Author Archive
Inclusive designs showcased At Naidex for New Boutique Webstore
April 24, 2013 | 
Author Leicestershire-based social enterprise and design company, Equip-able Ltd are due to take part in the 2013 annual Naidex National exhibition, held between the 30th April and 2nd of May at the NEC Birmingham. Naidex National sees consumers and traders alike flock from around the country to view the UK’s largest selection of disability, home care and rehabilitation products.
Equip-able Ltd are experienced veterans of the Naidex exhibition, having attended each annual event for a number of years to showcase their range of inclusive, innovative and attractive products.
The most notable creation in the Equip-able Ltd catalogue remains the Trabasack – a unique travel bag that includes a built-in lap desk on one side. This ingenious invention provides a sturdy and steady tray surface that can be used for everything from dining to work, and has revolutionised the lives of many wheelchair users from around the globe.
One of Trabasack’s loyal fans (affectionately known as “Trabasaxons”) explains how the Trabasack lap tray and bag changed her life:
“Trabasack Curve works very well as a power chair tray… It’s the best tray I’ve ever had. I use it multiple times a day, every day – I can even eat soup on it. Thank you for sharing [The Trabasack] with the USA, it’s such a blessing!”
Jodi – Power chair and Trabasack user, USA
The combination of usability, ingenuity and inclusive design has garnered praise from not only its fan base of world-wide users, but also from those in the healthcare and disability sectors.
The Trabasack lap desk and bag creators won the BHTA Independent Living Design Award in 2009 and really caught the eye of the judging panel at the 2011 Naidex National, when they scooped the honourable Style Award for showcasing one the most stylish, fresh and modern products to be displayed at the exhibit.
Describing the aim of the award, Event Director Liz Virgo commented, “We feel that the Naidex Style Awards will show all visitors that it is possible to find stylish solutions for independent living, something that is becoming increasingly important. People are not only looking for products that function well and make life easier, but also products that look good, be that items of clothing, home equipment or mobility aids.”
There have been significant changes for the Equip-able Ltd team since the last annual Naidex, with 2012/13 seeing them expand their reach across the Amazon selling platform to Europe, namely Germany and France, and the development of their Australian sales plans, including a new stockist and website.
In terms of product development, 2013 also sees Equip-able Ltd launch the newest member of the Trabasack lap desk bag family – the Max. The Trabasack Max includes all the fantastic features and usability of its sibling lap desk bags, but has been developed with a larger internal capacity, ideal for travel, business trips and carrying larger equipment such as 15.6″ laptops.
The Trabasack Max features an upgrade in both size and aesthetics, lined with deep burgundy satin and finished in either pure black or with a genuine Harris Tweed trim, making the Max the most luxurious and stylish Trabasack to date.
Equip-able Ltd are also set to launch their new online store, Equipped 4 Life “Equ4L.com” – a boutique style store featuring a range of innovative and inclusive gadgets and products. Equ4L.com will be the first boutique store of its product genre and target market, and will be showcased at both the Naidex National 2013 and 30th anniversary Mobility Roadshow, held between 27th-29th June at the Telford International Centre.
This year’s Equip-able Ltd stand will not only feature their Trabasack lap desk bags, but also a selection of third-party inclusive products, including Bibetta neckerchiefs and pashminas, along with the highly acclaimed Greeper range of shoes laces.
The Bibetta range of neckerchiefs and pashminas are stylish clothing protectors designed with fashion and inclusion in mind. Each garment comes in a range of sizes and styles, including a large colour and pattern palette, providing the ultimate in inclusive usability.
The Greeper range of shoe laces are a multiple award-winning design, created to ensure that one they have been tied, they never come undone. This provides much-needed assurance to those with mobility issues, and for those with disabilities who would otherwise have difficulty tying their laces.
The Greeper laces are fashionable and stylish, coming not only in a large range of colours, but also an extensive range of styles; from sports-style to formal-style laces, Greeper have designed a lace to suit every shoe and occasion.
The Naidex National disability, home care and rehabilitation exhibition will be held at the NEC Birmingham, between 30th April and 2nd May, 2013.
Show times are 10:00 – 17:00 Tuesday 30th April and Wednesday 1st May, and 10:00 – 16:00 Thursday 2nd May.
Equip-able Ltd will be situated in the Market Place area of the NEC Birmingham, Stand c161.
Packing a bag for a hospital stay
What is a good bag for hospital visits?
If you find yourself spending a lot of time at hospital appointments, whether it’s just for frequent checkups or longer stays, you’ll realise the importance of having a specific hospital bag, for use on these occasions. In this bag you need to keep records of your prescriptions, current medication and all your usual bits and pieces from your glasses to magazines for reading during your long stays in waiting rooms (we all know the mags on offer are usually at least 10 years old!). Many people who regularly visit hospitals for outpatients or emergency visits like to have a bag packed and ready to go.
Packing a bag ready for a hospital stay
Having your hospital bag ready is always good if you suffer from any number of conditions but particularly those which mean you end up in hospital more often than you would like and often overnight. A designated hospital bag means you’re always ready when one of these accidents or emergencies occur.
What should I take to Hospital?
We suggest bringing the following:
- Loose fitting comfortable clothes -day wear is more dignified than pajamas, but you will need something cool for the night time as well!
- Socks and slippers. Flip flops are very good too.
- Glasses. If you wear contact lens, you might consider taking glasses instead, as they are more practical in a dry hospital environment.
- Loose warm clothes for the journey home. Depending on the purpose of your visit, you may need different clothes than usual, for example after surgery or casts.
- Underwear
- Personal toiletries like toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, shaving items and brushes. Soap and shampoo is provided but you may prefer your own.
- A copy of your prescription list along with your usual medicines and supplements.
- Your mobile phone and a charger (hospitals usually charge for phone calls)
- Entertainment such as books, music, Ipod, portable DVD player, magazines
We believe Trabasack is the perfect hospital bag because of its multi-functionality. As well as providing a spacious area for you to store everything you might need for a hospital trip, it also acts as a comfy lap tray so you can complete your crossword puzzles or other hobbies at ease as you wait for your appointments. Equally, the tray facility means you can comfortably sit up in your hospital bed and eat, drink or read using your Trabasack’s handy tray surface. Both flat and secure, you need not worry about spilling or dropping anything.
Staying in hospital can be stressful enough without having to worry about keeping all your things safe and at hand.
Trabasack makes eating and drinking in hospital easy and trouble free.together or getting completely bored because you’ve forgotten your favourite hobby magazine or books. Utilising your Trabasack for hospital stays is a brilliant way of staying organised and not having to worry over little things.
Suggestions from Twitter: Things to take to Hospital
We also saw a tweet where trabasack owner @OneoffDave was preparing for a hospital visit and asked for suggestions from fellow tweeters:
The list he was given included
Pyjamas, dressing gown, slippers, socks, flannel, towel, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, squash, biscuits, music, books, laptop, pen, paper, Decent blanket, decent pillow, list of allergies and emergency contact
From @jamielicious
OneoffDave also replied with
Other suggestions included
a teasmaid, your own wheelchair and lock, a blanket, a laptop/money to watch tv, towel to hang over Lansley on tv if you dont
phone, music & earplugs, a lovely fleece cardigan, phone charger (& phone), a Kindle, real books, dressing gown, wash bag, Biscuits/snacks, your own towel and puzzle magazines.
And finally from us:
If you would like to buy a trabasack for yourself or hospital please visit our webshop. We recommend the Trabasack Curve as a hospital bag.
If you have any other suggestion for useful things to take for a short stay in hospital, please leave a comment below.
Choice Unlimited
Trabasack to attend the Choice Unlimited Event
Trabasack is pleased to announce that they will be attending the Choice Unlimited event. Choice Unlimited Leicester is a new event aimed at disabled people, particularly young people, who want to find out about the services and options in their area. It will be held at the Leicester Tigers Stadium on the 21st November 2012, 10am – 6pm.
What is Choice Unlimited?
Choice Unlimited is a free event and everyone is welcome. Disabled young people and young people with additional needs will find this event especially interesting as ‘Choice Unlimited is an opportunity to find out about information, services, products, ideas, innovation, education and employment.’ Parents, professionals and carers who work as service providers for them are encouraged to come along too.
This event particularly focuses on the ‘Transition Period’ which occurs when people are aged between 14 – 25 years old. It’s a time of life when young people make sometimes momentous decisions about the life they wish to lead, the jobs they would like and where they want to settle. Choice Unlimited aims to be a resource for young people who are in the midst of these choices and who often still need the support from services that are appropriate to their needs.
Who will be at the Event?
Trabasack will have a stand and the full range of their award winning lapdesk bags will be available. There will also be over 160 exhibitors offering information and advice on: services, innovation, education, training, communications, wheelchair accessible vehicles, leisure and much more. Voluntary and service organisations will be there too, with details on support, publications and holidays to name a few of the subjects covered. Trabasack will be at table 13 in the Products and Services Area.
Get Interactive!
If you’re someone with a ‘have a go!’ attitude, you might be interested in Choice Unlimited’s program of activities. Get your pulse racing with a game of wheelchair rugby or perhaps roar around a race track with a driving simulator. Should you prefer a more relaxed day, you’d be wise to consider the facials and pampering sessions that are on offer too.
Special Guest: Matt Hampson
For those of you who, like us, are big fans, Matt Hampson will be at the event! Matt Hampson is the Tigers Rugby player who is also patron of the Special Effect charity that helps disabled gamers.
Professional Development
There are workshops on various topics. If you’re involved with supporting young people through this transition period it helps to be aware of what is available for them and for you. These workshops will help you to give the best choices to the people you work with.
See You There!
The Trabasack team would love to meet you and if you make your way over to the Products and Services area you’ll find us there. Our products are designed to be able to be used by anyone and are especially useful to some disabled people, particularly wheelchair users, people with communication aids, and disabled children. Our company aim of assisting social inclusion for people with disabilities, if you would like advice or to find out more about what we do, we’ll be happy to help out. Looking forward to seeing you on the day!
If you would like to find out more about the other exhibitors at the event the main website for Choice Unlimited can be found here.
Matt can be seen in the video below from the previous Choice Unlimited event that was held in April 2012
Paralympic Spirit: Disabled Entrepreneurs Launch Business Network
Eight disability entrepreneurs have come together to launch a business network group hoping to boost their position in a tough market and offer their customers the benefits of greater openness and innovative problem-solving products and services.
The network is bringing together six people with Spinal Cord Injuries, a wife of a spinal cord injured man, and two friends who wanted to share their passion for outdoor adventure with a friend with a disability. In the group are eight disability companies. They offer many products and services including the innovative one-arm wheelchair drive, wheelchair jeans, gripping aids for people with limited dexterity, specialist disability counselling and active rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injuries.
“Being disabled makes running a business much harder. By joining together we are finding ways to overcome many problems so we can achieve more. We push hard to create practical changes. It works because we are user-led. Our products and services come from personal experiences of disability and have won many awards,” says Steve Dent, 36, MD of Spokz – a tetraplegic since a freak accident aged 10, when a knitting needle went into his neck.
Disability is a big topic right now and there is so much negativity surrounding it. We are told that the UK needs more entrepreneurs. And here are eight young businesses which have all set up during the recession, all with personal experience of disability set on making a difference.
“This year has such exciting lead stories with the Jubilee, Olympics and Paralympics. The message seems to be that more can be achieved together; that hard work and integrity get results which make people proud,” says Mark Owen at Nomad Wheelchairs, who broke his neck in a motorbike accident.
“I’m massively excited about this,” says Guy Harris, 37, who was paralysed from the waist down after being hit by a lorry in 2003. He set up DisabledGear .com, a free online service for buying and selling second hand disability equipment when he realised the cost of equipment prevented many people from living reasonable lives. “2012 is full of opportunity: having the support of others in a similar position allows me to do more for my website users and customers. And I’ve been picked to be a Paralympic Torch Bearer!”
As Paralympian Tanni Grey Thompson said on twitter recently “Need disabled people to run services. They would know more about it!”
The team at Trabasack are extremely proud to announce their involvement and membership of the brand new Kandu Group. A brand new group created by eight like-minded organisations, Kandu group is a completely original and new type of trade association which has been set up to promote ethical, moral and friendly principles in business, particularly in the care and mobility sectors.
KanduGroup exists to change the “Grey haired men in Polo shirts” approach to healthcare business. As a group comprised of disabled entrepreneurs, Kandu group endeavours to put value and peer recommendation before profit chasing and clinical or stigmatising business practice. Many of the members have their own unpleasant experiences of healthcare purchases, services and attitudes.The group has a desire to bring people with disabilities to the forefront of services and business in the healthcare sector.
KanduGroup represents real people not big corporations and career climbers with little personal connection or understanding of the people behind the disabilities they are attempting to serve. Kandu Group sees things differently and this is why Trabasack are so proud to be involved. With personal and user perspective on the industry, all organisations involved are committed to ensuring people who are at vulnerable stages of their lives are not coerced into buying things they don’t need.
Kandu Group is Different
Members of the Kandu Group understand the difficulty in coming to terms with a new disability or illness and understand the feelings of denial and adjustment that are sometimes involved. With this in mind, customers can have complete trust in this new organisation, who are working towards ethical and reputable goals, and maintaining a group reputation. Kandugroup members genuinely want to provide you with good products and services that can genuinely improve the quality of your life.
Expansion
In addition to this aim, the group are also keen to highlight their enthusiasm for startup enterprise and micro business, although of course they have big plans to grow. The eight members currently involved in the venture believe there may be scope for expansion in a years time when a decision will be taken on opening the group to other members.
Big vs Small
Micro businesses are often ignored and neglected by Government schemes that focus on the 5% of business with over 15 employees or those that are interested in fast growth and profits rather than steady growth and quality service. Small companies all understand the difficulties of competing against the larger corporations with who have scale and shareholder capital on their side. KanduGroup hopes to work together to obtain bulk discounts, improve order processing, purchasing and negotiations, which is why clubbing together should lead to better deals for both the companies involved and their customers.
Trabasack and Kandu Group
Trabasack will be leading the social media side of the group communications. Trabasack entrepreneur Duncan Edwards has a key role in the group’s growth and the wider world’s awareness of their work. With strong links across the sector already, Duncan is in the perfect position to ensure the group reaches a diverse group of people. Alan Thomas, chairman of Ataxia South Wales said:
“I trust Duncan from Trabasack as he has an excellent product and gives top notch customer service. A recommendation from him is good enough for me to have a lot of faith in another company. I think the KanduGroup is a brilliant idea; I have already been very impressed by the guys from Mountain Trike. Duncan introduced them to me at Naidex and they have another very impressive product that helps a disabled person lead a fuller life. I think small companies, charities and services need to work together. Finding out about this group, where they all have strong reputations for good service, can only help disabled people get the things they need more easily. Businesses working together to help more people is a brilliant and logical idea.”
You can find out more about the group via their website: http://www.kandugroup.com/ or through chatting to Duncan via their Twitter http://www.twitter. com/kandugroup and Facebook www.facebook. com/kandugroup pages
The Organisations behind the Group
Kandu group comprises of the following companies:
Trabasack: http://www.trabasack.com/
Spokz: http://www.spokz.co.uk/
Spokz People: http://www.spokzpeople.org.uk/
Mountain Trike: http://www.mountaintrike.co.uk/
DisabledGear.com: http://www.disabledgear.com/
Active Hands: http://www.activehands.co.uk/
Standing Start: http://www.standingstart.org/
Nomad: http://www.nomadwheelchairs.com/
Wheelchair Skiing Videos
Wheelchair Skiing Video
“How do you get a man who can’t walk down a mountain?”
Peter Carr is the entrepreneur behind the Standing Start exercise programme for people with a spinal injury. He is also one of the founders of KanduGroup, the ethical business network for disabled entrepreneurs that trabasack is proud to be part of.
When we saw his new video featuring his wheelchair skiing adventures, we had to share it!
I hope to get an update from Peter and share some more of his experiences here.
Josh Dueck, World Champion Skier
This is also a chance to look at the at the career and experiences of World Champion Ski Racer Josh Dueck.
Josh Dueck aspired to be an award-winning free-skier and was already a coach to many world renowned stars and athletes. Unfortunately, in March 2004 Josh seriously misjudged his speed whilst out skiing and this resulted in serious injury. Josh dislocated his back, severed his spinal cord and was permanently paralysed from the waist down.
In his own words, he was told by the doctor in the hospital that he’d soon “kick ass in a wheelchair” and his attitude remained powerfully upbeat telling his former colleagues and friends to “celebrate skiing for me, love it the way I loved it, there’s nothing to mourn here.” John knew he’d be back in a sit-ski as soon as possible and people wouldn’t even notice he’d been gone!
His career sky rocketed at this point. He spent 2005 learning to ride his sit-ski and was introduced to ski racing in 2006. Despite believed ski racing wasn’t for him; he threw himself into it and won the Canadian Ski Racing Championships in 2007. By 2008 he found himself travelling the world on the World Circuit and by 2009 was the World Champion. This winning form just continued and by 2010 he walked away with the Winter Paralympic Games Silver Medal for Canada, in front of a home crowd in Whistler, BC. He has gone onto win the Monoskier X at the Winter X Games this year.
Despite all his triumphs, Josh sees himself as a free skier and feels he owes it to himself to throw himself back into free skiing with his friends and colleagues of old. He explains that although it’s hard to erase memories of the accident, ‘nothing beats the feeling of flying free’ and you can see some of his live action in the below video:
Posted in news | 
Tags: free skier, kandu, kandugroup, paralympics, standing start, wheelchair skiing, wheelchair sports | 
1 Comment »
CEA Card – Do you need one?
Free cinema entry for carers: the CEA card
We have had a CEA cinema card for at least 6 years. My wife gets high rate DLA and it gives me free entry as an accompanying carer at the cinema. We have a son who has severe epilepsy and dravet syndrome so I decided to get a card for him so that his carers can take him too.
When I visited the CEA Card site, I found that the scheme had changed since I last applied. In the past you needed three year renewal but this has now changed to every year.
This trebles the cost for anyone with a long term illness, and there is the extra hassle of reapplying. Also if you are anything like us, the chances are you’ll end up turning up at the cinema with an expired card and having to pay extra. All very annoying.
The scheme is passported by receiving DLA. My son has a ten year award and my wife has an ‘indefinite’ award, so I emailed the CEA Card Company to ask if I could get a card for a longer period.
I received this prompt reply:
“The Cinema Exhibitors’ Association (CEA) is the trade body for UK cinemas and launched this non-mandatory scheme as one way in which a cinema can meet its obligations under the 2010 Equality Act. It recognises that some people because of their disability may need someone to help them access a cinema and provides that person with a free ticket to accompany them….. Initially the scheme provided a card with a validity period of 3 years from the date of issue. This meant that a person claiming Disability Living Allowance for a matter of weeks could still benefit from the card for the entire three year period. Reducing the lifetime of the card to 1 year from the date of issue addresses this problem…. Unfortunately we cannot provide ten year cards, all CEA Cards are valid for one year from date of issue.
Carrie Walters CEA Card Co-ordinator”
“awarded DLA for a matter of weeks”
I was surprised to find that they changed the rules in March 2009 citing unfairness of someone getting hold of a 3 year card if they had only been awarded DLA for ‘a matter of weeks’. I find this scenario incredibly unlikely. DLA has a long qualifying period and usually takes months to get. The only occasions I can think of where you might get it quickly and only have it for a few months is under the ‘special rules’. Under those circumstances it is fast tracked, the ‘special rules’ are for where you have a terminal illness and you are not expected to live more than six months.
I decided to try and get hold of the some stats about DLA claim length. So far I have only found them for Incapacity Benefit. IB_SDA_ESA_medical_duration_feb_2011_tables
These tables show that for Incapacity Benefit, less than 10 % of people are claiming it for under 3yrs. Obviously I need to find the figures for DLA. If they are similar it shows that the new scheme is unfair as 90% of people are now paying three times the price they were.
CEA Card changes
I emailed the CEA Association itself via their website and had another very quick response from their CEO:
Phil Clapp wrote:
The change, which was introduced in March 2009, recognised the fact that there is now an increasingly high ‘turnover’ of people on Disability Living Allowance such that a significant number are now in receipt of DLA for a good deal less than a year. …. The CEA did consider a number of other approaches, and consulted a range of representative groups before making this decision. … we have received a small number of complaints from people who are themselves in receipt of long-term or indefinite DLA….. the truth is that were we to move away from the current standard annual approach to all applicants, then the costs around administering a more complicated scheme would inevitably rise and this would need to be passed on to those using the Card.
Phil Clapp | Chief Executive Cinema Exhibitors’ Association
I was very surprised to see that there is “increasingly high ‘turnover’ of people on Disability Living Allowance such that a significant number are now in receipt of DLA for a good deal less than a year” so if anyone knows where I can verify this information please let me know. I am also interested in the range of represented groups that they consulted with, and why more of an objection wasn’t made at the time.
I replied sending Phil the stats I had found about Incapacity Benefit claim length and asking for if there are any plans to review the scheme. I think that even if they charged people twice as much to get a lifetime or three year award it would still be cheaper and fairer for everyone. They could reserve the one year cards for people with one year of DLA.
I am worried that the changes in the scheme are more down to the “Disabled people are scroungers/fraudsters” mindset. They have made the scheme harder to qualify for on the presumption that if they didn’t, people would abuse the system. I wondered if there was any evidence of this. We know the fraud rates for DLA are actually very low. The DWP Information Directorate report on ‘Fraud and error in the benefits system’ for 2008-2009 estimated the level of fraud in relation to DLA at just 0.6%.
Was the change is in response to the perception of disabled people by the cinema owners? I contacted Phil Clapp again with my concerns.
CEA Card – Do you even need one?
Phil Clapp responded very quickly saying that
“the basic point at the time was that many of the cinemas companies would only support the CEA Card going forward if we made this change.”
and providing the most revealingly the statement that:
“perhaps most important being that we have always made it clear that while the Card is intended to make it easier for disabled people to avail themselves of a free ticket for someone to accompany them it is not a requirement that a person has a Card before a cinema will make such provision, or any other similar adjustment. The Card scheme was just introduced to make the process more straightforward.”
So actually we shouldn’t need a card at all but that is not our experience. We have been refused a free entry before when the card had expired. Our son’s carers have never been offered free entry even though he is in a buggy at 7 and does not communicate. I understand that people with a hidden disability might prefer a having a card than explaining to a kiosk attendent.
I shall be contacting our local cinema to find out if they will allow us entry without a card. I would be interested in anyone else’s experiences and comments.
I would also urge you to email the CEA directly using the contact form here http://www.cinemauk.org.uk/contact/ with your experiences or you are unhappy about the switch to annual renewal for the CEA card.
This post appeared as a guest post on The Broken Of Britain disability campaign site. CEA card for Carers
Powerchair or Dalek ?
Dalek made from a Powerchair
Amazing Dalek model powered by an electric wheelchair. Who said mobility shops were boring?
Herne Bay Mobility Ltd have made a dalek using a motor from a powerchair, they also hope to add a water gun and an electric voice box.
I spotted the home made dalek in the THIIS magazine bulletin, which is a trade magazine for the homecare industry. They had been sent the pic by David Aldridge. He and collegues have made the model as an eye catching promotional model to bring in customers. He told THIIS magazine “We have named it DaveRoss instead of Davros. It is powered using an old Gochair and he does about 4 mph, with a range of about 8 miles. The completed mascot will carry a water cannon and full speaker system so when you talk it converts your voice to a menacing Dalek type sound.”
Raising cash for Great Ormond Street Hospital
Herne Bay Mobility Ltd intend to use it to help raise funds It looks a pretty accurate model to me and I am sure it will be in demand at local fetes and events. So apart from being a crowd puller there is a serious side to ‘DaveRoss’ as David explained. “The idea is to raise funds for GOSH and local charities and along the way, give people a chuckle.”
My favourite Dalek is Davros. I would love a pic of Davros using a trabasack. If anyone would like to draw a cartoon or photoshop a pic of Davros and a Trabasack, I will send the best one a Trabasack T-shirt.
If Herne Bay Mobility Ltd want to stock some trabasacks and list them on their site , possibly alongside the Dalek posing in a 3xl Tshirt that would be terrific too 
UPDATE
Mavis and Ray from the Living with Mesothelia Blog visited Herne Bay Mobility shop and saw the Dalek in the shop. Although they didn’t buy a trabasack (by the sound of it), they did buy some sock aids and took this terrific picture of the dalek in the shop.
Great pic from the “Living with Mesothelioma” blog, thanks to Mavis and Ray
Their blog is well worth a visit 
Powerchair Pavement Problems
New video Pavement Problems
Activist blogger LatentExistence (Steven Sumpter) has made an excellent new film about the problems of travelling in his powerchair. Showing the dangers and difficulties of bad pavements and other road hazards especially on rural routes. The lack of alternatives and accessible transport available.
This page continues from a previous blog post about pavement problems and finding suitable powerchairs.
His journey is from Badsey to Evesham, in rural Worcestershire. As he explains using clever titling in the video, although there are some shops and a post office in the village of Badsey, to access bigger shops, banks, GPs and train services, he needs to travel to Evesham. The bus service is unreliable and not wheelchair accessible. It is not considered a ‘priority route’ by the bus company, First Group.
The journey is about one hour for someone to walk. The other alternative is to use a wheelchair accessible taxi.
The cost for a round trip would be £17! However there is only one in the area and it is difficult to book at convenient times because of school runs. This is a common problem for wheelchair users, certainly it is also the case in our area that all suitable vehicles are blocked booked by Local Authorities using them for pupils travelling to special schools.
Steven uses a powerchair as he has ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis ) also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which among other things causes pain and exhaustion and means that he cannot stay on his feet for long periods.
Problems encountered:
1. The first obstacle is the lack of dropped kerbs on the street where he lives. This means that he has to cross at two driveways where the kerb has been lowered for cars. Here the pavement is broken and although there is some tarmac used to change the level, it is still a high kerb. The video clearly shows how bumpy it is for Steven to get up the kerb even with the special front wheel adaption on his powerchair called ‘Curb Skipper Wheels’.
2. The next problem is a long detour because of a lack of dropped kerbs. Adding to what is already a long journey.
3. A further lack of a ramp or sloped curve a cross a busy junction causes another detour. One of these detours can be seen on the map below.
4. Narrow paths with adverse cambers.
5. Uneven and broken pavement with cars passing very closely past at 60pmh.
6. Sloped that are suddenly steep, leading to tipping back problems.
7. Narrow paths with overgrowing vegetation.
8. Lack of paths with potential for slipping or being trapped in the mud.
9. Crossing the extremely busy and fast moving Eversham bypass.
The full video can be seen below.
Trabasack as a mounting aid.
Thorough out the film he uses his original Trabasack Curve to hold the camera. The Curve comes with two sets of straps. One pair is shorter ‘side straps’ that can be used to attach the trabasack and hold it on the lap at the armrests of a wheelchair or powerchair. Another way is to use one of the longer straps supplied to attach it around the waist and hold it in position almost like you would wear a bumbag (called a fannypack, belt pack or belt pack in US!). This ensures that it will not fall off your lap over rough terrain.
The beanbag cushioning in the trabasack gives some softening of the bumps and jolts of the journey but you can see from the film how jarring taking this journey would be. I am sure that it leads to aches and pain in the joints and muscles for powerchair users.
Awareness of pavement problems
This video is an important aid to raising awareness for the problems faced by powerchair users caused by lack of suitable pavenment adaptions and poor road surfacing. It also shows how difficult it is for people using wheelchairs who find themselves cut off by poor road and transport links.
Well done to Steven Sumpter for making the time and effort to get this difficult video made. I hope it opens people’s eyes to some of the realities of using a powerchair, wheelchair or scooter.
Posted in news | Tags: accessibility, Badsey, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, disability, Evesham, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, powerchair, trabasack, wheelchair, Worcestershire, Wychavon | 3 Comments »
Trabasack Launches in Ireland at the Dublin Access Care and Mobility Expo 2011
| Trabasack the innovative new laptray and bag is launching in Dublin this week at the Access Care and Mobility Expo 2011. It will feature on the stand B12 of Homecare Medical Supplies Ltd on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th June 2011 Citywest Hotel. |
Trabasack travels the globe! Trabasack the new versatile laptray and bag is launching in Ireland. The versatile laptray bag that is useful as laptop bag, wheelchair tray, or play tray for children in buggies and carseats is now be available to people in Ireland. Homecare Medical Supplies Ltd will be showcasing this new and innovative design at the The Access, Care & Mobility Expo.
The Access Care and Mobility Expo is Ireland’s only event for healthcare, disability and rehabilitation. Some of the core visitor groups in attendance are healthcare professionals including occupational therapists and physiotherapists, local authorities, people with limited mobility, older people, carers, family and friends.The event will be held at the Citywest Hotel, Saggart, Co. Dublin, Ireland t: +353 1 401 0500 http://www.accessandmobility.ie/
This will Trabasack’s debut appearance in Ireland and the first time vistors to the show will get the chance to meet the award winning team behind it’s unique and innovative design. Trabasack will be proudly showing their award winning designs at the stand B12 of Homecare Medical Supplies Limited. Trabasack are teaming up with Homecare Medical Supplies who will be their distributor in Ireland for the full range of the trabasack laptray bags and accessories.
The ‘Trabasack’ is a unique new product, the name was created and comes from the latin words for ‘table and bag’. It has become a truly inclusive product as it it is used by people of all ages and abilities and has many ergonomic features that make it easy to use.
One of its main uses is for wheelchair and powerchair users as wheelchair tray and bag. This is not surprising as the designer of Trabasack was Clare Edwards, who is a wheelchair user herself after having a spinal injury. After many years of not being able to find a level surface for drinks and food, Clare designed prototypes of trabasack on her sewing machine.
Now Trabasack is also being used as a general laptop bag, and for students, musicians, commuters, crafts, sketching and for children and adults in cars. It is also used by people with communication devices to carry and support their assisstive technology and by gamers with disabilities using adapted controllers.
Its unique design and many ergonomic features were recognised by a panel of industry specialists and Occupational Therapists when Trabasack won an Independent Living Design Award from the British Healthcare Trades Association in December 2009. Since then the design and the company behind it, Equip-able Ltd. have won several other awards. Husband and wife team, Duncan and Clare Edwards will both be at the show and are very active on social media for those who would like to find out more about Trabasack.
After trading from a base in Quorn, Leicestershire for two years since launch, Trabasack has built up a network of international distributors. It is currently being sold in USA, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand and France. The Trabasack team are thrilled to represented in Ireland by such a reputable and long established family business as Homecare Medical Supplies.
Homecare Medical Supplies Limited is a friendly, privately owned, family run Irish company trading successfully since 1988. One of Ireland’s leading suppliers of healthcare equipment, furniture, disposables, daily living and mobility aids to the nursing home, community care, hospital, HSE, pharmacy and retail sectors. Find out more at www.homecaremedicalsupplies.ie/
The company’s ethos has always been to supply superior quality, no nonsense products at a fair price, which aligns perfectly with the mission statement of Trabasack to create affordable, high quality,inclusive products.
Homecare Medical Supplies logistical expertise will bring Trabasack products on a next day delivery nationwide. HMS are proud to be the Irish distributor for major manufacturing companies and have implemented a Quality Management System that is accredited to ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 13485.
For people with disabilities, Trabasack will be a versatile and essential mobility product. It works very well with powered wheelchairs, armchairs & beds, in the kitchen, garden as well as in cars and other vehicles.
Being light weight and having a range of strap options it can be attached to custom made lightweight manual wheelchairs, children’s buggies as well as in comfort & special seating.
It has also been used by pilots in flying lessons and has an aviation link by being a favoured piece of equipment by acclaimed public speaker and entrepreneur Dr Mark Edworthy who can be seen in the following video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIUMS35TxgI
Other highlights of the show include a visit from Cerrie Burnell and the RTE Radio 1 Mooney Show:
On Friday 10th June Ceebies presenter Cerrie Burnell, will also be at the show as as special guest speaker at the Disabled Drivers Association of Ireland Annual Conference which is also being held at the Access, Care & Mobility Expo. Cbeebies is the television channel produced by the BBC aimed at children aged 6 years and under.
Cerrie will be speaking at the Conference at 11 a.m. She will then be visiting the Expo to meet with exhibitors and visitors alike. The Trabasack team are hoping that she will stop by at Stand B12! Cerrie’s guest speech and the entire Expo are open to the public, who are welcome to come along.
Trabasack are also hoping to be interviewed as part of the Mooney Show RTE Radio 1. The Radio show will be visiting the Expo on Saturday 11th June to do a report which will be broadcast on Monday 13 June. Having a new and interesting product to tell the 220,000 listeners of the show is a terrific opportunity to launch Trabasack to a new audience. They will be looking out for Producer Olan McGowan, and his colleague Margaret Kingston.
The Trabasack team are looking forward to repeating their UK success in Ireland and look forward to meeting as many people as possible during the show. Do come and meet Duncan and Clare Edwards from Trabasack at Stand B12.
More information can be found at the trabasack website http://www.trabasack.co.uk/content/trabasack-launches-ireland
An Ethical, Customer Led, Business Group
