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Saturday 16 April 2016

Indian Designer Invents Spill-Proof Cup For People With Parkinson’s


Inspired by an uncle diagnosed with Parkinson’s, Indian product designer Mileha Soneji has created several simple products to help people with the condition.
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Between 7 and 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s — a progressive disease that attacks the nervous system and causes tremors, impaired balance and stiffness, among other symptoms.
Soneji, who comes from the city of Pune in India, watched as her uncle — once a fun-loving and energetic figure in her life — deteriorated in health after his diagnosis.  
“He used to be the center of attention at all the family reunions, then he started to hide behind others,” Soneji told HuffPost France. “He hid from the pity he saw in people’s eyes.”



Soneji took time to interview her uncle and observed him to better appreciate the difficulties he faces on a daily basis. During one of their conversations, he confessed that he had stopped drinking tea or coffee in public out of embarrassment.
Technology isn’t always the solution.Mileha Soneji
That’s when the designer thought up the spill-proof cup. Her invention is curved inward at the top to deflect the liquid back inside the cup in the event of a tremor. It also has a larger-than-normal handle.
“The key here is that it is not tagged as a Parkinson’s patient product. It looks like a cup that could be used by you, me, any clumsy person,” Soneji said in a TED Talkin February 2015. “And that makes it much more comforting for them to use, to blend in.” 
Soneji plans to have the cup ready for sale on the No Spill website in the next six or seven months. Its price could deter some, however, as it’s projected to cost approximately 150 euros (about $170).

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