It is essential to ensure access to speech-generating devices or other assistive technology across all equipment and environments. For many children, this includes not only a wheelchair or stroller but also an activity chair.
However, attaching a mounting system to activity chairs can be challenging due to the limited frame space around the seat base or the seat’s ability to tilt or change height. To maintain the technology in the optimal position, mounting is best attached to the moving part of the chair, in these cases that is the seat base, which can then help ensure positioning even when the activity chair is tilted, raised, or lowered.
Two activity chairs where we have found effective solutions are the ETAC R82 High-Low bases and certain models of the Rifton activity chair.
R82 high-low frame
Rifton Activity Chair
R82 by ETAC
The R82 High-low Frame is the base of R82 activity chairs such as R82 x:panda and Wombat. There is no suitable tubing incorporated into the seat-base to secure a frame clamp and therefore a mounting system. No does the high to low nature of the lower frame allow for reliable and safe attachment.
As a result of these challenges, ETAC have created a Communication Aid Bracket that can be attached to these height-adjustable activity chairs. Consult your local ETAC reseller for more details on availability and pricing or contact ETAC directly.
The Communication Aid Bracket for R82
The bracket consists of two parts and replaces the mounting bracket of the standard R82 base foot rod (ETAC code – 8911082x-x) and has extended holders 16cm long.
The mount adapter can be placed on either the left or the right-hand side of the chair and is secured in place using the M8 grub screw located in the front of the horizontal foot rod mount.
The mount adapter is 50 mm diameter and has 2 x M6 threaded holes x 38 mm (1 ½”) centers to allow fixation of mounting. The holes can be placed on the horizontal or the vertical plane.
This bracket presents a mounting point for a a DAESSY Inner Piece Adapter which is simply bolted onto the bracket. From there it is a simple matter to attach the rest of the DAESSY Mount to position a speech generating device or another technology.
The bracket is designed to be used on the R82 Hi-Low:x series of frames, however, it may be possible to mount it onto other R82 bases where the supplier has made provision for receiver brackets to accept the 15mm square tubes and a full risk assessment has been carried out to ensure the stability of the chair. Best to consult your R82 supplier to discuss such matters.
The distance from the center of the foot rod to the end of the adapter rod is adjustable between 22.5 – 30.5 cm and it is recommended to take a maximum load of 10 kilograms which would suit most mounting systems and speech generating devices or other technology.
How we attach the mount to the R82 Communication Aid Bracket
A DAESSY mounting piece called an Inner piece adaptor can be directly attached to the round plate of the Communication Aid Bracket at the left or right side of the seat base. See the images above and below for a real-life example we have completed.
Any DAESSY mounting system can then be attached to your R82 to help reliably position your device.
To maintain the technology in the optimal position, mounting is best attached to the moving part of the chair, in these cases that is the seat base.
Rifton Activity chairs
On certain models of the Rifton Activity Chairs, including the R830, R850, and R870, a plate can be attached to the side panel using the existing bolt holes and longer bolts of a specific type.
We have found that a combination of Mount’n Mover and a DAESSY parts work best for DAESSY mounts. The parts list needed is even simpler for Mount’n Mover setups!
As a check if YOUR Rifton will work, have a look at the image below to see whether you have a similar side panel.
The two green arrows point to the bolt holes we use to anchor the mount kit – if this matches yours, please read on!
Creating a Rifton Activity Chair Side Bracket – The Rifton Adapter Plate
We need to create a solid anchor point on the side of the Rifton Activity chair seat so that when the seat moves (tilt or height), everything attached to it does too including any mount and mounted device.
To accomplish this, the base component is a plate from our partners in the USA, Mount’n Mover. Funnily enough, it’s called a Rifton Adaptor Plate and is pictured below.
The Rifton Adapter Plate has hole spacing to attach to the R830, R850, and R870 Activity Chair with Hi/Lo base and is secured to the side panel using the two existing bolt holes.
The adapter plate comes as a kit with two specialty shoulder bolts which pin the plate to the side of the chair in the existing holes. The shoulder bolts are specific for this purpose.
The Rifton Adapter Plate provides a secure anchor point and is reliable and rugged. It gives a strong connection between your mounted technology and your chair which is what we’re after.
Mount’n Mover Attachments
At this point, if you’re attaching Mount’n Mover equipment, you’re almost done. There’s a couple of ways to approach it for Mount’n Mover mounts, as you can see in the images below, however we think the Rifton Adapter Plate is the better method.
From here you’ll certainly need a Mount’n Mover Post Extender Kit and maybe an additional Wheelchair Plate depending on your circumstance. See the images below for the simplicity of the Mount’n Mover approach.
DAESSY Attachments
Communicate AT have developed a unique method for attaching DAESSY mounts to Rifton Activity Chairs. We use the Rifton Adapter Plate from Mount’n Mover and attach to it a special part from Daedalus Technologies. It works great!
The special DAESSY Outer Piece allows us to use the DAESSY ecosystem of parts to build a DAESSY mount on the side of the Rifton. We do this in the same way we would for any other chair.
As the Rifton Adapter Plate is usually attached further back on the Rifton seat side panel, a DAESSY Offset Link (or two!) may be required to ensure that the mount and device are positioned forwards enough for use. This is particularly the case for eye gaze devices.
The Rifton Adapater Plate, the specialty part from Daedalus, any Offset Links and the Removable Frame Clamp Receiver (blue-lock) then form the Frame Clamp Assembly for the Rifton Activity Chair as per any other wheelchair.
Once the Frame Clamp assembly is installed to your Rifton Activity Chair, the rest of the Mount Kit is installed as per the requirements of the kit being used.
What happens if you have activity chair that a frame clamp assembly does not attach to? There are other mounting options to consider in these instances including floor mounts or desk mount options.
Please feel free to contact Communicate AT should if you would like to talk through options. Call us on 02 9971 0409 or send us an email with your questions.