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Hello. My name is Kim Kreielsheimer.
Karen Stein and I are occupational therapy students at Temple University.
We are doing this video on assistive technology in the car,
for people with limited trunk and neck mobility.
We will be focusing on the use of panoramic rearview mirrors and blind spot mirrors.
This is my dad's car...and this is my dad.
We became interested in, uh driving assistive technology
when spinal fusion surgery led to limited trunk and neck mobility for my dad.
We were concerned about his safety while driving,
including merging and general awareness of the cars around him.
After doing some research, we found panoramic rear view mirrors and blind spot mirrors
that would make it safer for him to drive.
These are MaxiView Blind Spot Mirrors from autosafetysolutions.com.
They were purchased from autosportcatalog.com,
which is one of many sites that have this type of equipment available.
They cost 39.95 for a set of two.
The mirrors are very easy to install.
Simply clean the existing side mirror with rubbing alcohol,
in the upper corner closest to the body of the car,
peel off the backing, and stick it on to the existing side mirror.
They are manually adjustable.
I found that it's easiest if they are initially adjusted with the assistance of someone else.
That way, the person does not have to get in and out of the vehicle multiple times
to adjust the passenger side blind spot mirror.
Once adjusted properly, the position and convex shape of these mirrors
allow the driver to see any cars in their blind spot without needing to turn their head
or upper body. Much, if at all.
One concern with these mirrors, which was discovered when reading the reviews online,
was that they may fall off in a typical car wash, so hand wash is recommended.
This panoramic rear view mirror, made by K-Source,
is also available from autosportcatalog.com.
It was one of two models that were available,
and it was the least expensive of the two at 24.95.
It was also very easy to install.
Simply take it out of the box, and clip it over the existing rear view mirror.
The neat thing about this mirror, is that its width and convex shape
allow the driver to see out the back window, as well as out both passenger rear windows,
giving them full view of everything surrounding the back of the car, without having to turn and look.
This is especially helpful when backing out of parking spaces.
Let's take a look.
I've asked my parents to stand in the blind spot on either side of the car.
This is the view of the blind spot from the driver's side.
Hi Dad!
This is the view, of the blind spot, on the passenger side.
Hi Mom!
This is the view, through the panoramic rear view mirror, of the back of the car.
Notice how you can see through back windows.
One more low-tech solution that my dad has found very helpful,
is the use of this large pencil, to press down on his gas tank release button.
Its position near the floor of the car made it difficult for him to get gas independently,
without having to get out of the car.
The pencil is long enough for him to press the button, without having to bend forward.
And the eraser on the end creates friction, so that it doesn't slide off of its target.
The pencil was purchased at the local dollar store.
We purchased these mirrors from autosportcatalog.com,
but if you are looking for this type of mirror, they are available from many different stores and websites.
Wal-Mart carries them. In addition, to amazon.com, as well as many different auto supply stores and websites.
A Google search, for price comparison, may be your best bet.
Just to recap, we've talked about blind spot mirrors, and panoramic rear view mirrors,
which allow drivers with compromised trunk and neck mobility to have a full view of their surroundings.
These low-cost, low-tech solutions allow drivers with compromised mobility
to travel safely and independently.
Subtitles by the Amara.org community