Category: Independent Living

Wheelchair Gloves Alternative

The method of propelling the manual wheelchair has not changed for the last 100 years. This is achieved through pushing the handrims that are attached to the large wheels. Wheelchair users expends the most energy in this act of pushing to move around in the course of a day. Anodised aluminium handrims are common these days because it is light and cost-effective. This is what I have for my current wheelchair.

Alternative to wheelchair gloves
Nike Alpha Training Men’s Grip.
Photo taken with the Samsung Galaxy S III.

The surface of the handrims is smooth. I have weak grips. My hands tends to slip. This makes pushing tiring. I have previously used leather gloves with latex pads which worked very well. However, the latex pads wear out and tear within six months. I have used up two pairs of these which I bought from Japan for ¥7,000 (RM270) per pair. This is expensive for something that lasts six months only.

Alternative to wheelchair gloves
My hands are rather large but the “Small” size fits nicely.
Photo taken with the Samsung Galaxy S III.

While shopping at Mid Valley Megamall last year, I found these Nike Alpha Training Men’s Grip at the Nike Shop for RM79 per pair. They are not gloves but are gripping pads for weightlifting but worked as well on wheelchair handrims. Unfortunately, I dropped one side a few months later. The shop where I bought them and the other Nike Shops that I went to enquire were out of stock for my size. I placed an order for three pairs with the Nike Shop at The Gardens Mall which arrived nearly two months later.

Alternative to wheelchair gloves
This is how I push the wheelchair.
Photo taken with the Samsung Galaxy S III.

My thumbs and fingers are too weak for a good grip of the handrims. I push the rims by pressing my palms against the handrims. The non-slip surface of the pads helps in maintaining a good traction. They are cheaper than the leather gloves with latex padding and are very durable. Needless to say, I am happy to have found these pads.

Going the distance for the disabled: The Star – June 12, 2012

Tuesday June 12, 2012
Going the distance for the disabled

THERE may be many disabled-friendly facilities in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) but there is still room for improvement, said USM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Prof Asma Ismail.

She said there was a special committee to look into accessibility for disabled staff and students in the university.

“But there’s room for improvement.

“We’ll try to have more facilities but it takes time and the budget also comes into consideration,” she said.

She was officiating at the Disability Equality Training workshop at USM’s School of Social Sciences recently.

Prof Asma added that the understanding gained from the workshop would certainly give an accurate picture of the needs of physically challenged students and staff in the university.

“It will enable the university to prepare a plan to improve access for the disabled as much as possible,” she said.

“Although this group is a minority in USM, their presence contributes to the success of the university,” she added.

The workshop was initiated by a disabled undergraduate from the School of Social Sciences, Khu Li Fang, 29.

It was aimed at providing awareness on the facilities required for the disabled.

In his presentation, workshop facilitator Peter Tan Hua Choon said that around 10% of the world’s population or 650 million people lived with a disability.

The workshop also discussed topics such as independent living, approaches and processes, as well as drawing up an action plan to resolve problems faced by disabled people.

Third Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday was our third wedding anniversary. How did we spend it? We went to Mid Valley Megamall and had a less than memorable lunch at C-Jade Express. Frankly, we are getting disinterested with food in shopping malls. Those are the places that we hang out most on weekends. We have been eating the same food for years and years.

We then went to the Jusco J Card Member’s Day Sale. The size of the crowd was smaller than I had anticipated. I guess the novelty of going for a sale has worn off for many. After all, the various Jusco stores have been running one sale or another throughout the year. The only attraction about this sale is that there is a rebate of RM10 in vouchers for every RM100 spent.

Next stop after shopping was at Institut Sosial Malaysia (ISM) where I conducted the second series of the Introduction to Independent Living seminar for welfare officers from various states in Malaysia. We had a lively discussion on how Independent Living can be implemented in Malaysia and the issues faced by disabled people after the seminar.

Would you believe that Wuan and I went back to Mid Valley Megamall right after that? Yes, that was exactly what we did since it was just a 10 minute drive away from where we were. We had dinner, of all places, at Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao at The Gardens. That dinner was less than memorable too.

We did a little more shopping at Jusco. The stainless steel drinking bottle that I wanted was not on discount. Instead, we got some energy saving light bulbs that were going for 30% off. That, basically, was how we spent our third wedding anniversary. We definitely need to do something more memorable next year.