Innovative Fork Design Unexpectedly Helps Users With Limited Mobility

For people who have limited dexterity and other hand mobility issues, to those with broken arms and patients with tremors from Parkinson’s, the basic act of eating can be a trial. But in some cases, thoughtfully designed utensils can help. Some adaptive utensils have wider grips or are contoured to make them easier to use. However, in the case of Knork Flatware, the benefits for people with mobility issues were kind of accidental, as Fast Company reports.

Knork makes streamlined utensils designed to accommodate the way people actually eat—like sharp edges to allow you to cut with the side of a fork. They’re designed to be ergonomic, with comfortable platforms to place your fingers, and have a larger, balanced design to keep them from falling off plates. After launching, letters began pouring in from patients who couldn’t eat easily on their own with traditional utensils, saying that the forks were helping them eat one-handed and unassisted. And because they look like any other high-quality utensil that belongs on a white table cloth, patients don’t have to deal with feeling out of place using special needs forks and knives.

The company is launching a pilot study to analyze how patients use the flatware, and how design tweaks might improve the experience for them.

[h/t Fast Company]