One of the curses of cerebral palsy is that any task requiring more than a smidgeon of dexterity can become a real nightmare. Take hair washing, for example. First, I squeeze the shampoo onto my hand, it drips off my fingers, I splat it onto the side of my head, squish it around a bit, and rinse it off.

Effective? Not really.

Enter the Etac Hair Washer from Manage@Home mobility solutions.

The hair washer can be used instead of fingers to apply shampoo and massage the scalp. It is one of a prize-winning range of body care products, ergonomically designed to provide maximum power with minimal effort or strain on hands, arms and shoulders.

I had mixed results with the hair washer. Whilst it is certainly an improvement on my current solution (and really, you can’t ask for much more from a product!), it’s not perfect. The bristles on the brusher are made of rubber, so it doesn’t really create much of a lather as you’re rubbing the shampoo into your scalp. It also seemed to take quite a lot of my hair with it!

That said, as far as cost-effective solutions go, it doesn’t get much better than the Etac Hair Washer. You won’t find it at any of the over-priced disability support outlets in New Zealand, but you will find it on Manage@Home’s website. They also have a huge range of other disability support products.

They happily ship to New Zealand – so what are you waiting for?!

I’ve said it before: I’m a bit of a gadget nut. Last week, I posted my review of the Playstation Move and a few years ago I reviewed the original iPhone, both reviews written from a wheelchair user’s perspective. However, recent articles have come to light that make a single line in my iPhone review stand out:

Well, for a start I can say with confidence that it’s probably not the best phone for those of you who are blind or have a visual impairment.

Let it be known I am officially scratching that line from the record. I recently came across an incredibly emotional blog post from a blind guy who had just purchased his first iPhone, after having it recommended to him by a friend. He says it changed his life. Hear that? Changed. His. Life. A wee excerpt:

Last Wednesday, my life changed forever. I got an iPhone. I consider it the greatest thing to happen to the blind for a very long time, possibly ever. It offers unparalleled access to properly made applications, and changed my life in twenty-four hours… I have fallen in love.

Sounds incredible, right? He goes on to talk about how the iPhone is enabling him to see colour like never before. Check out his beautifully-written review in full by clicking here, and for those of you who are blind or vision impaired, maybe the time is nigh that you jumped on the iBandwagon!

I’m a self-confessed gadget freak. As it is, I’m currently writing this review on my Macbook, which is connected to the internet via bluetooth through my iPhone, and on another day, this might very well have been written on my iPad. Point is: I love my technology, and particularly the way it can enhance my life and the lives of other disabled people.

Playstation Move, for the uninformed, is a little bit like the Nintendo Wii. You play games by standing in front of your TV, pretending to wack a golf ball or fight in a gladiator duel, and your movements are picked up by a camera sitting on top of your TV, allowing you to interact with the game with your body instead of a traditional gaming controller. Needless to say, as soon as I got wind of this revolution in gaming I sped down to my local electronics store and picked up a starter pack. I had one lingering question, however: as a wheelchair user, would I be able to use Playstation Move?

Read on to find out!

After writing that wee rant last week about Countdown’s wonderful new inaccessible self-service checkout kiosks, it got me thinking about better alternatives. I struggled at first to think of any company, either in NZ or overseas, that takes universal access seriously enough to incorporate it into any of its product design. And then it hit me. Our much-lauded national carrier, Air New Zealand, have these amazing checkin kiosks in their domestic terminal, one of which is not only totally accessible to those in wheelchairs but clearly signposted too!

You can see the great signage in the picture above, and let me tell you, these are an absolute treat to use. I fly with Air NZ quite frequently, and even though my visits require a trip to the special assistance counter to speak with airport staff, I always check in using the kiosks first, because it’s just such a wonderful experience. Sure, the user interface is great, and the process is simple, but the fact they care enough to put in a dedicated kiosk for those with limited mobility?

Well that, as they say, is priceless.

Thanks to Barbara Hart for this great review! The Rendezvous Hotel was great. It has an underground walkway to the Aotea centre which is why I chose it. I booked a twin disability room as I had a friend staying with me. Best thing was the parking, large disability parking close to the door to the reception, and it cost $10 a day. A very helpful concierge took my bag to my room for me. The room was huge. Plenty

The only accessible toilet hidden away in the women’s bathroom? Lippy staff? The Matterhorn had it all! Thanks to Nic Steenhout for this excellent review. Recently, my partner and I went for dinner at the Matterhorn restaurant in Wellington. As we are not located in Wellington, this was a special trip for us. The evening was enjoyable, despite several hiccups. The food was good, and its presentation excellent. The wines were very good. The accessibility was, sadly, far less than

I’ve been meaning to check out this new Kingsland cafe for quite some time, and finally got around to it today. Unfortunately, like most places on New North Road, parking is a little hit and miss, so it might pay to prepare for a bit of a walk from a nearby parking space. Anyway, turns out that Shaky Isles is a delightful little place to stop for lunch, and pretty accessible too! We walked in and thought… no problem! I

I’ve written about Auckland’s Re-Li-On-Us Mobility Taxis before, who are – in my humble opinion – the best mobility taxi option around, but as part of our latest iPod competition, here are Saphiya’s thoughts… They have a toll-free number – 0800 025 999 I especially liked the service as it was appreciating and was naturally friendly. ARTA’s Total Mobility swipe card is accepted. Easy to get in and out of vehicle. Saw that there was a first aid pack and

Thanks to Saphiya for this review! We went here earlier in the year and although prices were steep, an adult being $26.00 we did the family pass of 2 adults and children for $52.00 and were told that we could enter and exit the village when we wanted and until the village was closed (but no, we didn’t stay the whole day!) Firstly, there was a lot of space to park; it was so empty that we didn’t even need

Thanks to Sally from Wellington for this review! The best accessible establishment is the Wellington City Library/Civic Square in Wellington. There are numerous designated disability carparks located in front and to the side street of the library, and in the library’s basement carpark. You never have to travel far from the car to the library or the Square. Two sets of lifts take you quickly to any of the three floors of the library and a lovely little cafe which