Learning to use your appliance

• Get the owner’s manual in your accessible format and read it. If you know the name, brand and model number, you can often find the manual on the manufacturer’s website. If you can’t access the manual yourself, ask a sighted friend, family member or Daily Living Skills instructor to go through it with you.
• Examine the whole appliance carefully. Note any parts that are sharp or will become hot during use.
• Review the safety precautions before plugging the appliance in.
• Put appliances that will become hot on a heat-resistant surface.
• Learn how to clean and care for your appliance
• Practice using the appliance when it is cold and unplugged.
• Use oven mitts even when practising cold. It will prepare you to use the appliance when it’s hot and help you get used to feeling through the mitts.
• Locate appliances such as kettles, toasters, electric frying pans or sandwich grills by trailing your hands up the cord rather than reaching for them through space. This minimizes the possibility of injury.
• Never remove ground pins from three-prong plugs and do not use extension cords.
• Inspect electrical cords to be sure they are in good condition. Keep cords at the back of the counter on which the appliance is stored. Velcro can be used to stick the cords to the backboard and out of the way
• Confirm the switch is off before plugging the unit in.
• Ensure your hands and feet are dry before handling plugs and connecting them to power.
• Always connect detachable cords to the appliance before plugging it into the wall outlet.
• Use an easy recipe when first learning a kitchen appliance. It lets you focus on the learning instead of on recipe details.
• Always unplug an appliance to clean it!