MULTI-ADJUSTABLE CHAIRS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

There is a growing demand that severely disabled children Should be of fered a normal-looking, comfortable alternative to highly supportive w heelchair seating to facilitate relaxation and social integration. An evaluation of five chairs, funded by Medical Devices Agency, an execut ive agency of the Department of Health, was undertaken with potential and actual users of these chairs to investigate the chairs' function w ith respect to the child's posture, and what features were effective. Twenty-nine children tried five chairs for up to 30 min in each; and a postal survey received 100 responses. The chairs seem to meet many us ers postural needs (78% of postal survey; 31-72% of short-term evaluat ion depending on chair); the chairs' adjustability and availability of special features are important in meeting the needs of this user grou p; evidence of poor design and its implications are discussed.