“I went out for a horse ride and had a really nasty accident which left me in a bit of a bad way, I only had a few days in hospital but I ended up with ligament damage to my right knee, I was on crutches and had a splint on my leg for almost a year. I was told by the people who know better at the hospital that it would be ok and they didn’t want to operate on me as I didn’t do the sport for my living it was a pass time hobby, so life went on,
“When Rie’s family faced the need to outfit the rapidly changing lives of four aging parents, she eagerly took on the task of finding the best-designed aids for daily living. She found she had ventured into a sea of grey; found nothing bearing even the minimum evidence of acceptable design acumen. As a mother of two small children, Rie had seen the proliferation of diversifying baby products and accessories: products that explored different brand identities, price points, and design principles.
The cancer survivor created these prosthetics when she learned that the Canadian Cancer Society was out of silicone prosthetics for women who had undergone mastectomies.
With the help of her two sisters, Racine has been making breast prosthetics of her own design.
"I felt I needed to give back," said Racine. "I offered my services because I've been a seamstress for 41 years."
The prosthetics are made out of old T-shirts. The result: a prosthetic that is lighter, more comfortable, more practical and less expensive than silicone.
“As winter approaches, I am thinking of those using electric wheelchairs. The most common complaint I have heard is that the arm and hand become so cold that it is very difficult to steer the chair. We found heat pads excellent. They had an adhesive back, so they would stick to vest or pullovers, and keep the circulation going in the hand. They could last up to twenty hours, and never became so hot that they caused burning. If it was windy, we found using a balaclava over the joystick helped enormously! It allowed freedom of movement for the hand, while protecting it from the elements.
At first Dawn tried to continue walking around un-aided, but after several wobbles and falls during a bad relapse, a friend talked her into using a stick which made her feel very uncomfortable in public: “There is a lot of stigma surrounding young people using a stick. Unless you have a sticker on your forehead that says “I have MS” people don’t understand why you need one - because you are young”. Dawn decided to paint and customize her sticks to match her outfits and handbags, and she was inspired by the positive attention they received.
Danni Brennand, born in 1986, in UK, suffers from Autism, myalgic encephalomyelitis, probable postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, Irritable bowel syndrome, dyspraxia and anxiety. She has to spend a lot of time in bed due to her conditions, so she shared some tips about how to have a “perfect beding life”.
“The ProMove Sling is a disabled lifting sling for when you can’t take your hoist with you. It can help disabled people transfer from a wheelchair to just about anywhere.
This is an innovative disabled lifting sling that is incredibly light & portable, making it a realistic alternative when a hoist is not an option, enabling a transfer/lift that is safe, comfortable and dignified”, it says on the oficial website.
“After she moved into an assisted living facility, one of her biggest frustrations was the ugly, medicinal looking, metal walker and her inability to carry her things in a stylish purse when using it. Unable to find a walker bag that Hazel liked, we, her daughters, Carol and Sharon, took matters into our own hands.
“My Patented Tornado and Performance gel filled tips are hand assembled in a 12 step process using the best quality natural rubber with only 10% clay mixed-in, versus the 40-60% clay mixture in other major brands so they last for what seems like forever. Inside we put a thick pad of Absorbalite™ gel that gobbles-up ground shock and makes these tips the hands-down smoothest ride in town.
“Resources for children with special needs were difficult to find and parents more often had to rely on school districts to supply them with therapeutic devices, which could be used at home", the father said.
In 2002 he founded eSpecial Needs, a company that develops products for children who suffer from Autism, Asperger Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Traumatic Brain Injury and for kids struggling with Speech and Communication.
Medical staff were able to fix him up again, but walking and standing became increasingly difficult with age. In 2003, while living in the US, Hartmut warmed to the idea of acquiring a mobility scooter.
However, none of the countless mobility scooters on the market met the basic requirement of being easy to load and unload in and out of his homebuilt airplane. He faced similar problems when dealing with portability in cars and public transport.
“It all started with the bullies at school. They made me mad and not to happy to go to school. So, as a confidence builder, I came up with the following saying: Awesome is tiny and tiny is awesome. It’s kinda weird to shout at them when getting builied, so I put it on a t-shirt. One day, sitting at home doing nothing, well, reading a magazine, I saw the Superman sign. That started my super dwarf design. This has proven to be most popular”, Devin said.
Initially, Roy developed this product in order to create an environment for his young children to be independent and have the ability to do simple tasks (like turning the lights on and off) all on their own.
He immediately realized his invention could also be very useful for little people, wheelchair users, people with disabilities, people with limited mobility and people with impaired vision.
“We developed this technology for my late fiancee, who was a single hip disarticulation leg amputee. As with many others, prosthetics simply aren't a practical option for her, and in view of the fact that she could hop as easily as any of us can walk and run circles around anyone with two legs on her forearm crutches and in a 4 inch heel, completely unnecessary as well, as all her prosthetic does is slow her down and hurt.
The solution aims to facilitate daily tasks such as:
• Washing their hands after using the restroom
• Hanging up their clothes in a standard closet
• Adjusting the thermostat to a comfortable temperature
• Locking and unlocking the security latch
• Making coffee and reaching water glasses.
Aviva and Haskel Weiss, from USA, started Fun and Function, a company that creates unique solutions, games, clothes and toys for special need children. The couple founded this company after realizing they couldn’t find kid-friendly sensory tools that would fit for their family’s needs.
“The Ergochair for Little People adjust so that the backrest supports your back while at the same time allowing your knee to bend at the edge of the seat. You can also adjust the height of the chair to raise up to a standard height desk or lowered to a reduced height desk. Whatever height you choose, your feet are supported by an adjustable footrest”, it says on the official website.
Named for being the “friendly wheelchair,” Thieme met with many organizations, such as the MS Society, to explain the Amigo’s benefits and functionality.
Al sells different types of scooters and accessories that can be customized according to the user’s needs.
Drive-Master is an operated adaptive mobility equipment dealer in the United States.
Over the years Alan, along with his family, created many different types of adaptive vehicle modifications that are available today. The Drive-Master Hand Control, along with other Drive-Master equipment, has been installed and utilized by thousands of people all over the world.
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