Renfrew Group, an international design consultancy, has received a contract from the National Health Service (NHS), the United Kingdom’s national healthcare service to design and develop a wheelchair for disabled children and young adults.

The contract resulted from Renfrew's entry in a competition hosted by the National Innovation Centre (NIC), an NHS division. The NIC-sponsored competition is for the design and development of a next-generation C4L wheelchair.

In 2009, the NIC commissioned the “Chair 4Life” initiative. The goal of the initiative was the development of a new type of wheelchair for disabled children and young adults. Since many existing wheelchair solutions are not aesthetically-pleasing, they can have a negative impact on a disabled child’s emotional health and well being. In addition to improving function and ease-of-use, the C4L competition was created to promote the development of stylish wheelchairs with a modern look.

In prepared remarks, Bruce Renfrew, managing director of the Renfrew Group said: “Access to the best powered wheelchairs is vital for children and young adults in gaining confidence and independence to enjoy their lives. We have a skilled team and proven track record of developing winning products, so we will ensure that our innovation will not only meet the NHS’ criteria for success, but most importantly provide a real tool to lead an independent life.”

Prototypes from the C4L competition will be on display at the 2013 NHS Innovation Expo in London. The Innovation Expo will be held at the Excel facility in London on March 13th - 14th.

References

http://www.renfrewgroup.com/