September was National Preparedness Month. As part of those activities, MD TAP attended the FEMA Region III Summit on Emergency Management and Assistive Technology Reuse. (http://www.passitoncenter.org/EmergencyManagement/EMATReuseSummitFEMARegionIII.aspx).
Today’s tech tip comes from that conference.
If the power goes out due to bad weather or some other problem, how do you recharge your phone, tablet, and AT devices? A traditional charger that relies on electricity won’t work.
One solution for this problem could be getting a solar power charger.
Solar-power chargers are not assistive technology, but can be used to help you keep small, battery-powered assistive technology devices charged when the power goes out. Solar power chargers use solar energy to recharge batteries or power devices that
connect using a USB cable. Not only can these chargers be useful in an emergency, but they are also popular with people who like outdoor activities such as camping, and people who want a more environmentally-friendly way to charge their technology.
Solar-power chargers vary in strength and price. Some of the smaller, more inexpensive ones can be used to recharge AAA or AA batteries. Some of the higher powered ones can recharge items such as cell phones, mp3 players, and laptops. Depending on what
you would need the charger for, the price can range from under $20 to several hundred dollars. Solar power chargers can be found online and in a variety of stores.
If you want to have a solar power charger as a back-up, it’s important that you find one capable of charging your particular device. These chargers won’t work for all AT devices. And they won’t be useful during a hurricane or a big snowstorm, so it’s also a good idea to keep fully-charged back-up batteries on hand for non-sunny emergencies!
