When It Comes to Life's Challenges, Innovation Wins Out Every Time.
The first self-propelled wheelchair was invented in 1665 by Stephen Farffler, a 22-year-old German watchmaker who was also a paraplegic.
I’m finding that aging with a disability is one tough deal. We all slow down as we age, because we lose neurons in our spinal cord, which according to my physiatrist, is a “normal” part of the aging process.
The problem is, I have fewer working neurons to begin with due to my spinal cord injury, so age is hitting me hard.
I’m now using crutches to walk and riding a recumbent trike instead of a two-wheel
bike.
I’m not sure what the next 10 to 15 years will bring.
Fortunately, when life gets tough, there’s this thing called innovation that resides
within all of us.
You may not think that you have it in you, but you do.
As the saying goes, “necessity is the mother of invention.”
I recently came across a supreme example of this phenomenon on the Christopher and Dana Reeve website.
It comes from an organization called Open Inclusion based in the UK.
Their mission is to make the world more accessible and inclusive for people with all kinds of disabilities, from cerebral palsy to spinal cord injuries to muscular dystrophy to aging and more.
Open Inclusion provide services in market research, user insight, innovation and service design.
They help businesses understand and access the market segments they may otherwise
be missing,
especially those with access needs such as people with permanent, temporary or situational
impairments or advanced age.
Their reach is global, and they’ve helped (and received support from) companies like Amazon, Google, Canon, Jaguar, Barclays and more.
Now here’s where you can get involved. They’re sponsoring a contest called the Simply Open Awards.
The idea is to have individuals submit a 2-minute video showcasing a solution (no matter how simple it is) they have created that improves daily personal experiences, enhances independence, capability, or joy for themselves or for somebody who has a disability or access barrier. You don’t have to have a disability to enter.
I have a pair of these innovative new crutches that take the strain off my shoulders.
Ideas can be simple or complicated. This contest isn’t for entrepreneurs who want to have something commercially produced. It’s for individuals like you and me who have a good idea to make life better, easier and improve access.
Some examples:
• A gentleman from India had hand paralysis which made it difficult to hold a pencil.
India doesn’t
have access to many of the adaptive devices we do here in the United States. So he
stuck a
pencil through an orange which made it easier to hold onto. Simple but effective.
• Another idea from a power wheelchair user in the UK was a piece of exercise equipment
made
from two ceiling hooks, a metal bar and a resistance band, which enabled him to move
his arms
and legs in his wheelchair and exercise at home.
• Still another idea came from a paraplegic farmer who adapted his tractor to make
it accessible
for his wheelchair.
The contest opens May 19th and the final deadline for submissions is September 2nd.
Entries will be
judged on a regional, national and international level.
A shortlist of winners will be announced December 3rd and then the final judging will be February 23rd in Vienna. The quality of the video isn’t important. It’s the idea the counts. Videos must be 2 minutes or less.
Send in your accessible idea and you could win a trip to Vienna.
Judges will include occupational therapists, engineering professionals, C-level executives and people with disabilities.
There will be more than $30,000 in prize money, plus an all-expense paid trip to Vienna to present your idea in the final round of judging.
To find out more about the contest and to submit your video, visit the Simply Open Awards website
here.
When it comes to aging or living with a disability that affects the mobility, dexterity and freedom we all want in our lives, it really comes down to mind over matter.
Innovation can help restore the independence we may have lost, whether it’s due to
age, disability or
both.
Have a good idea? Submit it to the contest. You may win a trip to Vienna.