Durability, ergonomics, comfort and capacity are all packaged into this modern yet functional backpack. The U shaped zipped opening makes it incredibly easy for children with limited use of one hand to open and close it easily. No drawstrings and no toggles! The shaped, padded shoulder straps allow for a comfortable fit on each child's back. Featuring a sub divided main compartment, a generous front pocket, a side pocket (that can function as a drink bottle holder if desired), a side panel pocket, a top flap pocket, a D ring to hang the bag from and a detachable waist belt. There is also a reflective strip on the front pocket for safety. Choice of 7 colours!! The lovely people at Marathon School Supplies have offered to donate £3 to HemiHelp for every OmniPak rucksack sold. The Omnipack is priced at £27.50 for a medium OmniPak and £29.50 for a large, postage charges are £6.50 for a backpack for next day delivery. To place your order, please visit the Marathon website, and make sure you quote Hemi-3 or a 10% discount and in order for HemiHelp to benefit from the £3 donation they pledge to HemiHelp for every sale.

Site by Frieze Web Design and carola.co.ukYou are here > > > School Survival 6th-12thYou are here > > > IEPKey FactsCarrying a backpack that’s too heavy can cause pain.Your backpack shouldn’t weigh more than 10% of your body weight.Pack light, use both shoulder straps, and if possible, wear a waist belt. Most students look forward to picking out their backpacks because there are so many different colors and designs to choose from. Your backpack may express your style, but does it do its job? Besides being stylish, what else should you be concerned about when choosing and wearing a backpack?According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA), 85% of university students report discomfort and pain associated with backpack usage. However, studies have also shown that simply changing the way you load your backpack and carry it will lower your chance of straining your shoulders, back, or neck.Although there are many types of school bags (purses, one-shoulder bags, etc.) a backpack over both shoulders is the best way to carry books.

It helps distribute weight evenly so that one part of your body isn’t carrying more weight than the other. Purses and one-shoulder bags may be stylish, but they tend to put more weight on one shoulder. This may lead to back and shoulder strains which can result in mild to severe pain.As a rule, students tend to put too many books, notebooks, and other items in their backpacks, which make them very heavy to carry. backpack for sony fs100According to the American Occupational Therapy Association Inc., backpacks should not weigh more than 10% of your weight. pacsafe backpack cageFor example, if you weigh 100 pounds, your backpack should not weigh more than 10 pounds. targus pewter 16 laptop backpackIf you absolutely need to carry all of your books with you, carry one of the heavier ones in your hands.

Carrying a heavy backpack has consequences. When backpacks are too heavy they can cause you to stand in an awkward position. This affects your posture, and over time, causes pain. Tight straps can actually cause tingling and/or weakness in your arms and hands if a nerve is pinched. If you have any tingling or weaknesses, make an appointment with your health care provider.There are many ways to pack a lighter backpack. Start by taking out everything that can be left either at home or in your locker. If your teachers ask you to keep binders, a good idea might be to leave the binders in your locker and just carry the loose leaf sheets in a folder instead. At the end of the day, you can reinsert the sheets of paper into your binders.Yes, there is a right way to wear a backpack. Wearing a backpack correctly is important. Don’t use one strap over one shoulder to carry your backpack. Be sure to use both shoulder straps and adjust them so they are even. The waist belt also helps to keep the contents of your backpack evenly distributed, which in turn helps prevent pain.

You are here > > > Disabled or Typical – The Balancing ActPublic transport seems a terribly dull subject to write a blog post on, however, as a person with a physical disability it is a bit of a big deal, so bear with me. Now, a couple of months back Channel 4 launched the 'No Go Britain' campaign with the aim of highlighting how difficult public transport can be for people with disabilities. Now a lot of this campaign focused on how wheelchair users were very often subjected to discriminatory behaviour. It's scary how seemingly ignorant our society can be at times. Today I want to highlight my own battles I've faced whilst using public transport. Just to give a perspective from someone who is on the milder end of the physical disability spectrum, if you will. The issue of public transport for me is more complex than at first it appears.APS Contact: Donna Krupa Backpack Straps Can Decrease Blood Flow In The Shoulder And Arm Adult backpacks weighing 26 pounds or more may also lead to a loss in fine motor control and an increase in fatigue

SAN DIEGO, CA – More than 92 percent of the children in the U.S. carry backpacks. Typically the backpacks are loaded with almost one-fourth of the child’s body weight (22 percent) and worn with only one strap.  Last year, a team of physician researchers examined the effect heavy-loaded backpack straps can have on children. They found the straps can significantly increase pressure when the load is ten percent or more. They also found that strap pressures with loads as small as ten percent of bodyweight can obstruct localized blood flow and contribute to shoulder fatigue. This year the team has examined pack straps and adults. In some professions, such as the military, firefighting and mountain rescue, the packs may equal as much as 60 percent of adult body weight. The findings of the most recent study indicate that even light loads of 26 pounds can decrease upper extremity blood flow, and may result in a loss of fine motor control and increased fatigue. Study Being Presented at the 121st Annual Meeting of the American Physiological Society

The studies were conducted by Timothy Neuschwander, Brandon Macias and Alan Hargens, all of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California–San Diego. /press), part of the Experimental Biology 2008 scientific conference. Background and Study Summary Backpack straps typically rest on an area of the body where they may compress the axillary vein which causes abnormally high blood pressure inside the veins and a subsequent decrease of blood flow in the shoulders and arms. The researchers speculated that blood flow of the large and small vessels of the upper extremity area would decrease in an individual while wearing a backpack. To test their theory, they examined eight healthy volunteers, six men and two women between the ages of 18-30. The right brachial artery was measured using ultrasound and the index finger pulp microvascular flow was measured using the photoplethysmography method. Baseline flows were measured immediately before and ten minutes after donning a 26 pound backpack.

A ten minute testing period was chosen because people typically wear a backpack for at least ten minutes. This amount of time is also sufficient to measure flood flow. After wearing the pack for ten minutes, brachial artery blood flow decreased from 2.66± 0.36 to 1.52± 0.27 mL/s (p<0.05, paired T-test), and index finger microvascular flow decreased from 100 percent to 46±6 percent (p<0.05, paired test). The researchers concluded that backpack loads of just 26 pounds decrease upper extremity macrovascular and microvascular blood flows, and may result in a loss of fine motor control and increased fatigue. According to Timothy Neuschwander, MD, the first author of the study and a physician, “We surmise that the mechanism of diminished blood flow is likely due to strap compression of the axillary vein. We think that backpack straps may benefit from a redesign that skirts the vein leading from the upper extremity to the heart.” NOTE TO EDITORS: The APS annual meeting is part of the Experimental Biology 2008 (EB ’08) gathering and will be held April 5-9, 2008 at the San Diego, CA Convention Center.