Pacific Mobility Center

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driving aids

Technological Innovations in Accessibility

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A disability is any physical, sensory, or cognitive impairment that makes daily activities more difficult. Many people are born with a disability. Others acquire a disability later in life, from an accident, an illness, or the aging process. Many older individuals are diagnosed with chronic conditions that lead to functional or cognitive disabilities. Pacific Mobility Center specializes in products that give those with disabilities freedom and independence.

Over a billion people globally have some form of disability: 360 million people worldwide have moderate to profound hearing loss; 285 million people are visually impaired (39 million of whom are blind) and 75 million people need a wheelchair (of which, only 5-15 percent actually have access to one).

In recent decades, new and innovative technologies have helped lower the barriers that people with disabilities encounter in their daily lives, helping them with tasks that able-bodied people take more or less for granted, such as speaking, travelling, reading, and writing. These new technologies can be classified as assistive, adaptive, or accessible.

Assistive technology

Assistive technology is technology designed specifically to improve a disabled person’s functional capabilities, and includes a wide range of devices and services, including IT-enabled prosthetics and implants, custom computer interfaces, and accessible communication tools. Adaptive technology provides a mechanism that allows people with disabilities to use technology that would otherwise be inaccessible to them. Text-to-speech technology, for example, helps users with vision impairments to be able to “read” materials that are written. Computer screen readers and screen magnifiers help make computer output accessible for visually impaired users. Accessible technology helps remove barriers and make the world more accessible for people with disabilities. Speech recognition software, for example, has many uses such as dictation or automated telephone systems; however, the technology can also provide independence for quadriplegics by allowing them to control a computer with their voice. Consumer Electronics Shows annually feature these types of products.

While there remains a long way to go before all new technologies are made accessible to people with disabilities, in recent years there has been a great deal of progress. Mainstream technologies are becoming increasingly adaptable, and specialist technologies have, in many cases. become increasingly affordable.

Some examples of innovative new products that further help disabled people function more easily, while acquiring more independence, include:

• Dot: the world’s first Braille smartwatch
• Talkitt: an innovative application that translates unintelligible pronunciation into understandable speech
• The Sesame Phone: designed to be used with small head movements, tracked by its front-facing camera
• Uni: a tool that detects hand and finger gestures that it converts into text
• The Finger Reader: a wearable tool that can scan a text and give real-time audio feedback of the words it detects
• Be My Eyes: an application that connects blind people with volunteers from around the world who can help with simple tasks
• AXS map: an app that carries information about wheelchair-accessible ramps and restrooms in public places
• Transcence: an app that converts spoken words into text in real time for group messaging
• Liftware: a self-stabilizing handle on which one can attach an eating utensil like a fork or spoon for patients who suffer from Parkinson’s disease or other forms of motion disorders that causes hand tremors.

Some other new and/or emerging technologies include:

• Driverless cars
• Smart glasses that include facial recognition software which interprets facial expressions and tells the wearer how the person in front of them is feeling. This could be particularly useful for people Asperger’s Syndrome, for instance, who struggle to interpret facial expressions unassisted
• Prosthetic limbs that allow wearers to “feel” touched objects, while offering better control and efficiency
• All terrain wheelchairs, capable of scaling uneven surfaces
• Smart belts that can detect when a person is falling in order to deploy air cushions prior to impact
• Medical exoskeletons which can be used to assist people who have trouble walking
• Smart canes that can alert a user’s relative is there is any unusual use or movements of the cane

Contact Pacific Mobility Center with any questions about how you and/or your loved ones can benefit from the best accessibility products available today: Stairlifts, Residential Porch Lifts, Vehicle Lifts, Ceiling Lifts, Shower Buddy, Electric Door Opener, Ramps, Scooters, Lift Chairs, Wheel Chairs, Power Electric Wheel Chairs, Walkers, Turning Automotive Seats, Automotive Hand Controls, Pool Lifts and Other Aids to Daily Living.

Driving Adaptations

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In this day and age, travelingby automobile is virtually a necessity for the majority of American adults. Most of us use our cars daily to commute to and from work, to go shopping and complete other chores, to chauffeur our children to their activities, to visit our friends and family members, or merely to get away for relaxation or vacation.

And the good news is that modern technology has offered people with physical impairments, who might not believe they can navigate a car safely, the opportunity to remain independent and mobile. Almost every automobile manufacturer, as well as a vast number of after-market product suppliers, has created a wide variety of automobile adaptations that can place almost every impaired, disabled, or mobility-challenged adult behind the wheel and on the road.

For example, pedal adaptations are available for individuals who have lost the use of their right leg and cannot utilize the standard accelerator. Left foot accelerators can be fitted to the left of the brake so that accelerating with the left foot becomes possible. For individuals who cannot reach the pedals at all when driving, pedal extenders can bring them closer to the driving seat.

For individuals who have lost the use of both legs, there are many ways in which a car’s traditional pedal functions – braking and accelerating – can be accomplished with hand controls. Push-pull hand controls allow the driver to operate the brake and accelerator functions by pushing and pulling a lever. There are various hand controls available from most manufacturers and suppliers, but the basic function is the same across most models. They range from more basic mechanical push/pull systems to electronic or air compression systems. Most can be fitted with “cutting” devices which automatically cut the accelerator when the brake is applied. And some can even be mounted on different locations inside the car. Some variations of the electronic hand control system include:

• The Trigger Accelerator – With a trigger accelerator you pull with your finger to accelerate, and push away to brake.
• The Over Ring Accelerator – The over ring accelerator is fitted in front of the steering wheel. You push it down toward the steering wheel to accelerate.
• The Under Ring Accelerator – The under ring accelerator is fitted behind the steering wheel. You pull it towards the steering wheel to accelerate.
• The Ghost Ring Accelerator – The ghost ring accelerator is fitted behind the steering wheel. You control the speed by using your fingers in side to side movements.
• The Twist Grip Accelerator – The twist grip accelerator is comparable to the hand grip accelerator on a motorbike. You twist it to accelerate and push it forward to operate the brake.

The bottom line is this: there is absolutely no reason for a disabled, but otherwise competent, adult to believe that he or she cannot safely operate an automobile. Here at Pacific Mobility, we can help you choose the most appropriate driving adaptation to meet your needs. Call or visit us today and allow our mobility experts to get you into the driver’s seat.

Reclaim Your Freedom With Monarch Auto Hand Controls!

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Are you one of the thousands of people who thought your limited mobility meant giving up your ability to drive? It can be incredibly frustrating to feel like you have to depend on others to drive you around. No one wants to feel like a burden. In San Diego, as in many parts of the country, having a car and the ability to drive it is so important to one’s ability to do things like run errands and pursue recreation. At Pacific Mobility Center, we are dedicated to helping those with limited mobility regain their freedom. That’s why we are a Certified Installer of Monarch Auto Hand Controls and Driving Aids.

What are Auto Hand Controls and Driving Aids?

Auto Hand Controls and Driving Aids are devices (usually mechanical) that connect to the existing gas and brake pedals in your car and allow you to control them with your hands or with the opposite sides of your body. Generally, mechanical linkages are secured to the actual pedals and extend up or over allowing the user to control the vehicle. The devices vary in function and in the way the user interacts with the controls. The most common devices, hand controls, link a handle to the pedals and allow the user to control the pedals by pushing it in different directions. The exact motions used to control the vehicle vary by model and different users will find different motions more comfortable.
Pacific Mobility Center has a working display in our showroom to allow users to find which model best suits them. Two of our most popular models are:

The Monarch Mark 1-A Smooth Operator uses the most popular method of operation. This method is reported to cause the least amount of fatigue. The brakes are applied by a forward movement away from the driver, while the accelerator is applied by pushing down towards the driver’s lap and at a right angle to the brake.

 

 

The Monarch Push Rock Sure Operator is the newest model of hand control from Monarch. It uses a different, simpler method of control than the Smooth Operator. The user accelerates by pulling the handle the backward and brakes by pushing it forward. This style is often recommended by driving instructors.

We also offer several other models of auto hand controls as well as an array of adapters for left-hand or right-hand use of certain controls. We also offer parking brake extenders, rotating seats, and steering wheel spinner knobs. You can view our complete line of Auto Hand Controls and Drivings Aids here. Please contact us so we can evaluate your needs and have you come in to our showroom where we have functional displays.

A Word About Safety

Driving using auto hand controls or driving aids takes getting used to and training. We do not offer training or testing in the use of this equipment. We strongly recommend you contact a Driving Rehab Instructor prior to the use of this equipment. Failure to do so could be extremely dangerous and may violate the law. We are more than happy to provide a referral to qualified instructors in the San Diego area.