Remap on BBC Look East
But first, it's something that we maybeall take for granted: having the ability to move around freely.
But for peoplewith a disability, key pieces of kit can help empower them to live
moreindependent lives.Young engineers in Cambridge are working with people inthis region to design and create bespoke tools.
Mo can tell us moretonight in Cambridge.
Yes, welcome to the Cambridge Design Partnership nestled away in the Cambridgeshire countryside you wouldn't know it's here.
Butthis factory, this workshop, is responsible for some big-name inventions –we'll tell you more about that later — but first, how they've helped two people withdisabilities overcome their problems.
What looks like a day out in AngleseyAbbey is actually a working day for Stacy Co Hasini a vlogger who films hertravels to highlight the issues faced by people with disabilities.
But it's notalways as easy as it sounds.
“This date night is not good–oh no! I've dropped my camera!” As with everything else, Stacy's difficulty withholding the camera steady is caught on film “It's definitely not going to plan.
I've just broken the camera “It's just a bit of the lens.
It's alright.
” Enter this simple piece of kit.
Simple but effective.
“The biggest part ofit transforming my life is I can't drop it any more.
Before, I've gotten through three of these cameras in the last year where as I tried to turnthe camera around to film something to the side of me or in front of me I willlose grip of it and drop it.
So that's the biggest thing that'stransformed it.
Now it electronically turns around for me.
That's giving me somuch more independence to get an easier turning on things and not drop thecamera.
” The kit was specially designed by engineers in Cambridge who are coming upwith smart fixes for challenging circumstances.
A description that fitsSarah Stones.
Born with cerebral palsy the tendency to lean on her left canleave her with searing pain.
“I've always thought, actually all I need is something to make me sit up, because I forget.
Soit's just literally a sleeve that I put on my arm and it's got apressure pad underneath it, and when I'm leaning on my arm too much the buzzer goes off.
” Sarah works as a motivation specialist in schools and for companies.
Through their work, both she and Stacey are giving back to society, and thesegadgets are helping them to do that.
I have to say having met both Sarah andStacey they are incredible women in their own right, never mind those gadgets.
But talking of gadgets let's speak to the team behind those inventions here atCambridge Design Partnership.
We're here with Akshaya Ahuja and JessCarroll.
Akshaya let's start with you.
You are a designer by day but supportedthese two people that we've seen with disabilities.
How did you getinvolved? “How did I get involved? I've always been looking for a wayto apply my engineering skills.
I found out about Remap and I was initiallycompletely drawn to the application.
So I got in touch and was given my firstcases and went along and got the chance to make really useful products.
” And Jess, just briefly, a word about who Remap are because they are key to this aren't they? “So Remap is a national charity.
The aim is to make custom equipment forpeople with disabilities in order to help them to live healthier, longer lives.
” And just a question for you, Akshaya, how difficult was it getting behindtheir disabilities, understanding what they needed, presumably you hadn'tworked with people with cerebral palsy before? “I think that is one of thebiggest and most underrated challenges of product development, at CDP and withRemap, is relating to people whose experience you don't necessarily live.
And the key to that is engaging with the client from the start to the end of theproject.
So the way that we do that at Remap is we start every project witha client visit and we hear their thoughts.
We do an initial brainstorm toget their views on what they think will work, but it's really about seeing the client in their environment.
” And Jess, we've got this wall of fame behind you of all thework that CDP has done.
We've got Pyrex, we've got the Dulux paint pots, but youwant to hear more from people with disabilities and how you can help.
“Yeah, so Remap are looking for more cases to take.
So we want to help more peopleand we need more people to refer themselves, or alternatively getting theiroccupational therapists to refer them, and then that way we can help people withtheir lives.
” And that will obviously help your skillset as well? “Yes, so it's a great opportunity as an engineer to see whatyour skills do to help people.
So you can see straight away I've made this thingand this has improved someone's life dramatically.
” Jess, Akshaya, manythanks for hosting us.
So if you are inspired by what you saw in my report, thought what those gadgets could do could help you, do you get in touch with Cambridge Design Partnership.
James.
Mo, great stuff.
Thank you very muchindeed.
Nhận xét
Đăng nhận xét