Fair Offers Tech Assistance To The Disabled

     In 1981, a brain aneurysm left Brenda J. Thompson of Old Barnstable Road, East Falmouth, with paralysis on the left side of her body.  
     It has made simple chores more difficult, particularly when, as a single mother, she raised a child, when items such as car seats, were non-existent. But thanks to advances in technology, Ms. Thompson said, the mundane tasks are much easier for her to perform than they were more than two decades ago.
     In the kitchen, she benefits from special knives and cutting boards that compensate for her inability to use one side of her body.
     At the Cape Organization for Rights of the Disabled (CORD) in Hyannis, where she has worked as a lead advocate for the past 14 years, she is able to answer the phone through the use of a headset, which she said “makes work a lot easier for me.”
     This Wednesday, CORD will be hosting an Assistive Technology Fair at the Gus Canty Community Center to display low-tech devices that can assist in making life easier for those with physical disabilities and impairments.
     As a beneficiary of some of these devices, Ms. Thompson admitted the new technology “absolutely has made life simpler...A lot of these things at the fair we might consider a luxury, but when given to someone with a disability, they are a necessity. We won’t have everything there, but we will have the resources on where to purchase them.”
     This is the first year that CORD has been hosting these fairs, the first of which was held at its office in Hyannis. Another is being planned later this year in Truro, she said, and other agencies throughout the Cape have made requests to bring the fair to their towns.
     She said the fair coincides with CORD’s mission to help those with disabilities learn and find the services they need. The agency also advocates for clients, helping them attain necessary services. “Our goal is to give these people the knowledge they need to know about their rights,” she said.
     Next week’s technology fair, she said, is vital for those with physical limitations because it showcases devices that allow them to live and work independently.  
     W. Jay Kingwill, chairman of the Falmouth Commission on Disabilities, expressed enthusiasm that the fair will cater not just to those with disabilities, but even the elderly who may have trouble performing tasks they once were able to do.
     “This is really not just for the handicapped, but also for seniors who have trouble doing things or those with sight problems,” he said. “It can help almost anybody who may not be able to physically perform certain tasks, such as opening a door.”
     Items will include everything from rubber grips that allow people to open jars, electric can openers, talking calculators and thermometers, and memory prompters that remind users when to take their medicine, as well as how much to take.
     Some devices, Ms. Thompson said, will be meant for people in wheelchairs, and others for those with visual and hearing impairments.
     At the first fair in Hyannis, she said, the feedback was positive with some attendees expressing surprise at what limitations some people have. “People would say, ‘Wow, I didn’t realize those things are out there’ and ‘I never thought a person would have a problem doing something so simple,’ ” she said.
     As an example, she said, there is a tool that helps those with cerebral palsy utilize a tube of toothpaste.
     For those with the use of only one hand, she said, there is a rocker knife that allows one to cut food.
     A check-writing guide, that enlarges where to write and sign a check, helps those with visual impairments complete this everyday task.
     There are also recreational items to help those who may be disabled enjoy games like poker, including cards with Braille on them, or golf, with a device that picks up a ball for those who have trouble bending over.
     In addition, she said, a limited amount of gadgets will be available that are suitable for children with disabilities, including dolls and educational toys.
     While visitors will be unable to purchase the items at Wednesday’s fair, she said they will be able to test some of them. Ms. Thompson’s agency will provide information on where to purchase the display items, and if necessary, how to find the proper funding resources for those on a limited income.
     She promised that the fair will include some of the newest technology for all segments of this population, even if they are temporarily disabled. “I find this almost as a wish book for what we want,” she said. “This makes something difficult for us easy to do.”