Alarm clocks for people with a learning disability
Short answer: The best alarm clock is one you can set on your own. Big buttons help. Simple steps help. It matters more that you can use the clock than that it has lots of features. You should choose the clock yourself. Other people can help you choose. They should not choose for you.
This page uses short sentences and plain words. In the UK we say "learning disability". In some other countries people say "intellectual disability". This page means the same thing by both.
What makes a clock easy to use
Some clocks are much easier than others. Here is what to look for.
Big buttons. Small buttons are hard to press. Big buttons are easier.
Buttons that are far apart. If the buttons are close together, you can press the wrong one.
Each button does one job. Some clocks make one button do three jobs. That is confusing.
No holding two buttons at once. Many clocks make you hold one button down and press another at the same time. This is hard for a lot of people. Try to find a clock that does not do this.
Big numbers. You need to read the time in the dark. Big bright numbers help.
One big off button. In the morning you want to stop the alarm fast. A big button on the top of the clock is best.
Clocks that talk. Some clocks say the time out loud. Some also talk you through setting the alarm. They say each step. This helps many people. Shops that sell equipment for blind people often sell these clocks.
If your hands shake, or your hands are stiff or sore, there is more about which buttons and straps are easier to use. It is a longer page, but the list of things to check is the same.
Sound, shaking or light
There are three main types of alarm.
Sound alarms make a noise. Most clocks are this type.
Shaking alarms use vibration instead of noise. There are two kinds. One is a small round box. You put it under your pillow. It shakes the bed. The other is a band you wear on your wrist. It shakes your arm. You can read more in bed shaker or wrist band.
Light alarms get slowly brighter, like the sun coming up.
A shaking alarm may suit you if:
- You are deaf or hard of hearing.
- You share a room and do not want to wake the other person.
- Loud noise upsets you.
That last one is a real reason. Some people find a loud alarm painful or frightening. That is not being fussy. It is how your body responds to sound. Alarms and sensory sensitivity explains more.
One honest point. A shaking alarm is not stronger than a sound alarm. It is different. Some people wake up to shaking. Some people sleep through it. You cannot know until you try. Sound alarms and vibration alarms compared is a fair look at both.
Try the clock before you decide
This is the most useful thing on this page.
Set the alarm for two minutes from now. Do it in the daytime. See if you can set it on your own. See if you can turn it off.
Then try it again another day. And try it on a day when you feel tired. A clock can feel easy in the afternoon and hard at seven in the morning.
Before you buy, ask one question. Can I send it back if I cannot use it? A good shop will say yes. If they will not, buy from somewhere else.
It is your choice
It is your clock. You should pick it.
Sometimes people need help to make a choice. That is fine. Help means someone gives you the information in a way you understand. It can be easy read words. It can be pictures. It can be showing you two clocks and letting you hold them both. It also means giving you enough time to think.
That is called supported decision making. Help means helping you decide. It does not mean deciding for you.
In England and Wales there is a law called the Mental Capacity Act 2005. It says people are assumed to be able to make their own decisions. It says people must be given help to make a decision before anyone says they cannot make it. It also says you are allowed to make a choice that other people think is a bad idea. Other parts of the UK and other countries have similar rules.
If someone is making choices for you and you do not want them to, you can get help. Mencap gives advice. Your local advocacy service can speak up with you. An advocate is a person whose job is to help you say what you want.
What a support worker can do
If you support someone, this part is for you.
Do these things:
- Ask the person what they want. Ask first, not last.
- Offer two or three clocks. Not twenty. Too many choices makes it harder.
- Use pictures or easy read information.
- Let the person hold the clock and press the buttons in the shop or at home.
- Show them how to set it once. Then let them try it themselves.
- Write the steps down. Use pictures if that helps. Put the steps next to the clock.
- Check back in a few weeks. Ask if it is still working for them.
Do not do these things:
- Do not set the alarm for them every night if they could learn to do it.
- Do not buy the clock and hand it over.
- Do not take over when they are being slow. Slow is fine.
- Do not change or move the clock without telling them.
Doing a task for someone is faster today. It also means they do not learn it. That trade is worth thinking about every time.