In this Section:

• Dealing With Amputations
  • Advantages
  • Challenges
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Outreach & Education
  • Prosthetics
    • Adaptive
    • Comfort
    • Driving
    • Myo-electric
    • Passive
    • Static

Other Sections:

• Introduction
• About Amputations
• Dealing With Amputations
• Discrimination
• Famous Amputees
• Personal Accounts
• Interactive

Dealing With Amputations:
Prosthetics: Adaptive

Tools and adaptive devices help amputees perform activities in their day-to-day lives more easily. There are prosthetics with special attachments for certain tasks. With some attachments, a person with only one hand is able to do many more activities. For example, there are attachments for playing the violin. (Click here to see team member Megan playing violin with her prosthetic device.) There are also many sports attachments. Some examples of sporting attachments are used in basketball, archery, bowling, lacrosse, and baseball. Often an amputee will have one prosthetic for many activities. He or she will have various attachments and can replace these attachments as needed. Attachments are very helpful adaptive devices in the lives of amputees.

There are other adaptive devices besides attachments that help amputees perform tasks. One adaptive device is a special keyboard. Certain keyboards that are made so that an amputee can type with just one hand. These prove to be helpful for amputees. Sometimes an amputee will have a voice recognition device attached to the computer. This device enables one to speak into a microphone. The computer transfers the words into writing. Computer adaptive devices are very helpful for amputees.