9 Greatest Inventions for the Physically Impaired

Every day, we each perform thousands of tasks using different senses and parts of our bodies without thinking twice about it. But for some people, these daily activities aren't so easy. People with physical impairments, ranging from the loss of sight to the loss of a leg, face hurdles that most of us don't even consider. Fortunately, as technology makes life easier for everyone, innovations have also made life easier for people with physical disabilities. These nine inventions have helped many of the people in our communities do the things we take for granted each day.

1. Braille

   For those of us blessed with sight, those strange little bumps we see on signs are totally foreign to us, but for blind people, Braille is a way of learning, being independent, and staying safe. Braille is a system that allows those without sight to read using their fingertips by assigning patterns of raised dots to each character in the alphabet and other symbols. Before the invention of Braille, books for the blind were made by embossing traditional letters, but they were time-consuming to produce and hard to read at a normal pace. Lessons were learned verbally, passed down from older students or tutors. A blind Frenchman named Louis Braille developed the idea, building on a rejected idea for a military code, and the system was put into practice in 1825. Today, you can find Braille on signs, telephones, and even the banknotes in some countries.

2. Walker

   The device that aids many of our grandparents, as well as people with other mobility issues, has become so commonplace that we hardly give it a second thought. Less than a century ago, as people grew old and had a hard time getting around, they might use a cane. Once they started having problems with their balance, however, they would have to use a wheelchair or stay in bed most of the time. In 1988, Andrejs Muiza, an immigrant to the U.S. from Latvia, patented the modern-day walker. This device allows people to remain more active, mobile, and independent in old age than they could in the past. Walkers can even contribute to better health since they keep users from being stuck in a chair or bed, which can exacerbate medical issues. There are a variety of walkers in use today, with wheels, seats, and baskets. There are even special kinds for children with disabilities and obese people.

3. Flex-Foot feet

   Among the many difficulties a person faces after losing one or both legs, the idea of never running or playing sports again can be one of the toughest for previously active amputees. Early prosthetics were wooden and difficult to use, causing problems with posture and gait. There have been many advances since the beginning of prosthetic research, such as improvements in the way limbs are attached and how they are controlled. Some of the most exciting prosthetic technology has come from Ossur, a company that moved beyond building prosthetics that looked like the leg they were replacing and focused more on functionality. The Flex-Foot line of products makes legs with feet made from carbon fiber, which is known for its strength and flexibility. With these, amputees can regain the active lifestyle they once knew. Just ask Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee who competes in able-bodied track races on the world stage using a model of Flex-Foot.

4. Cochlear implant

   Many deaf people embrace their hearing disability and become a part of the deaf community and culture, which has its own social cues and language. But the fact that there's even an option for a deaf person to gain the ability to hear is amazing. Parents can now choose to give their deaf children the chance to integrate into the mainstream hearing community. A cochlear implant is a device surgically placed in the skull that stimulates the inner ear. The sounds aren't completely natural, because the implant sends electrical pulses into the ear, but many patients get used to it and learn to use the device effectively. The first cochlear implant was created in 1957, and the practice has now been performed on more than 200,000 people throughout the world.

5. ReWalk exoskeleton

   Most people's first thought after getting in an accident that leaves them paralyzed is "Will I ever walk again?" While some people experience temporary paralysis that allows them to work toward walking again, others may not be able to use their legs on their own. The ReWalk exoskeleton, a product developed within the last few years, allows paraplegics to stand, walk, climb up stairs, and go down again. By wearing leg braces and a device on their back, users can tell the equipment what they want to do, and the ReWalk measures the angle of their torso and then moves the legs in a way that allows the person to keep balanced. Invented in Israel, the ReWalk is on sale now, but its high price might keep many paraplegics from buying it just yet. Even so, it's a literal step in the right direction for paraplegic technologies.

6. Mechanical larynx

   Communication is one of the most vital parts of every relationship, and as a human, it's essential that we are able to talk to each other. When people suffer damage to their larynx, or voicebox, from cancer or another injury, it can be very frustrating for them to try to express themselves and for others to understand them. The first artificial larynx was produced in the 1920s, back before they knew the dangers of smoking, and the first electrolarynx, the popular electric device still used today, was created in the '40s. It's normally a small handheld device that a person can hold up to his or her throat that produces speech from the throat's vibrations. This allows people with injured larynxes to lead normal lives, speaking to people in person and over the phone. Though some users dislike the mechanical voice that the device creates, researchers are getting close to finding ways to create a more natural-sounding voice with inflections and better pronunciation.

7. Text telephones

   In today's world, there are many ways for people to communicate even if they can't hear or speak well. There are web cams that would allow people to use sign language, text messages, and apps on cell phones to convert speech to text and vice versa. But before this technology era, traditional telephones were a major form of communication. Text wasn't a verb yet, so it was difficult for hearing-impaired people to keep in contact with each other or loved ones. In the 1960s, a deaf scientist named Robert Weitbrecht helped solve that problem. He created the teletypewriter, or TTY, a sort of text telephone where users could type messages to each other that were transmitted through a normal telephone line. Though the technology was initially limited to communication between people who both had TTY devices, relay services began to allow TTY users to call people who had regular telephones. As a pre-cursor to today's cell phone, TTY was an innovative aid allowing deaf people (and others) to keep up with relationships and call 911 if necessary.

8. Car hand controls

   There are few things that make you feel more free and independent than getting in your car and driving somewhere. We all remember what it was like before we got our driver's licenses and had to rely on other people to shuttle us around. That's a feeling no one wants to go back to, whether you're physically disabled or not. When a person loses the use of his legs, still being able to drive a car can be incredibly encouraging. Adaptive hand controls for your car can be permanent or portable, and allow you to operate a vehicle without the use of your legs for braking and accelerating. With one hand, you can control the two pedals in your car with a special device and the other hand is used to steer, often with a knob attached to the steering wheel to make it easier. This allows many physically disabled drivers to get back a little piece of their independence.

9. Color identifier

   This invention may not be life-changing for a visually impaired person, but it allows him or her to live as any other person would and "see" parts of their surroundings. Choosing clothes we like with colors that match or complement each other is something most of us take for granted. Determining what to wear each morning is a split-second decision, but one we rely totally on our sight to make. We also rely on color to tell us many other things that we don't think about, such as identifying important signs or pills we're about to take. Color identifiers are hand-held devices (or apps you can put on your smartphone) that can tell you aloud what color an object is. It's an important tool for the blind and visually impaired when shopping and walking around, and can help them fit better into mainstream society.

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