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We want to hear from you: please tell us about your experience of the online community.

Do you have a 'disability hack' to share with the community?

Chris_Alumni

Recently we asked the people of Facebook to share their 'disability hacks' - something which makes their lives a little easier and which might also benefit other people. We'd like to share a few of these below, and we'd also love to hear in the comments below if you've got a hack you'd like to share with the community.

Food prep - "Peel onions easily by putting them in hot water for five minutes. Skin peels off easily just like taking off a glove." - Elizabeth Bower

"Open jars by jamming them in a drawer, use a rubber cap to twist the lid off while you push the drawer shut with your leg." - Anne Smith

Personal care - "To file nails on good hand (for those with use of only one hand) put emery board on blue tack or non slip mat then file." - Sue Mitchell

General - "Have a look at showmetheaccess.co.uk and share videos there too to help build a database of disability hacks." Molly Barrett

Over to you! If you've got any tips you'd like to share, please write them in the comments below.

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Comments

Sam_Alumni

Oh I like the nail file one!

DEMANDcharity

We are very fond of this straw holder hack - using just a clothes peg and a biro!! https://cracked-it.org/diy-straw-holder/

mossycow

Oh my gosh, that's genius!

My hack might sound daft it's taken me a while to get the hang of....

Ask for help

So hard sometimes... But the more I find things I'm good at, the less I want to waste strength on struggling to open doors etc.

It was even hard writing that! I hate being dependent on others... Then I realised... Aren't we all?

mossycow

I cook everything in microwave. Boiling pasta, rice, spuds etc... Cooking veg.... All in light plastic tubs that go in micro then close after to pop in fridge.

No more heavy pans ☺

CaderMac

My grandma taught me that if you are struggling to open a tight jar, wiggle the thin end of a teaspoon under the lid, working your way around the rim and wait for each little section to 'pop' out. It's up there with the best advice my grandma has ever given me!

Markmywords

If you have poor eyesight and need a magnifying glass then use the camera on your smart phone.

You can zoom in to see the image bigger. If the light is too low for you then take a picture with the flash and zoom into the saved picture.

You can also use this to see objects you can't bend down to or otherwise reach. I use this method to read my water meter under the sink.

mossycow

Ooh, yes. I use my phone like a periscope on the end of my raised arm to look at high up things.

My daughter enjoyed taking pictures of things my wheelchair can't get to too.

Fundamentalist

Hi, from Fm. Have a look at my other post, "innovations that help" about helping deal with really severe misophonia at home. Fm.

Sam_Alumni

From Lucy on Facebook:

For people with joint problems/hypermobility that use a wheelchair, I used the same technique quadraplegics do, due to a lack of fine motor function, and fold my fingers down towards my palm and use the hand as a blunt object to move things and push. Also helps to so you don't get fingers caught in spokes!

Fundamentalist

Hi from Fm. I've got a simple hack which I've used for decades. When watching comedy shows on TV and you're autistic or have severe misophonia and you can't stand the "canned cackle" that the TV companies insist on using and they blast it right out loud, just what you don't need. Just turn off the sound using the mute button on your remote control and use the subtitles, but they're fast and you have to be able to keep up, a lot easier said than done. Of course unfortunately subtitles are not always available which is a right pain and they're not always practical. Wouldn't it be good if we could have comedy shows without the constant canned cackle routine and just let the viewers do their own laughing at home. Fm.