Equipment
Feature
easily foldable , featured a footrest , and included a special butterfly pattern – made just for Etta .
Mum Sally explains what it was like seeing Etta get on her chair herself for the first time : ‘ It was so lovely to see how excited Etta was . Remap had gone to the effort of asking what colours Etta liked and decorated the chair for her , so when the chair arrived covered in pink butterflies , she was over the moon .
‘ For her to then climb up herself was a great moment , so much so we struggled to persuade her out of it .’
For Etta , this is more than just a chair . She can climb up onto the chair herself and has somewhere to rest her feet , helping her sit comfortably , whether she is eating , playing or reading . Most importantly , it means she can access the table the same way as the rest of the family .
Speaking about the need for custom-made equipment and how it has impacted Etta ’ s life ,
Sally adds : ’ With remap , having something custom-made feels like a relief . You talk through the challenge in detail , then someone goes away and solves that problem and works with you to adjust and try things as you go .
‘ Then when it ’ s finished you know it is exactly what ’ s needed and the person it is intended for was at the core of the design , not an
Above : Etta with her chair adaptation by Remap afterthought . It still makes me happy when I see Etta using the chair , but she doesn ’ t even notice it , which is as it should be .’
Michael unleashes his creativity
Michael found his love for art when studying at college . He quickly found that his passion lay with painting , but wanted just a little bit more independence and not to have to rely on those around him to bring his ideas to life .
As a keen boccia player , he had a helmet that he thought may be able to help him . So he started himself , taping paintbrushes onto his helmet . For him , being able to paint independently was his goal .
We are here to help people increase their independence and make the impossible , possible for them . We wouldn ’ t be able to support people without the help of occupational therapists throughout the country , and we are extremely thankful for that .”
Reaching out to Remap , volunteers adapted his helmet to include a fixture so that he could easily swap paintbrushes and take more control of his paintings himself .
Fast forward two years , and Michael has recently had his paintings commissioned by the national disability charity Scope , and his designs feature on its online store .
Michael explains what it has been like bringing his dream to life : ‘ I was so excited when Scope reached out to me . It made me happy to get some recognition for my designs . It ’ s great to see people buying my designs and doing something good for charity .’
He also speaks about how the adaptation made to his helmet helped him : ‘ I found it so much easier , I could have a bit more independence and create pieces myself without too much help .’
Michael ’ s ultimate dream is to have his art featured in the Tate Modern .
The service Remap provides is available to anyone with a disability in the UK . the charity ’ s volunteers work through local branches , designing and creating equipment for peoples particular needs .
A spokesperson for Remap said : ‘ We are here to help people increase their independence and make the impossible , possible for them . We wouldn ’ t be able to support people without the help of occupational therapists throughout the country , and we are extremely thankful for that .’
Could someone you know benefit from custommade equipment in their life ? www . remap . org . uk /.
Above : Michael with his helmet adapted by Remap , to help him paint independently
April 2022 OTnews 51