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Ablequip Ltd
A business set up by a disabled person to assist the disabled in being more able ..
Michael Spencer from Hagley, Worcestershire, is the father of four grown-up children and has lived with MS for the last 15 years. Unable to walk, Michael relies heavily on his electric scooter to allow him to get out and about.
Determined not to let his disability slow him down, Michael decided to start up his own business to help others tackle their mobility problems.
The inspiration behind his company, Ablequip, was Michael's realisation that his mobility scooter was too big to take into small shops. He began to look at ways in which he could manoeuvre himself around these shops without crashing into things.
Michael's solution to the problem was to design a special rack which could be fitted onto the back of his scooter, to carry his wheelchair or walking aid. He would then be able to transfer from the scooter to the chair when he reached his destination - giving him greater access and a means of negotiating tight spaces more easily.
Michael set about turning his vision into a reality. Unable to find anything similar on the market either in the UK or abroad, he constructed his first prototype with the aid of Remap, a charity which designs and manufactures unique products for disabled people.
Michael began to use his new product in his local shops and word soon began to spread.
He succeeded in finding a manufacturing company who were able to assist with the fine-tuning of the design and the 'WheelLink' attachment went into production and can be found at Ablequip Ltd's website www.ablequip.com.
Michael Spencer received so much interest in his product that it is now selling all over the UK. He has also had requests for information from countries as far afield as China, Japan and Canada.
With a patent now pending, Michael has also devised another product, the 'WheelEasier' which is designed to assist traditional wheelchair users to manoeuvre their chairs by fitting a cushion grip. Easily fitted, the grip helps prevent the risk of fingers getting trapped in the spindles and also to reduce the pain by putting less strain on the users' arms.
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