Toomey J Gazette (Vol. 11, No. 1, 1968 - Polio Place

nates much getting up and down and still I am not stationary
as I would be in a regular chair. I use this at my desk and
to watch TV, etc. I stand when I am cooking.
Prior to living in our adapted home my biggest problem was
not having a work area my special height. (I had a wheelchair
then.) Now my work space is a large pull out board, 24y' from
the floor, which fits in the cabinets like a drawer. When not
in use it is pushed back out of the way. The height of my
work board is very basic to my being functional. Our kitchen
is a "split-level" with part of the counters low for me and
part normal level for our attendant.
I find the one-lever faucet most convenient. I can reach
the lever by holding the handsplint in my teeth. To fill a
large pan or kettle, I relay the water from sink to stove
with a glass measuring cup. If small, I hold the vessel in my
hand under the faucet and the handsplint strap in my teeth
until it is full, then transfer it.
"Our kitchen is a 'spiit-ZeveZ' with part of the counters
low for me and part nomaZ Level for our attendant. "
Our GE refrigerator has a left hand door as my left is my
"good" hand. Advantages: swing-out shelves, foot pedal to
open, door storage, ice bucket for cube storage in freezer
above. Disadvantages: an ice-maker type would be much better
as it is very difficult to empty ice trays. I would prefer
the Ereezer below.
Electrical appliances: The push buttons are low and easy to
push on the built-in GE table top range. The GE oven is built
in low so I don't have to reach up. I would prefer a side-
hinged oven door. The disposal switch is low and accessible.
The controls on my Hamilton Beach portable mixer are easy for
me to operate. It is lightweight and has a handy beater
release. Unfortunately,J have Pound no easy way to open cans.
f have tried several electric openers but I cannot work them.
A long handled bottle opener gives much more leverage. I
hold the bottle between my knees when opening. I use a long
handled reacher for picking up some things. I can bend over
and reach lightweight things.
All corner cabinets have lazy susans so nothing is stacked.
A l l upper cabinets have hardware on lower edge of cabinet. A
pull out pan holder eliminates stacking. Built-in wall pantry
has sliding doors; canned and packaged food is at the front
of the shelves; seldom-used things in back. In the broom
closet the mops, etc. are hung on low nails.
My most difficult tasks are peeling, slicing, o-ening cans,
and handling milk cartons for pouring. They Are difficult and
time-consuming.
Although I do not do our weekly washing and ironing tiiere
are times when, because of lack of help or help's vacation, I
do load and unload the washer. It is a 1959 GE automatic top
loader. 1 find it very convenient. Using a lightweight GE
travel iron (which has temperature and fabric control) and my
all-height ironing board lowered to a very low level I can
easily press or iron a few things. Even though it is not nec-
essary to do this tiring task, I enioV doing it myself: @