garden tools for disabled

thought these were interesting gadgets for disabled, iff anyone interested i just found them in internet, put in garden tools for disabled.
that one on the wheelchair attaches so that you can carry a garden box with all your tools.

 

cordless battery powered grass trimmer, lightweight auto feed trimmer and a battery powered shears with extention handle.

 

I have one of these, it's very useful.




You have to assemble it yourself. It's not difficult, but the two pieces screw together with a Nyloc locking nut, the blades are also secured with Nyloc nuts. These are small and if you have weak hands or fingers, you'll need two pairs of pliers or mole grippers, to fasten the nuts; the nuts need some force used on them.

 

Amasis pleased to hear you have one and you recommend them, im not disabled as such have back problems but thought it would be nice to show these things to members that have dissabilities, good luck with yours, thought that one on wheelchair is a great idea for members to put their garden basket to put there secatuers, garden gloves etc. on it

 

just found this very handy for disabled or non disabled its only £16.99

 

I certainly wouldn't find that last one useful unless I had someone to pull it round for me as in order to move it you would get that close that I'd fall over it. And I wouldn't be able to reach the tools in the bottom pockets any easier than than on the floor.

 

Indeed, some interesting tools for planting plants and flowers. :gnthb:

 

My wife has a complete set of about six strong steel and plastic garden tools, trowel, hoe, rake, etc., which came with several screw in 1' sections, enough to extend the handles of any tool to about six feet if necessary. Each section has a plastic screw-in end and a grip at the other. There's also little plastic "end pieces" that you can screw in to the grip end which have a round hole in them so you can hang them up. Can't remember where we got them. They've "Made in Taiwan" on them and were quite cheap. I use them myself occasionally, saves me getting down on my hands and knees!

 

Always good to see ideas to help those of us less mobile than others. I am lucky in that I can make just about any tool as I have my own well equipped workshop that I use for building custom bikes and trikes.

I have made quite a few tools and gadgets to help disabled people. Quite often for next to no cost.

Can I just offer a word of caution to those people considering buying gadgets or supposed "Disabled Aids". There are a great many tools that can easily be adapted for disabled people to use. Most will not need specialist workshops or engineers to do the job.

There have been quite a few "Wide Boys" looking at disabled people as a source of easy income. They prey on the fact that disabled people still want to enjoy life and do as much as possible for themselves I have first hand experience of it and I found it extremely distasteful and it made me extremely angry.

PLEASE if you are disabled or have a health problem do not fall for any smart alec sales pitch. Look at what is on offer and at the cost. Ask yourself could you make or alter something to do the job much cheaper and more directly suited to your needs.

I can't stand my mother, who is disabled. Although we do not get on, she is still my mother and I will not stand by and watch a vulnerable person get stung. She has trouble bending her wrist to eat with a normal fork. One company wanted to charge her £80 to make a special fork. Has to be light weight. I used some coathanger wire to get the angle right. Turned up a handle using alloy. Used a normal stainless steel fork, cut the handle down and turned a thread on it. Drilled and tapped a hole in the end of the handle. made a spoon in the same way. Mirror polished both so they are very easy to wash. Took me about an hour and a half

For example, things like rake and hoe handles can easily be extended or shortened. I made a rake and a hoe handle for an old boy that was wheelchair bound and had trouble holding things. I measured what would be the ideal length for him and shortened the handles. Gripping the handles was still a bit of a problem for him. I used some rubber motorcycle handlebar grips on the handles and he is happy as larry. Took me all of half an hour to do for him. Cost me a couple of quid for some handlebar grips.

Best of it is, he can still do little jobs and doesn't feel like he is relying on others all the time.

Don't be afraid to ask for help or advice from folks that can do little jobs. Spending hard earned money is not always the answer.

Chopper.

 

Chopper, you sound like a very handy guy to have as a friend. As a disabled person I am finding that I am relying more and more on paying someone to do the more mundane gardening and now apply myself to what I can accomplish with least difficulty.

 

Hi Moyra

Thankyou for your comment. I have been helped by some good friends since my health started to deteriorate. All I am doing is putting a bit back into the system. Maybe I can help someone get more from thier garden.

You have just stated a prime example of what the wide boys forget. EVERY person with some kind of disability has thier own individual issues to deal with and there is no cure all gimmick that will fix everybodys' problem.

You do not mention what your disability is or how it affects you Moyra. When you say the more mundane gardening, do you mean things like weeding?

Does depend on what you actually WANT to do yourself and what your disability is. If you would rather discuss this privately, please feel free to use the PM system, I will try to help.

Regards

Chopper.

 

Chopper,
great post and what a great job you are doing. :gnthb:

 

HI Chopper, I have severe osteo arthritis in all my joints and spine, along with other ailments, so it is pretty limiting. I try to do as much as I can but if I don't get help then grass cutting takes several attempts doing a little at a time. Weeding I cheat and chop them off with a strimmer! If I get help in then it can all be done properly and I am just left to dib in the odd plant or two. I have my wallflowers still waiting for a change in the weather to a bit milder so I can get them into the front bed. That will probably take a few attempts once the frost has gone. It's a case of doing it a little and often until the task is done.

 

Chopper, apart from diabetes I have sufferred long term with osteo-arthritis in spine and all joints. So I have good days and bad days. I find it difficult to mow lawns and strim so I do get someone in to help me. I managed to put my wallflowers into the front border ok on my own but that was just a dozen or so plants in a 20 ft border. The bulbs I left in from the previous year. So nothing too strenuous. The soil is loose there so weeding is fairly easy I just pull the odd weed when I see it. My back garden is not so easy as it is very heavy clay and I cannot seem to break it down very well. I have over the years put loads of soil and fertilizer on it but nothing seems to stay it disappears and leaves the clay! Over the last few years when attempting vegetables I have an old fashioned bungalow bath that I have grown runner beans in and apart from that I lay bags of soil on top of the clay garden and plant into them as you would gro bags. But even that has me beaten now. Because of the watering problem. Too many watering can fulls to keep them moist in the hot summers. So it's now just a case of keeping the shrubs trimmed and keeping it tidy! I rely on hanging pots from macrame slings which I make around the walls for colour, geraniums, fuschia's etc. Thank you for your interest.

Moyra

 

Hi Moyra

Apologies for not replying sooner. I am not keen on the new forum and have not been in for a few days.

I too am Diabetic, but refuse to let that stop me doing anything. If my blood sugar drops too much when I am in the garden I can just go into the house for food or sweet stuff. I carry a bag of sweets wrapped in clingfilm, in my tool roll when I am out on the bike. Keep some boiled sweets in the car as well. Control the diabetes, don't let the diabetes control you.

Osteo Arthritis is a big problem for many people and I know it can be very painful as well. My hands have been bashed around a hell of a lot from years of boxing and martial arts training. My left hand is held together with skin from my thigh and 16 steel staples. The cold and damp play havoc with it. I take lots of cod liver oil capsules and I use a tennis ball to exercise my hands. I have very little feeling in my right hand due to severe nerve damage. Have to be carefull when I shake hands with anybody as I cannot feel how much pressure I am applying. I often break pens and pencils when I try to write.

Try soaking your hands in warm salt water for five minutes before you do some stretching exercises. Or lay your hands flat on a hot water bottle. The heat helps loosen the soft tissue. Do this before you go outside to the garden. Cost you nothing to try it. Take it easy and be gentle. Remember you are trying to increase mobility not lift an engine!

For planting. See if you can find a lightweight fork/spade handle. Get someone to put a point on the end of it for you. Then jab the point into the ground where you want the plant. Move the handle around in a circle a few times. If the hole needs to be deeper or wider, lift the handle from the hole and jab it back in again in the same hole, move the handle around as before and the hole will get bigger. The handle can be cut down to suit your size. A comfortable handle is the most important part for you. If the handle is too hard for you, try taping some thin bubble wrap or thin foam around it.

To firm the plants in place after planting. Get yourself a lightweight hoe. Use the back of the hoe to scrape the soil around the plant. On the other end of the hoe you want a half moon shaped plate. Preferably made of alloy so it is lighter. Use the inside of the half moon to pat down the soil around the plant.

Mowing grass is always going to be a problem for disabled folk. Only suggestion I can offer there is to have a look around for some of the very small electric mowers that are very light and easy to move.

Heavy clay soil is a problem that needs someone near to you to have a look at, so they can see what is really needed to improve the soil. The only way I know of to do that, is to dig in as much well rotted manure and compost as you can get hold of. Just adding material to the top of it will not do much good. The clay really needs to be broken down and mixed thoroughly with good soil. Sorry Moyra, not something I can help with.

Now, please have a think about my suggestions for the other tools. Ask yourself if you think they could work for you. Bit tricky for me to say if they will help as I am only going on what you have written. If you do not have anyone near you that can help make these items for you, drop me a PM and I will see what I can sort out for you. I can probably source the materials quite cheaply if you can't.

Hope I have been of some help to you.

Best wishes

Chopper.