Great gadget to open doors from a wheelchair

For many people the act of opening a bedroom door and leaving a room is a simple process. For Joan who has severe arthritis, however, this was proving something of a challenge. Joan has limited strength and movement in her arms and hands and has recently started using a powered wheelchair. These factors make it difficult for her to reach and pull open the sprung loaded doors in the home where Joan lived.

Commercial companies quoted for suitable door openers and the lowest was £1,500 per door, so Remap were asked to help.  Remap Essex Central made this system, fully meeting her needs for £35 per door. Currently her bedroom and living room doors are fitted.

A lever and handle were added to the door in a position that Joan could reach from her wheelchair and an electromagnetic door holder, such as those used to hold fire doors open, was added to the top of the door.

To open her door from the wheelchair, she switches on the door holder using her remote control, grabs the handle of the lever, backs her wheelchair, a nylon cord attached to the lever rotates the door handle to release the latch and she continues backward until the door contacts the door holder.  The door is now held open and she can safely exit, switching off the door holder with her remote control to close the door.

This is an extract from an article published in the Essex Chronicle on 1 March 2018