Wheelchair Mitt

[AussieMade]

Hey all.

I have been asked to make a wheelchair mitt for a quadriplegic. I have attached a drawing of what he wants, but what is best to make it out of? He has no movement in his wrists so needs to be firm yet comfortable to wear while he is pushing his wheelchair. I was thinking 1.5-2mm bovine lined with neoprene and covered with kangaroo. The Neoprene to allow for shock absorption and the kangaroo over top of the neoprene to stop any wear on the neoprene.

This is what he based his design from. He also needs it to be easily fitted by himself with his other hand which also lacks much movement.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am going to get some stuff to make a mock up and see how it looks tomorrow.

Thanks.

Edited September 7, 2017 by AussieMade

[k10]

If you can get it poron for prosthetics and orthopaedics is what I prefer to neoprene as it is designed to absorb shock in such applications and it doesn't compress over time as easy. I find it breathes a little better too where as neoprene gets sweaty I find. If you're using glue to bind layers as well as edge stitching then Ortec is the best for sticking it I find, I usually prime it with their PUR primer but ymmv without priming. There are different colours for different force spreading, impact resistance and cushioning. The red tends to be more comfort surface than impact resisting as it is very squishy, best bet if you can get it is check their charts for most suited to your needs or a similar poron equivalent maybe (I use the medium densities the most and buy in rolls but many places sell small pieces). Pity not in the UK or I'd send you some as I could post it cheap within the country.

Just my opinion and maybe not what you'd want but I guessed it was for abrasion protection from pushing the chair rather than full on wrist support. If it is just palm protection being overly thick maybe uncomfortable depending on the user. If it were me (wearing I mean, not making) I'd use as thin a stock as possible like 1mm vegtan goat or something very supple and add thicker kagaroo or bovine on the abrasion prone point. Maybe a thin layer or cushioning (neoprene, poron etc whatever you can get) on points likely to cause issues if left unpadded.

Apologies if I've missed the point and it is for wrist support, I'm thinking along lines of what most I know use them for which is palm protection when they travel around a lot and most don't have full chair handles so they do it all under own steam which is heavy on the palms at times.

[JD62]

  You should also note that any moisture on the ground gets to the hand wheels and carries dirt and grit with it. It's not only uncomfortable bot can lead to blisters and infection. Good luck and please keep us updated.

[Northmount]

2 hours ago, JD62 said:

  You should also note that any moisture on the ground gets to the hand wheels and carries dirt and grit with it. It's not only uncomfortable bot can lead to blisters and infection. Good luck and please keep us updated.

Generally, the wheelchair user is not using the tires to propel themselves.  Usually grip a smaller diameter wheel, usually chromed, mounted outside the the tire.  There is not a lot of distance between the tire and the 'drive' wheel, so could be some contamination, though not as serious.  Gloves may need wrist support as shown in the photos.

Tom

[JD62]

I'm well aware of the chrome hand wheels and you are correct that the contamination is not as great, I use one my self. Being a paraplegic I just wanted to point out that we don't always feel the damage until its to late. I don't always make myself clear either.

[Northmount]

11 hours ago, JD62 said:

I'm well aware of the chrome hand wheels and you are correct that the contamination is not as great, I use one my self. Being a paraplegic I just wanted to point out that we don't always feel the damage until its to late. I don't always make myself clear either.

It's great to have your input.  My stint in a wheelchair was only 3 weeks.  Not years like many.  We have a dear friend that was in a car accident and is now a high level quad with some use of her arms.  Over 30 years now.

Tom

[AussieMade]

On 9/8/2017 at 7:41 AM, k10 said:

If you can get it poron for prosthetics and orthopaedics is what I prefer to neoprene as it is designed to absorb shock in such applications and it doesn't compress over time as easy. I find it breathes a little better too where as neoprene gets sweaty I find. 

Apologies if I've missed the point and it is for wrist support, I'm thinking along lines of what most I know use them for which is palm protection when they travel around a lot and most don't have full chair handles so they do it all under own steam which is heavy on the palms at times.

I like the sound of the Poron. It looks to be a pain to get here in Australia. But have found an Orthopedic Medium density supplier whom I have just registered with so I can find out the price.  It comes in 3.2mm thickness, Hopefully it wont be too think in the end. But they do have heaps of other options available as well.

It will be used for both support in his wrist and palm protection.

 

Thanks

[JD62]

21 hours ago, northmount said:

It's great to have your input.  My stint in a wheelchair was only 3 weeks.  Not years like many.  We have a dear friend that was in a car accident and is now a high level quad with some use of her arms.  Over 30 years now.

Tom

I'm sorry to hear that. I was lucky to get partial use of my legs back but its a lot of hard work. Please give my best wishes to your friend. I think your on the right track, If I can be of any help just ask!

[AussieMade]

Hey all, finished the mitt today. the customer loves it. we ended up using Neoprene rubber for grip on the outer palm side as this is what he wanted. Came out really nice, fits really well. But needs a little trimming where his left pinky and ring finger are as his fingers are permanently bent end up sitting just inside the leather and uncomfortable for him. He now wants another 3 made, but I am going to be making a few mods to help make it easier for him to put on and off as the twin d-rings are a bit hard to do up and undo. Two pics are with my hand in it before I done the stitching.

[billybopp]

Looks good and quite usable!   Wonder if a side release buckle would be the way to go on the straps?   It's too tight, tho - it's cutting off circulation to your fingers and turning them blue.

Bill