We asked some of the most prominent and successful wheelers in our community to share wheelchair life hacks that they use to make life easier, more productive, or more joyful.
Mack Marsh
Parking Mobility Project Director Mack Marsh is unequivocal when he says, “My favorite ‘hack’ is using Parking Mobility to report accessible parking abuse. It provides a quick, easy, discrete method to make a positive impact in my community and in others’.” Peek inside his van, however, and you’ll find a 3′ x 2′ piece of 3/4″ plywood that he says comes in handy as a “quick and dirty ramp.”
At home, Marsh relies on KitchenAid’s mezzaluna, a curved knife with a silicone grip. “I’ve found this ‘bowl chopper’ really easy to use and stable for 90% of my prep,” he says. “It’s cheap on Amazon Smile, too. Of course, choosing Access Empowerment as your charity doesn’t hurt, either.”
Cynthia Ramirez
Cynthia Ramirez, owner of Moving Evolution Adaptive Activewear says that Spanx are the foundation – so to speak – of her look. “They make my style and comfort a little better,” she says. “They’re great for posture and keeping tight and snug in my chair.”
Ramirez’ DIY hack is also fashion-forward. “I’ve ‘hacked’ my hoodies with an additional hand protector with a leather patch across the palm,” she says. “It helps protect my hands from rough wheels and keeps them warm during cold days.”
What are YOUR best #Wheelchair #LifeHacks? Send your tips to contactus@PUSHliving.com and we will credit & link you on https://pushliving.com. #health #travel #living
Martin Heng
When it comes to travel, Martin Heng is the go-to hacker. Heng, the accessible travel manager and editorial advisor at Lonely Planet, says that he’s added three things to his wheelchair that make life – and traveling – exponentially easier: a phone holder, a phone charger that connects to the chair’s batteries, and a chair charger bolted onto the back of the chair.
Heng says the charger is especially helpful
for quadriplegics, who tend to be more vulnerable. “It means that you never run out of charge on your phone when out and about,” he says. “I’ve even lent it to strangers who have run out of power on their phones on public transport!”
The travel expert notes that there are two reasons why bolting the charger to the chair makes sense for those on the go. “First, you never leave it behind in hotel rooms,” he says. “Second, it doesn’t count in your luggage allowance because it’s part of your chair – and we all know how heavy the chargers are!”
At home, Heng relies on an L-shaped knife, similar to this one, for food prep, which he says is “perfect for quads.”
Tiffiny Carlson
BeautyAbility Founder Tiffiny Carlson shared her recently-discovered SCI bladder pro tip: “Putting Ceylon (the good stuff) cinnamon in your morning cup of Joe helps keep creeping UTIs away.
Rachel Chapman
Speaker, blogger, surfer, and author Rachel Chapman shares two life hacks that smooth out life’s rough edges. Attaching plain key rings to zippers is a help to quads, she says, and a pill tower for organizing vitamins and supplements into daily containers makes it easy to pack for travel.
Jen Goodwin
As the mother of a toddler, Jen Goodwin is always on the lookout for kitchen hacks. “My new, most favorite kitchen gadget is PrepWorks Zip Slicer,” she says. “You load about eight grape tomatoes or grapes in the tube and then just slide down to cut them all in half. It’s so much easier than trying to get quad hands to keep them on a cutting board and slice them!”
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