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Early years mobility service
MERU’s Bugzi was designed in response to a call from the charity Whizz-Kidz for mobility equipment for children aged from one to five years of age. It enables them to reap the psychological, developmental and physical benefits of independent mobility, which able-bodied children take for granted.
Why is mobility so important for disabled children?
Mobility enables them to interact with others and learn about objects and space. By the age of two our brain is 90% of its adult size and has been shaped by millions of individual interactions. As the eminent child development expert Shirley Cohen said in her paper ‘Special People’ (1977): “The primary means of learning in the first two years of life is action.”
At present pre-school children have almost no access to powered mobility, partly because their need is largely unrecognised; partly because there is almost nothing suitable on the market. However, the need is substantial - it is estimated that well over 1000 children with serious mobility disabilities are born in the UK each year.
How does Bugzi meet this need?
Bugzi is an indoor powered wheelchair that is compact, safe, easy to drive, fun and colourful. Its unique toy-like appearance motivates children to use it from an age when they would normally begin to walk. Best of all it allows them to explore their environment at the same height as able-bodied toddlers, so they can play on a more equal basis with other youngsters.
Bugzi uses CAPs, a highly adaptable special seating system, and a range of tailored wheelchair controllers. MERU offers a complete package that includes assessment and individually tailoring each Bugzi to the requirements of the child, the family and their therapists.
Some Bugzis are being loaned to wheelchair services and organisations working with children with disabilities, where they are being used with many different children for assessment and therapeutic purposes. Others are being provided to individual children for use at home and nursery.
How is the Bugzi project funded?
MERU has already committed three years of development work and over £70,000 specifically for the project and for general purposes. To be able to continue providing this essential service we urgently require £55,000.
Come and meet Bugzi on his very own website: www.bugzi.org.uk
The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service 2004. Copyright © MERU 2006. All rights reserved
Reg. Charity No. 269804 Company Limited by Guarantee No. 1214125
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