LOW COST AIDS

Why low cost aids….??

Appropriate aids can make a huge
difference in terms of self-determination,
social integration, and survival. But to create
equipment that is appropriate, we need to work
closely with the disabled persons concerned.
The therapist must consider the disabled
person's unique combination of skills, wishes,
impairments, opportunities, income, and
motivation, as well as personal and
environmental possibilities and constraints
(within home and community). Designs may
differ according to local resources, cost,
accessibility, means of transportation to school
or work, and the support system within the
 PRECAUTIONS IN PROVIDING A PERSON WITH AIDS,
EQUIPMENT, AND PROCEDURES

It should meet the demands of practioner as well as the client.

Less appropriate More appropriate

Frequent re-evaluation is necessary to find out if an aid should
be changed or is no longer needed. Ask the client what he
wants.

Less appropriate More appropriate

 A simple, low-cost aid that is designed and made to meet the
needs of a particular client often works better than an expensive
commercial one.

Less appropriate More appropriate

 Consider the economic limitations of the family and community. Growing
children will frequently need larger sizes of aids such as leg braces, artificial
limbs, and special seating. Use either aids that are cheap enough to replace
often, or that can be easily made of appropriate size .

Less appropriate More appropriate

Make use of the special opportunities in rural areas. Look for ways that a
client can do his / her exercises as part of daily work and play with other
people- not as a boring chore that keeps him / her separate and different.

Less appropriate More appropriate

Whenever a choice can be made, keep orthopaedic
aids as light and unnoticeable as possible.

Less appropriate More appropriate

Try to adapt aids and equipment to the local culture and way
of life.
Make aids and equipment as attractive and enjoyable as possible.
 Always check to see what a client can do with and without his
aids. Try smaller, lighter aids, or none at all. Above all, ask the
client what he prefers.

LESS APPROPRIATE MORE APPROPRIATE STILL MORE APPROPRIATE

Evaluate thoroughly to determine which deformity is to be corrected
and if it is possible to correct the same with these aids.

Less appropriate More appropriate

The factors of belief of community, wishes of parents and child
should be kept in mind and aids should not isolate the clients.
 SHOP REQUIREMENTS FOR MAKING
AIDS
A 'rehab shop' might include areas and equipment for any or all of the
following activities:
• Plaster casting for correcting contractures and club feet
• Brace (caliper) making - using metal, plastic, or both.
• Woodworking - for making crutches, walkers, lying and standing
frames, special seating, wooden wheelchairs.
• Welding and metalwork for making and repairing wheelchairs and
other metal aids.
• Leatherwork for making brace straps, adaptations for shoes and
sandals, and knee pieces
• Sewing (with machine if possible) for wheelchair seats, straps,
special clothes, and other articles
• Artificial limb making - for making simple bamboo or leather limbs
and perhaps more complex ones of wood, aluminium, or resin.
• Game and toy making(or this can be done in a separate 'children's
 ARRANGEMENT OF WORK PLACE
• Each program needs to plan its own use of space.
However, a few things are important if persons in
wheelchairs will be workers.
• Enough space should be allowed everywhere for 2
wheelchairs to pass each other.
• At least some of the workbenches should be low
enough to work at from a wheelchair or stool. Build
them so that wheelchairs can get close to or under
them with as few obstacles as possible.
• Tools and supplies should be stored within easy
reach of workers in wheelchairs. Also, switches and
power outlets.
 Correcting Joint Contractures
• Always use wide areas of pressure. Avoid pressure on the
knee, behind the heel, and over bony areas.
• If a child stays in bed, a stretching aid like one of these might
work. (But try to keep the hip straight, so that the aid does
not cause a hip contracture while it straightens the knee.
1. A SERIES OF PLASTER CASTS.
2. ADJUSTABLE BRACES
3. Elastic stretching aids of bamboo or
inner tube
4. Adhesive strapping
 CLUB FEET
1: STRAPPING
• This method works well in a baby with mild to moderate clubbing, especially
when the foot can be put into a nearly normal position. The method is easier
and cheaper than casting, and sometimes gives better results.
2: PLASTER CASTS
This method uses a casting technique similar to the one for correcting
contractures. A club foot is gradually straightened in 3
stages:

Stage A
• Straighten the inward bend so that the foot points down. Do not yet begin
to lift the foot.
Stage B
• Overcorrect so that the foot points down and out. Keep the foot in this
position until the heel no longer turns in but is straight or turns out just a
little.
Stage C
• Now bring the foot up, making sure that the outside of the foot is higher
than the inside. Overcorrect.
 Homemade Casting Materials
• If you use gauze or cheesecloth, first dip it into a weak
solution of laundry starch and let it dry. This helps the
bandage keep its shape.

• Cut the cloth into strips of the width you want.

• Rub plaster powder into the cloth and roll or fold it

loosely.

• Do not roll it tightly or the inner part will not get wet
when dipped for use.
 Casts made of wax
• Wax can be much cheaper than plaster bandage, especially it
the wax is re-used. To make a wax cast:
1. Melt the wax in a can placed in hot water.

2. Cut several strips of soft absorbent cloth.

3. Soak the cloth in hot wax.

4. When it has cooled enough not to burn, wrap the waxed

cloths around the foot.

5. While the wax is still warm and soft, rub and press it against
the leg.
6. Hold the foot in the desired position until the wax hardens. (To speed hardening,
you can put the foot in cold water.)

7. Cut the wet cast along the rope, and carefully remove it.

Re-using the wax: After the positive plaster mould has been made from the wax
cast, the wax can be re-used. Heat up the pieces of waxed cloth and use them
to form a new cast. Or boil the waxed cloth in water, holding the cloth under
the surface with rocks or metal. The hot wax will rise to the surface. When it
cools, lift it off and re-use it.
 Developmental Aids
WEDGE

ADJUSTABLE BEDS
ADJUSTABLE BACK SUPPORT CLAMP

SITTING AIDS
STANDING AIDS
 REFERENCES

• Presentation made by Dr. Parag Sawant-

Occupational Therapist
• Disabled Village Children – DAVID WERNER.
• Nothing About Us Without Us – DAVID
WERNER.
• http://www.youtube.com/healthwrights
THANK YOU…