When Zack was little going to the supermarket on my own, meant pushing him round in his specialised buggy whilst balancing a basket full of essentials (I never go in for just one thing) on my left arm.
I used to envy the other parents pushing round their toddler in the supermarket trolleys. Well check this out.
A while ago I posted about a brilliant test product from the research and development department at Cerebra. A portable seat that could be used in supermarket trolleys, on dining chairs, in fact with most furniture that allows an individual to sit. Shift forward a good few months and a company called Leckey that produces equipment for children with disabilities have took it one step further and launched the Firefly Go to Seat. Firefly is a brand belonging to Leckey, they design and manufacture products to support special needs family participation.
So look who's gone shopping to Costco for his bumper pack of washing-up powder, best kitchen rolls in the world and free taster food, the Pants.
Oh and me of course, and his dad, and his sister, who refused to sit in the trolley, why do that when you have huge ailes to run around?
The Firefly Go to Seat is part of a collection of products that Leckey are developing to help make life easier and more inclusive for families who have a child with a disability.
Lets just pause for a moment. Wait, a company that is actually producing products to make life feel a bit more normal. Finally, someone is listening.
Getting back to the chair. The improvements and development of the product are very good. It is still lightweight, extremely light in fact, easily carried with one hand. You can pop it into your car or carry it onto a train or bus, it takes up hardly any room. More importantly (for me as a woman) the colours are good, not garish and ugly but pleasant, light green, blue or pink.
There is a five point harness, padding to the chair and what I noticed compared to the original design is the back has some flexibility from the base, in that it gives slightly.
The pants is a bit of a bigger boy now so this seat will probably serve us well if we want him to sit on a chair in a restaurant or even perhaps travel by plane....ooooh the very thought.
But I can still get him into a trolley. Even if he does look bemused by the whole process of me faffing about tightening some straps.
Whilst the harness does keep him secure it doesn't provide him with total trunk support so he tends to lean slightly. This however wasn't a problem, a bit of a nudge, encouragement to hold onto the bar of the trolley and hey presto he was sat up and enjoying the ride. Who said a spot of extra therapy can't be thrown into any situation.
This seat really does make shopping easier. It makes life a bit easier. What's more I think the price of the product at £125 is reasonable. I just wish this was around when Zack was first born it would have probably allowed me access to a simple task that most people take for granted.
1 comment:
Woah this seat is awesome, thanks for posting Linzi! I would be buying one strait away if Elin would sit in anything anyway! (Might still buy one just in case!) Also, a little boy in Elin's class is in the video!! I know his Mum and Dad how funny is that. He's the little dude on the swing with his Daddy at the end, and in the supermarket trolley :-) xxx
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