Help with Hobbies
A change of pace, with some ideas for indoor hobbies. Don’t forget to let us know about any activities you enjoy or hobby-related products you find useful. Send us an email!
If you enjoy playing cards – it may be easier to handle larger cards (7″ x 4.5″); standard-sized cards with enlarged and/or simplified motifs are helpful for those with impaired vision.
A card holder which takes large or standard-sized cards can be useful for holding and sorting your hand.
There is a wide range of games available in versions that are tactile, large scale and/or with good colour contrast, to enable everyone to join in the fun. From chess and backgammon (pictured right) to ludo and monopoly, there’s something to suit every taste.
Needleworkers who struggle with threading needles may find these two gadgets handy. Right is a threader for hand sewing needles, left, one for machine needles.
Make sure that you choose scissors that are easy to handle, too. Anyone working with small, fiddly items, such as postage stamps, may welcome the help of these tweezers with an integral magnifying lens (below right).
Reading may be easier with a book holder, to save tired arms, and keep the book open at the right page.
Anyone who is bedridden may find it easier to read with the assistance of a bookholder/stand which holds the book or magazine overhead at a convenient angle, or prism glasses, which enable you to watch TV or read without craning your neck. These can be worn with prescription glasses, if necessary.
Magnifying aids can also help with reading: a magnifying sheet, right; a hand-held lens, or a hands-free lens, which leaves both hands free to work at intricate tasks.
…and writing. If you’re finding it more difficult to handle a conventional pen, here are a couple of alternatives. Right, a contoured ballpoint which needs very little pressure, and can be weighted with sand for those with a shaky hand. The holders below left are made from soft PVC and fit over any normal sized pen or pencil, making them easier to grip.