How NEFF appliances can help empower people living with a disability
An unexpected benefit of the NEFF Slide&Hide® oven door.
NEFF has been creating kitchen appliances for more than 140 years. In this time, we’ve met hundreds of passionate home cooks who love using our range of appliances to create better meals for their families and friends.
But we recently received a message from a customer who helped us discover something new about our ovens. We just had to share the story with you, in the hopes that it may help others who may be in a similar situation.
Nick Schumi recently finished renovating his property and decided to purchase a NEFF Slide&Hide® oven as part of his renovations. What you might not know about Nick is that he lives with Cerebral Palsy, a condition that affects movement in the lower part of his body. As a wheelchair user, he believes that our Slide&Hide® oven has been excellent for his needs, helping him to better enjoy his time in the kitchen, without requiring costly custom modifications.
While our products were not specifically engineered for those living with a disability, we are humbled to know that our Slide&Hide® oven is helping him to have a positive cooking experience.
Here’s what Nick had to say about how NEFF appliances have helped him in his everyday life.
Which NEFF appliances do you have in your kitchen?
I have the NEFF Slide&Hide® oven with extra telescopic rails. I specifically chose this oven for the fully retractable door which provides fantastic reach and access to the oven, with no door in the way.
What do you like most about the appliance?
I love that this appliance allows me to cook independently in my own home, which I have never been able to do before. As a wheelchair user, my NEFF Slide&Hide® oven is situated at bench-top height, meaning that it is at my eye level.
Because I can hide the door underneath, I can get very close to the oven from a front-on position, helping me to control the functions and safely remove food from inside. I also have the extra telescopic rails which makes it extremely easy to pull out the oven trays for easier handling and transfer when cooking, reducing the risk of getting burnt.
The oven wasn’t specifically designed as a wheelchair accessible appliance but it works exactly that way for me, and I think a lot of other people living with a disability should know that it works for this function as well.
Click here to learn more our Slide&Hide oven.
About Nick
Nick Schumi is a passionate and active disability advocate and public speaker, who founded the Julia Farr Youth Committee to empower young adults living with a disability.