We’ve all seen them: the wheelchair ramps in buildings, the braille on street signs, and the voice-activated options in elevators. These are all features of a culture catering to those with physical or mental disabilities and are aimed at enhancing their capacity to live and function independently.
But what about the home, specifically the homes of that segment of our population that has made huge personal sacrifices to serve our country? Until recently, of the 4.9 million Veterans (27% of total Vets) who have service-connected disabilities, most have been unable to comfortably live independently due to the lack of readily available accessibility tools and assistive technologies.
In a 2019 study, Veterans with disabilities shared with researchers that “finding housing with the accessibility elements and building design features they needed was challenging and expensive.” The study further noted that some respondents opted to live in non-accessible units, made their own home modifications, or relied on hired care to help them meet their basic needs.
As more Veterans return home disabled and emotionally scarred, finding homes befitting their unique needs is (or should be) a top priority. At great personal cost, and after all the sacrifices they’ve made, should they now have to surrender their health, dignity, independence, and quality of life?
Trapped in the Home
Homes are Veteran’s social and physical comfort zones, their sanctuaries. It is the sanctum where they spend precious hours with their family and friends. Veteran-friendly additions and modifications to the home can play a crucial role in redefining their life, rendering them more capable and confident in managing their daily tasks at home.
Aging in an inaccessible home is a growing concern. Inaccessible homes can make Veterans with disabilities feel trapped inside or trapped by their home, with the risk of house fires or other disasters for those with limited mobility and other disabilities increasing significantly. Over the last decade, however, with rapidly advancing technology spurring innovation in the accessibility aid area, tools are readily available to make life much more manageable for Veterans with disabilities, enhancing their quality of life.
Accessibility tools are helping thousands of Veterans perform everyday tasks more independently, safely, and more efficiently, including cooking, cleaning, bathing, and moving around the house or outside more easily. Using accessibility tools means they may no longer need assistance with such routine tasks as they did before they used these devices. They are becoming more self-supporting, with no need to constantly seek help from family and friends.
Accessibility Tools Can Help Transform Lives
Many Veterans with disabilities or mobility issues live in remote areas or large cities that can be difficult to navigate. They are frustrated and most likely feel they are a burden to society.
Features such as wide doorways and wider hallways, raised toilets, wheelchair-accessible showers, and lowered sinks can make their lives much easier and more comfortable. Some aids are as simple as a hearing device or a cane. Others are as complex as mechanical hoists to raise and turn someone in bed, products that allow people immediate and independent access to their feet with little effort, or voice-activated computer systems.
Assistive gadgets not only help to raise the general quality of life for Veterans, but they also improve overall health and safety. Footwear Assist is such an offering. A new addition to the market that is designed to assist people with disabilities or anyone who has difficulty reaching their feet. This apparatus is mounted on top of a door and employs a pulley/lever system to assist in raising the person’s foot in the sling.
According to Military Medicine, 250,000 Veterans in the US use wheelchairs. And because they are seated, they are usually below eye level with those they interact with. This not only affects the quality of interaction with others but makes everyday activities like ordering food, checking out at a store, and even checking in for appointments extremely frustrating and soul-destroying.
Thankfully, the relentless march of technology has yielded personal mobility devices (PMBs) that are shaping up to completely transform the world for Veterans who are unable to propel themselves or who are using a wheelchair full-time. PMBs allow Veterans to rise to eye level, climb stairs, and navigate curbs, as well as manage almost any terrain, including sand, snow, and gravel.
That’s great, but for the average Veteran, the cost of a specialty wheelchair is perhaps a stretch too far, considering that the disability payment for a Veteran with a disability rating of 60% and with no dependents currently sits at $1,214.03 per month. Veterans may, however, be able to get a wheelchair loan to make the purchase of such a specialty mobility device more affordable.
Smart Accessibility Solutions for Our ‘Wounded Warriors’
It can take some getting used to, but smart home technology can make it easier for Veterans to be self-reliant and safe. Upgrading a home with smart technology can significantly improve the quality of life for recovering Veterans. Smart lights and thermostats can be programmed to adjust temperature and lighting from a tablet or smartphone, allowing Vets with mobility issues to adjust heating, lighting, and other functions, all with just a few simple strokes.
Voice-activated controls are super-convenient for Veterans living with a disability. Whether using voice activation from a TV remote control, smartphone, or smart speaker, Veterans can use these devices for a range of tasks, including seeing who’s at the door, turning on the lights, or even calling for help in an emergency. Put simply, adding an always-on voice assistant to the home of a recovering Veteran offers another layer of convenience and peace of mind.
When Veterans live alone again after spending time in a group environment, they need to feel safe. While traditional home security systems are great assets, WiFi-enabled smart cameras and video doorbells take it to another level. Exterior-facing smart cameras are relatively easy to install and make it easy for Veterans to monitor the external surrounds of their homes from anywhere.
WiFi cameras can also be used inside the home so family and carers can rest easy knowing they have 24/7 monitoring access when away. Great for all-around monitoring, they’re also a valuable accessibility tool for checking on Veterans recovering from injuries or learning to move around the house with limited mobility. This way, you can quickly know if there is a fall or other medical emergency and take the necessary action.
Embracing a Culture of Accessibility
With many innovative accessibility solutions being developed for the home, recovering Veterans can now also live with a semblance of normalcy, enjoying some of the benefits that their civilian counterparts do. This is certainly a positive development, as technology, and the accompanying creativity and innovation, have proven time and time again to be extremely effective when it comes to helping disabled individuals live a better, more dignified life.
These solutions can help ensure Veterans find more comfort, convenience, and control over their lives and living conditions—all while increasing independence when recovering from injury or illness.
Whether you’re a Veteran recovering from home or a caregiver looking for ways to take better care of a loved one, these practical and smart home solutions can help to better lives. You’ll find that they can make the home of a recovering Veteran a better, safer, and more convenient place to live.
At Footwear Assist, we’re committed to making homes Veteran-friendly, a place where our ‘wounded warriors’ can find the specialized care they need—all while encouraging a culture that embraces accessibility.