For our project, we will be researching the use of various activities in the kitchen by those who have the use of only one hand.
Areas for Opportunities:
Demographics and Statistics:
People lose the use of a hand because of amputation or a neurological disease.
Neurological causes of loss of motor skills in hands can include:
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Motor Neurone Disease
- Hereditary Neuropathy
- Stroke
- Parkinson’s
- Leprosy Neuropathy
With the majority of these diseases, the loss of motor skills is attributed to nerve damage. The nerve damage can either cause a loss in feeling, shakiness, trembling, or even paralysis. All of these impair a person’s ability to use the afflicted hand. The majority of these diseases happen after the age of 65, making the target market the older generation who may be recently retired.
This target market is those over the age of 65 with the loss or one hand, or lessened mobility with one hand. This age group of retired workers are the ones who use their kitchen the most. The following data displays the number of times different age brackets cook at home each week, with those over the age of 60 having the highest percentage that cook every day.
One other key area of the target market is the types of cooking they do in the kitchen. The following data shows that this age group primarily uses a stove or cook to prepare their food, followed by a microwave oven and a original oven. These are potential areas to focus on within this target markets kitchen needs.
Amputations of an upper limb occur roughly 26,000 times per year, with the majority being caused by trauma. Additionally, African Americans are four times more likely to have a limb amputated compared to white Americans. Many of this trauma can occur from work loss injuries, specifically in manufacturing environments
Table 1 – Causes of Upper Extremity Amputation (in percent)
Congenital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.9%
Tumor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.2%
Disease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.8%
Trauma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 77%
Trauma is the primary cause of upper extremity amputation, and the much of this occurs from work related accidents. The median age of those in manufacturing jobs that would run additional risk of trauma is 44.7 years old.
Stroke is also a leading cause of limb loss and the average age of those experiencing a stroke is 65 years of age.
With a high percentage of those experiencing trauma and other diseases being above the age of 40, this increases the chance that these users may also have arthritis or weakened muscles as well. This must be taken into account when designing products that may require a moderate use of force.
Presently Available Products:
- Many products currently on the market for the purpose of making kitchen tasks of “ease” or time saving have actually been heavily used by people with disabilities
- Personal Anecdote , ““I get frustrated by the notion that I should always be okay with asking for help. I’d like to try to use my own solution.”
- Options such as attendant care or a home aid can add up to costs of over $45,000 annually
- One Touch Series
~ Daka Incorporated has developed a series of kitchenware products for individuals with physical disabilities or limitations.
~ E.g. The One-Touch Automatic Jar Opener opens jars and other small containers with a twisting grip mechanism, all with the the push of a button.
~ Patented technology
~ Opens all jars with 28 to 103 mm diameter lids
- Dexas One-Handed Pizza Slicers
~ While there are one-handed pizza slicers on the market, most of them simply have a rolling cutting-action, but nothing to actually brace the pizza for slicing.
- Stove-Top Pan Holder by North Coast Medical
~ One of the larger issues for one-handed kitchen appliances/devices is that concerning how to brace pots and pans while thicker foods are being stirred.
~ North Coast has created a pot/pan “preventative holder” to keep pots in-place and secure over the stove flame. This also makes it easier to stir if foods are thicker, especially if one has certain physical limitations
- The One Hand Kitchen
Designed as a seven in one kitchen tool to be used by those with limited usage in one hand from amputation, disease, or arthritis. Some of the different tasks that this device allows the user to complete include; cutting fruit, opening yogurt or other packaged goods, spread butter on toast, grate cheese, and much more. This device is also easily usable for both left and right handed individuals. One potential weakness in the design is the need for adjustable size, for example if a yogurt cup is bigger than the designed space.
