I have been asked to help make a Universal cuff for a Male with C5 Spinal Cord Injury, which means very little finger movement / dexterity in hands. His current one is made out of leather, and I am hoping to lean on someone as I have exactly 0 leather work experience. The client is aware of what works for him and can bring his existing models.
He is a full-time stock investor working from home, limited hand function, currently uses universal cuff +
stylus to manually press computer-related buttons, current cuff + stylus are worn out/slide around. Leather, felt, neoprene, or foam would be fine. I think it would be best for the client to come in sometime to physically feel the fabrics to get a sense of which feels most comfortable against his skin. Leather may be a good long term solution (also easier to clean hand sweat). The materials work too, but now I am also thinking about odour and moisture as well. I think we may be looking at 2-3 cuffs in the end, maybe one or two different materials.
He is used to the straps with the D ring, but he is open to options. Main issue is the edges of the straps rubbing against the hand. Soft material (foam, neoprene, etc.) covering the straps would be good. Second is that the stylus needs to fit nicely with the cuff so the stylus doesn’t move around. I wonder if the stylus hole on the cuff should be covered on one side and the stylus can’t slide through all the way (so that the stylus stays in place) vs openings on both sides of the stylus hole.
He can work directly with you and I will be on standby for any questions.
For pictures, I don’t have any clear pictures on hand but here are a few.
Measurement: Hand circumference at the MCP level to be about 9”. I imagine additional measurements would be needed.
Primary objective is to look at something similar to what he has but softer material. This example may work well (Makers Making Change) with adding the D ring and then flipping the orientation so that the insertion hole for the stylus is facing downwards.
I think something lightweight and less bulky would be best. He uses the cuff more than 8 hours a day for computer work so a few extra ounces in weight adds to arm fatigue. Also I’m thinking flexible material (instead of a rigid plastic) may be comfortable for the hand to account for some of the creases in the hand.
People on Slack mentioned that @Brad @miststlkr are leather workers that may be able to assist in making something similar. Thanks for any help or ideas you can provide, and again there is a bit of money in it for the time of someone that can help “own” this project. (cc @Janet our MMC Vancouver chapter leader)
I’d be interested in this kind of work in the future