Professional Training at the DLF – 27 Nov 2012
Tuesday, November 13th, 2012
If you are a professional Occupational Therapist or Case Manager, and would like a day’s training in a small group setting, why not join the next training day at the Disabled Living Foundation on 27 November 2012.
Adam Thomas will present his comprehensive one-day seminar entitled ‘The Basic Principles of Accessible Kitchen Design’, assisted by our Office Manager, Natalie Presbury. Adam is the country’s leading accessible kitchen designer, and an acknowledged expert in his field having worked recently as head consultant on accessible kitchens for the Olympic Village. Read his full biography on our web site.
The day covers an in-depth analysis of the essential elements to be considered, along with explanation of current best practice and presentation of some of the latest products for accessible kitchens. Delegates will also visit the fully featured Access Matters display kitchen in the DLF Equipment Centre to illustrate some of the points raised during the day. All course materials are supplied and, in the afternoon an in-depth case study will be presented, followed by a hands-on design exercise.
This one day training course is also suitable for Grant Officers, Environmental Health Officers and anyone else who is responsible for providing kitchen adaptations in a professional capacity.
For more details and to sign up, go to the Disabled Living Foundation web site. If you have any queries about the suitability of the course for you, call us on the office number: 01628 531584, or email us.
Our training day can also be tailored to meet the needs of local authorities and group OT/Case Management practices. A dedicated day is a very cost-effective way of providing CPD for your entire team. Contact us for more details on the office number above.
Adam Thomas at Autumn Events 2011
Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
Adam Thomas will be attending the Case Management Society UK Conference as a delegate, at the Gatwick Hilton on 4 November 2011.
The CMS UK event taking place over 3-4 November is aimed specifically at Case Managers and OTs working in case management practices. For more information on the conference and last chance to book your place, visit the CMS UK website.
Design Matters will be exhibiting at Naidex South on 19-20 October at ExCel London. We will be demonstrating a Ropox rise and fall table and distributing leaflets and Access Matters furniture brochures. For more information visit the Naidex South web site.
This year Naidex South will be taking place in conjunction with the GLA Disability Capital Conference 2011 on 20 October. See the full story using this link.
If you would like to book an appointment with Adam at either of these events, please contact the office by email.
Training – What our delegates say
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010We have been offering training to Occupational Therapists, Case Managers and Grant Officers for over five years and our one-day course is always well received. It is as much an opportunity for Adam Thomas to get away from his desk and meet colleagues on the front line as it is for health professionals to get up close and personal with the latest techniques and materials we are using at Design Matters to create truly innovative, inclusive kitchens.
Here’s what some recent delegates said about their training day:
“We are re-visiting our wheelchair kitchen design brief following this training.”
“Excellent. Thorough knowledge of problems and how to overcome them.”
“This training will give me more insight when identifying client needs.”
“Excellent style and presentation.”
“Really good and thought-provoking.”
“I am actually looking forward to designing a kitchen and putting it into practice!”
From the Archives: Design Matters at York St John University
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010As part of our project to transfer our News Archive to our new web site, we are focussing in this post on partnerships we have forged in the past with major institutions in the UK, such as York St John University.
One of the largest providers of occupational therapy education in the country, York St John University installed a Design Matters accessible kitchen in 2009 as part of its commitment to provide a high quality educational experience for its students.
The state of the art accessible kitchen is made from durable materials and is packed with features that showcase the best in inclusive design. It has colour-contrast edges to the doors and worksurfaces that provide good visual cues for people with a visual impairment, and softly shaped handles that are easy to touch and hold.
There are plenty of pull-out storage units and pull-out appliances to see, and the entire kitchen is fitted with high quality hardware and soft-close hinges.
This kitchen is a superb teaching resource for the next generation of occupational therapists, and is a significant enhancement to the university’s teaching resources.
Final Training Dates for 2010
Monday, May 17th, 2010
Following the success of the training sessions held at the CPD Seminar Theatre at Naidex 2010, there are only a few training dates remaining for 2010.
Our one day course is led by Adam Thomas of Design Matters and aimed principally at Occupational Therapists. Entitled ‘The Basic Principles of Accessible Kitchen Design’ the course assumes a good basic understanding of various impairments, but no previous experience of kitchen adaptation is necessary.
The day is intensive and includes a detailed case study to help participants get a feel for the basic principles by applying them to a real life design challenge. All course materials are provided and the course can either be taken at the Disabled Living Foundation in London, or at another location by arrangement with our training coordinator, Natalie Foskett. Increasingly, local authorities are training up to 20 OTs per year by way of this course, and we have excellent feedback from them via our evaluation forms.
This course may also be of interest to Case Managers, Personal Injury Solicitors and Architects with an interest in the assessment of claims for compensation for spinal injury, acquired brain injury, people affected by thalidomide and a wide variety of other injuries. It is now possible to improve independence and quality of life with a quality kitchen that is fully accessible, looks attractive, and fits comfortably into any home.
Contact Natalie at the office number for more details.
Countdown to Naidex 2010
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
We are working at full steam to prepare everything we need for Naidex 2010. Come and meet the Design Matters team on stand G106. And don’t just walk by, please pick up a brochure, have a good poke around our display kitchen and ask lots of questions. Because that’s why we’ve come!
This year we’re bringing along plenty of pictures of our recent work, as things are changing quickly in the world of accessible kitchen design and we want to be able to show visitors to our stand what we’ve been up to. Adam was recently interviewed for an article in the April edition of the SIA’s Forward Magazine focussing on the amazing transformation of Accessible Kitchens in the last few years. Entitled ‘Accessible Kitchens Come of Age’, the article shows a number of pictures illustrating that things are moving on rapidly, and that accessible kitchens are finally indistinguishable from standard kitchens. Look out for the April edition of Forward Magazine to get the full story.
Once again we are offering the opportunity to book an appointment with Adam Thomas, our award-winning accessible kitchen designer during the Naidex show. Spaces are limited, so please contact the office right away to book your appointment, and remember to bring along a rough sketch of your kitchen space so that you can make the best of your meeting time.
Registering for Naidex is simple. Visit www.naidex.co.uk and click on Register Now for quick and easy entrance on the day of your choice. We look forward to meeting you!