Simple Hacks for Life with Parkinson’s
TED talk given by: Mileha Soneji
Mileha Soneji speaks in a fascinating Ted Talks about some of her discoveries observing her uncle who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Soneji’s uncle was the life of the party at family gatherings, and Soneji noticed her uncle's demeanor changing after his diagnosis of Parkinson's. Soneji decided to look into some accessible designs to help her uncle overcome his struggles. Her uncle had difficulty with functional tasks due to his tremors and difficulty walking in a smooth manner. Soneji’s goal was to make everyday tasks easier for people who have Parkinson’s.
Her uncle expressed that he didn’t want to drink coffee in public anymore, due to his tremors. Soneji designed a coffee cup to help reduce the effect of his tremors. The shape of the coffee cup helps the liquid stay in the cup. The cup is wider on the top portion, and more narrow on the bottom. Soneji says she wanted the cup to appear like an everyday cup, and not a cup that looks targeted to someone with Parkinson's. (See Image 1 below)
Soneji also noticed her uncle was having a hard time walking fluently, and she worried how her uncle was able to walk up and down the stairs. She asked her uncle to show her how he maneuvers the stair case. Her uncle walked up and down the stairs more fluently than when he walked on a flat surface. Soneji decided to research how this could be. She said the key was climbing stairs is a continuous movement. Lots of ideas were attempted to help her uncle walk more fluently and faster, like he did when walking a staircase. She found one that worked. It looks like an illusion of stairs, but it is still a flat surface like any other floor. It looks like stairs are taped to the floor, but it creates an illusion of a staircase. Her uncle walked a lot smoother and quicker on the stair illusion floor, versus a floor with a regular floor appearance. The surfaces are the exact same, but the illusion being placed on the floor helps her uncle produce a more productive walk. (See Images 2&3 below)
Soneji states that technology isn’t always the answer, but rather human-created interventions. Soneji’s uncle thanked Soneji for making him feel like his old self again. She was driven to create ideas that were made to help her uncle complete his everyday tasks easier and more effective, just like OTs do every day. Soneji challenges us to find complex problems, observe, and create simple solutions to improve the lives of others. She says all we need is some empathy and curiosity.
I chose this TED Talk to do a neuro note on because I think it is really moving to see Soneji’s motivation to create ways for her uncle to accomplish his everyday tasks more effectively. Soneji’s drive to help others in their everyday roles through empathy and curiosity is just like what OT’s do every day. OTs meet a client, figure out what they want to do and what matters to them. Soneji saw her uncle not drinking coffee anymore, and she figured out a way for him to be successful in that task again, just like what OTs are meant to do. OTs figure out the need and fill it, just like Soneji did in a powerful way for her uncle.
I learned through this TED talk about the importance to try things out to find the right fit for the client. Soneji tried many things with her uncle to improve his walking, but wasn't giving up until she found something that was beneficial. Also, it is reinforced through this Ted talk to ask the client what matters to them. Soneji's uncle expressed not wanting to drink coffee in pubic. Drinking coffee is a functional and meaningful task, and getting to overcome a barrier that matters to the client has so much meaning!
I recommend this TED talk for anyone interested in Parkinson's, or anyone wanting an inspiration for embracing creativity!
Soneji, M. (2017, October 13). Simple hacks for life with Parkinson’s. Retrieved from
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Image 2
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Image 3
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