Christmas gift guide for those with disabilities

Buying a gift for a loved one with a disability or mobility issue can prove difficult as you’re often left having to choose between a useful gift, or something stylish and fun. Our handy guide combines practical gifts with stylish ones, and even throws in a few ideas for presents that fall into both camps.

Vibrating exercise bar

If your mobility is impaired, getting enough exercise can be that little bit more difficult. So a vibration bar can be a great addition. This Swedish vibration pole is designed to build up core and trunk strength while offering cardiovascular exercise.

Hearrings

If making a handmade gift is more your style, Hearrings could be a perfect gift for someone in your lift. Hearrings is the name for jewellery specifically designed to decorate hearing aids. Hearing Like Me have a great blog where crafty teenager Ellie provides a tutorial on how to make a set of Hearrings at home.

Dressing aids

Dressing can be an arduous task for people who have lost use of one hand. There’s a variety of aids available at Essential Aids including dressing sticks which can help pull up trousers, shoe removers and button hooks which can make the job of unbuttoning clothes much easier. You could combine this gift with a lovely new item of clothing

Smart speaker

They’re the current must-haves, but smart speakers like the Google Mini can also have really practical applications for those with a disability or mobility issues. They can play music, adjust the heating and lighting in the home or simply provide you with information from a voice controlled unit. However such tech gadgets can also be useful from a safety perspective as you can store your contacts and make voice-activated calls even if you’ve not got your phone with you.

Tremor-cancelling tableware

Aids for people with medical conditions that cause hand tremors or for people who experience limited mobility in their hands and arms have developed quickly in recent years. Using a technology known as active cancellation of tremor (ACT), tiny sensors detect movement and trigger a precise counter-movement in the product itself. Liftware have one of the most extensive ranges. They’re based in the UK, so look out for UK stockists to avoid paying hefty delivery costs.

Trabasacks

Trabasacks offer innovative travel bags which can double as lap trays making them popular products for wheelchair users. Each Trabasack has additional multiple uses such as turning into a rucksack, briefcase or satchel and has storage space for phones and keys and can hold a laptop or a tablet.

Wake n Shake Alarm Clock

The Wake n Shake Alarm Clock is specifically designed for those who are hard of hearing. The clock has a loud flashing alarm and comes with a vibrating pad which can be slotted under the pillow. It has a large screen with bold digits and can be either plugged into the mains or run from batteries.

Funky wheelchair clothing for kids

We love Willow Bug for its range of stylish and practical adaptive clothing designed for children with disabilities and mobility issues. The site stocks a large range of outfits which are specially designed to fit over wheelchairs and the heads, legs and arms for those kids who might need a little extra help. What makes Willow Bug stand out is simply their desire to ensure practicality is also stylish and dare we say it, funky!

Wireless earphones

Wireless earphones are great for the music lover who may struggle to untangle cables. Wheelchair users in particular will understand the frustration of getting wires caught in their wheels and running the risk of them snapping. These Lindy BNX60 Wireless Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Headphones from Richer Sounds have some good reviews.

An ingenious mobility scooter

Traditional mobility scooters can be a little cumbersome, especially when out and about alone. So this Freedom ATTO model is one of the most advanced on the market and folds in seconds to the size of a suitcase, making it easy to store and move around.

Let them carve!

Finally, this Easi-Grip Carving Fork is the perfect way to enable everyone to join in with carving the turkey on Christmas Day. The knife is lightweight and has a non-slip ergonomic handle for anyone with a weak grip or who would find using a traditional carving knife a little tricky.