Last Updated on 10/02/2020 by steveperry
Remap projects featured in their annual awards day on 27th June 2019.
Remap is a UK charity that helps disabled people of all ages to live more independent lives by designing and making customised equipment free of charge. It has a network of volunteer engineers, technicians and inventors who love a challenge. Remap was founded in 1964 and now boasts nearly 900 volunteers and 70 local groups across the country. Last year the charity helped some 4,000 people.
Sarah has cerebral palsy and this affects her daily life and work. She wanted help to correct her posture and there was only one place to turn for help – UK charity Remap. The issue was that when she’s sitting at the computer, Sarah tends to lean heavily on her left arm, causing a lot of pressure on her shoulder and potential injury.
Before long Remap volunteer Akshaya had developed a lightweight, rechargeable electronic armband for her, which produces a sound when it detects that she is leaning continuously with a pressure above a certain threshold for longer than five seconds. The settings can be changed to gradually improve her posture and this should lead to her developing core strength and other aspects of general health.
Other prizes went to the maker of a customised trike for a 15 year old boy with cerebral palsy and epilepsy, a neat turntable which allows a wheelchair to be turned 90 degrees in a narrow corridor, a head support for binoculars for a birdwatcher who cannot hold them steadily, a voice amplifier for a young child with a paralysed vocal cord, guide rails for a blind tenpin bowler and a neck support for a man with motor neurone disease.
From mobility aids to gadgets around the home and sports equipment to supporting education and learning, no problem is too big or too small. Perhaps best of all, everything provided by Remap is free of charge! The charity aims to help people achieve independence and quality of life, filling the gap where no suitable equipment is available commercially.
Alison Wilcox (Chair Royal College of Occupational Therapy England Board) joined the panel of judges at Remap this year to help pick their award winning projects. Speaking at the prize giving event on 27th June Alison said:
“I have been delighted to represent the Royal College of Occupational Therapists in this year’s REMAP annual awards. Judging and shortlisting the nominations was extremely tough as the standard of adaptations has been extremely high. I have been privileged to see from all the nominations the depth and breadth of the fantastic work completed by REMAP. Congratulations to all the nominations and the winning projects.”
What challenge do you have for Remap?
Whether you need a piece of equipment that isn’t on the market, or to have something adapted, Remap can help.
Find Remap at:
Tel: 01732 760209
Email: data@remap.org.uk
Website: www.remap.org.uk
Published: 2nd July 2019
