For a person that has difficulties controlling regular utensils to eat, special adaptive utensils are available. These are spoons, knives and forks that have bent handles or oversized wrapping on the handles. It is up to the caregiver to determine what utensil will work best. Most of the utensils are adapted for either the right or left hand, and an individualized evaluation of which to use usually works best.
If a person does not have full use of his or her legs, he or she can still drive. Hand controls are adapted into the steering wheel, which transfer control of the foot pedals to the hands. From 1998 to 2000, the United States Department of Transportation did extensive testing and evaluations of these hand controllers and issued a final report in August 2001. The conclusion reached was hand controls do not affect crash safety. Since individuals all have different needs, a qualified adaptive equipment technician or engineer usually works closely with the individual and custom fits the controls in.
An individual with disabilities may not be able to speak. Special computers have been developed to assist a person. For example, a picture of a bathroom is presented on a touchscreen. An individual pushes the icon, and a voice states, "I need to use the bathroom, please." Other examples include Braille keyboards or an oversized mouse. In 2011, research is ongoing on how to interface computers with an individual.
At one time, a person in a wheelchair had a hard time navigating the world. This was because of curbs, high doors and other obstacles that made maneuvering impossible. Laws were introduced, and now the environment is made accessible. This is done by building gradual ramps to doors and removing sections of curbs. All public parks have to adhere to these laws as well. Because of this, special wheelchair trails are installed. In a nutshell, the public environment itself has become adaptive equipment.
Special bathrooms are designed with adaptive equipment. These include hand rails and special heights for sinks and showers. Furthermore, special shower stalls are designed with built-in waterproof seating. Some architects and builders specialize in building or retrofitting equipment into bathrooms.