Cerebral Palsy Life Hacks-Volume 1
Welcome back to The Disability Download! I hope you enjoyed getting to know me a little bit. Today on the blog, I’m kicking off our very first series…CP Life Hacks! It’s no secret that life with cerebral palsy isn’t always the easiest thing in the world, but I’ve never been the kind of person to let that stop me. Sometimes I just need a little help along the way, which typically comes in the form of a life hack. Life hacks are going to look a little different for everyone, whether that’s a piece of technology, an adaptive device, adaptive clothing or footwear, or even everyday products that make life easier for you! Throughout this series, I will be sharing several different products that either I use or know about that help make life with CP a little bit easier. I’ll kick it off with an overview of a few of my favorite products and brands, and then will go into more detail on each product.
First up is OXO Cookware! Cooking and baking are two of my absolute favorite hobbies. Unfortunately, cooking and baking can be a pretty fine motor intensive hobby. This is where OXO products come into play. Every product OXO makes is created with the concept of universal design in mind, meaning they are designed to be as accessible as possible without the need for additional modifications.
My go-to product of theirs is the 3-piece mixing bowl set. The mixing bowls come in 3 sizes, and all 3 are designed with a silicone handle and a non slip grip on the bottom. This makes it easy for me to grip the bowls with my right hand while mixing batter or pouring ingredients. I don’t have to worry about dropping the bowl, or accidentally knocking it over! OXO has an entire line of products that they call “good grips” made with silicone.
3-Piece Mixing Bowl Set - White
Our next life hack comes in the form of one of the most difficult products to find when you have CP…shoes! I know buying shoes with cerebral palsy can be very difficult, especially running shoes. That’s why I want to introduce you to Cadense Adaptive Shoes, the first adaptive shoe designed specifically for people with walking difficulties like cerebral palsy! These shoes are designed with high friction areas in the toe and the middle of the foot and low friction areas on the outside of the foot, allowing the foot to slide over obstacles and decrease tripping. They are compatible with AFO’s and have a velcro fastener, which eliminates the need for laces. Sizes start at a size 5 for women and go up to a size 12, including half sizes up to a size 10.5. For men, sizes start at a size 8 and go up to a size 14, including half sizes for sizes 8.5 through 11.5. Both men’s and women’s shoes come in black or white, with the mens shoes including a slate gray color, and the women’s including a pale pink and pale blue color as well. One of the things I love most is how they look like a typical running shoe!
Cadense Adaptive Shoes for Cerebral Palsy | Enhanced Mobility, Comfort
Our third CP life hack is not an adaptive specific product, but a general product that makes life with CP easier. Adding a grip to the back of my phone case was something that I was hesitant to do for a long time, but once I did it, I was shocked how much easier it made doing everything related to using my phone. For me, the biggest change was how much easier it became for me to hold my phone in my right hand. I am less likely to drop it, and it has the added benefit of being able to prop my phone up by itself while watching videos! There are a lot of different stand options for stands/grips, so I’ve included a link to an article that lists several different products!
16 Phone Accessories for People With Upper Extremity Disabilities | WIRED
I hope you have found this series helpful so far — I am looking forward to being able to go in depth on some of these products and what adaptive and accessible hacks exist to make life a little easier! If you have a product suggestion that you use and love, or a product you would like to potentially see a review on, feel free to reach out to us at blog@cerebralpalsystrong.org. See you all next time!
