I'm a medical engineering student working towards designing a customisable cup for individuals with cerebral palsy. In particularly, the aim is to design the cup so it is useful for those with limited grip strength and dexterity. The cup is primarily designed for use at home and in private settings, but is intended to be more discrete than other assistive drinking devices on the market. I'm trying to make sure the cup would actually meet real needs and would really appreciate any input from those in the community. My questions are:
1. What do you find the most challenging about using standard drinking cups (i.e. not assistive drinking devices)?
2. Are you able to use standard drinking cups or do you rely on assistive drinking devices?
3. Are you completely satisfied with the appearance of assistive drinking devices on the market (e.g. how discrete or attractive they look)? What don’t you like about the way they look?
4. Do you prefer to have a handle on whatever vessel you’re drinking from?
5. Do you find it necessary to have a fully enclosed lid on any vessel you’re drinking from?
6. Is the weight of cups and the liquid inside an issue for you when lifting a cup to drink from it?
7. Do you have any other comments about assistive drinking devices you would like to see available for purchase?