The crowds came in their thousands to the ATSA Expo in Sydney. With 2507 visitors and over 6000 session registrations the event was hailed a “great success” by exhibitors and visitors alike. There were new products and services across the entire sector and wheelchairs in abundance. Here are some highlights:
The next generation in personal mobility from Ottobock, the versatile Avantgarde 4 wheelchair, made its debut in Sydney. Available in 17 colours it comes with optional side panels for a lighter load. Melbourne based Handi Helpers had the therapeutic SwRing for addressing and improving vestibular-based movement challenges for children from 18 months and older by enhancing body position-in-space movement. The SwRing sports an open space between brightly coloured rings that suits climbing, sitting, hanging, spinning, pushing, etc. HMR Healthcare demonstrated their Activator Poles that have been developed for greater stability and balance that helps to reduce stress from hip and knee joints as well as improve posture and gait speed. New from Astris Lifecare was a range of bathroom safety and mobility products that are conveniently lightweight and portable. At the eye catching MediFab stand two new products stood out. The portable Safety Sleeper is a fully enclosed bed system for those with special needs that can be easily disassembled for travelling. Also new was the Spex Wonderseat for attaching to the Bingo OT rehab strollers. It provides comfort and positioning within a stroller rather than a wheelchair. In addition to its special pathway for testing out its wheelchairs, Sunrise Medical introduced Jay HV, an innovation in clinical seating for wheelchairs. It utilises heating/ventilation management systems taken from the automotive industry and tested to meet wheelchair standards. Keeping cool or warm has never been so easy. 5-Star Mobility showed off the Glide Power Chair, the latest addition to its portable range it weighs in at only 14k while Little Hercules at 11k is as it name implies, small enough to fit into the boot of a car. In the small but useful accessories range, new ‘spillwear’ adult bibs from The Caring Factor is a great idea in garment protection that is shrink and crush resistant and easy to put on and wipe clean. It is available in three designs, in both small and large sizes. Getting attention on the Active Rehab stand was Splashy, a portable and lightweight bath seat that can be used in the bath or for games outside and is suitable for children aged one to eight years.
No Expo would be complete without the ATSA awards. The winner for the best small stand was Signature Life with its collection of premium rails, handles and tables. The large stand award went to GTK. Best product award was taken out by Blue Badge Insurance, with honourable mentions for the R82 Scallop sensory stimulation seat and Home Medical Products for the Sockee sock aid. The best exhibitor marketing campaign went to TabTimer. The most popular conference session, with the highest number of pre-registered attendees, went to EnableNSW. (There will be more on that session in our next issue.)
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