Hadley video: Finding things you've dropped

[kestrell]

Hadley has a series of workshops titled "Basic O&M" (orientation and mobility), but sounds as if it could be useful to lots of folks, the most recent video titled "Finding Things You've Dropped." Look down the page and you will find other workshops in the series, such as one on preventing falls.
https://hadley.edu/workshops/o-m-basics-series/finding-things-you-ve-dropped

Comments

[jesse_the_k]

That's a nice simple introduction.

Since my finding strategies are still primarily visual, I go for color and contrast. I close my eyes and imagine the shape of the thing I seek, and then highlight the edges in my brain.

Then I look for no more than five minutes, and then I holler for MyGuy.

[kestrell]

I have a *truly mind-boggling* superpower for missing what I'm looking for my the teeniest amount, I'm talking a centimeter or so. It used to make my mobility instructor insane, and my housemates often watch in complete fascination. Calling out directions like "a little bit left" doesn't help, because I will just switch direction and miss it again.
Things I have learned however: when you llean over to pick up something you've dropped, guide with your hand where your face will go, in case there is a solid object or something sticking out.
I have bashed myself in the face way too many times when not doing this.
Also, those magnets they sell in sewing shops for picking up needles are awesome and work on many small metal objects. I also know where the wall studs are in our Victorian house.
You can get these magnets on telescoping metal rods so that they extend and you don't even have to bend over.
Calling for Alexx will almost always result in my finding the missing object before Alexx even enters the room.
If it doesn't work, and Alexx finds the thing, it is usually because the sought-for object is a fraction of an inch away from my foot/hand, eyeballs.

[jesse_the_k]

Hmm, trying to imagine how we could harness that almost superpower for good?

Face-bashing-avoidance strategies are very important!

(My clumsy tendencies seem to focus on the back of my head, which encounters too large, too heavy things way too often once I have hands-on my lost thing.)

I had a PikStik reacher/grabber with magnet, but the trigger mechanism required too much finger strength!

[kestrell]

When I was giving presentations about assistive tech for my thesis, I had one of those toy grabber/Waldos, which just used a soft grip--it was made for kids--and it also made a variaty of science fiction sounds. Adults loved it. I should get another one.
One of my major tips: check out kids's toys, they tend to make use of really advanced technology, are easy to learn and use, and are often pretty cheap. I used to bring things I found to folks in the MIT Media Lab and they would just go nuts.

That's right

[jesse_the_k]

I had a kid's-toy grabber for a while which was much cheaper and much easier to use than the fancy PikStik -- it's called a Toysmith Robot Claw.

It was entirely plastic, so it gave off a remarkably crunchy death scream when I rolled over it (in my ~300 lb chair).

Re: That's right

[kestrell]

*lol* You are just hell on wheels, babe.
So, did I mention I started a Coursera class on learning Git? And I'm tuning into the NFB NVDA virtual conference today and tomorrow.My web design instructor is late posting this week's lecture, so I got bored.

Re: That's right

[jesse_the_k]

Goodness. It's a good thing all these courses exist online. Without that stimulation who knows what trouble you would get into.

Re: That's right

[kestrell]

Yes, my motto is "You don't want me to get bored, do you?" That usually strikes fear in Alexx when I say it, and then he leaps to amuse me. I try not to abuse the power.