Illinois Assistive Technology Program Ten Dollar Tech

Illinois Assistive Technology Program

Skip over navigation Home Contact Us Services Publications Resources AT Classifieds Homeownership Funding Manual Links Search Get Posters Here List of Devices for Loan Updated 9/15/07 Loan Request Form in PDF* *Adobe Acrobat Required Loan Request Form in Rich Text Format List of Devices in Demo Center TechConnect Low Interest Loan Program	Potpourri January 1997 In each issue of TECHTALK a reader shares a low tech/low-cost device or adaptation that fosters independence at a very low cost. In previous issues this column featured a wide range of solutions. Some of them included a lightweight reacher, labels on canned goods for visually impaired, switches of various kinds, a pulley to load a wheelchair into a car, low-tech communication devices and tennis balls on the legs of a walker to help the user move it across the floor. Other simple innovations might include: A piece of Velcro instead of buttons or shoelaces; An empty film container that most of us would throw away can become a device for holding a pencil or eating utensils just by cutting a small "x" in the bottom and inserting the item. A piece of highlighter tape or a highlighter pen can change the background to make written material easier to see. Foam or rubber bicycle handle grips or rubber squeeze toys placed over a joystick can make it easier to grasp. A flat jar lid opener can keep dishes, switches, books and other items from sliding on a table. A fishing bobber or ice cube can indicate the water level in a glass for someone who is visually impaired. The examples above are just a few ways that low cost innovations can aid independence. Don't believe your own innovations are not useful to others! Remember, if it is something that worked for you or someone you know, it might work for others too. Sometimes the simplest modification or technology is exactly what an individual needs. That's why IATP started this column... so people didn't have to continually reinvent the wheel. Back to $10 Tech Main Page Simple Communication Device March/April 1997 Patrick Meckley, Fox Developmental Center's technology guru found a great substitute for the greeting card communication device. We could slightly alter and use the digital recorder in the greeting card and create a simple communication device. "It's becoming more difficult to find the talking cards. They will soon be obsolete since Hallmark no longer makes them," says Pat. He goes on to explain "However, Wal-Mart sells the YAK BAK It works well as an alternative . . . and, costs less then $10.00. Its features include LED lights to show record mode, a lock switch to prevent the erasure of any message and a tone control." Pat believes anyone can learn how to adapt it for an external switch, which would be very useful for people with fine motor disabilities. The device is also very compact at three inches by three and one-half inches. Pat has modified the YAK BAK 2 for more than 50 people and is very happy with its performance. Below are directions for adapting the YAK BAK 2. Materials one YAK BAK 2 screwdriver drill solder and soldering iron one switch or switch jack with lead wires Directions Open the YAK BAK 2 by removing the four screws on the back, one is under the battery cover. Drill a hole in the front cover between the Say button and the red LED to insert the lead wires. Solder the two lead wires of the switch or switch jack to the two terminals on the inside circuit board by the arrows. One is on the tone control and the other is next to the support post. Place the two sides of the YAK BAK 2 back together and replace the screws. Record the appropriate message and use it as a switch-activated communication device. Variation You can place up to four YAK BAK 2s in a plastic video cassette box for more expanded capabilities. Pat will answer any questions you may have. You can visit him personally, or write to the Assistive Technology Center at the Fox Developmental Center at 134 W. Main, Dwight, IL 60420. Phone: 815-584-3347. Back to $10 Tech Main Page Handle Grips June 1997 One of the simplest and most inexpensive adaptations IATP staff has used is the round, foam water line insulation to build up handles on many devices. It is available at most hardware and air-conditioning supply businesses in 6 foot lengths. Materials scissors length of insulation Cost: Less then $1 per foot in 6 foot lengths Directions Take a length of the round air-conditioning insulation and measure it to fit the handle of the device. Cut to size and slide over the handle. You now have a soft comfortable built-up grip on your device! One 6-foot length of the insulation will make multiple grips. This adaptation can be appropriate for silverware, toothbrushes, pencils, tools, hairbrushes, cue sticks, brooms and mops and many other household devices. Outdoor enthusiasts, who have a difficult time gripping handles, can use it on gardening tools, golf clubs, tent stakes, bicycle handle grips, paint brushes, lawn mower handles, croquet mallets, BBQ utensils and many other devices that require a grasp. Use your imagination and put these soft grips on anything that makes handling easier for you. Back to $10 Tech Main Page Computer Access Software that's Free or Cheap July/August/September 1997 by Mike Scott, Rehab Technologist, Illinois Dept. of Human Services/Rehab Services When the right technology is matched with the right person, the results can be just short of miraculous. Unfortunately, the price tag can be equally astronomical. Working primarily in vocational rehabilitation, I have become a little spoiled by the relatively large budgets available to businesses, insurance companies, and even state vocational rehabilitation agencies. But I can always count on my colleagues from the educational side of the rehabilitation community to give me a good dose of reality. Especially in schools, we frequently need to find ways to make our precious and limited resources stretch a little bit further. Luckily though, with a little creativity and an eye for "diamonds in the rough," inexpensive, and even free, technology solutions (or at least aids) can be found. With this goal in mind, Janet Huff (currently at the Deicke Eye Tec Center, but with a rich and long background in teaching) and I researched and assembled a sampling of some free and cheap programs capable of improving computer access for people with disabilities. Formally debuted at the 1997 Illinois Association of Education and Rehabilitation Conference, the collection earned the title, "Computer Access on a Shoestring." The freeware and shareware we found span a wide range; including larger arrows for the mouse, simple magnifiers that can enlarge an area of the screen, basic speech programs that can read back information you have typed in, and creative aids for using the keyboard and mouse. This first edition focuses mainly on aids for people with low-vision, but has a little something for almost anyone. While far from complete, and constantly evolving, the collection is now available on the world wide web. Visit the Illinois Dept. of Human Services/Rehab Services' "ATEC Shareware Collection" at http://www.dors.state.il.us/atec/atecshar.htm or the Deicke Center for Visual Rehabilitation's "Eye Tec Shareware Collection" at http://www.deicke.org/etecshar.htm. Both these sites include brief descriptions of the programs, links for downloading, and pointers to similar resources on the world wide web. A sampling of the collection is also available in print or on diskette, available on request from the Illinois Assistive Technology Project. As always, be careful when installing new software on your computer ask for help and/or permission when necessary and, please support the "shareware" concept by registering or purchasing the programs you decide to keep. Explore and enjoy these free and cheap tools, and feel free to send your comments on additional resources you have found. Back to $10 Tech Main Page EZ on Lamp September 1997 by Sherry Edwards, IATP Information and Assistance Broker While exhibiting low-tech devices at a recent disability conference a visitor to the exhibit table told me that he had heard about a simple device similar to what we had on display. Always on the alert for $10 tech adaptations, I eagerly asked him to describe the device to me. Here is his description of a really neat, no cost adaptation: You know how small the on/off knobs are on lamps . . . those the little "twist me on and twist me off" knobs that are hard to find and even harder to get a good grip on so you can twist Well your problems are over. All it takes is a cap from an old medicine bottle, a lamp and some glue. Materials Large Cap Glue Directions Locate a cap large enough to fit over the knob. Place glue inside the cap and secure over the button. Sound simple? It is! Variations This "no cost" adaptation is a vivid reminder that there are usually many ways to resolve a technology issue. This idea is certainly one of the lowest cost alternatives, but there are others. Here are a few ideas: Take 2 pill bottle covers and drill a hole in the center of each. Then unscrew the little twist knob from the lamp and place the cover where the button was, Screw the little button back into place . Then secure the second cap with glue to the edges of the other cap. This hides the small knob and makes and easy to find and grip switch. Commercially available adaptors for lamp knobs. They are larger and easier to grasp. Prices range from $5-10 each. The lamp could be plugged into a socket that is controlled by a wall light switch. By leaving the lamp in the on position, it can be controlled by the switch. Adaptors that screw into the light socket convert the lamp to the "touch-on/touch/off" type. They cost approximately $15-20. A switch can be added to the electrical cord so that a person could simply step on the switch to turn it on or off. These switches range from high to low cost. Infra-red indoor motion detectors turn the light on as soon as someone walks into a room and keeps it on until the person leaves the room. There are other ideas too. There is no one right solution. Altering an environment depends greatly on the person's own likes/dislikes wants and needs. Be sure to ask the person what (s)he wants before you jump into a project. Back to $10 Tech Main Page	IATP News... Homeownership... IATP's Newest Program Two New Posters For Sale Check 'em out! The Second Sixty Years: Aging in Place with Assistive Technology
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