Stirring Through Challenges in the Kitchen: Strategies for People with Disabilities

When Sharon McLennon Wier cooks, bakes and boils, teapots whistle, timers ring and a kitchen scale talks. Buzzers sound when water reaches its boiling point and as it hits the tip of her coffee cup.

A Magna Wonder knife works wonders, its scalloped edges prevent her from cutting her fingers. She uses an oven rack puller to push and pull hot racks out of the stove. She presses buttons on a dishwasher and feels for bump dots affixed to appliances that tell her what they are. Siri reads recipes from her iPhone.

"I walk into stuff. I break stuff. Being blind is not easy," McLennon Wier says. She uses an orientation mobility cane. "I've been hit by a car three times. I fell onto the subway tracks."

For people with physical disabilities, aging in place or temporarily disabled due to illness or injury, navigating through home kitchens can be a daunting experience. Some houses and apartments are specifically designed or remodeled for the needs of their users while adaptive appliances and technology help create more independent living.

To continue reading, please click here for the complete story in Next Avenue.