MaxiAids – A Thriving Company in Good Times Or Bad

MaxiAids is a remarkable company expanding on remarkable ideas.

Even in tough times, MaxiAids flourishes because of the nature of the company’s work. MaxiAids, whose president and CEO is Elliot Zaretsky, supplies assistive devices to blind, low vision, deaf, hearing impaired, and mobility impaired customers around the world. The company has a unique perspective on what its client base needs and wants because it employs many challenged people who use those same products.

With more than two decades of experience in helping challenged people gain and retain greater independence, MaxiAids has seen many products come and go. Just as it is with products offered by any company in the world, with the passage of time some of MaxiAids’ products become obsolete and are discontinued. Conversely, some products are so successful and popular that they are kept in the company’s offerings for many years. If necessary, regular upgrades are made to the products to keep up with advances in technology.

Mr. Zaretsky himself has been instrumental in pioneering upgrades to many of the company’s existing products. Here are some examples: The Reizen Talking Automatic Digital Blood Pressure Monitor for the blind uses voice prompts in four languages, helping the blind user monitor their pressure independently. The Money Talks money identifier calls out the value of new or old bills, and the Click Pocket Money Brailler actually imprints the value of a bill onto the bill in Braille. The 3-in-1 Super Cube is a talking clock for the blind. It has no face, but boasts hourly time announcement, a talking calendar and countdown timer, and much more. The Tel-Rx Talking Prescription Recorder is a fresh “take” on the personal recorder. The user can record medication and dosage information, and attach the device to the prescription bottle. The information can be played back, preventing medication mistakes and waiting for long periods for sighted assistance.

On the other end of the spectrum, some of the most successful products are so basic that they don’t need technological upgrades. However, with just a tweak here and there, possibly an expansion on the basic idea behind the product, a new group of products can be developed. Examples of Mr. Zaretsky’s own innovative thinking in this area can be seen in the following products. Reizen Clip And Draw Tactile Drawing Kit with Clip-Style Drawing Board. The EZ Magnifier with Tracker Line is an improvement on the bar magnifier, in that this one has a yellow line along the center of the magnification area, to make visual tracking easier. The Giant-View Clock measures ten inches square, and is available in black numbers on white or the reverse; it is also available with large Braille numbers. And then there are the simple but indispensable Bump Dots. These are acrylic “dots” in round or other shapes that the blind can use to identify and mark appliances, clocks, drawers, and many other items. Touch Dots, which are an offshoot of Bump Dots, are a more tactile product for more specific identification. For leisure time, there are Dominoes with raised tactile dots.

These are just a few of the thousands of products that help make our customers’ lives more independent.
With his quest to continually develop and improve upon his products, Elliot Zaretsky demonstrates that one must keep moving with the times as one lives them. His fresh thinking, innovative ideas and devotion to the company’s mission will keep MaxiAids a successful and growing company for decades to come. - RK