14 Sep

Jon Clayton's Story

09:15 Friday 28th June, was the day that Jon was able to gain full independence and pursue his passion for art. After becoming paralysed at an early age, Jon was determined to lead a fulfilled life in which he was fully independent. After years of various Steeper assistive technology solutions, he chose the evo+ to allow him to automate all of the peripherals throughout his home. The ability to open the door, answer the phone and change the channel within seconds, has enabled Jon to continue his career as a successful self-taught mouth artist, and share his life experiences to empower others to embrace theirs.

The story
When he was 17 years old and working as an apprentice mechanic, Jon was involved in a life-changing motorcycle accident which left him paralysed from the neck down. After a year in the Spinal Unit at Wakefield Hospital he returned home in a wheelchair.

Determined to remain in control of his life and his surroundings, Jon began to research assistive technology, and started off with a basic Possum unit to control his immediate environment. Encouraged by his new found control, Jon decided to pursue a new hobby and try out mouth painting - inspired by his grandmother who had been a talented artist. He vividly recollects receiving a ‘painting-by-numbers’ Christmas gift which sparked his passion for art, and he began his journey to becoming a self-taught mouth artist.

The solution
Over the next 40 years Jon’s devotion to art grew, as well as his interest in trying out various assistive technology solutions. Steeper engineers installed door openers, an intercom system, and mains control sockets which automate appliances - the combination of which aided in making his life easier. However as technology developed, Jon was keen to trial the new evo+ environmental control app, so he had the system installed on his iPad.

The ability to control his TV, open doors and turn on the lights allowed Jon a new lease of freedom as these everyday tasks were now easily and seamlessly executed using the device.

Overall the evo+ has become a pivotal part of Jon’s life:
“The ability of evo+ was a huge breakthrough, giving me more control and versatility. What came with this was more independence, which to me is very important, as having little control of many things in my life as a person with a disability, having the mere choice of choosing multiple channels and controls was tremendous.”

The turning point
evo+ and Jon’s home control devices have allowed him to turn all his attention to his artwork, becoming a valued member of the Worldwide Association of Mouth and Foot Artists, and designing specialist equipment which allows him to change his tools easily and alter the angle of his canvas.

The years of independence provided by Steeper assistive technology enabled Jon to create a legacy with his artwork. His passion and optimism is fuelled by his desire to inspire others to take control of their lives and pursue their passions, and the reliability of his devices have allowed him to make more time for what’s important in life.

To find out more about evo+ click here, and to view Jon's work visit www.jkcmouthartist.com.

Jon Clayton's Story

Jon's Case Study

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