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Workshop gives disabled children chance to talk with leading designers By Dominic Musgrave
disabilities and wider groups.
CHILDREN with disabilities and their carers have been given the opportunity to take part in a Dragons’ Den-style workshop with leading designers.
The overall aim of the project is to design a chair that allows children to confidently leave hospital environments and be able to get out and about safely and more independently.
Hosted by Devices for Dignity (D4D), Healthcare Technology Cooperative and industrial design consultancy Frazer-Nash Consultancy, the workshop’s aim was to give children and carers the chance to talk about the problems that affect their daily lives and highlighting how these are not currently addressed by existing technologies. Held in conjunction with children’s charity Whizz-Kidz, four designs were presented to the group, with the aim of the choosing one overall concept that caters for all their needs and provides care, quality of life and independence for thousands of children across the UK, including children with severe
While the designs incorporate the most complex equipment needs such as catering for ventilators and oxygen cylinders, they also have a wider generic appeal as well. Another feature of the designs was its ability to adapt with the changing size of a child; encompassing a range of frames and seat options that accommodate growing children. Wheelchair user Leanna Horne said: “People don’t usually ask us what we want and need but by working together we can ensure children in the future get better wheelchairs than the ones I had when I was growing up. “There isn’t a clinical need for
wheelchairs to be fashionable, but as you get older you want to make sure you fit into society and that your disability isn’t any more obvious than it needs to be. If you have a slim-line chair with character, it’s easier to get around and makes you feel more integrated into society.” Over the last year the team have worked closely with paediatric consultants from Great Ormond Street Hospital and Sheffield Children’s Hospital, occupational therapists, engineers and clinical scientists to design a new transport system that caters for the children’s everyday needs. D4D, which is hosted by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Frazer Nash commissioned a series of on-line surveys, user and carer focus groups to find out exactly what it is needed and how this can be in incorporated into the new designs – these were hosted by Whizz Kidz.
Roadshow ready to roll into Edinburgh MOBILITY Roadshow Scotland returns to Edinburgh for two days in September. The fourth Mobility Roadshow to be held in Scotland, it brings together on one site the widest choice of mobility, healthcare and rehabilitation products, services and information for disabled and older people throughout Scotland and the north of England. Already there is a good line up of exhibitors from all mobility sectors showcasing their latest innovations and models – motor manufacturers; conversion and adaptation specialists; motoring accessories suppliers; wheelchair, scooter, bike and trike companies; independent living products for the home; as well as organisations offering information and advice on all aspects of mobility. Visitors can try and assess hundreds of wheelchairs, scooters and mobility cycles for comfort and safety – from high-end power chairs to lightweight portable models. Always a popular attraction at this event, the Sports Arena will again be buzzing with activity. Mobility Roadshow Scotland takes place at the Royal Highland Centre on September 17 and 18.
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES I AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
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