26 | SEN EQUIPMENT | INNOVATION
W:
www.ie-today.co.uk
ABOVE: Bugzi, a motorised wheelchair for children aged one to six. BELOW: Get extra chair stability with Rokzi chair Armz and Legz A SUPPORTING ROLE
Innovative, user-friendly equipment developed by the Medical Engineering Research Unit charity is helping children with special needs or disabilities become more independent
Legz explains: “The Rokzi Armz provide increased feedback and trunk support for students who have poor body awareness and tend to lean, slide or get up frequently when using normal school chairs. The Legz help to ensure the safety of children who tend to rock in their chairs or demonstrate difficulties with balance and have limited awareness of danger. This enables students to sit more independently and to engage for longer.” Designed by MERU (Medical
D
id you know that over 7,000 schoolchildren were admited to hospital in 2008 as a result of a chair-related accident? With 70 percent of
these being due to children rocking on their chairs? In most cases this should be avoidable, but
some children, particularly children with special needs or disabilities, may benefit from some help with seating stability. An intermediate solution to seating stability that’s intended for both special and mainstream schools, Rokzi chair Armz and Legz can atach to standard school seats to provide extra support and make it easier for students to sit down and stand up safely. Caroline Bulmer, senior occupational therapist at
Queensmill School, a special school for children with autism spectrum disorders that uses Rokzi Armz and
Engineering Research Unit), a charity that specialises in assistive equipment for disabled and special needs children, Rokzi chair adaptations have been carefully thought through so that they don’t look like special equipment. “These add-ons fit regular school chairs and harmonise with their designs so that they don’t look like special medical equipment, to avoid a potentially stigmatising effect,” says MERU engineer Peter Swann. “Children are sensitive to feeling different and are willing to engage with atractive equipment more readily. The look of the items we create at MERU is considered vital as making appealing-looking items means there’s one less barrier to children geting on and using them.” The Rokzi Armz and Legz are
just one example of the items that MERU provides to help children that are disabled or with special
needs, at home or school. MERU has a long history of designing and creating special items where no other product exists to meet a specific requirement and can offer bespoke products as well as the readymade items that are available to buy off the shelf. Another more specialised
example of MERU’s desire to help children with complex needs is Bugzi, a motorised wheelchair for children aged from one to six. Each Bugzi is specially tailored and adapted to the individual child’s needs, with the capacity to adjust seating and controls as they grow. By allowing disabled children
to use and develop their physical co-ordination and spatial awareness, Bugzi provides them with the opportunity to explore their world, make choices about what to do and learn about risk and safety, and interact socially with their friends and families, joining in games and activities. St Peter’s Catholic Primary
School in Leatherhead is raising money to provide a disabled child with a Bugzi. Maxime Sabatini, a fundraiser for MERU, says: “The sister of one of the boys at St Peter’s used a Bugzi, so being able to see that the Bugzi will benefit a child close to their own age, and have a go with one, has meant that the children can really relate to this campaign, so it makes an excellent fundraising project for schools.” iE
To find out more about fundraising for a Bugzi, contact Maxime Sabatini T: 01372 841222 E:
maxime.sabatini@
qef.org.uk To find out more about MERU’s work and products, visit
www.MERU.org.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40