Vehicle
Car Access
To achieve effective transfers for this client, a handle was constructed that could be locked onto the car door bolt striker. Once locked in place, the handle sticks out beside the passenger seat and the client has something strong to lean on as she lowers and raises herself. The handle was finished off by attaching a standard plastic hand grip over the metal tubing and sticking padding to the metal plate to stop it rubbing against the door pillar. Ref T7-418
Car Boot Lid Strap
A woman was having difficulty in closing her car boot because she could not reach the lid when standing at the rear of the car. A neat and simple solution was provided by a strap attached to the underside of the boot lid. Made from approximately 600mm of 50mm webbing, the strap has a loop at one end and a 7mm hole at the other so it could be riveted in place. Ref 98/105
Reaching Device
Woman with paraplegia over many years has developed weakness and pain in her shoulders. She was having difficulty shutting her car door after transferring from her wheelchair into the car on the passenger side and then sliding over to the driver's seat. She did not want any structural modification to the car. A reaching device was made of poly pipe and resembling a claw. The client could easily hook the pipe into the armrest of the passenger door and pull the door shut. In this simple solution PVC tubes were fixed to a PVC elbow. Ref 96/347
Supporting Frame for Car Transfers
Woman who is unable to bend her legs walks with the assistance of a walking frame, but cannot get out of her car without being lifted by someone. A frame similar to a walking frame was made to provide bars for the client to push down on while she pushes herself up to standing position. The frame has two arms, and a base with an open front to allow her to walk out of it using her conventional walking frame. The frame sits on four legs which can pivot ensuring stability on uneven surfaces. The full-width pivot acts as a 500mm long hinge and ensures a very rigid frame. The design is very simple, inexpensive, with few moving parts, and is easily lifted into the back of the car. Ref T1/173
Modification to Scooter Lifter for Car
The client carried his electric scooter in the rear of his van, but was no longer able to load it manually. An electric hoist was purchased to lift the scooter, but it could not be mounted inside the vehicle as intended. Modifications were required to provide external mounting on the vehicle. A support post of 40mm heavy steam pipe was fitted to the rear side of the vehicle to carry the removable post and swinging arm of the electric hoist. The wiring circuit was altered to suit the electric hoist. A safety harness for the scooter hooks onto the lifting arm of the hoist, which lifts the scooter to the level of the tailgate and then can easily be manouvered into the rear of the vehicle. Ref 99/275
Wheelchair Lifter
A woman who uses a wheelchair was finding it almost impossible to lift and manouvre her manual wheelchair into the boot of her small hatchback vehicle. A winch, powered by a 12 volt motor operates a pulley system which easily lifts the wheelchair into the car. The winch is turned on via a small switch located near the hatch door. It is mounted on the floor behind the rear seat and pulls the wheelchair in backwards over a horizontal bar fitted to the rear bumper. Rope passes over a pulley mounted in the car roof, near the hinge line of the hatch. The bar was added to stop the wheelchair wheels from jamming under the bumper. Ref T0/500
Key Turner for Car
A woman with arthritis is unable to turn keys in her car’s ignition. The key has a transponder in the head which didn’t fit in commercially available key grips. A polyethylene key turner was made by TADVIC with enough space between the sides to fit the head of a transponder key and enable it to swivel out and retract as required. T8-554
