By MATP Staff Member Cathy McAdam
Dear Santa,
I’m writing you because most of the fancy AT items on my wish list this year are beyond the means of my friends and family. I’m also hoping you can do a bit of research on the best option for use of Braille with Apple products. I’ve heard the cost for blind low vision products is high because I’m part of a small market of blind consumers but I think it’s interesting that so many companies produce these high priced items. I’d love a 
bluetooth Braille display for my iPad, but do I get the “Focus 14 Blue Wireless Refreshable Braille Display” for only $1,295
or maybe the “Braille Pen Slim” for just writing in Braille for $395. There are around 40 braille displays compatible with Apple products (Here is a comparison page.)
Overwhelming?! Oh no! Where’s my Christmas spirit?
The AT guys may help they’ve got some cool lower cost items or maybe I’ll try Blind Bargains or go to the Blind Mice Mega Mall.
Santa I know you are very busy. MATP will be helping for next year! There are many other catalogs and local Michigan stores check back soon they will be listed in our AT directory.
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I came across the Chef’N Veggie Chopper in a buzzfeed of 36 Clever Gifts for Food Lovers You’ll Want for Yourself. In the article it is $47 which is ridiculous, but a little searching on Amazon landed the same item for $17-$18 (prices fluctuate rapidly for the same product on Amazon on an almost hourly basis). Watching the video of the way the product works and reading reviews, this is now top on my wish list. If I do receive it as a gift this holiday season, I will definitely use it to chop nuts and onions—both of which I hate doing by hand, but am rarely willing to go to the work of getting out the food processor for. This simple device could fulfill a need with little clean up afterwards. 
My other AT wish is for higher countertops/sink in my house. Since that isn’t in the budget, I did some research on options to relieve my posture-related back pain. I have read that standard countertops are all too low if you are over 5’5”. I’m 5’8”, which seems close, but I guess because of my body type, they are really low for me. One option is to build a raised cutting board so that I can maintain better posture when I am chopping things. I would love this handmade, custom, cutting board built to my specifications. 
While I wait for my close friends and family to acquire custom carpentry skills, I came up with another solution from some more online searching—stacked, thick wooden cutting boards. I looked at where my hands end up when I bend my elbows at 90 degrees and it is a good 5-6 inches higher than my counters. I am going to wish
for one, 2 inch or taller, sturdy cutting board to stack on a lovely, thick wooden cutting board I already received as a gift from my aunt to see if 3-4 inches relieves some of the postural back pain caused by my too-low counters. I found some nice options on Amazon and Etsy. What AT items are you wishing for this holiday season?
Pour, it could be all yours! I could put a whole gallon of milk in the device and pour you a full glass of icy cold goodness with the effort of just a few fingers. Some people may call this bribery – I call it…pointing out a mutually beneficial opportunity!
down and sugar and carbs, but we both know I’m a sucker for pasta. We also know what a mess I can make with spaghetti. It may seem silly to you, but the Twirling Spaghetti Fork seems like the perfect solution. Not only would it help me eat more neatly, sparing me embarrassment and laundry money, but by reducing my frustration, I am less inclined to stress eat, therefore reducing my overall carb intake as well. Are you following my logic here, Santa?
What’s on your Assistive Technology wish list this holiday season? As someone who works for the Michigan Assistive Technology Program, I seem to have an endless wish list of technology devices, software and other adaptations to try. It’s pretty hard not to get a good case of gadget lust once and while with all this cool and helpful technology. Sometimes I am just so in awe of the creativity and practicality of the assistive technology we learn about.
f the features is tracking sleep and it also has an alarm feature that vibrates on your wrist. I have a lifelong problem with sleep. Lack of sleep makes me very forgetful and contributes to Depression. Exercise is really important for feeling well too. This “smartwatch” will sync wirelessly to my Android phone too, and I can change out the bands for different colors if I choose, I like choice, and color.
, they don’t help much when the phone is not with me. I’ve been watching the development of the Pebble since it was posted on Kickstarter. I am sure more apps will be developed soon. While the rational part of me thinks I’d like to wait for version 2, on the gadget lust meter this is off the charts, even now. I have pretty small wrists though so not sure it will be comfortable. I think I need to get to a local store and try one.