Overview
The solution
I knew I could probably have my durable medical equipment provider order and install something for me but I’ll be honest and say that sounded tiring and like it would take a long time. So, before I went that route I decided to post in a few different assistive technology groups on Facebook to see if there was a DIY type solution. Someone suggested that it would be pretty easy to swap out the egg switch with a different type of switch. The Ablenet Micro Light Switch was suggested as one option so when I saw it was on Amazon I decided to give it a shot.
I looked at the egg switch and identified which cord it was and where it plugged into my wheelchair battery. I was excited to see that I could easily unplug it and then plug in the new switch- the cord plugs in much like the old headphone style plugs. Before we took the egg switch off the armrest I confirmed the new switch worked after plugging it in. It did! The Micro light switch requires only a tiny bit of pressure to be activated. In fact at first I thought it was almost too sensitive. (Now I love it.) After confirming the switch worked, my dad helped me remove the egg switch from the armrest’s track system. He was able to use standard tools he had in the garage. Don’t ask me which one’s though… I think it was a screwdriver of some sort? But anyway, once he got the egg switch and mounting plate off we needed to mount the new one. The switch was small and light enough to be mounted underneath my armrest with double-sided 3M tape velcro stuff that I had on hand. It’s super secure! The last step was to make the cord look a little more organized and secure. My dad was able to use the existing cord organizers that were on my chair.
The verdict
The AbleNet Micro Light Switch is working well for me to easily control my wheelchair’s lighting system. Installation was straightforward, but that was because I was able to see where the other switch was plugged in. If I didn’t have that guide I’m not sure I’d know where or how to plug it into my wheelchair’s battery. The switch came with different color stickers that could be placed on it to help the person keep track of what it controlled. But, it didn’t come with anything to mount it. I think you can purchase a more complex mounting plate but that seemed expensive for what I wanted to do. I also wish the switch itself wasn’t so expensive. But, all in all, this was a good purchase and has helped with reducing the number of times my chair light’s are accidentally turned on.
