This has been a big week: with a council cleanup, an occupational therapist home visit, the moving around of objects and furnishings alongside the purchase of items to make life easier or safer (or both). It therefore seems timely to write about home modifications.
In my experience, very, very few professionals and organisations have experience in the complexities and challenges of combined hearing and sight loss. One NDIS planner said about difficulties I had reading, “use audiobooks”; one occupational therapist, trying to solve the making-a-cup-of-tea and burning self by boiling water problem, suggested a talking kettle. An audiologist suggested using large print museum guides when I couldn’t read anymore. There is a lot of variability in what each individual with dual sensory impairment or deafblindness will need to live the best life possible.
These are the things I have found helpful for my condition (profound hearing loss and half a degree of central vision in one eye only and rubbish in the other):
Long chat with an electrician about the lighting in the kitchen, he installs halogens and dimmer switches.
Introduction of more contrast into the pastel kitchen: we chose black appliances.
Purchase of knives from Vision Australia shop that don’t cut you (as a veteran of the hand surgeon to repair fingernail beds and fingertips sliced off, this is important for me to avoid hospital). https://shop.visionaustralia.org/campaigns/kandokutter.html
New and second-hand crockery and cutlery in black so that there is background contrast against the tablecloth to enable finding utensils easily. We got a Mikasa black dinner and tea set for $50 from Facebook Marketplace that is perfect. Another friend gifted us with black handled cutlery.
Dark drinkware that is solid and less likely to topple over when my hand waves around looking for a drink of water.
A spill-proof mug that attaches to the table or bench surface (not the tablecloth). https://shop.visionaustralia.org/campaigns/christmas-gift-ideas/anti-spill-suction-mug-black.html
Hot water dispenser: This just happens to give me the perfect amount of hot water for a cup of tea in my favourite mugs at the touch of a button. https://www.kmart.com.au/product/digital-hot-water-dispenser-black-43462551/
Braille labels: As I am learning braille and have not fully mastered all the letters of the alphabet, we use large stick-on braille dots to make out the position of standard microwave settings, and different items in the pantry.
Also in the pantry we use tactile bands to slip on things to help identify them. We tried a talking pantry device but couldn’t understand what the robo voice was saying. These tactile bands are also handy in the bathroom to differentiate shampoo and conditioner.
Thermomix TM5: This has been great for many things to enable cooking without setting my cardigan alight from the gas flame when I lean in too close. The smell of burning alerts me. This is good for steaming rice, making custard, cakes, curries and various pastes. The three round operating buttons are easy to use, even if you can’t see them, they don’t change position.
Thermomix new model TM6: We had a demonstration of the new, smarter looking (I am told) Thermomix. It has a MUCH BIGGER SCREEN. ‘Oh joy, oh joy,’ I thought, we can cook more if we can use dark mode and very big font. BUT ALAS. No joy, no joy. The larger screen doesn’t enable any accessible fonts, enlargements, the space seems wasted, but much worse, the three action buttons (time, temperature and speed/power) have GONE. There is a green ‘action’ button you can use on the right-hand side, but the ‘next’ button MOVES AROUND, so putting a braille dot on it was of no use. So that’s a no from me. A big no. I also think a company such as Vorwerk should be investing in strong accessibility features after all this time and user feedback.
Induction cooktop: There was water damage, so when we had to replace the cooktop, we paid the difference between a gas cooktop and an induction one with the insurance company to get a safer space for me. My not-yet-burnt cardigans approve. It is a palaver and an expense.
Large, high contrast, tactile kitchen timer and alarm: I can’t hear the alarm, but you might! I just use it to feel the time left or the alarm vibrations. https://www.maxiaids.com/product/tactile-short-ring-low-vision-timer-with-stand-black-dial
WHAT I HAVEN’T SOLVED
The fridge: what the hell is in it? We put tactile dots on some things such as mustard. We do a weekly clean out of all unidentifiable items, usually leftovers.
Leftovers: we keep things for three days only (but when did that start and end?) The weekly clean out helps keep these under control but is not the most sustainable, so solutions to this are welcome.
Which spice is which: as someone who has fed people cinnamon toast with chilli powder instead, this is a work in progress. We have dots on some, different shaped containers for others, but mix-ups still happen. Cinnamon in soup instead of paprika was interesting, but not inedible.
Let us know your kitchen solutions and best gadgets and we will include your suggestions here.