Make that Dinner Bell Ring with Accessible Chef

Cover image group of people with disabilities and caregiver staff cooking together. The graphic in the bottom right corner is a white circle with the Disability or Accessibility graphic of a stick person wheeling forward in a wheelchair reaching fora skillet and wearing a chef's hat.

Why is cooking important?

We know that as providers and caregivers our goal is to give people with disabilities an everyday life. But what is an everyday life? “An everyday life is about opportunities, relationships, rights, and responsibilities. It is about being a member of the community, having a valued role, making a contribution to society, and having one’s rights as a citizen fully respected.” – The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP). How do we do that? Consider this one way. Equip them with basic knowledge and skills to increase independence.

Photo of Hot Ham and Cheese sandwich by Anna M. https://accessiblechef.com/recipes/hot-ham-and-cheese-sandwich/ — *Sandwich photo used with permission from Accessible Chef*

There are many ways to help a person become more independent. One specific way I am going to focus on is basic cooking skills. Why is it important to teach people with disabilities cooking skills? Watch this short video to find out: https://youtu.be/n3JcnfwFenU.

Where do I start?

Ready to get cooking? Then this resource is for you. Formerly known as Your Special Chef, Accessible Chef, is a website dedicated to teaching cooking skills to people with disabilities. Anna Moyer, the creator, started the website in 2010 as her Girl Scout Gold Award Project after realizing she enjoyed teaching basic cooking skills to her brother who has Down syndrome. People with disabilities attain more independence in the kitchen through features like free visual recipes and other resources.

What does Accessible Chef offer?

There are over 300 recipes to choose from on the website. Each visual recipe has a level of difficulty. Further, it is divided into three sections: you will need, tools, and steps. Each of those sections offers a picture along with a description. Moreover, the steps are broken down into specific tasks to make it more manageable to complete.

First browse recipes by categories. Next, download them to save or print. Here’s an idea! Once printed you could put them in a binder and create your own customized recipe book. Did you know that many recipes came from other users?! Make your own visual recipe using the Recipe Creator on the website. Want to share your recipe with others? Complete the form and submit to Accessible Chef.

This image is a sample of a Visual Recipe for Baked Potato showing photographs or graphics of ingredients you will need, tools, and steps to complete. — *Visual recipe, photo used with permission from Accessible Chef*

The resources section of the website includes resources on adaptive cooking tools, explanation of terms used within the website, and fundamental kitchen equipment. Additionally, you will find shopping and time-saving strategies, basic cooking definitions, and strategies for efficient cooking. Don’t miss the helpful cooking videos, assistive technologies, and other handy tools.

Accessible Chef also features a blog section. Here you will find a variety of articles written by Anne, as well as guests, on themed recipes, kitchen hacks and adaptations, and helpful tips.

Now it’s time to cook! Pick a favorite recipe, pull out the ingredients/tools needed, and make a special treat to share with someone!

Categories:Everyday LifeGeneral