ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

A good inpatient rehabilitation program will present options to make navigating a PC or phone accessible. Therapists will teach you how to use voice controlled assistants to call for help, control temperature and light.                 

Maybe you want to get on your phone right away. Try purchasing a phone holder with a gooseneck that bends. Attach it to the rail of the bed or nearby bedside table. For a heavy duty holder you can attach bedside or to your wheelchair and position precisely near your face, check out the RAM® X-Grip® Large Phone Mount with RAM® Tough-Claw™ Small Clamp. Go to rammount.com. 

 Voice Control On Android phones, you'll need to activate “Hey Google” and download “Voice Access” from the Playstore. Using the command “Hey Google, Open Voice Access” allows you to then open various apps using voice. You can make calls and send messages. Navigate the web by using the command “Show grid”. This command lays numbers over the screen which you can then speak to access buttons. On an iPhone, just enable Voice Control in Settings > Accessibility, then say "Show Grid.” You may want to consider using a mouth stylus pen. Search the term online or on Etsy. Alternatively you can make your own. I use a regular stylus pen and attach a mouthpiece fashioned from plastic popsicle sticks.

Pick up an Alexa device and a smart fan and some smart plugs. The ability to control the climate in the room can be a big deal when you've lost so much control. Using your voice you can also command the device to play the news, music, and multiple applications. Your therapists should help you set the devices up and learn how to control them.

For computer control, your occupational therapists may have you try Dragon software. Less expensive alternatives exist as well as mouth and head motion operated systems that allow for PC control. Explore them here: