Chairs, scooters, stairs and style

Going to Naidex 2011, Mik Scarlet’s hopes of finding cool were not high. But this year’s show pushed more style buttons than he thought it ever could

I’ve attended many Naidexes (what exactly is the plural of Naidex?) over the years, but I don’t think I could describe it as a stylish exhibition.

As I wandered around the vast hall at the NEC, I realized how wrong I was. Everywhere I looked things that were once utilitarian were now cool, stylish and even sexy. Even as I wheeled through the entrance I was met by a huge brushed metal wheelchair lift by a company called Terry, that looked like it had been stolen from the Death Star rather than an institution. Chair lifts had never looked like this before. The next stand that caught my eye was Cape Wild, which make all0weather clothing for wheelchair-users, with a jacket that is cut especially for us wheelie types and a cool leg fleece that is a replacement for the tartan car blanket. Most interesting to me as I have just taken up stargazing, which means I have to sit up all night in the open air staring at the sky while my legs freeze.

Then I stopped in my tracks. Did my eyes deceive me? There on the Monarch Mobility stand stood a row of mobility scooters that were unlike any other. In bright pink, ice white and metallic blue, their Vogue scooter looked more like a row of motorbikes. One of the guys on the stand informed me that they even do custom paint jobs, so one with flames down the side and a skull mounted on the front was easy to do. Still reeling from the shock of cool mobility scooters, I stumbled onto the Recare stand. This was jam-packed with stylish, cool stuff. It was the massive all terrain tyres on huge wheelchair wheels that I noticed first, but this stand was so full that my head spun. They had the amazing Trekinetic and the Colour wheels but something that really appealed was the backpack bags made for wheelchairs made in ultra cool materials, like UV pink and green metallic PVC, camouflage and Union Jack.

The hits of the show for me were the stair lift by Lift Able that was fitted to a spiral staircase (that was so cool it made me swear out loud, much to the pleasure of the guys on the stand) and the Sport Rider scooter, by Drive Medical, that was more like the Harley Davidson ridden by The Terminator than a scooter. I know my mates at the National Association of Bikers with a Disability will love it.

Overloaded with how cool everything was, I ventured to the Stannah stand. By now I was expecting great things. Stannah is a name that is kind of associated with being old, yet as soon as I saw the Active walking frame I knew that this was no longer true. They had designed a walker that would cope with all types of terrain, thanks to its huge wheels, and had a large seat for taking a rest while looking stylish. The new stair lift also fitted this new direction. OK, stair lifts have a job to do first, but this combines style with function. I asked Jon Stannah if he felt that style was becoming more important for disabled people?

“No, style has always been important,” he says. ”What has changed is the fact that, as markets have developed, more manufacturers and suppliers have become prepared to invest in design.”  

So as I celebrate my 30th year as a wheelchair-user, I can see that the next 30 years will be filled with a much cooler choice of aids and adaptations. The only drawback is I’ll need deeper pockets.


Cool stuffs
Terry Lifts – terrylifts.co.uk
Cape Wild – www.capewild.com
Monarch Mobility – monarchmobility.com
Recare – recare.co.uk
Trekinetic – trekinetic.co.uk
N&C Phlexicare – www.phlexicare.com
Drive Sport Rider – drivemedical.co.uk
Lift Able – liftable.co.uk
Stannah – stannahstairlifts.co.uk
Forta All Terrain Wheelchair – gelovationseurope.com
Tomcat Pedal Trike for all abilities – tomcat.org
Ultra cool canes and walking sticks – classiccanes.co.uk
Handrails and grab rails in a rainbow of colours – bathex.co.uk
Excellent Systems – modular ramp system in cool colours – ramps.co.uk