Using a support aid should not deter your confidence. That was the message from Health & Social Care students during their Expo event where visitors were shown how applying a bit of creativity to support aids could make them less noticeable and more importantly, an extension of the users personalities.
The Expo (on 15 Nov 2016) included displays and activities detailing how every support aid can be ‘blinged up' for fun whilst also making the user more confident, allowing them to express their creativity through their support aids.
The ‘Personalised Casts’ project was once such way to jazz up the boring white and blue casts worn by patients. The project idea involved running hospital workshops for children and adults wearing casts, showing them how to design and decorate their cast in an attempt to make it fun and to lift their spirits.
There were many displays to show visitors how they could decorate their support aid, whether it was a wheelchair, hearing aid, glasses, or even maternity clothes. A raffle was held with one lucky visitor winning the top prize of a wheelchair decorating kit. The student message was being spread loud and clear - have fun with your support aids and to make them a part of you.
One project highlighted the decoration of walking sticks with a glow-in-the-dark design in order to increase visibility of the user on busy roads and in the dark. Another transformed glasses worn by young children so they would not feel secluded from their school peers.
The ‘concave hearing aid’ was slightly different from the rest because this offered you the opportunity of using a support aid without anyone knowing of its existence. Although expensive, it was a significant aid to those who didn’t want to draw any attention to themselves. Similar to contact lenses, these hearing aids would need fitting into the ear by a professional.
The students also did a dance to drive home the message of having fun irrespective of your support aids.
Kelly Ocloo, Health and Social Care Lecturer at Harrow College, said; “Students worked really hard and came up with creative ideas about making support aids fun and interesting”.
Rabia Shah, level 2 Health & Social Care student said; “Working on the expo has helped me engage with the audience and encourage them to try out the activities on the stall. It has improved my customer communication skills.”
Click here for more on Health & Social Care courses at Harrow College.