Dear Ursula

This is a bit of a long shot, but I wonder whether it would be worth contacting the Helen Hamlyn Centre at the Royal College of Art to see if they can point you in a helpful direction?
http://www.rca.ac.uk/research-innovation/helen-hamlyn-centre/about/

I'm not suggesting they might have what you need, but they may be aware of resources that are available. If you haven't already done so, it may also be worth contacting adornequip    on   http://www.adornequip.co.uk/

Best wishes
Lynnette


Lynnette Easterbrook
Student Services Manager
Room LG19
Royal College of Music
Prince Consort Road
London SW7 2BS

+ 44 (0) 207 591 4316

www.rcm.ac.uk




-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ursula Bilson
Sent: 01 September 2015 17:11
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Drawing board for mobility scooter

Hi Peter and Karen,

Yes the student is on an art course, so she does need to do actual drawing with a pencil.  I understand that if it was holding a pen / pencil that kind of device would be a good thing to look at.  The specific issue she has is not being able to hold or support anything using the non-dom arm. 

She will not be in receipt of DSA, and is not regular user of mobile devices, so would be overkill to buy an learn to use one for this purpose - also would give her same issue of not being able to support it - but being heavier than paper.  Yes, also take your point that could be useful for geographical subject info. 

I've checked nearly 30 scooter sites, plus usual outlets like Nottingham Rehab, Argos, eBay, Amazon etc.  The suppliers of the scooter can’t suggest anything either. I'm not surprised that accessories for scooters are limited to covers, storage of the scooter and storage on it such as baskets / bags, as typically you move them to a location then get out to do something.  I can see why this student would not want to do that.  Some of the drawing trips will be in locations such as a zoo, an engineering works - i.e. not places where a table and chair would be to hand. 

Solutions put to student so far:
My original suggestion was a portable easel and a chair stool to use with it - (she will be accompanied on trips)

I've offered her option of seeing is a monitor arm will clamp - then screwing in a board on to it instead of a monitor.  

I'm waiting to hear back from the local supplier of  RAM Mounts http://www.rammount.com/ (thanks Nick for the suggestion)

I've looked at under bed type of tables and found a light weight folding one - but that will need again to be carried and set up by an assistant - depends on clearance under the scooter - possibly not practical and again would need a spate portable chair.

Thanks for your ideas,
Ursula


-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Peter Halls
Sent: 01 September 2015 15:14
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Drawing board for mobility scooter

Karen, Ursula,

     you did not say what subject your student is studying: being a 'geologist who cannot draw for toffee', I faced this problem - ah, many years ago.  Being a keen photographer, my solution was to note in my field notebook each source and target location (and, later, slide number), together with a textual description of what was supposedly shown.  I used reversal film, getting slides (positives) from which I then selected for my reports and put the selected slides in the enlarger and traced out the information I wanted into my report.  It suited my lecturers!

     I am a Samsung Galaxy Note (mini-tablet) user today, with one of the largest areas of real estate of the mobile phone market, but I do not think my device has the space to record field information adequately, even if I could draw.  However, I think a (at least A5 drawing area) tablet computer should be workable, albeit rather more obvious and cumbersome.  If the tablet is 'GPS Enabled', ideally supporting at least GPS (the US system), GLONASS (Russian) and Galileo (European), then the positioning information recorded with each photo-sketch should certainly support later analytical work - I have undertaken data gathering work with my Note and achieved very acceptable positioning data - but that also requires an element of mission planning (and documentation) with regard to satellite availability, weather conditions, etc, which can affect the quality of the positional information.

     The student would, of course, need to have due awareness of the necessity for keeping the battery charged and for taking appropriate backups.  An adapter to that the charge can be topped up when travelling might be worthwhile.  Equally, enabling 100% concentration on travelling when in motion would be wise, using a mobility scooter or walking.

     I would, however, urge caution, should your student be working in sensitive situations: a perfect record is no use if you get shot ...

Best wishes,

Peter

On 1 September 2015 at 14:11, Karen Farmer <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi Ursula
>
>
>
> Does the student actually have to draw on paper – otherwise, what 
> about using a mobile phone with an app like Skitch to annotate directly onto a
> clear photograph of the subject?   If necessary the student could then use
> this as a reference to make an accurate drawing from at a later point…
>
>
>
> Regards
>
> K
>
>
>
> From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ursula Bilson
> Sent: 01 September 2015 10:28
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Drawing board for mobility scooter
>
>
>
> Dear all,
>
>
>
> I was wondering if anyone has come across a board that can be attached 
> to a central steering column of a mobility scooter?
>
>
>
> It needs to be able to angle at a slope so that it can be used for 
> drawing when on field trips. The student concerned does not want 
> anything that goes across her lap.  As it will specifically be used 
> for drawing it needs to be attached to keep it stable (as opposed to a 
> lap desk for example) to allow for more accuracy than if using it just 
> to write notes.  The scooter does not have arms fitted, hence needs to 
> attach to central column.  The student will have a practical assistant 
> with her on field trips, so any item can be attached by the assistant, 
> as travelling with anything attached to the steering column would not be a good idea.
>
>
>
> Some locations will be outside, so the option to transfer out of the 
> scooter and sit in a chair / at a table are very limited in these locations.
>
>
>
> I’ve thought of a portable collapsible ease which could be assembled 
> by a practical assistant, but the student is not keep on this idea – 
> as it would rely on transferring out of the scooter into another chair.
>
>
>
> I’m struggling to find of anything suitable, hoping someone else may 
> have solved a similar situation.
>
>
>
> Many Thanks for your help.
>
>
>
> Ursula Bilson
>
> Centre for Accessability Needs,
>
> Gateway House
>
> De Montfort University
>
>
>
> T: +44 (0) 116 257 7258
>
> E: [log in to unmask]
>
> F: +44 (0) 116 250 6048
>
> W: dmu.ac.uk
>
>



--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter J Halls, PhD Student, Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit (PRDU),
                      University of York

Snail mail: PRDU, Derwent College, University of York,
                Heslington, York YO10 5DD This message has the status of a private and personal communication
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

______________________________________________________________________
This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud service.
For more information please visit http://www.symanteccloud.com ______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud service.
For more information please visit http://www.symanteccloud.com
______________________________________________________________________