Project on improvements on every day DIY tools for the elderly and disabled

[geek84]

Hi Folks

A friend of mine is doing a project on how every day DIY tools can be improved so that they can be use easily used be the elderly, disabled, and other individuals who have below average movement and strength in their body.

Can you think of any tools which can be improved in that way?

Where is the best place in order to get more information regarding this?


Thanks in advance for your responses.

 

[noseall]

DIY is for sadomasochists.
Why would the elderly or infirm want to have this inflicted upon them?

Difficult to use tools are there to protect them ever getting involved in the first place.

 

[Belboz]

DIY is for sadomasochists.

So it means By Doing Something Myself?

 

[HawkEye244]

I think grip is a major issue for old people and the weight of the tool. I think for people with things like minor arthritis small changes like this could make the difference.

Also in this day and age we should be encouraging old people to stay mobile, they are a ****ing liability in taxation terms so anything that helps them stay more independant is a good thing

 

[JBR]

Not exactly a tool, but as an 'old' person myself I have one particular bugbear.

Whilst I am assured that our 3-pin electric plugs are the best designed and safest in the world, I do often find them difficult to extract (from their sockets). Some are easier than others by virtue of the fact they have a pronounced ridge offering a better grip. I have also seen some with an attached loop handle, although this itself makes the plug larger and possibly more cumbersome.

Perhaps a better design could be developed, although the safety features (internal fuse, insulated section of Line and Neutral pins) must be retained. Perhaps this could be extended to the design of the socket, which could include some means of 'pushing' the plug out by a lever, for example.

 

[handyjack]

Not exactly a tool, but as an 'old' person myself I have one particular bugbear.

Whilst I am assured that our 3-pin electric plugs are the best designed and safest in the world, I do often find them difficult to extract (from their sockets). Some are easier than others by virtue of the fact they have a pronounced ridge offering a better grip. I have also seen some with an attached loop handle, although this itself makes the plug larger and possibly more cumbersome.

Perhaps a better design could be developed, although the safety features (internal fuse, insulated section of Line and Neutral pins) must be retained. Perhaps this could be extended to the design of the socket, which could include some means of 'pushing' the plug out by a lever, for example.

 

[handyjack]

https://www.google.co.uk/search?sou...&q=tools+for+the+disabled&tbm=isch&gws_rd=ssl

 

[ladylola]

Not exactly a tool, but as an 'old' person myself I have one particular bugbear.

Whilst I am assured that our 3-pin electric plugs are the best designed and safest in the world, I do often find them difficult to extract (from their sockets). Some are easier than others by virtue of the fact they have a pronounced ridge offering a better grip. I have also seen some with an attached loop handle, although this itself makes the plug larger and possibly more cumbersome.

Perhaps a better design could be developed, although the safety features (internal fuse, insulated section of Line and Neutral pins) must be retained. Perhaps this could be extended to the design of the socket, which could include some means of 'pushing' the plug out by a lever, for example.

There have been times when I've tried to pull an old plug from a socket only to have the plug top come off leaving nice live bits of metal looking at me so you may very well be right about a new design.

 

[JBR]

Yes. As I said, those are quite cumbersome and if there is limited space they could be unusable.

 

[JBR]

There have been times when I've tried to pull an old plug from a socket only to have the plug top come off leaving nice live bits of metal looking at me so you may very well be right about a new design.

Yes, the problem is that the ridge that provides grip (if present) is usually part of the removable back and if the attaching screw is loose or damaged it can pull off.
An improvement would be to provide a pronounced ridge as part of the main body of the plug rather than the back.
There, a practical improvement to the design.
When you've put it into practice I want royalties!

 

[ladylola]

This time next year you'll be a millionaire jbr

 

[JBR]

This time next year you'll be a millionaire jbr

Not if I end up on Dragons' Den!

 

[ladylola]

There's a guy I buy jerky and fruit leathers from , well known on the re-enactment circuit, who went on the show but was turned down. He had a sign saying "as seen on dragon's den" but with seen crossed out and " abused" written above it

 

[Belboz]

WTF is fruit leathers?

 

[ladylola]

Dried fruit , pulped and dried out in sheets. Great for the kids as it's sweet but doesn't contain any added sugar.