Environmental Control
Among the many complications of paralysis, one of the most frustrating is having reduced control over your environment. Everyday activities such as dialing a telephone or turning on a light suddenly become extremely difficult or even impossible.
An environmental control unit, otherwise known as an ECU, can help people with spinal cord injury regain control over their environment. ECUs maximize function and increase independence in the home, at work, at school, and in everyday life in general.
Simply put, an ECU is a remote control that operates a variety of appliances and switches. An ECU may allow you to open doors, adjust the lights, answer or dial the telephone, or turn on the television.
There is an ECU designed for just about any level of paralysis. ECUs can be operated by hand, by voice, by computer, by sip, by puffs of air, or even by eye blink.