| Author | Message | ||
     Darleen McKeane Unregistered guest Rating: N/A |
Hello from across the pond. I am from the USA and expecting. My husband and I are thrilled, but we need some advice on baby equipment designed for handicapped parents. He has cerebral palsy. Mostly his legs are affected and he is able to walk without crutches, but he is unstable on his feet. He wears braces and uses a cane some of the time. The most obvious need is for a stroller (buggy?) he can use safely. We were thinking of a break that engages when he lets go of the handle in case he falls. We don’t want the baby to go rolling! He is unable to carry a baby, so the stroller would get constant use in the house and outside. We have seen nothing like this available and I was hoping that someone will know if and where this dream stroller exists. Thanks and cheers, Darleen | ||
| Jenni Slaughter (Jenkhai) New member Username: Jenkhai Post Number: 5 Registered: 04-2005 Rating: N/A |
Darleen , I seen your post . My husband said that you probably could check with a good bicycle place that can do custome work .. Meaning .. Get a stroller , and see if the bicycle place can some how create a brake system on the handle part of the stroller ( top ) .. The only way the stroller will move ( for example ) is if your husband is squeezing this brake handle that is rigged up .. and if he falls, ( his hand will come off the stroller ) then that will release the brake (tension ) and the stroller will automatically stop ( tention from the release of the handle on the top of the stroller , will put ( brake pads - on a car ) stop to the stroller , so it wont keep rolling . Also, I only thought of strollers that have brakes on them already are the " Jogging Strollers " .. Have only 3 wheels .. You could go to any stroller or babyproduct site and look up jogging strollers, and you will see at the top of the stroller handel there is a brake . Just a thought . Hope this helps a bit . Jenni PS.. I use a stroller ( we have two - one for the house and one for our car .. ) to take Khai from one room to another, since I cant carry him in my arms.. I walk with crutches all the time also, and dont have good balance . Plus we have a " feeding table that is on 4 wheels ( legs ) and I put Khai in it ( doesnt tip over if I loose my balance ) and stroll him around in the kitchen to the living room if I am feeding him.. and I can adjust this feeding table to different heights .. Its the best thing ..better then a regular highchair . Have a good day .. | ||
| lou Unregistered guest Rating: N/A |
hi Darleen, try a low high chair on wheels for inside, i have CP and use crutches and was given by my ot 1, really designed for disaled children but usable for a bsby from the time they can hold their head up, fun design, and aceptable to the eye it ha a tray, so can be used for feeding -and play!!- it has an edge so toys don't fall off!it is stableenough for me to lean on too! maybe an adaption to a proper pram would be good, or weighted objects in the shopping net underneath, as i found strollers tipped to easily when I leant on them. take care lou | ||
| Claire Lavery (Georgia) New member Username: Georgia Post Number: 3 Registered: 06-2005 Rating: N/A |
Thanx for the info ladies... I'm from the uk and i can't use my crutches and push the buggy (stroller) at the same time. I don't have a car as i'm a single mam. I'm now trying to get services in my area like ot and ss to take notice. If you have seen any of my other posting's you'll have seen, that my lovely local housing dept decided to place me into a 3 floor maisonette.. The baby and i are sleeping in the living room (me on the sofa) as i can't manage the stairs. I have asked about a bungalow or a flat but they refused saying that the bungalows were for the elderly and they were priority to me... I'm 33 btw. Can anyone advise me how to get registered disabled in the uk plz... I am being shoved from pillar to post... Thanx... Georgia.. | ||
| Michele Unregistered guest Rating: N/A |
Disabled parents and housing: I am are urgently seeking very brief accounts of difficulties that disabled parents are having in getting suitable housing to include in the article I am preparing for dppi journal and DPN newsletter. Claire (Georgia) would you be able to write a paragraph or two about this (a couple of hundred words at most is all that is needed). It can be included anonymously. I would need it for next Tuesday (7th June). Many thanks for any help you can give. MicheleWates@DisabledParentsNetwork.org.uk Disabled parents and equipment modification in the UK: Here are some thoughts about organisations in the UK that can help with one-off equipment adaptations. Riability, the final organisation mentioned, do not make equipment but they do produce leaflets reviewing equipment that disabled parents have tried out. Disability pregnancy and parenthood international information service (free number 0800 018 4730) also have information about equipment for disabled parents BIME (Bath Institute of Medical Engineering Wolfson Centre, Royal United Hospital, Bath BA1 3NG Tel 01225 824103 Email info@bime.org.uk Website www.bime.org.uk BIME is a design and development charity in healthcare and disability. A team of electrical and mechanical design engineers design practical items of daily living equipment. Their designs are led by the views and needs of disabled people, carers and professionals. Bath Institute of Medical Engineering) have developed a prototype for a baby carrier that will attach to the front wheelchair carrier (www.bath.ac.uk/Centre/BIME). REMAP Tel 0845 1300456 Email info@remap.org.uk Website www.remap.org.uk REMAP has panels of volunteer engineers and designers across the country who will consider one-off requests for adaptations and equipment to meet individual problems for which there is no alternative solution available. DEMAND (Design & Manufacture For Disability) design and manufacture one-off pieces of equipment (www.demand.org.uk). The Old Chapel, Mallard Road, Abbots Langley, Herts WD5 0GQ Tel 01923 681800 Email info@demand.org.uk Website www.demand.org.uk DEMAND designers and craftsmen can create special furniture and equipment for disabled children and adults, often when no other solution exists. Ricability (does not create equipment but has done some useful evaluation of equipment for disabled parents)30 Angel Gate, City Road, London EC1V 2PT Tel 020 7427 2460 Textphone 020 7427 2469 Email mail@ricability.org.uk Website www.ricability.org.uk Ricability Reports: Childcare Products Ricability is an organisation that carries out research and publishes information about equipment for disabled people. It has produced a series of free booklets on mainstream childcare products and their suitability for disabled parents. The series includes booklets on baby carriers; bottles; warmers and sterilisers; highchairs; pushchairs and safety gates. Most of the guides are also available in Braille, large print and on tape. For more information about accessible formats contact Ricability. See www.ricability.org.uk/reports/report-childcare.htm |