Introduction
Last week, I published part 1 of this series, where I talked about choosing the right device, listed some of the advantages of enabling “Hey Siri”, and suggested a battery pack for extended battery life and/or use with “Hey Siri” itself. This week, I’ll look at some mounts and cases that we’ll use to secure your iDevice in an optimal position for use from a wheelchair or bed.
Mounts:
One of the mount series that I saw recommended time and time again when I worked in Apple resale came from The Joy Factory. The Joy Factory is known for making a wide variety of cases and mounts.
The C-clamp design of The Joy Factory’s wheelchair line of mounts makes for easy mounting to wheelchairs, bed rails, side tables and/or some headboards. The MNU107 (affiliate link) in particular is notable for supporting any size of iPad and may even support larger iPhone sizes, though I was unable to verify this as of press time. The Joy Factory does, however, make phone specific mounting solutions.
While the MNU107 supports the use of third-party cases, The Joy Factory also carries mounts with integrated cases that cover the back side of an iPad and are compatible with Apple’s Smart Covers. These case/mount combinations cover the full compliment of iPads, with the exception of the original iPad.
In addition to providing support for a wide array of iDevices, the Joy Factory offers priority customer support to its wheelchair mount customers. They also offer custom configurations that can ensure that a required arm length is built to meet the unique needs of a mounting situation.
Full disclaimer: My company, AccessibilityHound, still provides customer support to one of the Joy Factory’s distributers. However, we do not gain financially from the sale of the Joy Factory’s products. I am recommending their line of mounts because I believe them to be of high quality and a good fit for most situations.
Cases:
The OtterBox line of cases are a personal favourite of mine. Providing a wide range of durability levels at varying price points, the cases help protect devices from the everyday bumps and scratches of use.
If the OtterBox cases are a little on the unfashionable side for your taste, Apple’s silicon cases with integrated Smart Cover for iPad or official line of iPhone cases offer a good combination of protection and style.
Making a Choice
Ultimately the case that you pick will be a matter of personal preference. Once you have decided on a case, make sure it is compatible with your desired mounting solution. The folks at The Joy Factory and their product pages can be helpful resources in determining this.
Next week?
Tune in next week for an in-depth look at the alternate input methods supported by iOS, as well as some apps that compliment a wheelchair/bed setup.
As usual, any comments can be left below or on Twitter.
