Research Findings

Main Research Findings:

  1. Statistics & Demographics
    1. Nearly 2 million in the US with a missing limb (Amputee Coalition, 2015)
      1. About 20-30% of these are upper limbs (arms, hands, fingers, etc.)
    2. About 185,000 amputations every year in the US (Amputee Coalition, 2015)
    3. African Americans are nearly 4x more likely to have an amputation than white Americans (Amputee Coalition, 2015)
    4. Over the next 45 years, the number of persons living with the loss of a limb is expected to more than double from 1.6 million in 2005 to 3.6 million in 2050 (Amputee Coalition, 2015)
  2. Standards & Best Practices
    1. One cannot lose a job they are qualified for due to having or sustaining a significant impairment. (S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 1992)
    2. An employer must provide reasonable work accommodations for disabled or impaired individuals. (S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 1992)
    3. Occupational therapy for one-handed individuals can teach life and work skills as well as assist with the emotional impacts the disability can bring. (Gulick, 2016)
  1. Current Products
    1. Multi-choppers. Press down n the top with one hand it chops the food (typically vegetables). (Henson, 2019)

    1. One-hand chopping block. Suction cups on the bottom of the board to keep it in place. (Henson, 2019)

    1. Some products that are clearly designed for one-handed people are more expensive (about 2x compared to normal products), but there are also some products that are more normally priced because they are also simpler for two-handed people (Performance Health).
    2. Most products are designed to be used with either hand (Performance Health).

Interviews & Surveys

    1. In a survey for amputees, it was reported that 40% thought the most challenging activity was household chores (such as repairs and household maintenance), and 19% thought the most challenging activity was food preparation and eating. (Biddis, 2009)
    2. Regarding food preparation and eating, cutting, peeling, and slicing were among the most problematic (Amputee Coalition, 2015)
    3. The video shows some of the issues during the cooking process and how some of current one-handed products are used. A couple of the bigger challenges I saw were moving food from one container to another and stirring things on the stove. Some products he used that he really liked were the rocking knife and a cutting board with spikes to hold food in place (one arm wonder).

Additional Findings:

One Handed Activities Leaflet

  • Provides practical advice for anyone who is only able to use one hand
  • Includes tips on how to manage daily activates that may be more difficult one handed

Amazon One Handed Gadgets

  • Gives insights to what current products are already popular among one handed people
  • Products that are popular are most likely solve tasks that are difficult to perform

Tips and Tools for One Handed Cooking

  • Gives helpful tips on what some of the common pitfalls of cooking one handed
  • Links current products that help to solve these cooking issues
  • Also gives suggestions of ways to prepare food that would be more one hand friendly
    • Example-“Stick a scrub brush with a suction cup to the side of your sink to make washing fruits and vegetables easier”

 

Work Cited

Amputee Coalition. “Limb Loss Statistics.” Amputee Coalition, 13 Jan. 2015, https://www.amputee-coalition.org/limb-loss-resource-center/resources-filtered/resources-by-topic/limb-loss-statistics/limb-loss-statistics/#1.

Biddis, Elaine, and Tom Chau. “Consumer Design Priorities for Upper Limb Prosthetics.” Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, vol. 2, 9 July 2009.

Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission., (1992, January 1). Your employment rights as an individual with a disability. Your Employment Rights as an Individual with a Disability | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Retrieved November 1, 2021, from https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/your-employment-rights-individual-disability.

Gulick, K. L. (2016). The Occupational Therapy Role in Rehabilitation for the Person With an Upper-Limb Amputation. Aota.org. Retrieved November 1, 2021, from https://www.aota.org/About-Occupational-Therapy/Professionals/RDP/upper-limb-amputation.aspx.

Henson, Amber. “Kitchen Tips for Upper Limb Amputees – Cutting and Chopping.” Redefining Possibility, 30 Dec. 2019, https://www.armdynamics.com/upper-limb-library/kitchen-tips-for-upper-limb-amputees-cutting-and-chopping.

One arm wonder. “Marcel the one armed chef: How to make the perfect tacos.” Youtube, 1 Aug. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-HU7uB7_gw&t=3s.

Performance Health. “Tips and Tools for One Handed Cooking.” Performance Health. https://www.performancehealth.com/articles/tips-and-tools-for-one-handed-cooking