CEO Corien talks of her early motivation behind the WheelAir: Wherever I go, the first question I get asked is: “Why are you doing this?”
I once told the story of this journey beginning with a meeting with my then dissertation supervisor Lisette, herself a wheelchair user. However, I recently realised that this in fact isn’t my only motivation.
Unreasonable Cooling Techniques
Now almost two years ago, a professional wheelchair racer explained to me how wheelchair users are sprayed with water hoses to cool down during competitions.
More recently, I learned that other athletes have to wear ice vests to cool down when exercising intensely.
Wheelchair users often express to me how they often have a sweaty back or bum in summer.
My friend Kirsty’s mother sleeps on packs of ice to reduce the risk of overheating at night.
Other stories were those of heatstroke, nausea and mainly: frustration.
Frustration
So this is why I do what I do. With WheelAir, we have come up with a solution for temperature regulation, increasing comfort while providing a stylish and more supportive design.
Our focus is to help wheelchair users stay in control of their lives. Allowing them to live life on their terms.
We also want to bring attention to the problem of overheating in a wheelchair. This goal continues to motivate us into the future.
To this end, we have started a blog series to help highlight how much of a challenge regulation temperature in a wheelchair can be. Occupational Therapist Jo Southall reveals her personal experience with overheating as has bionic athlete Johnny Beer.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you would like to know more about why I developed the design. Reach us at info@staelsdesign.com or come say hi at a trade show we are attending.