Disabled archer bow stand

Trev L

Member
One our club member's wife has MS and is wheelchair bound, but would like to try archery. As "equipment member", I've been asked if I can come up with a "device" which would enable this to happen. She is right handed, but unfortunately, has little use of her left hand, so cannot hold a bow, therefore the bow has to be free standing. I'm hoping one of you knowledgeable people can point me in the right direction of a design which will be suitable. TIA
Cheers, Trev.
 

Riceburner

Active member
I have no idea if there's anything pre-built - but would it be an idea to have something made up that latched to the chair? It would be more consistent than having the bow supported by a stand on the ground (which is what I take you to mean by 'free-standing').
 

Trev L

Member
Not exactly free standing, more like a sheet of plywood that the wheelchair could sit on which theoretically could support the bow holder (I think)
 

Big George

Supporter
Supporter
AIUK Saviour
We created this for a young wheelchair user. its basically two school desk tops and a corner of the steel frame from one of the desks. There is a slightly smaller steel tube which slides up and down inside the vertical leg for height adjustment. since the picture was taken we’ve added two clamps to hold the bow, one at the handle position and one roughly at the long rod thread. We need two because the bow was tilting as it was drawn.
It needs a bit more work to get a better clamping system. Current clamps are those you see in school chemistry labs for holding flasks. The work but have little adjustment for tilting the bow.
 

Attachments

Murray

Well-known member
Ironman
American Shoot
AIUK Saviour
Just a thought, but if she has use of her right hand, could she shoot left handed but draw the bow with her teeth? (Dentures not a good idea though), otherwise Big George's idea is probably the way forward.

Couple of other options, and contact details, below

 

JensFudge

New member
A few other options, maybe you can combine ideas.

Dependig on the situation, could be to hold the bow in the right hand and draw it a similar war to Matt Stutzman does, with a shoulder sling.

I have had the privilige to shoot with a one armed archer, who had the bow in the hand, and drew the bow with a mouth tab. He was however a big strong man. My wife also has MS, and I know this would be impossible for her.

I was asking for other ideas some time back, as to help another archer, who eventually decided to not do archery, and I got the great idea from a UK based archer "David Holland" that in case of a shoulder sling or similar, one could attach a trigger from a camera to a release aid. So even with limited use of left hand, she might have the strength to push the trigger, even with her hand sitting in her lap

Just some ideas, that you may use as you will.

Jens Fudge
 

munchkin

Supporter
Supporter
Does the potential archer have use of her left arm? If so, there are examples of slings that can be used to keep the bow ‘attached’ and actual use of hand isn’t required. I *think* Jodi Grinham shoots like this (GB para compound).
 
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