The Safe-T-Stop Attendant Hand Brake System
The Safe-T-Stop Attendant Hand Brake System was developed to fill an essential niche in the adaptive equipment world. We wanted an inexpensive, effective, and durable system for stopping a manual wheelchair. Our major focus was on low cost, simplicity, and durability. The concept for the device came about while one of our designers was working as a personal care attendant.

Over the years the basic wheelchair has changed very little. To push someone in a manual wheelchair the attendant stands behind and uses their own weight. The technique is virtually the same as is used with a shopping cart. Push to start, pull with one hand while pushing with another to turn, and use one’s body weight to stop. This system may be all that is needed for a shopping cart, but for a person in a wheelchair it has several flaws, both for the attendant and the occupant.

Turning a wheelchair has two major problems. One: it pulls the attendant’s body into a twisted position, which can easily cause back injury. Two: such a maneuver can cause a loss of grip or control on the wheelchair, posing an obvious safety hazard to the occupant.

Even in the course of working with someone who owns a powered chair, there are times when it is necessary to use a manual unit. For instance, power chairs are heavy. If one is traveling in anything but a heavily modified wheelchair van, it is often not practical to travel with a power chair.

Stopping with a manual unit can be also be hazardous. A person in their wheelchair can easily weigh 200 pounds together. A large amount of inertia can be present in 200 pounds moving forward at two to three miles an hour, even on flat ground. If a gradual stop is desired this is not that noticeable a problem. If an immediate stop is needed however an attendant can seriously hurt himself or herself trying to negate that inertia.

In addition, going down a hill or steep ramp can also be quite dangerous both to the attendant and occupant. Resisting the pull of the chair on a slope can seriously strain the attendant’s shoulders and back, sometimes severely. More importantly, most chair handgrips are poorly positioned and too slick to get a firm hold. It is conceivable that an attendant could loose his or her grip on the wheelchair, posing an obvious safety risk to the occupant. This was the specific circumstance for which the Safe-t-Stop was initially developed.

The Safe-T-Stop System provides for a convenient and low strain way for an attendant to stop and steer a manual wheelchair that they are pushing. The system was designed to be low cost to manufacture, simple to install, and highly flexible. The flexibility of the Safe-t-Stop makes it compatible with virtually every common manual wheelchair available today. Installation of the Safe-T-Stop does not require any permanent modification to most conventional manual wheelchairs, making the system compatible even with rented or leased wheelchairs.

The Safe-T-Stop project received an E-Team Grant from the Lemelson foundation, won the 2000 Adaption Contraption Contest and was featured nationally in Parade Magazine.

The Safe-T-Stop is available through Brigantian Designs for $20-$60 depending on the system of brakes that you require. For more information on purchasing a Safe-T-Stop or for free instructions on how to manufacture and install the system yourself please email Eric LeShay at Eric@brigantiandesigns.com.

Click on the thumbnail images to your left to open full-sized images in a new window.

+ back +