Dressing Assistants for Women With the Use of One Hand
By Morin, Brooke; Soncrant, Monica; Vogtmann, Dana; NSF 2009 Engineering Senior Design Projects to Aid Persons With Disabilities, pages 130-131Publication Date: 2011
Paper outlines the development of two devices that help women with hemiparesis following stroke to dress with one hand. The bra aid consists of a curved, wide polyethylene waistband, a cloth arm cuff, two polyethylene inner clips, and two aluminum outer clips fastened to two polyethylene curved surfaces. The polyethylene zipper aid consists of a vertical support, two leg flaps that are meant to be secured under the user’s legs, two stoppers, and two clips attached to a clipping surface. Use of the devices to put on a bra and zip up a jacket using only one hand is described. Testing of the devices involved the participation of neurologically unaffected individuals simulating one-sided paralysis who attempted to don bras and zip up jackets with and without the dressing aids. Although the devices did not always reduce the time needed to dress, several participants commented that it seemed much easier to dress using the aids. The two dressing aids were designed by engineering students at The Ohio State University. Material costs are only 10 dollars for the bra aid and 4 dollars for the zipper aid, assuming that the parts are bought in bulk.
Published by: Creative Learning Press, Inc. (Website:http://www.creativelearningpress.com)
Link to text: http://nsf-pad.bme.uconn.edu/2009/CHAPTER%209%20THE%20OHIO%20STATE%20UNIVERSITY.pdf
ISBN: 1-931280-16-9
