People we help

Last year we began working with a Yorkshire family to find a way for their child to explore new play experiences and engage with physiotherapy. Their child showed great interest in a play kitchen used by peers, but simply couldn’t access it.

Together, we created a play kitchen that children using wheelchairs or walking frames could all engage with. Children using wheelchairs can roll straight up to the sink and sturdy handrails around the worktop give support when standing to those who need it. Practicing standing and moving around the kitchen is a great way to get the benefits of physical therapy, all while being joyfully distracted by interesting sensory experiences.

“EJ is a truly sensory being. She loves to experience the sounds of pans banging on the wood, and the click of the doors closing. With this kitchen, she and her brother can play closely together whether she’s sitting in her wheelchair or feeling strong enough to practice standing and stepping.” Vaila, author of blog The Inclusive Home and mum to EJ, one of our kitchen test pilots, tells us about her experience with the new play kitchen.

While being a wonderful sensory experience for some, the kitchen is also a platform for role playing, enabling children to practice empathy skills which help them thrive in later life. The kitchen encourages engagement among children of all abilities who may typically be prevented from enjoying the same activities. We believe both disabled and non-disabled children will enjoy richer learning experiences.

“We were excited to take on this project as our research showed a real gap in provision for children who use wheelchairs. The family we worked with shared lots of ideas and helped us understand what features the kitchen should have. We communicated with sketches and models and finally found a design that ticked all the boxes! It was important to us that the kitchen became an inclusive toy that would not stand out as a ‘disability aid’. It’s got great benefits in terms of physiotherapy but will be equally enjoyed by non-disabled children all the same. It’s creating a level playing field for everyone to enjoy exploring together.” Bex – Designer Maker at DEMAND

We now want to refine the design and build more play kitchens to carry out longer term testing in different environments. We’ll partner with schools whose students could benefit from opportunities to access physical therapy and engage with new sensory experiences and imaginative role play. With insights and feedback from these tests we’ll be able to further refine our design and make it available to even more children who have never been able to access a typical play kitchen.

If you’d like to find out more about this project or get involved with testing please get in touch.

We’ve been working with the talented team at Electric Umbrella to bring their magnificent Dream Machine to life ahead of their performance of ‘I am the Dream Machine’, a pop-opera dreamt up and directed by Max, who has Down syndrome.

Over 12 weeks we took Max’s vision of the Dream Machine, a fantastical flying wheelchair that writes songs inspired by people’s dreams, from paper into the real world and onto the big stage!

From wheelchair to Dream Machine! Snapshots of our design and manufacturing process.

As supporters of Electric Umbrella’s work empowering people with learning disabilities to take centre stage, we were keen to support their ambitious new project. We were thrilled to work with Electric Umbrella to help shine a spotlight on the talents of disabled people. 

The completed Dream Machine in all its glory!

Find out more about Electric Umbrella’s work on their website.

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Brody is 5 and has an as-yet undiagnosed condition. He also has epilepsy, autism and hypermobility syndrome which together mean that Brody is unable to speak and can only walk for short distances. His motor challenges mean he isn’t able to pedal a bike, but he loves to scoot about on his Scuttlebug trike. Brody is fast outgrowing his Scuttlebug and exceeding the weight limit for safe use. His mum explored many solutions before stumbling across one of our previous projects online, a trike for Summer, who has Rett syndrome. She had reached out to toy manufacturers to ask if they could provide a bigger ride-on scooter for her son, but even with support from other parents of disabled children she reached dead ends.

Without access to an activity that expends a great deal of energy, Brody is likely to miss out on the valuable exercise that keeps him healthy. He doesn’t have the ability to run and jump around, so riding his Scuttlebug trike is one of the only ways Brody can keep active. Luckily for him, our team had the perfect solution. Following a home assessment to gain an insight into Brody’s needs, our engineers agreed to build a larger and sturdier trike that Brody can push with his feet. With built-in height adjustment, this custom made trike will last him for many years to come.

Play and physical activity are an integral and vital part of childhood, and for Brody, who is unable to access many activities that children his age enjoy, enabling him to play alongside his peers and siblings is a great freedom. Having access to a suitable trike will at last provide Brody with opportunity for inclusion rather than exclusion yet again.

 
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James is 5 and was born with Coffin Lowry Syndrome, a rare and life limiting genetic condition. He has severe learning difficulties, communication delay and low muscle tone. He needs constant supervision as he is unaware of dangers and hazards around his home.

James’ parents got in touch with DEMAND looking for help to keep their son safe and make everyday life more manageable when they could no longer find a playpen suited to his needs. Using a playpen has always been essential for James, it keeps him away from things that could cause him harm and allows him to focus on a toy or activity without getting distracted and crawling away. James outgrew his playpen this year, making it unsafe for him to continue using.

James’ mum told us about her ideal solution that would help her keep her son safe; “James has no awareness of danger and due to his low muscle tone he has developmental delay. A taller playpen with a gate would be perfect, where we can still see James. A safe space for James where he is enclosed away from switches, sockets and anything he could choke on.”If there is only one adult in the house with him, which is usually the case, we cannot leave to make him tea, grab a new toy, go to the toilet, or answer the door.”

“Giving James his own space to play again would definitely make him happier. Having a suitable playpen would mean we’d be able to go back to normal life in the house.”

Now James and his family have a suitable place for James to play and explore his independence without coming to any harm.

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Jack is 7 and enjoys being part of his Beavers troop in Carpenders Park. He has mild cerebral palsy which affects his mobility and coordination, so uses crutches and his walking frame to help him get around. An integral part of life as a Beaver is taking part in activities and expeditions in the great outdoors. When he turns 8, Jack hopes to become a Cub, and eventually a Scout a few years down the line. To allow him to continue scouting, Jack needed a reliable way to get around on uneven ground in woodland, grassy areas and rocky paths. He simply can’t keep up with his friends and the uneven ground makes it almost impossible to use his walking frame or crutches safely.

When Jack moved from Beavers to Cubs this year the plans for expeditions became more adventurous and Jack’s parents were concerned that he would be excluded from trips if he couldn’t walk the long distances needed to keep up with his troop. They looked to DEMAND to get help finding a solution. A wheelchair would solve the problem, but Jack’s parents didn’t want him to become reliant on a wheelchair since the exercise and activity he gets from using crutches helps to keep him mobile and strong.

We agreed to adapt a wheelchair so it only works when tipped up and pushed by someone else, great for helping Jack move over longer distances, but definitely no match for the crutches that help Jack get around under his own steam. Jack loves all things Super Mario, so our designers hatched a plan to transform Jack’s all-terrain vehicle into his favourite character, Yoshi. Much like in the Super Mario world, Yoshi is always there to help Josh get where he needs to go. Josh is the envy of his fellow Beavers aboard his very own all-terrain Yoshi!

Jack’s mum Caroline said “Jack’s cubs were going to the ‘Festival of Slime’ which entailed meeting at a underground station, travelling to London followed by a 25 minute walk. Without Yoshi, Jack would have missed out. The walk would have been too long and he wouldn’t have been able to keep up with the others. He would have been too tired to make the slime! The festival was oversubscribed and in his Yoshi chair Jack was safe. If he’d been on his sticks he would have been knocked over so many times he probably would have lost his confidence and been injured.”

A special mention goes to PYC Upholstery who kindly offered their time and expertise to create the fetching red seat for Jack’s chair – we think it’s the perfect finishing touch!

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John-Julius lives with his family on the remote Isle of Lewis. He was born with Down Syndrome and his favourite toy is his ‘Honey Bunny’ music player.

His mum Maeve told us “John-Julius learns so much from Honey Bunny and gets unlimited pleasure from it. He loves dancing to it, with it set in front of him.”

“It makes long car journeys fun for him. It can mature as he matures, with different music going on to the SD card inside as he changes and develops. The problem is the speaker on the back. John-Julius likes to put his mouth on speakers for what I assume is sensory feedback. This means that a lot of his saliva ends up inside Honey Bunny. Initially when he got the toy my concern was over hygiene. I was taking the toy apart by night and cleaning out the speaker with toothpicks. I once found tiny crawling things inside. Last month, the speaker actually gave up and stopped working altogether. John-Julius is extremely attached to this toy. It’s one of the first things he signs for in the morning and he spends most of his time at home with either Honey Bunny or books. He was so sad that I immediately bought a replacement.

Since then I have been covering the speaker with a circle of waterproof fabric using sellotape. This lasts about a day and then begins to peel off with the saliva. It would be amazing for John-Julius to be able to use Honey Bunny without damaging it. It needs some sort of cover over the speaker that protects it from his saliva, but still allows sound. It also needs to be secure enough that I am now constantly worrying about it.”

Having learnt of Maeve’s extensive attempts to solve the problem, including purchasing a fluffy sheep ‘costume’ for the toy in an attempt to protect the speaker, we agreed to put out heads together too. We made and fitted a plastic cover inside the toy so the electronics are protected from any fluids coming through the speaker holes. Maeve is delighted to have such a practical and unobtrusive solution to a long standing and frustrating problem. John-Julius is just glad to have his bunny back for good!

If you or someone you know could use some creative help with a chellenge of their own, get in touch with our team today.

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Rowan’s mum shares a #DreamBig story.

“It’s kind of a tradition for us to enjoy a board game after school. We often unwind and have a giggle while dinner’s cooking. Our favourite is snakes and ladders, brother versus brother, kids versus parents or whoever else we can rope in! The boys keep a tally of their victories but it’s all a bit of fun really. Rowan loves playing against his brother, he needs some help to move the counter because his cerebral palsy affects his grip and arm movements. We contacted DEMAND hoping they would be able to help us find a way for Rowan to play more independently. He was getting frustrated with the amount he was able to do and we just thought – why does the game have to be like this?! The pieces are tiny and difficult to grip, they move around the board and one knock could mistakenly send you slipping down a snake back to the start! We have a giant foam dice Rowan rolls by flinging it off his knee with a big swipe of his arm. We wanted a way for him to enjoy the rest of the game too.

Now we have a board that sits straight up instead of flat so Rowan can see exactly what’s going on even from his wheelchair. The pieces are big wooden dowels you can grab or push and they stick to the board with magnets. It’s all relatively low tech but Rowan loves how involved he can be. The kids are attracted to it because it’s always ready to go not hidden away in a box, and often ask if they can play a game together. It’s so much better standing up on a table because Rowan can keep himself in a upright position in his chair rather than leaning over the board. It means he can communicate more clearly using eye pointing with symbol sheets made by his speech therapist in school to say whose turn it is.”

I #DreamBig about winning snakes and ladders.

What is #DreamBig?

We’re celebrating ways we can overcome barriers to access and inclusion often met when following our dreams. With opportunities to break down these barriers using assistive equipment, accessible facilities and positive attitudes, we believe everyone can pursue their dream, however big or small.

DEMAND is the charity working with disabled people to find practical solutions for independence and inclusion. We #DreamBig and want to join forces with everyone who believes disability should be no barrier to opportunity. We’re sharing stories from great people we have worked with to inspire others to #DreamBig too.

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