Assistive Technology

Cerebral Palsy is a neurological disorder that impairs muscle/motor coordination, eyesight, oral dysfunction, along with many others. Due to these impairments, people living with this disorder rely heavily on living assistance in both their home and work lives. Assistive Technology worked with a Laramie client living with Cerebral Palsy to design two devices that would help with personal hygiene, temporal scale understanding, and appropriate nutrition routines. Operating certain shower faucets, such as a pull down diverter, requires a level of dexterity and balance that the client does not have, therefore, an attachment was sought to aid in activating the shower. The client also has difficulty understanding time, which leads to eating meals at undesirable times and leaves the client hungry throughout portions of the day. A locking, timed lunchbox that uses a mechatronic system to only allow access after a pre-programmed time was designed and built to solve this dilemma. Ultimately, these devices increase the client's independence and understanding of time.