DEMAND - Transforming the lives of people with disabilities through the provision of bespoke equipment

So far in 2010, DEMAND has helped 802 people.

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.

Lauren stood in a walking frame

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's wheelchair and buggy board

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 using his arm support

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 stood in her house

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 on her adapted sofa

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 sat at his raised tray

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 with his adapted crutches

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 showing his soap dispensers

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.