VELA Chairs Are Prescribed, Not Selected
VELA Activity Chairs are prescribed, not selected from a catalogue.
Every chair is individually built to order based on a detailed clinical assessment. Features like seat height, seat size, backrest style, armrest type, and accessories (to name a few) are prescribed according to the person’s measurements, functional capacity, environment and goals.
The quality of that prescription directly influences outcomes. A well-prescribed chair can support independence, safety and participation in everyday activities. For this reason, the assessment process matters and it requires specialist VELA expertise.
Since 2018, The Therapy Collective has been Queensland's dedicated VELA specialist working alongside Occupational Therapists and clients to support accurate VELA prescriptions.
A Collaborative Prescription Process
Successful VELA prescriptions rely on three sources of expertise.
The client contributes their lived experience, daily routines and personal goals.
The Occupational Therapist contributes clinical reasoning, functional assessment and an understanding of how different clinical presentations affect participation.
The Therapy Collective brings specialist VELA product knowledge, configuration expertise and experience translating clinical needs into an accurate chair prescription.
Each perspective is important. The goal is not simply to identify a suitable chair. The goal is to identify the right chair, in the right configuration, for the right reasons.
Understanding the Typical VELA User
VELA Activity Chairs are designed for people with functional mobility who remain active within their environment.
Most users can sit independently, transfer independently and move around using their feet. Many are already using equipment such as office chairs, kitchen stools, perching stools or four-wheeled walkers in ways those products were never intended to be used.
The role of a VELA chair is not to replace a complex postural seating system. It is to support safe, efficient participation in everyday activities such as meal preparation, household tasks, self-care, hobbies, work and study.
The clinical challenge is rarely determining whether the person can use a VELA chair. The challenge is determining which configuration will best support their independence, safety and function.
Our VELA Design Consultation
At The Therapy Collective, every VELA prescription begins with a structured VELA Design Consultation.
This is a clinical assessment rather than a product demonstration.
The consultation explores:
- Functional abilities and limitations
- Daily activities and routines
- Goals for independence and participation
- Environmental considerations
- Measurements required for prescription
- Transfer methods and mobility strategies
- Funding requirements and documentation needs
Demo chairs are used throughout the consultation to demonstrate key features and concepts.
Clients can see how electric height adjustment works, how tilt assists with positioning, how transfers are performed and how the chair supports participation in everyday tasks.
The purpose of the demo chair is education. It helps clients and clinicians understand how VELA works and how different features support function. The demo chair is a teaching tool, not a prescription.
Why We Focus on Assessment Rather Than Physical Trials
Our experience has shown that the information required to prescribe a VELA chair comes from assessment rather than from trialling a generic chair configuration.
No client has ever ordered the exact configuration of our demonstration chair. Every prescription is customised according to the individual's needs, measurements and goals.
For that reason, the clinical question is not:
"Can this person sit in our demo chair?"
The clinical question is:
"Which VELA chair, in which configuration, will best support this person's daily life?"
A structured assessment allows that question to be answered with far greater precision than a short-term trial of a generic setup.
Environmental considerations remain an important part of the process and are explored in detail during consultation. The difference is that these factors inform the prescription rather than determine it.
In this context, successful outcomes rely on accurate assessment of functional capacity, the individual's goals and routines and environmental demands, allowing the chair to be configured appropriately from the outset without requiring a separate trial phase to confirm usability.
Evidence Matters
Funding bodies do not approve equipment because a person sat in a demonstration chair. They approve equipment because there is evidence that a specific product, in a specific configuration, addresses identified functional needs.
There is strong evidence supporting VELA Activity Chairs as a category of assistive technology. A 2024 Danish study published in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy, involving 141 adult activity chair users, found that 87% use their chair daily and 84% are satisfied or very satisfied. Notably, only 2.8% stop using their chair entirely, a remarkably low figure the researchers attributed in part to the chair's design, which integrates naturally into everyday home life without stigma.
What the study also found is that the scope of use almost always exceeds what was originally prescribed. Three in four users went on to use their chair for activities beyond its original purpose such as eating, laundry, hobbies, moving around the home. This tells us something important: when a VELA chair is prescribed well, it becomes genuinely indispensable. It doesn't just solve one problem. It supports a whole life.
You can read the full research summary here.
Our VELA Design Consultation translates the broader evidence base for VELA Activity Chairs into individualised clinical justification by capturing functional assessment findings, measurements, environmental context and configuration recommendations.
Our Specialist VELA Expertise
The Therapy Collective has specialised in VELA Activity Chairs since 2018.
Our role is to support Occupational Therapists, clients and funding bodies by translating functional needs into accurate chair prescriptions.
We understand the models, configuration options, funding pathways and documentation requirements that contribute to successful outcomes.
When you work with The Therapy Collective, you are not simply accessing a chair. You are accessing a process designed to ensure the right chair is prescribed, accurately configured and clearly justified.
Next Steps
Do you want to book a VELA Design Consultation?
Request a booking via our website, email us at info@thetherapycollective.com.au, or call us on 1300 811 485.
Clinical Education for OTs
Join us for an upcoming education session for OTs, attend a Clinic Day or request an In-Service for your team.
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