Our Story: Solving Problems, Changing Lives
My name is David Joseph and I make mounting system components; I install mounting systems and I am the Canadian Distributor for Rehadapt.
It all started in the early 1980s with a simple want ad.
At the time, I was running a successful manufacturers’ agency in the construction industry. But as a bit of a “computer nut,” a classified ad from a Montreal firm caught my eye: they were looking for someone to sell Augmentative Communication (AAC) equipment in British Columbia. I remember thinking, “No one can make money at this—but maybe I could do something useful.”
Before long, I was the BC representative for pioneering AAC companies like ACS, Prentke Romich, and Words+, immersing myself in a world where technology could give people a voice.
The Turning Point
In 1983, a phone call from a major children’s rehabilitation centre changed everything.
They had just been awarded a massive grant for augmentative communication equipment. There was just one glaring problem: they had absolutely no idea how to securely attach these early, bulky speech devices to wheelchairs.
Without hesitating, my response was: “I will solve that problem for you.”
Innovation Born from Necessity
I assumed the answers were already out there, so I traveled down to Seattle to see how they were mounting devices. To my surprise, I realized they hadn’t figured it out either. If a solution didn’t exist, I was going to have to invent one.
I envisioned a modular system: a series of two-part clamps that could join stainless steel tubing together to form a fully adjustable mount. While searching for a machine shop to bring these parts to life, I crossed paths with Geof Webb (who would later found Daessy). Geof brought an incredible idea to the table—a mount that could fold seamlessly to the side of a wheelchair, inspired by the folding tablet arms on university lecture hall chairs.
A few months later, we debuted our very first mounting system at the Closing the Gap conference. It was a massive success. A major industry leader, ACS, immediately wanted exclusive distribution rights.
However, early innovation always comes with lessons. We quickly realized the initial folding mechanism posed a serious pinch hazard. Though initially devastated by the setback, Geof took it as a challenge and re-engineered the mechanism into the beautiful, safe folding piece that his company still manufactures today.
Shaping an Industry
Our creativity didn’t stop there. The concept for the industry’s first rolling frame style mount was actually sketched out on a napkin during a flight home from Pittsburgh!
By the early 1990s, our paths evolved. I formed CS Mounting Systems and became the exclusive mounting supplier for ACS. It was during this era that I introduced the Wedge Base/Plate System to attach devices to mounts.
What started as a rough sketch and a desire to be useful became a global standard. Today, that original wedge design has been adopted and copied all over the world—in fact, modern Rehadapt adapter plates still fit perfectly into our original wedge bases.
The Journey Continues: Innovation at 84
We didn’t get into this industry just to build hardware; we got into it to bridge the gap between technology and accessibility. Decades later, that same passion for problem-solving drives everything we do.
Today, our primary business is proudly serving as the premier distributor for Rehadapt in Canada. However, we have never lost our entrepreneurial, inventive spirit. We continue to actively develop new, original products designed to enhance and complement our core product line.
True innovation never stands still. At 84 years old, I am proud to say I am still hands-on, actively designing and improving our products. I have just finished redesigning our signature wedge base/plate system to push its stability to even greater heights.
We are also thrilled to introduce our new ONE Tablet Holder—a true game-changer engineered to securely hold virtually any standard tablet, even when housed in thick protective cases.
We remain dedicated to engineering reliable, world-class mounting solutions that empower individuals every single day.
Bio
David Joseph has been a pioneering force in wheelchair mounting systems for over 40 years. Widely recognized for originating many of the foundational concepts used in assistive technology today—including sketching the design for the first rolling mount on a napkin and inventing the industry-standard wedge and wedge base system—David has manufactured, sold, and personally installed thousands of mounts. He views his work not just as manufacturing, but as a dedicated partnership with the Occupational Therapists and Speech-Language Pathologists who prescribe life-changing augmentative communication systems.