Active Mobility - Inservice at Young Body Rehab

Active Mobility Center provided an Inservice for Young Body Rehab in Palm Beach on Freedom Concepts, bicycles and chill out chairs. Freedom Concepts is a manufacturer of bicycles for mobility challenged indivdiuals who are are able to use or be supported on traditional bicycles.

Freedom Concepts offers several bicycle systems for small children to adults. These systems can be customized for size, shape and abilities. These systems can be provided with caregiver stearing systems to allow the user to concentrate of movement, or the caregiver can push the bike moving the user's feet in the standard bicycle pattern.  These bikes can be operated by foot or hand. Options include shoe holders, seat and back supports, belts and harnesses, headrests, adjustable and adpative handle bars.

The Chill Out Chairs offered in mobile and rocker base, and provide an alternative, safe seating surface for children and adults with mobility challenges. 

For an Inservice or more information, please contact Carey Britton at 954-946-5793 or at cbritton@wheelchairguys.com . 

Special Needs Grocery Cart

Did you know there are grocery carts made for special needs children? I was recently made aware that a family who founded Parent Solution Group, LLC where they struggled with taking their child shopping to the grocery store. This is a regular problem I hear from families I work with and this could really help with everyday life.  Trying to push and navigate with  a wheelchair/stroller and grocery cart is challenging to impossible, making families make arrangements to make a  trip to the store.

A local South Florida Publix is testing a special needs shopping cart at 1180 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. Store #362 on the corner of Okeechobee Blvd.. The phone # is 561-790-4802. They are... using Caroline's Carts, which enables you to put a larger disabled child into a special seat on the front of the cart. You can see the cart at their website http://www.carolinescart.com/. Please tell your friends an families know about this important test, if we don't prove a need, then obviously they won't put them in other stores! See the store manager and ask for one in your home store.

 

This article was provided by Carey J. Britton, Seating and Mobility Specialist, for Active Mobility Center and can be reached at (954) 946-5793 or cbritton@wheelchairguys.com.

Wii Wheelchair Gives Mobility to Disabled Infants

• Cerebral Palsy
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Paralysis Cures
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Traumatic Brain Injury

Technology is amazing; this has been used in NY as a creative game that teaches mobility challenged children how to safely drive a powered motorized device (PMD). This information was shared to me from a local therapist in South Florida as we were talking about emerging technology for children and adults with mobility challenges.

 

A team of researchers, in 2009 developed the prototype of a motorized wheelchair in order to provide “safe powered mobility to infants with physical disabilities who are less than two years of age.” IC Tots on Bots is a collaborative research project among the departments of Computer Science, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy at Ithaca College in New York.

The balance board has responsive pressure sensors in each of its four corners and built in Bluetooth capabilities. They are using a commercial Bluetooth adapter and WiiYourself! C++ library to access balance board data within our robotics software. Their software compares the values of the four pressure sensors to determine which, if any, direction the infant is leaning. When a sustained lean is detected, the robot begins to move in that direction. When the child reaches out for an item, he or she leans in the direction of the item and moves towards it. We believe this will be the most intuitive method for a young child to learn to use.

Because each child moves differently from any other, the researchers are working on creating parameter files that are tailored to the individual. In addition, the Pioneer 3 robotic platform uses sonar to keep from bumping into objects, which helps keep babies safe from collisions. For ultimate peace of mind, there is also a remote-control joystick that provides wireless parental override.

                                 

 

It is great when people think outside the box and apply different technologies to create new solutions that may improve people's lives.  This should be a great tool in schoos and therapy centers to help children to move through space, increase development and improve independence.

 

This device was not found currently available in a recent search.

 

Carey Britton, Seating and Mobility Specialist for Active Mobility Center can be reached at (954) 946-5793 or cbritton@wheelchairguys.com