v.4: New machine design can broaden accessibility

[NateS]

At some point, I will look up the history of text to speech software.

49er

Start here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Text_to_speech

Great article!

Regards, Nate

See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebert_test

[allen476]

Anyway, it looks l need to go back and reread the initial post to see what I have missed. I just zeroed in the accessibility issue because in my opinion, it needs to be addressed.

49er

Most of what the OP suggests has nothing to do with accessibility but rather comfort, stylization, and integration.

I am not frustrated with you but rather that the OP also suggests that because he thought of it, it is nothing to make it happen and that everything he wants will make the machine cheaper.

I for one would NOT want most of what the OP suggests. Just one more thing to break and render the machine useless.

[NateS]

See also:

Apple’s Commitment to Accessibility

http://www.apple.com/accessibility/

Regards, Nate

[NateS]

I've done some design work for nursing homes and for individuals using wheelchairs. A story that might interest you is about a quadriplegic ('triplegic', actually) who wanted a second and more comfortable wheelchair that he might use while he was at home. I bought an off-the-shelf, very handsome, classic bentwood and rattan rocker. I added exotic wheels that you would see during FDR's era. He thought it was a ridiculous idea as if the 'ambulatory look' of medical equipment was a badge of honor. For a few months it sat around and he wouldn't even try it. When he finally did get in the chair he never wanted to get out of it. People visited him more often and he was more comfortable sitting in groups with others. There is a role for beauty, for dignity.

I agree with this notion. Several years ago, when I spent some time in the hospital while laid up with hip surgeries, the hospital had a staff of transporting personnel with a fleet of beautifully finished wood FDR era wheelchairs, with polished wooden horizontal leg extenders, which they used to move us patients from our rooms out into the sunlight outdoors each day weather permitting. It did add a touch of elegance and dignity. Therefore, making needed medical equipment aesthetically attractive is a good idea, but I think ResMed has already achieved that with its S9 series. And IMHO this notion completely conflicts with your counter-notion of hiding medical equipment. Dwight Eisenhower, appearing wearing very large, handsome conspicuous horn-rimmed eyeglasses upon ascending to the Presidency, attributed it to advice given to him by Winston Churchill to the effect that, if you require an assistance device, don't try to partially hide it, but rather "Make it a prop!'

It's an incorrect assumption that all people want to show-off their medical equipment on their night tables as they would a Tiffany lamp. Some enjoy celebrating their maladies and chat about them continuously. Some prefer more modesty and perceive a greater dignity in discussing more varied topics.

Surely you underestimated just how thoughtless and insulting this comment was!

About 7 years ago I did take a breathable-fabric bag, put in a peg-board bottom and 1-inch feet on the bottom of the bag, added many extra holes around the sides of the bag and provided a larger cut-out for the air-intake area of the Resmed S8. When I acquired a PR 760 I cut a new air-intake area for that machine and its modem. With the hose and mask removed for use, and the bag open fully open, there is no functional degradation of any kind. No overheating - plenty of airflow. It is because this idea works so well that I brought it to this forum. I empty the water tank and wash the mask daily with vinegar/water. I allow these to dry in a cabinet though a mesh area on the back of the bag would sometimes be preferred. The bag is zipped up during day and remains perfectly clean with neither dust nor anything else invading the bag. Wonderful for travel as well. It would be better if the bag 'sprung' fully open when unzipped.

The person who suggested that you consider developing and selling this as an after-market device, for a limited market segment, was probably on the right track.

A good design for some:

With those five words, you seem to agree!

One last story. In my design experience with the disabled one woman in particular influenced me lifelong. This woman had multiple strokes and used a wheelchair for 11 years. She never, ever, complained of her maladies no matter how severe - and I've seen her screaming in pain. She lived to be 100.

This comment left me curious, as you did not explain how your design experience assisted her. You might want to elaborate on this, as it could be of assistance in making your point.

Regards, Nate

[zoocrewphoto]

This version has incorporated many of your ideas from a previous thread.

Apparently it doesn't. The overwhelming majority of responses said the whole idea is stupid.

Perhaps I am missing something but I am surprised people would think a redesign to broaden accessibility would be stupid since there is a significant amount of people (forget the exact percentage) will have disabilities to deal with when they get older. Actually, since I assume that many people with disabilities currently need pap machines, accessibility should be a priority. I mean, if a blind person needed a pap machine and lived alone, I would think it would be very difficult manipulating current machines without speech to text software.

49er

PS - Just like with other accessibility products, initially they are clunky but eventually become more practical to deal with.

The idea the OP wants is a machine that runs inside a gym bag. The poll doesn't say that.

I don't want my cpap machine in a gym bag, and I can't see how a gym bag would work since the machine needs a steady supply of air to work. You can't protect the machine AND have it open to airflow at the same time. The fact remains that the machine will have to come out of the bag to run. I travel a lot, and I have no problem with the current machine and bag. My Resmed S9 (inside its bag) fits into a tote bag with my laptop quite well.

[eeckel]

When I think about what well designed means I think about universal design principles and the importance of meeting or exceeding user needs, wants and expectations. For me and cpap this means convenience and function. I am trying to envision an aesthically beautiful cpap machine and nothing comes to mind.

[Drowsy Dancer]

It's an incorrect assumption that all people want to show-off their medical equipment on their night tables as they would a Tiffany lamp. Some enjoy celebrating their maladies and chat about them continuously. Some prefer more modesty and perceive a greater dignity in discussing more varied topics.

WTF? I mean seriously, WTF? This is a false dichotomy if I've ever heard one.

No one ever really goes into my bedroom but Mr. Dancer and me, and the only conversation I've ever had IRL with another CPAP user took place in a restaurant (it was my father-in-law). I do, however, believe that the burled maple "skin" applied to my PR S1 550P gives it both modesty and dignity as a part of the furniture in my bedroom.

I am matter-of-fact about my use of an assistive device at night. I neither "celebrate" my "malady" nor do I chat about it continuously.

I actually think putting a CPAP in a bag would impair its accessibility to those with limited mobility and persons with impaired vision. Care to address that point?

[NateS]

I've done some design work for nursing homes and for individuals using wheelchairs. A story that might interest you is about a quadriplegic ('triplegic', actually) who wanted a second and more comfortable wheelchair that he might use while he was at home. I bought an off-the-shelf, very handsome, classic bentwood and rattan rocker. I added exotic wheels that you would see during FDR's era. He thought it was a ridiculous idea as if the 'ambulatory look' of medical equipment was a badge of honor. For a few months it sat around and he wouldn't even try it. When he finally did get in the chair he never wanted to get out of it. People visited him more often and he was more comfortable sitting in groups with others. There is a role for beauty, for dignity.

Here's an idea you might consider, and more in keeping with your success with the wheelchair enhancement project above: Instead of hiding a CPAP inside a gymbag, why not design a heavy cloth slipcover to drape completely over a wheelchair and make it look like an upholstered LazyBoy chair! Extra padding could be included on the underside of the slipcover for the seat and back and armrest portions. If it draped down nearly to the floor, hardly anyone would notice the wheels. You could attach levers on both sides that looked like the footrest levers on real LazyBoy chairs, but that would instead connect to the hubs of both wheels so that they could be spun by the patient with both hands for mobility. A beverage cupholder could be built into one of the arms! It could come in popular colors like blue, black or green, even utilizing handsome leather instead of cloth! No one need know it is a wheelchair!

I am serious! I think it would be a great idea, in keeping with your general concept and theme, and probably a much better seller than your cpap-in-a-gymbag, to a large segment of persons needing to use a wheelchair, either temporarily or permanently.

If one only occasionally uses a wheelchair, they could carry this slipcover disguise around with them, rolled up inside a gymbag! They could then slip around the corner of a hallway whenever requested to be seated in a wheelchair by medical personnel, pull their LazyBoy disguise out of their gymbag, slip it over the wheelchair, and then roll back out to greet company in their LazyBoy chair!

I am serious about this!

I think it would go over very well!

I think it would work!

If you do not decide to do this yourself, could you please let me know?

Thanks,

Nate

[muchojo]

Hahaha, I was thinking the same thing about hiding the Wheelchair. Without any of the details of course.

[zoocrewphoto]

It's an incorrect assumption that all people want to show-off their medical equipment on their night tables as they would a Tiffany lamp. Some enjoy celebrating their maladies and chat about them continuously. Some prefer more modesty and perceive a greater dignity in discussing more varied topics.

WTF? I mean seriously, WTF? This is a false dichotomy if I've ever heard one.

No one ever really goes into my bedroom but Mr. Dancer and me, and the only conversation I've ever had IRL with another CPAP user took place in a restaurant (it was my father-in-law). I do, however, believe that the burled maple "skin" applied to my PR S1 550P gives it both modesty and dignity as a part of the furniture in my bedroom.

Exactly. I do not invite company into my bedroom. Other than a family member entering my room when I am asleep, the machine is not visible. I keep it in a drawer in a cabinet so that it is protected during the day, and is easily available when I need it.

The only people who have seen it other than family members are the few people who have shared a hotel room with me (mom, sister, and 3 friends). At my last hotel stay with 2 of those friends, our conversation about the cpap machine consisted of, "What is THAT?" "My cpap machine" "oh, I thought it would be bigger." and then the next morning, "Your machine is really quiet. I expected it to be loud." "Yep, they are much smaller and quieter now."

I will chat about sleep apnea if somebody is curious about it, either because they have seen the improvement in me, or they think they may have sleep apnea. In which case, I do try to promote it since it has helped me so much. I did show my machine to a friend at a cat show because she has sleep apnea (severe by the sounds of it), but she is afraid of using a cpap machine. I was hoping that seeing one and seeing how quiet it is would encourage her to go forward with a sleep study. No luck so far

I am not ashamed of my machine. It is my personal battery recharging system.

I am matter-of-fact about my use of an assistive device at night. I neither "celebrate" my "malady" nor do I chat about it continuously.

I actually think putting a CPAP in a bag would impair its accessibility to those with limited mobility and persons with impaired vision. Care to address that point?

I do not have any mobility issues, but I sure would have trouble with a machine inside something while running. I always set it up within reach so that I can turn it on and off while I am in bed. When I am in a hotel, I have it on the night stand, or I set it on top of a cat carrier so that it is right next to the bed. I would not my machine inside something.

[allen476]

Here's an idea you might consider, and more in keeping with your success with the wheelchair enhancement project above: Instead of hiding a CPAP inside a gymbag, why not design a heavy cloth slipcover to drape completely over a wheelchair and make it look like an upholstered LazyBoy chair! Extra padding could be included on the underside of the slipcover for the seat and back and armrest portions. If it draped down nearly to the floor, hardly anyone would notice the wheels. You could attach levers on both sides that looked like the footrest levers on real LazyBoy chairs, but that would instead connect to the hubs of both wheels so that they could be spun by the patient with both hands for mobility. A beverage cupholder could be built into one of the arms! It could come in popular colors like blue, black or green, even utilizing handsome leather instead of cloth! No one need know it is a wheelchair!

I am serious! I think it would be a great idea, in keeping with your general concept and theme, and probably a much better seller than your cpap-in-a-gymbag, to a large segment of persons needing to use a wheelchair, either temporarily or permanently.

If one only occasionally uses a wheelchair, they could carry this slipcover disguise around with them, rolled up inside a gymbag! They could then slip around the corner of a hallway whenever requested to be seated in a wheelchair by medical personnel, pull their LazyBoy disguise out of their gymbag, slip it over the wheelchair, and then roll back out to greet company in their LazyBoy chair!

I am serious about this!

I think it would go over very well!

I think it would work!

If you do not decide to do this yourself, could you please let me know?

Thanks,

Nate

Instead Nate, maybe we should insist that LaZBoy make a wheelchair model. It would have protected my modesty 3 months ago when I didn't want my friends knowing that I needed a wheelchair and I would have preferred not to discuss my medical malady with them.

But also the wheelchair/LaZBoy in a bag idea has to include the following:

Built in satellite receiver and dish for the areas of the house that don't have cable.

A high quality built in braking system. It should be activated by the mere push of a button and be able to stop me in less than 1/1000th of a second.

A GPS guided back-scratcher.

Oh and all of this stuff that is included should make the price of the wheelchair less not more. We all know that the price is dictated by the market not how much it actually cost.

[mollete]

it has been clear to me since i first proposed this that a few pit bulls have no sense of what disability may mean, resent the Americans with Disabilities Act and simply enjoy a nay-sayer modality.

So basically it's OK to have an opinion as long as it agrees with yours.

FnAH.

[BlackSpinner]

If any mods are required, it is to make the silly displays more easy to use, fuck this pushing of multiple obscure little buttons to get to a tiny menu, with tiny up/down arrows.

[StuUnderPressure]

fuck this pushing of multiple obscure little buttons to get to a tiny menu, with tiny up/down arrows.

I agree wholeheartedly !

[allen476]

If any mods are required, it is to make the silly displays more easy to use, fuck this pushing of multiple obscure little buttons to get to a tiny menu, with tiny up/down arrows.

Unfortunately your idea is falling on deaf ears. The OP hasn't addressed a single issue regarding his ideas let alone incorporating others.

Me personally, I would welcome a larger display that could flip up so you don't have to look down directly at the machine. Maybe a touchscreen as well.