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Accessibility

Design, Development and Manufacture

The following examples illustrate our ability to help people of all ages, with any disability, improve their everyday lives, participate in sport/leisure activities or speed their recovery from injury or operation.

Highlights of 2011

	Tim’s Chair Tim has cerebral palsy and is not able to walk or stand without assistance. He needs extra support when sitting, but is able to move around his home in Worthing by crawling or sliding on the floor. DEMAND designed and made a chair for Tim with a seat at floor level so that he can get into it by himself. His upper body is kept upright by the chair’s arm and side supports. To help the twenty three year old’s mother the chair folds, so she can easily carry it up and downstairs to allow Tim to use it anywhere in his home.
	Evelyn’s Worktop Evelyn has been acutely visually impaired for 10 years. At eighty six she also has mobility difficulties due to arthritis. She has recently moved into a flat for the elderly in Rickmansworth. However, the kitchen is small and has a worktop with a projecting sharp corner which she had bumped into on occasions, bruising her hip. As well as cutting the corner into a broad radius to reduce the amount of projection, DEMAND made and fitted a padded edge to the corner, so that when she does make contact with it, it will do her no harm.
	Carina’s Lift Carina is twenty three and lives in Watford. She has acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a neurological condition characterised by muscle weakness, which makes standing and walking difficult, so she has to use a wheelchair. She wanted to start a Hair and Beauty course at the Technical College in Hemel Hempstead but her acceptance on the course was dependent on her being physically able to work on clients at a variety of heights. DEMAND made a battery powered mechanism that is attached to the underside of her wheelchair. Carina can position the wheelchair manually then raise herself to carry out her practical course work easily & comfortably. Carina is twenty three and lives in Watford. She has acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a neurological condition characterised by muscle weakness, which makes standing and walking difficult, so she has to use a wheelchair. She wanted to start a Hair and Beauty course at the Technical College in Hemel Hempstead but her acceptance on the course was dependent on her being physically able to work on clients at a variety of heights. DEMAND made a battery powered mechanism that is attached to the underside of her wheelchair. Carina can position the wheelchair manually then raise herself to carry out her practical course work easily & comfortably.
	Charlie’s Tray Nineteen year old Charlie from St Albans has severe curvature of the spine causing him to lean over forwards, with his chest almost touching his knees. This makes it very difficult for him to use the tables and desks in his special school. His Occupational Therapist asked DEMAND to make a tray to fit to his chair that would provide a work surface and also support his upper body. The tray has a cut out section shaped to fit closely around Charlie’s body, with padding to protect his chest. The front half of the tray can be tilted upward so that things like books, drawing paper and electronic devices can be placed in the optimum position for Charlie to use them.
	Alexandra’s Buggy Board Five year old Nathaniel from Maidstone in Kent uses a wheelchair due to quadriplegic athetoid cerebral palsy. He enjoys trips to school every day, but his mother was finding it difficult to push both him in his wheelchair and his young sister Alexandra in a pushchair. DEMAND designed and made a lightweight ‘Buggy Board’ to fit Nathaniel’s chair, allowing his mother to push him to school with Alexandra standing on the back. It allows Nathaniel, his mother and sister, to go out for walks together without needing the help of friends and family.
	John’s Wheelchair Seventeen year old John from Huddersfield has cerebral palsy. He had two problems with his wheelchair which we were asked to help with. Involuntary leg spasms caused the footplates to lift up, which could injure John, and when using the chair outdoors he couldn’t see people walking around him. We solved these problems by making special brackets to hold his feet in position, and by fitting a rear view mirror to the arm of the chair. John can now use the chair safely and is fully aware of his surroundings.
	Ralph’s Oxygen Trolley Ralph is in his seventies and lives in Holmfirth. He needs to have a supply of oxygen with him at all times due to breathing difficulties. He used a trolley to carry the oxygen, but being large and cumbersome, it made going on holiday or even shopping, very difficult. Our designers and craftsmen made a very small and light trolley that safely held his oxygen bottle. It is easy to move around and can be collapsed down for transporting in a car. Ralph is very happy with it and he can now go on holiday much more easily.
	Ian’s Painting Stand A spinal injury has left Ian, a twenty two year old from Manchester, paralysed from the neck down. Ian enjoys reading and painting and uses an activity stand to facilitate these activities. However, his stand was not robust enough for the task. He contacted DEMAND to see if we could make it more robust. We adapted his stand, making it stronger by changing the plastic to clear polycarbonate sheet, reinforced with stainless steel. We even put a picture of his favourite artist, Elvis, on it. Now he can use his stand for painting and reading without it breaking.
	Charlotte’s Walker Charlotte is in her forties and has multiple sclerosis. She couldn’t walk safely around the park where she lives in Huddersfield as she didn’t have the strength to apply the brakes on her rollator. DEMAND adapted the brakes so she could use them more effectively and also made and fitted special brackets that allowed her to restrict the free movement of the wheels and slow the rollator down. She is really happy with the adaptations we made for her and can now go out and enjoy her walks confidently.
	Claire’s Walker Thirty eight year old Claire has severe learning difficulties coupled with mobility problems. She is unable to walk unaided so the day centre she attends in Rickmansworth provided her with a walking frame. Unfortunately, because of Claire’s small stature and walking gait, she could not safely use the standard walking frame. DEMAND was able to modify the frame to suit Claire’s size and manner of walking. Claire and the staff were delighted with the result as she no longer has to remain in her wheelchair because she now has a suitable walker.
	Yoma’s Walker Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy causes Yoma, who is forty one, to spend a lot of time in a wheelchair. At home in Oxfordshire, Yoma loves to cook, and with support she can stand and prepare meals in the kitchen. She and her partner, Peter, asked DEMAND to design a support that she could move around the kitchen. DEMAND modified their chopping block and fitted it with wheels and brakes that default to ‘on’. This block supports Yoma as well as doing it’s usual job in food preparation. When she wants to move across the kitchen, Yoma pulls a lever to release the brakes. Both Yoma and Peter are delighted with the result which gives Yoma much more independence
	Birchwood Painters A small group of adults with disabilities in Croxley enjoy a weekly painting class run by two volunteers. DEMAND was contacted and asked to make an easel more suited to the painters’ needs. After watching them in action, we designed and made an easel with a wide range of adjustment. This allows the volunteers to position the canvas much closer to the painter, which is a help if they have a limited range of movement. Previously, the canvas would have to be held by the volunteers to achieve close and angled positions, but with the new easel, the painters will enjoy uninterrupted art sessions.

Highlights of 2010

	Ian Ian lives in Hemel Hempstead and has Cerebral Palsy. He has a busy social life and regularly travels around with his carers. Unfortunately, whilst in the car someone has to sit behind him and support his head as it would often fall to the side. DEMAND designed a unique bracket that fits onto the car headrest. The two adjustable side pads support his head and let Ian travel and sleep in comfort but still allow good head movement and visibility. Now Ian can get out and about more often, as only one carer is needed.
	Orla Ten year old Orla has Epilepsy and Global Developmental Delay. Her parents were worried that she might go into the kitchen unnoticed at home and injure herself or others with utensils, cleaning products, or even burn herself. She had done so in the past and they wanted to make sure it wouldn’t happen again. Her parents asked DEMAND for help. A designer from DEMAND visited the home, assessed the situation then designed and fitted a series of safety gates allowing Orla to see and interact with people in the kitchen, yet remain safe from harming herself or others. Her parents are delighted with the result.
	Denise Denise, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, approached DEMAND through her Occupational Therapist. She loves watching films but relied on her carers to leave videos out for her. Her needs were very specific since she has a large number of DVD’s, videos, cassettes and CDs but because of her limited movement, they had to be presented to her at the right height. We made shelves from clear polycarbonate plastic so they are strong and all the items are visible. They are designed to take all sizes and shapes so that she can choose the order and position of items freely. She is thrilled with the unit we built and the freedom she now has to watch what she wants, when she wants.
	Issac Isaac is from Honley in West Yorkshire. He has Achondroplasia and as he gets older and more independent, he and his mother wanted him to be able to wash and use the toilet himself. They approached DEMAND through their Occupational Therapist and asked if we could make Isaac a special access step. The step we produced can be moved around and gives Isaac safe access to the toilet and sink so he can be more independent around the house.
	Kai Kai lives in Aylesbury and has Global Developmental Delay. He enjoyed swinging in a mesh hammock that was suspended from the ceiling but as he grew, the hammock was too small and transferring him in and out became difficult, so an alternative was needed. DEMAND designed a supportive, swinging chair that was suitable for the lounge and which he could use alone. The chair was also designed to take an adult if Kai wanted to sit on someone’s lap in it. The new swing allows Kai’s parents to transfer him safely and keeps Kai supported and comfortable.
	Dennis Dennis Conway lives in Netherton, West Yorkshire, and contacted DEMAND through his Physiotherapist. Due to a rugby injury, he is Tetraplegic with limited use of his arms. He needed a mouth pointer to use the television remote control. During the assessment, we discussed his specific requirements then researched the market to find a mouth pointer but none suited. The large diameter wooden pointers we made are lightweight but are big enough for him to move about by ‘flicking’ his lower arms, a technique he has learnt over the years. We also supplied him bespoke, washable nylon tips for the mouth end that he could grip in his mouth and have further control of the pointer.
	Theo Theo is car mad: he loves everything about cars, he watches Top Gear, Formula One, loves the Stig and really wants a car for himself! He lives in Tupton, Derbyshire and his mum approached DEMAND to see if we could help Theo achieve his dream. We arranged an assessment with Theo, his mum and his Occupational Therapist to discuss what we could do. Theo’s Cerebral Palsy means he needs special support so we agreed to adapt a toy car and modified one of our postural inserts, usually used in push buggies, and mounted it inside the car. We completed the modifications and delivered the car back in time for Theo’s 4th Birthday. Both he and his mum are over the moon!
	Chloe Chloe has Cerebral Palsy and lives in Borehamwood. She is only eight but is very independent. Her Occupational Therapist asked DEMAND to produce some weighted children’s cutlery for her. Although cutlery like this is available, the size and shape wasn’t suitable for Chloe. DEMAND produced a set of bespoke children’s cutlery with the exact dimensions needed for Chloe to become even more independent at meal times. When we delivered the cutlery and Chloe tried it for the first time, her ability improved instantly. As you can see from the picture, she loved it.
	Leah Leah was born with Hemiplegia, which means she has very limited use of one side of her body. The eight year old loves music and wanted to play the trumpet, but she couldn’t hold it with her weak hand whilst operating the valves with the other. Her mum asked DEMAND to help. A designer from DEMAND assessed her needs and designed a special stand to support the trumpet in a position that lets Leah play it with one hand. It is fully adjustable and she can play it seated or standing. Leah and her mum are delighted with the result and Leah is making good progress at learning to play.
	Lynne Lynne lives in High Wycombe. She spends the majority of her time in her wheelchair. That doesn’t stop her socialising and going out to restaurants, but it is hard for her to sit at a table with her family and friends whilst in the wheelchair. DEMAND were asked to help find a way for her to enjoy meals in the company of others. As a standard tray was too small, a special tray was made for her and she was delighted with the result.

Highlights of 2009

	Lauren (cerebral palsy) Lauren is 4 and lives in Hemel Hempstead. Her physiotherapist and parents encourage her to use a walking frame for therapy purposes. Due to her condition, she is unable to use a standard frame so DEMAND was asked to help. DEMAND fitted extra padding to give her the support she needed. Lauren can now use her walking frame in comfort.
	Alice (multiple sclerosis) Alice lives in Bracknell in Berkshire; she has an undiagnosed condition similar to MS and sometimes needs the use of a wheelchair. Her carer Lucy who has a two year old son couldn’t take Alice out for walks because she couldn’t push her chair and her son’s pushchair at the same time. DEMAND made a lightweight ‘Buggy Board’ specifically to fit Alice’s chair allowing Lucy’s son to stand on the back. Lucy can now take Alice and her son for walks in the local countryside.
	Zubair (cerebral palsy) Zubair is 15 and attends a special school in Hertfordshire. He has severe cerebral palsy, very weak arms and is prone to uncontrolled erratic movement. He has very little grip in his hands. His occupational therapist asked if DEMAND could help. DEMAND made an articulating spring-loaded mechanical device which takes the weight of his arm while allowing full freedom of movement smoothed out with air dampers. Zubair is now able to participate in therapeutic activities, like painting and drawing, which helps to strengthen his arm and hands.
	Betty (reduced mobility) Betty lives in Rotherham South Yorkshire. Her occupational therapist contacted DEMAND to see if we could help her safely use her commode. As a result of a hip replacement she could no longer just sit down, instead she has to let herself fall into the seat with obvious risk to herself. The lightweight commode she was using could easily tip over and cause injury whilst she did this, so to prevent this DEMAND provided an adaptation that bolted onto the base of the commode making it significantly stronger and more stable.
	Naheed (lymphedema) Naheed lives in Middlesex and has Lymphedema which causes extreme weight gain and fatigue. She needs to sit on a sofa so that she can periodically shift her position to alleviate her discomfort. She was unable to sit down or raise herself without assistance which was very difficult and risked the health of herself and her carers. DEMAND made an electrically operated mechanism to lift and tilt the sofa, whilst Naheed is still sitting. She is now able to transfer between the sofa and her walking frame without assistance.
	Peter (learning difficulties) Peter is 82 and lives in sheltered accommodation in Hertfordshire. He has severe learning difficulties. His occupational therapist was concerned that he would develop spinal deformities as a result of his tendency to slump forward when seated at a table for meals. DEMAND made a raised tray which attaches securely to the table with wrap around wings to rest his elbows on to raise and improve his upper body posture.
	Phil (amputee) Phil from North Yorkshire approached DEMAND after having a leg amputated as a result of cancer. He was a very active man and wanted to get back to this lifestyle as quickly as possible. Phil asked for a set of crutches that could supplement his artificial limb and be carried around with him in case of emergencies. In the photo Phil is in Sweden on a camping trip with the Scouts. The crutches collapse and fit easily into his rucksack to enable Phil to take them wherever he goes, without them getting in the way.
	Alfonso (cerebral palsy) Alfonso lives in Cheshire and has cerebral palsy. However, this doesn’t stop him from being very independent. His occupational therapist came to us to see if we could help him shower independently. We designed and produced a tray attachment for his shower chair to hold large dispensers for shower gel and shampoo. It also has a tray for catching the soaps, and two hooks – one for the shower head whilst not in use and the other for a sponge.

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