FOUR FINGERS AND THIRTEEN TOES – HOW DO YOU MAKE A “MOUNT’N” MOVE?

Firstly, welcome to another Four Fingers Blog.  I am sorry for the “blip” in broadcasts, but there has been so much occupying my time over the last few months that the Blog has taken a bit of a back seat.  However, over the next couple of months, I shall update you on the various happenings in the Moriarty-Simmonds household, but for the time being, I thought I would start with a little conundrum about Muhammad and the Mountain.

Overcoming obstacles is the stuff of being a disabled person, and so when the mountain seems ever harder to climb, we look at ways of moving the mountain a little closer which, for most of us, means we can look at ways of making life easier in all kinds of different ways.

In my case, the imposing mountain was finding it impossible to hold things and quite hard to bend forward to draw, use the iPad, read and to take photographs.  So, I set about doing some internet research on products which were available that might allow me to overcome the mountainous problem of stiff bones for, what seems these days, to be almost all of the time.

In our house, Steve has a knack of finding almost anything on line.  His theory is that you ask Google a question (other search engines are available!) in very specific terms, and it usually comes up with the right answer.  I have to confess, it doesn’t always work for me, but in this instance, after months of researching, one day, ‘voila’ it did!

Mount’n Mover by BlueSky Designs seemed to be the answer to my prayers. Technically very clever, but also very simple to use.

As you know from previous Blogs, I have a clever engineer friend, who has made many useful items for me – one of which – was an electronic camera mount that worked from the battery power of my electric powered wheelchair.

Some of you may also know that late last year, Steve and I acquired new wheelchairs, and without saying too much, quality and durability were not high on the agenda for the design team that manufactured the latest wave of power chairs for the Sunrise Medical stable.  Needless to say, I shall tell you more about our wheelchair experiences in due course, but for the time being it is suffice to say that it would have been almost impossible to transfer my electronic camera system to my new chair, and so a less complex gadget had to be found.  The Mount’n Mover system seemed to be the ideal solution.

If we experienced poor customer service with our wheelchairs, my faith in human nature was restored with the management at BlueSky Design – Dianne G.  Having told her what I was after, she rose to the challenge of tailoring the product for my requirements with enthusiasm.  Initially I was looking for a camera mount to attach to my wheelchair, but I got equally excited as the more I researched the product, the more uses I could find for it!  The UK distributors are Leckey.  Based in Northern Ireland, Leckey and their mainland team worked with BlueSky, to get the assessment done, to confirm what I needed. Then we organised a delivery date, which would have put our wheelchair manufacturers to shame. I said I wanted to have the product in time for our holidays, and true to their word thanks to Stephen K., it arrived well before our week away, and  ready for my “newest best friend” Graham B., to come and fit the bracket to my chair and give me some basic training on how the whole thing operated. Regular readers won’t be surprised to hear that I am the first person in the UK to take delivery of this system!

One of the things the Mount’n Mover does is give you back some of the spontaneity that life as a disabled person doesn’t always allow.  As an example, taking a photograph is relatively simple task … You see an image, you whip out the camera, take aim and shoot.  With me, it was, a major operation – get out the camera, assemble the electronic system, attach it to the wheelchair, mount the camera onto the electronic system, and by the time all that had been done, the magic of the moment had passed before I had even got my eye to the viewfinder!

However, with the Mount’n Mover, simplicity is the key.  A single pole is attached to the wheelchair, with a fairly robust bracket.  At the top of the pole an adjustable arm is attached, at the end of this there is a mounting device onto which all the attachments clip in a matter of seconds.  And so, with a little help from Steve, James or anyone else for that matter; I can manage a multitude of tasks with the minimum of fuss.

From the little montage of photographs with this Blog, you will see that I can now use all my “smart” gadgets on the go.  I can even paint and sketch without the need to carry a massive easel.

Over the next couple of months, I am doing some painting exhibitions with the MFPA, and in August I am holding a garage exhibition at home.  I am hoping to showcase how easy it is to use the Mount’n Mover during those events.

Keep an eye out on Social Media for more information on the exhibitions; but in the meanwhile I hope this Blog has given you an insight into how the Mount doesn’t just come to Muhammad but can even “Mount’n Move” its way to Rosie!