Gear for handicapped photographers?

[Leonard Evens]

I suffer from spinal stenosis which ranges from annoying to pretty painful. In particular, I have to be very careful of lifting anything much above 10 lbs, and standing for extended periods of time, particularly under strain exacerbates my symptoms. Because of my back, I've used a baby jogger to carry my gear for many years, and that has worked well, but it is no longer adequate. I can't lean on it when I walk, and I haven't found an appropriate chair which would be easy to carry with it.

Today I packed my gear on wife's Deluxe Crusier walker. (She had stenosis considerbly worse than mine and recently had extensive spinal surgery to deal with it. I may need similar surgery at some point, but I am pretty far from that right now.) The walker is very stable and has a seat at a good height to sit and rest. It also has a basket, and if I divide my equipment up into separate packages, I can manage considrable weight. Today's session went pretty well, but the walker has some significant drawbacks. For example, I can't sit and use the seat as a platform to fetch parts at the same time. The major problem is that the walker weighs over 16 lbs., and it doesn't really come apart easily, so taking it somewhere not within walking distance is problematic.

I would really like to continue my large format photography. I've given up anything requiring any significant hiking over rough country or climbing, but I can still do architectural photography if I can manage to get where I want to go with my equipment. Except for the stenosis, I'm in pretty good condition for a 74 year old, and I could walk a couple of miles or more, albeit slowly, with an appropriate way to transport my gear. I am willing to pay someone to build a very light walker specially designed for my needs, which would come apart easily for transport, had a seat and a platform to use when setting up equipment without bending too much, and provided good support when walking, If it could handle walking over grass, that would be great.

Any suggestions about the general problem or anything related would be helpful.

[GhoSStrider]

Leonard,

I can't help you much, but I certainly wish you the best, and hope you can find a way to keep pursuing the hobby! Good luck!

[Ralph Barker]

From the research I did for my mother (who passed recently at 89), it seemed the lighter-weight units weren't really designed for easy transport, but rather more for in-home use. One of the Invacare models at http://www.medicalsupply4u.com, for example, folds for transport, but weighs a whopping 25 pounds. Additionally, all of the wheels seem oriented to use on paved surfaces.

You might try talking to one of the medical suppliers, Leonard, to see if they know of anyone who does custom designs, perhaps with carbon-fiber components to keep the weight down.

[Richard Wasserman]

Leonard,

I would suggest calling the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago on east Erie Street. They might be able to help you find someone to build what you need, or maybe it already exists? My father has spent much time there doing rehab for 2 knee and 2 hip replacements- they are very good. The best of luck to you.

[katie cooke]

For most of the past couple of years, I've walked with crutches or a stick, so I have a similar sort of juggling act when doing photography. Like you I have strict limits on the amount I can carry, and the length of time I can stand. LF (and pinhole) was ideal, because it's almost impossible to use something like an SLR when you need to use at least one hand to stand up. The slowness of LF is, for me, a huge practical advantage.

With careful gear choice, and selective packing, I can keep my kit useable and portable. I have only very recently started with a "proper" LF camera rather than pinhole, which has added about three pounds to the kit. The main reason I'm using a toyo 45cf is that it's the lightest available. I get things around with a small backpack with the camera in it, a pouch slung crossways over my chest to sit at the side-front with up to six film holders, my meter and notebook, and the tripod bungeed onto the backpack. I've also used things like carpenter's aprons, with good big pockets to keep things to hand without having to bend to get things out of bags on the ground (which I just can't do). And a friend of mine carries her painting kit in bike panniers rigged up on a walker.

At the moment, I'm housebound after a couple of rounds of recent surgery, and have to perform strange feats to commit acts of photography because I'm only allowed to put weight on one leg and can only get about on two crutches. I'm told that it's both hilarious and terrifying to watch.

Once I'm more mobile, I'm going to look for a small very lightweight folding stool that I can add in (my grandfather had an aluminium-framed one for fishing) or if I am eventually able to walk with just a stick instead of crutches use a shooting stick (are they the same in the US? It's a walking stick with a pointed end for pushing into the gound, and the handles fold out into a little perch-stool which is no good for long term comfort, but excellent for a brief rest.)

[seawolf66]

Mr.Evens There are such walkers already out there , I go to a group at a va center and his walker is a you discribe : suggest you check out medical supply house's or on the web for walkers : his had large wheels up front and medium wheels out back , with a shelf and a seat : there out there just need to find them: