We are delighted to share that we have partnered with ergonomic chair specialists, VELA UK. VELA’s focus on design, function and high quality, regardless of whom the chair is for is what drew us to the company and we were pleased to have caught up recently with VELA UK Country Manager Chris Marshall.
Chris came to our new office and showroom to train Remtek Assessors on the VELA Chair and how to make appropriate recommendations and ensure that end users can maintain independence at home and the workplace despite disabilities.
Using durable materials VELA make chairs for use all day – every day, all year round. This means that quality, design and safety are a fundamental part of the chairs that leave their production and reach the user.
Chris explained “The VELA Chair is the ideal chair to promote independence for end users. The unique brake, locking the wheels ensuring getting in and out is safe. The flip back arms are perfect for when side transfers are required. The four-wheeled base ensures stability and enables the ability to ‘walk’ the chair where required. The electric rise is a fantastic feature making getting up and out without the risk of falling a great feature for which VELA are renowned. The range of accessors will enable us to cater for any students needs promoting independence.”
We explored with VELA how the chairs are ideal for ‘standing work’ activities:
Standing work, either in the workplace or at home, can be very challenging for people with disabilities due to pain, reduced strength in the legs or poor balance.
For this reason, it is important to find alleviating work postures so that you will be able to carry out your tasks as well as possible.
Therefore, it is important to look at the type of tasks to be performed, the nature of the work environment and the specific disability. For example, does the workplace require switching between standing and sitting work postures or is it a workplace with standing work only?
Finding the right chair
VELA has many years of experience of finding just the right chair so that people with disabilities can continue to work – even when the work primarily involves standing. VELA has a wide range of work chairs which can be adapted to the individual user’s needs. When using a chair for standing work – at the workplace or in the home – it is important to consider whether the chair needs a brake. An office chair with brake and electric lift is an advantage for users with poor balance, for example.
VELA work chairs can be height-adjusted using a gas spring or electrically. This means the chair can be adapted to a number of different users. In addition, height adjustment can be used to ensure good ergonomics at varying work heights.
You should also take account of whether the user requires armrests, which can provide relief for the arms and make it easier to get into and out of the chair.
The seat, back and armrests can be adjusted so that the user can achieve a good, active, ergonomic work posture, and be able to carry out their tasks.
Our Head of Ergonomics Chris Barlow commented ““Having Chris visit to carry out the Vela training was perfect to allow the whole team to understand the potential benefits of the Tango range.
To learn how much history and technological advancement is involved in making sure that the end user is supported correctly allows us to be confident in our decisions when recommending them.
Our team at Remtek takes a hands-on approach to reviewing the benefits of any “ergonomic” equipment. We don’t merely consider the price tag; our testing process involves assembling each chair and desk from its “boxed” state. This allows us to assess the ease of assembly, an often-overlooked factor. After the chairs are set up, we incorporate them into our daily work routine, carefully observing their comfort levels for long periods. Equally important is how adjustable different chair parts are, as this greatly affects optimal ergonomics, comfort, and safety. Our thorough testing process ensures our recommendations come from firsthand experience, giving users informed guidance to choose the best option for your requirements and budget.
After spending a significant length of time utilising our demonstration Tango 700E, I can comfortably say that this chair lives up to the hype. The Vela builder website is easy to use, and interactive enough that anyone can virtually build their own chair and request a quote through Remtek or any of Vela’s other distribution partners.
All round, a wonderful company to work with, who provide fantastic solutions to aid our clients”
For standing work chairs at home follow this link or for chairs to support in the workplace check out VELA’s additional blog article here.
