How many quads does it take to change a light bulb?

Only one, if she has an aide.

The other night, one of the two light bulbs in my kitchen ceiling light went out. I have these automatic lights that come on - poof- when I roll into the room. People who visit love it . They always say "I should get that put in!"

I have it because I'm a quadriplegic. But go right ahead.

About an hour later, I rolled back into the kitchen for something else and - oops - the other light bulb went out.

No poof - just this flash and darkness.

So there I sat in my wheelchair, looking up at the ceiling light in the dark and thinking there really should be some way for a quad to change a light bulb in this day and age.

Of course, what are the odds of both bulbs going out the same night, within an hour of each other?

In any event, I still think it's a lousy system not to be able to change it myself. Inevitably everyone is busy or I forget to ask them to do it. I figure that, until we are able to teach robots to take care of a quad's needs, we should really work on issues like this because people are just undependable.

First of all, lights in a quadriplegic's home could be designed to descend - or could be installed lower. In either case, we would have to design a way to get a new bulb in there without needing any dexterity. I'm thinking a rubber bulb would work best. If it took several tries and you dropped it, it wouldn't break. (I've been reading about these new rubber sidewalks and they are all the rage - so why not rubber bulbs?)

Now that we have an unbreakable light bulb, we would need to design a way to plug it in. I'm all for a universal design that would allow a simple pushing motion with a body part that every quad can use - his or her nose! So if you designed the rubber light bulb with a flattened top, that would allow a large target for one's nose to push it into the socket and - snap- you're all set!

Of course if you missed you might get an electrical shock - and a new hairdo. But I digress.

These really aren't difficult design ideas. Surely someone out there could help quads with this.

Until then, maybe I should try to see if I can get someone to put headlights on my wheelchair for light bulb blackouts ....