CLIP-ON covers for prosthetic legs made from wood, willow and resin have been made to order in a new project by Glasgow School of Art (GSA).
Design expert Jeroen Blom, of GSA’s Highlands and Islands campus, has paired three local artisans with members of the public for a unique project aimed at personalising their lower limb prostheses.
The scheme saw makers and wearers develop wearable “greaves” based on their needs.
It is hoped that the initiative will benefit users and create unique items that reflect their personalities.
One participant, named only as Chema, said: “When wearing a prosthesis people pity you because of your condition or they see you as a super-hero. But what happens in between?
“There are a lot of people who do not want to be pitied, who don’t feel like they are going to be a super-hero.
“There are a lot of people who could be perfect for this project in the long term.”
Another, Caitlin, said: “I like having choice, I like changing what my prosthesis would look like.
"I don’t like to cover it up. I don’t really see the point in trying to hide it. That’s what I like about this project. It’s making something really nice out of a prosthesis.”
The covers, known as greaves, will be officially handed over in an evening event tomorrow, with an exhibition about the project to run in October.
The craftspeople involved are Karen Collins, of Naturally Useful in Rafford, Scott Gleed, from Gleed 3D in Relugas, and Auldearn-based Roger Milton, of Auldearn Antiques.
Blom said: “Co-design is an approach that involves the end user fully in the exploration and design of the product or process so as to ensure maximum benefit.
“Through this project three lower limb amputees have been able to have a full involvement in the creation of something very personal and unique to them and in so doing had a much greater sense of involvement and ownership.
“For the artisans, meanwhile, this has been an opportunity to apply and showcase their skills in a new area and to create very special partnerships with their collaborators in the co-design process. The aesthetics of the resulting greaves reflect the identity of the amputee as well as the artisanal process.”
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