Hook, Line and Sinker: Adaptive Equipment

You had an appointment, but you found a sign on the door: "Gone fishin'." Fishing season began April 1. But what if you'd love to go fishin' ... and can't because of a physical disability? Help is available! Picture being someone who can't use your hands or legs, yet being able to sit lakeside in a wheelchair with a fishing rod and reel designed to let you independently cast and reel in a line. Yes, it's true. People with severe physical limitations can fish. And, in fact, do many other things that were never possible in years past. In the past, disabilities often prevented people from participating in activities and hobbies they previously enjoyed. Today's recreational assistive devices can help change lifestyles by providing opportunities. The Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies in USM's College of Nursing and Health Professions has a concentration called ÒTherapeutic Recreation." Its students go into the field to work in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, mental health centers and other settings where people with disabilities - and their care givers - may not be aware of unique adaptive equipment that can provide recreational opportunities and new freedoms. Linda R. Meyer, associate professor at USM, specializes in the area of recreational assistive devices and works with her students to develop devices and educate others about their existence. Their emphasis is on education ... especially of people and facilities which could benefit from assistive technologies, but don't know they're available. "We want folks with disabilities and their families -- and especially agency personnel who work with the disabled - to know about this type of equipment," says Meyer. "The problem is," she says, "that there is no one place people can go to find out about such equipment. You can't just pick up a phone book and find a source. So the Recreation and Leisure Studies Department at USM is working to become a resource. We have videos that describe recreation assistive devices plus a lot of equipment that people can try out before they decide to buy it from a manufacturer. We sometimes develop equipment ourselves when we hear about or perceive a need. And, if we don't know the answer to a problem, we try to locate someone who can help solve it." Examples? There are many:

• For fishing: an electric fishing reel or casting device that can be mounted on a wheelchair. "This one was actually developed by a person with quadraplegia,Ó says Meyer. With just the use of deltoid muscles, the user can cast the lure and then retrieve it using a two-speed toggle switch to control the reel speed. Electronic reels are expensive, however. If someone can't afford one, a special glove that securely holds a piece of PVC tubing which fits over the handle of a manual reel can be used to reel in the line. Meyer also points to a body harness that can be used to help hold a pole securely, for use in lakes and rivers or in the ocean by persons with the use of only one arm or who have hand weakness or back problems.
• A "Step and Go" cycle that moves using a "stairmaster" arrangement by persons with limited knee flexibility is available. The cycle even comes equipped with a special holder for carrying crutches.
• A handcycle that, although expensive, can be operated by someone without the use of their legs. It can be "pumped" with arms alone. Meyer says there are a number of variations of cycle adaptations. There are even tandem cycles that can be jointly used by a person with a disability and a non-disabled person.
• Meyer and her students have developed an inexpensive adaptation for a badminton racquet for people who can hit the shuttlecock but can't bend over to pick it up when it falls. There is a small piece of Velcro on the tip of the raquet and another wound around the head of the shuttlecock; all the player has to do is touch the racquet to the shuttlecock to pick it up.
• There are adapted golf putters and clubs. Some are bent so they can be used by a wheelchair user.
• For hunters, there is an adapter for the vehicle window that steadies the barrel of a rifle so it can be used by persons who cannot independently hold the rifle.
• There are spring-loaded pool cues for use with only one arm.
• There are playing card holders for people with impaired hands or the use of only one arm. Like a lot of the equipment, card holders can be purchased commercially or very inexpensively made by simply fastening two margarine top backs together at the center and sliding the cards in between.
• There are holders that allow a one-armed person to knit or crochet.
• There are ramps that allow a person to bowl, as well as special "pushers" that permit a person to propel the ball down the alley. Some of these are commercial and costly. Meyer, however, developed one from a simple push broom by attaching a curved piece of wood that matches a ten-pin ball to the brush end. There is even a special bowling ball with a retractable handle that can be used by people who have hand impairments such as a missing index finger.

Meyer even developed a special screen that a sight-disadvantaged person can use to draw and "see" artwork through touch. The user presses a crayon onto a piece of paper that is laid on the screen. The screen backing creates a "braille like" raised impression of the crayon wax on the paper that can be felt and interpreted, like looking at a painting. Meyer says her department has lots of videos depicting assistive equipment and sport and recreation activities for persons with disabilities. "The videos can help educate about recreational opportunities. Education about what exists isn't always enough, however. Part of a therapeutic recreation specialist's job involves asking the questions necessary to properly match a person to devices that will meet the person's needs and expectations. Knowing what to ask and carefully listening to client responses is key," she says. "Recreational therapy is very much a quality of life field," says Meyer. "Assistive devices are one way of improving quality of life because the devices provide access to activities in which someone has been unable to participate. The critical element is to let people know equipment is available, or can be created for them, and to then match persons to devices that will help them reach their recreational goals." For more information, call Linda Meyer at (207) 780-4654, or email meyer@usm.maine.edu.

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