portable) – Hate washing dishes? Well, the handy, dandy, portable, little dishwasher by Dynamic Living just might be the answer to your prayers. Powered by hot water it can be used almost anywhere.
Food Chopper – Are there days when you feel the need to chop, dice and mince? Give in to the urge and equip yourself with a food chopper. PharMerica's food chopper is highly accessible because it is activated by just touching a large, pulse button. Mince or chop to your heart's content secure in the knowledge that the little gadget is held firmly in place by its non-skid feet.
Food Preparation Board – Do tomatoes, onions and potatoes roll of the cutting board as you try to slice them? Isn't that annoying? Well, what you need is a specially designed paring board with steel prongs that will hold these pesky vegetables in place, while you slice them up. PharMerica carries these boards, which also have corner guards preventing food from spilling off the board surface as you slice and dice.
Jar Opener – Peanut butter, jams, pickles, olives - why do all these goodies always come in jars that are just impossible to open? Who knows and who cares if there is a jar opener around. Just be sure to have one in your kitchen. PharMerica, Dynamic Living and Zim (see list below) offer wall-mounted models of jar openers. PharMerica also carries automatic jar opener.
Pan Holder – Why do pots and pans always shift and slide just as you try to stir or ladle out food? Is it a conspiracy or a fact of life? In either case, what you need is a Pan Holder. PharMerica carries Pan Holders that keep pots and pans in place on the stove top, so you don't have to worry about them shifting at an inconvenient moment. The Pan Holder is mounted on the stove top, where it resides securely on its suction cup feet, as it holds on to pots and pans with its two sturdy steel upright handle holders.
Plate Guard – Is feeding yourself frustrating because you have little or no control over where the food is going on the plate? The invisible guard might be the solution for you. When placed on a plate, the guard sets up a boundary that prevents food from spilling off the plate. If the guard is not an option, then consider specially designed plates with special edges that keep the food where it belongs – on the plate. Both Dynamic Living and PharMerica offer a line of this product. ·
Reachers – Admit it, there is nothing more frustrating than trying to get at a can or a bottle just tantalizingly out of your reach. What you need is a Reacher - a nifty, little gadget that will go where your limb or prosthetic device cannot. Now you can reach that last can of soda sitting in the back of the refrigerator. PharMerica offers a number of different Reachers; Dynamic Living also carries this device.
Refrigerators – There is no need to over-extend yourself by reaching into the deep inner recesses of your refrigerator. Whirlpool and Frigidaire manufacture refrigerators with slide out shelves that let you get to what you want when you want it. In addition, refrigerator models with water and crushed ice dispensers on the door not only do away with the heavy work of lifting gallon water bottles but also the need to engage in tug-of-war with ice trays over ice cubes.
Suction Scrub Brush – If you are an upper extremity amputee, scrubbing potatoes is no longer an impossible task. Use the Suction Scrub Brush. Because the brush attaches securely to most surfaces, you can scrub away at vegetables using just one hand or your assistive prosthetic device. These brushes can be purchased from PharMerica.
Stay-Put Suction Disc – This handy-dandy little gadget holds plates and bowls in place, while you stir, ladle, whip or whisk away.
Utensils – If conventional forks, spoons and knives don't serve your particular needs, then take a look at the variety of eating utensils especially designed to meet the different needs of various users. Both Dynamic Living and PharMerica offer a line of adaptive eating utensils.
The Fork– Recognizing the need for adaptive eating utensils, Brian Mee, a New Zealand native, has designed and patented a utensil that safely functions both as a knife and a fork helping amputees regain independence at mealtimes. Mee's invention, “The Fork,” is for people who have had a stroke, suffer from arthritis or who are upper extremity amputees. A member of the One Arm Dove Hunt Association in Texas said, “I have used the fork-knife combo and it is just great. It's a ‘must' for any arm or hand amputee. So easy to use.”
Sources:
Brian Mee (The Fork) www.thefork.co.nz/
Please note: The above URL has changed to the following - http://homepages.slingshot.co.nz/~bmee/
Center for Universal Design
(800) 647-7777 www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/
Dynamic Living
(888) 940-0605 www.dynamic-living.com/
Frigidaire www.frigidaire.com/
National Kitchen and Bathroom Association (NKBA)
(908) 852-0033 www.nkba.com/
National Limb Loss Information Center (NLLIC)
(888) 267-5669 www.amputee-coalition.org/
PharMerica
(800) 454-0755 www.pharmerica.com/
Whirlpool
(800) 253-1301 www.whirlpool.com/
ZIM (773) 622-2500
