Knitting kit developed for people with disabilities

The utility model “Knitting Kit for People with Disabilities” developed by Istanbul Medipol University School of Fine Arts, Design, and Architecture, Department of Industrial Design faculty member Dr. Ersin Alacak, lecturer Basri Gündoğdu, and our student Yaren Merttepe has been registered by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TÜRKPATENT). The model makes life easier for disabled individuals who have limited or no hand grip ability. The useful model is designed to be efficient, practical, and suitable for use by individuals with limited hand and wrist capabilities, and consists of parts, such as a swollen wrist fixing apparatus, a vacuum-based silicone base, silicone anti-slip apparatus, a ball, silicone holding apparatus, a plastic rotating disc, a rope holding apparatus, and a magnetic bar.

GÜNDOĞDU: A USEFUL DESIGN FOR DISABLED PEOPLE
Lecturer Basri Gündoğdu said that although the registered utility model is not an essential need, it will be beneficial for disabled individuals in creating a hobby or commercial product. Noting that efforts should be made to remove the obstacles in front of disabled individuals in every field, Gündoğdu said: “People who are busy in daily life can knit clothes suitable for their own taste in a practical way thanks to the project we have developed. Many people knit as a hobby or as a profession. Knitting can be made into an activity to produce or a hobby to distract oneself. Since knitting is done using two hands, people with hand and wrist diseases have difficulty in knitting. We started and developed our project to solve this problem. The user can perform an enjoyable activity thanks to the knitting that occurs quickly with their own labor. The repetitive movements in the knitting process and the concentration of attention in one place create a meditation effect. We carried out our work to ensure that disabled people do not feel deficient in knitting. Our project will also contribute psychologically.”