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Situation

Andrea has had Multiple Sclerosis for over 20 years. It has impacted her cognition as well as her energy levels and has caused her to have reduced grip strength and tremors.

Andrea enjoys creating art and unique pieces of jewellery. She learnt about our service through attending a ‘Connect with Tech’ educational webinar which was held for the Disability Elders of All Ages (DEAA) network.

Initially she requested some support from our smart device specialist, to ensure her devices were supporting her ability to stay connected with her MS support groups. Subsequently, Andrea requested an assessment from our occupational therapist (OT) and technician to explore how technology could enhance her functional capacity.

One of Andrea’s key challenges was that because her vision was declining, it was difficult to use her smartphone and tablet. In addition to this, Andrea was finding it difficult to take photographs of her jewellery and art to sell online due to her hand tremors.

Solution

Our OT recommended a range of accessibility features and apps available on Andrea’s Android tablet and phone.

Firstly, we introduced Andrea to her tablet’s accessibility menu, which enabled her to take a screenshot (which typically requires pushing multiple buttons simultaneously), adjust the device text size, and activate an adjustable and movable on-screen magnification window.

Next, we recommended an app which converts a phone or tablet into a magnifying glass – handy for tasks like reading menus with small print at restaurants. We also suggested software which scans and reads aloud text on a physical or digital document.

Then, to make taking photos of her jewellery and art much easier, we recommended, supplied and set-up an adjustable tripod phone stand with a ring light. The tripod could be desk-mounted, holding Andrea’s phone steadily above the piece of jewellery or art on the desk. To provide encompassing lighting, we positioned a ring light around the phone.

Further, to ensure that the phone didn’t shake when the shutter button was pressed, we provided Andrea with a digital ring with buttons that when pressed, would activate the shutter on the phone’s camera. This meant Andrea could take clear photos of her home-made jewellery and art without the need to hold something or operate a camera whilst experiencing tremors.

Outcome

Andrea has had ongoing success with Stretchy Tech and continues to request our involvement. Smart home automation is the next area she would like to explore.

*Andrea is not our customer's real name. Their name has been changed to maintain their privacy.