With Good Reason

In the mid-20th century, American women were bombarded with tips, tricks, and goods to help them become the perfect housewife. Laura Puaca has studied four records released by General Mills that featured Betty Crocker “talking recipes.” They were developed in response to and in collaboration with blind homemakers and they extended to blind women choices that had long been an option for their non-disabled counterparts. And: Hearing aids are now available to purchase over-the-counter and without a prescription. Christine Eubanks discusses who OTC hearing aids are right for and who is better off working with a doctor. Later in the show: About half of all Americans who get an upper limb prosthetic eventually stop using it. The technology is difficult to use and the limbs don’t always do that much. Siddhartha Sikdar is working with a team to develop new technology for better, more helpful prosthetic arms and hands. And: Many people have heard of wheelchair basketball, but what about kayaking, water skiing, or wak