Mother of three and wheelchair user Ali Nye is trialling the world’s first Accessible Pushchair.
The innovative product allows a wheelchair to be safely attached to a pushchair, and Ali will give her feedback on it to the UK disability charity Designability before the planned handover of a further 20 to families early next year.
“It is very frustrating that the world is so inaccessible, especially for disabled parents,” explained Ali.
“Pushchairs are so difficult to manoeuvre with wheelchairs that it can be a nightmare. I’ve stopped doing the school run on my own as it’s such a hassle.”
The Accessible Pushchair was developed in response to it being the top requested product in the charity’s fifty-year history. For disabled parents and carers who are wheelchair users, there is no safe way to get to the shops or the park independently with their young child.
As well as the practical difficulties, disabled parents have spoken about the emotional impact of having to be dependent on others to go out with their baby or toddler, and that this means they feel like a ‘lesser’ parent.
With no such product currently available on the market, disabled parents and carers either have to stay at home or rely on a non-disabled relative or friend. Many parents choose to have their child sitting on their lap, which can be unsafe and uncomfortable, but often there is no other option.
Thanks to Designability’s person-centred design approach, disabled people were involved and consulted at every stage of the product’s development. They carried out in-person prototype trials with parents who are manual wheelchair users, with further parents engaging online.
Using their feedback and insights, the charity was able to create the innovative final design, the world’s first accessible pushchair designed for mass manufacture.
To find out more visit https://designability.org.uk/
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