It’s been MONTHS since my last post, and I’m kicking myself for this! Many apologies to my reader(s) out there…
So, I’m feeling boggled about all this. I’m currently working on finishing up (FINALLY, after 3+ years) my master’s thesis in Gerontology entitled, “Assistive Devices: Medical Necessities AS Lifestyle Accessories,” which reiterates my passion for sassier wheelchairs, walkers, canes and crutches.
When I started out writing the paper I wholeheartedly felt that a person using a basic, gray or muted black assistive device was more likely to feel awkward, stigmatized and frail. My assumption (and basis for this website) was that a more attractive device, one that could be seen as an extension of the user’s personality, would help to alleviate some/much of the stigma surrounding mobility disabilities in general.
Now, I’m not sure that perhaps I haven’t been barking up the wrong tree. I look at the photo above, and can’t honestly say that a “cooler-looking” wheelchair would make this cute kid any happier or would help him feel “less-disabled.” Or, in that sense, would it have made a whit of difference to FDR?!
I get occasional emails from individuals thanking me for my continuing quest to bring more visually appealing change to a generally appealing-less industry. So, I’ve thought that what I’ve been trying to do has been meaningful. Perhaps, however, most people just don’t give their wheelchair or walker much thought at all, and to assume they want something “better” than what they have is mighty condescending on my part.
What do you think, dear reader(s)? I value your feedback and need to get out of this semi-rut I’m in. Also, I need to finish this thesis and want to tie my hypothesis into a nice, tidy bow before submitting it… ; )
Hope to post a more upbeat message before Christmas, so look for it in the next couple of weeks!
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P-NUT ALERT!
This pint-sized peanut of a pumpkin’s name is Stella. I was recently lucky enough to find some fantastic photos of Stella and her walker taken by her professional photog Mom, (and fellow native Midwesterner), Sarah. (Check out Sarah’s lovely pictures on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetiepeatie/ ). Sarah has graciously given me permission to use photos of little Stella because she agrees that Stella deserves better. (I have zero photography or photoshop capabilities, so please pardon the grainy nature and poor crop job of the above photo. I was trying to adjust it so that Stella was larger than life, and obviously failed miserably! The way-better original photo can be found on Sarah’s flickr page.)
Seriously. Look at her sweet face and her grin! Her smiling eyes shine as brightly as the bold colors on her shawl. Stella is indeed picture-perfect in every way, but her walking aid leaves her looking less “sunny”, and less “able” than she really is! Stella’s walker should be totally pimped out with bright colors, fun textures, and it should even play music, or light-up or something! Imagine what her beaming face would look like if she could sport an attention-grabbing, sassier walker. The possibilities for aesthetic improvement are endless, I say!
There is no question that Stella is my new, little “mini-muse” in my continued quest to change an entire industry. Seeing her picture has re-awakened much of the passion that I had lost since I started out with this lofty goal a year or two ago. I am determined to find more creative ways to access funding for my various projects related to creating more digable devices. Stella deserves as least as much, don’tcha think?
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Well, y’all–I’m officially back, so check the blog often, and keep an eye out for a new page on this site that I’ll be adding soon. The new page will feature pictures/videos of people, assistive devices, and whatever else I think you’d enjoy visually checking out. I don’t have a name for the page yet, but I’ll let you know when it’s up, mmmmkay? (I’m nixing the current ”forum” page, ’cause it gets used so infrequently…)
Missed you all, and I’m stoked about being back with a renewed sense of purpose and vision. There’s nothing quite like an image of a happy munchkin like little Stella to keep directing me towards my goals and dreams.
As always, I welcome your comments, questions and whatever else you’d like to share. It’s good to be back!
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I cannot believe it took me this long to come across this website, and I feel quite embarrassed about not having found it sooner. In any case, I love the fact that you can search the archives by specialty, i.e. “pediatrics” or “geriatrics” or “rehab,” etc. They don’t have an “aesthetics” section yet, but I’m working on coming up with some ideas so that they will have no choice but to add one soon! Check out their site–you’ll definitely dig it. I found particular interest in this story from 2006 whose study suggests what we all already know–sassying up a medical device is beneficial to the user! The University of New Mexico School of Medicine (UNM Rocks!) research study found that using cute, colorful needles significantly reduces the level of stress in patients. In fact, UNM professor Dr. Wilmer Sibbitt, Jr. says that “it is likely that decorating a medical device is a neurophysiologic intervention, resulting in stimulation of brain areas NOT usually associated with fear, anxiety and aversion.”
Hallelujah! We know, We know!
http://www.medgadget.com/archives/2006/08/cute_needles_a.html
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In related news, I want to share with you an uber-diggable company that seems to truly understand the important relationship between aesthetics and user response: PediaPals!
Please, please visit this site! The wonderful folks behind the Minnesota-based company design, manufacture, and market fun, friendly and cute medical equipment and supplies. I may try to get in touch with PediaPals to see if we can work together to not only make pediatric medical products more fun and appealing, but also mobility assistive devices like the ones I’ve talked about on this site! It seems that more and more companies are helping erase the fear and stigma that surrounds so much of the medical (mobility) products available today:
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Isn’t this a wonderous picture? A local photographer who calls herself “nicholsphotos” http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicholsphotos/ on www.flickr.com just posted this on the Duke City Fix website, following her recent visit to the newly opened Center for Action and Contemplation. (http://www.cacradicalgrace.org/) in Albuquerque’s South Valley. I just want to remember to share with you all some of the fantastic sights of New Mexico now and again. I try to not take for granted all the great stuff that happens here, not to mention that we have the best weather in the US AND sunny skies year-round.
It has been not quite a month since my last post, and so many things have happened since my last update. First off, I want to acknowledge a very special gentleman and his family from Farmington, NM (they requested I not use their names–very humble folks…) who found my misplaced wallet and were tireless in their search to return it safely to me. I won’t get into the long-winded details of it all, but my faith in humankind was certainly redeemed when I received the phone call informing me that my wallet was on it’s way back to me in Albuquerque. HOLY MOSES and Great Odin’s Raven! Nothing was missing–NADA. Just know that there are still really kind, wonderful people in this nation. I will not soon forget this upright gesture, no sireee.
HUGE Felicitaciones to my best NM gal pal, Melissa, who delivered a precious baby girl on April 11th. I had a chance to hold the little miracle, named Madeline Bryce. She is truly perfect in every way, and I look forward to watching her grow up.
No news to share (YET) on my plan to take my IDEA BUENA to the big wigs. I have been doing research, though, and plan to get a letter out to the product development people within said company this week. Will be sure to keep y’all posted, as this will begin to change the face of the assistive devices industry for those of us as interested in (even more so?) form as we are in function. In short–VIVA LA REVOLUCION! Sorry I am being so clandestine about this thing. I promise I’ll be able to reveal what I’m working on shortly.
In regards to the title of this post, I want to share with you a trailer of a movie I’m hoping comes here to my own little town very soon. As a Gerontologist, I am always psyched by/ fascinated with anything cool and forward-minded happening in the field of aging. This movie looks like a hoot, and you’ve got to dig hip, healthy seniors singing rock songs. Seriously.
Best to you all until next post. Hugs and lilac bloom kisses…Sarah
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(My Little Wee Me!)
Time for a quick post. I am tickled to announce that I’ve had a couple of forum posts recently from actual people interested in mobility design! (Not just spammers posting porn links–YAY!)
I officially joined www.Disaboom.com today and started a user group dedicated to the improvement of the aesthetic appeal of assistive devices, so I’m hoping that some of the cool folks who frequent that site will spend some time on this one, too.
Working on putting together a provisional patent for cool walker accessories that I know y’all will dig heavily once I get the whole thing rollin’.
Missing my gal pal and best friend who lives in Switzerland and is very pregnant right now. Hate it that I can’t be there to support her as she and husband await the arrival of their first child. Any advice for me, peeps? Would love to hear from you guys, mmmmkay?
No new cool disability sites of note today, but am always keeping my eyes peeled for neato online locales.
My favorite show, The Riches, returns to FX tomorrow night, so tune in if you’re not familiar. ANTM is boring me to tears so far this season, but have developed a special affinity for the A&E show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels recently.
Hope all is well with you, chicas y chicos. The nectarine tree in my backyard is beginning to bloom lovely, pink blossoms, and it’s a reminder that spring is almost here. Leave comments for me if you have questions or otherwise about my site, this blog or whatev else. Gracias…
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Well, an “unrelated to assistive devices” post today, my fierce friends. Just wanted to comment on a couple big happenings this week, the saddest (well, that is certainly a relative term…) being Brett Favre’s announcement of his retirement from the Green Bay Packers. For the relatively short amount of time (6-7 years) I’ve been following the Pack, I have marveled at how we fans could “live or die” by plays made by Favre. He was a gutsy player; some of those interceptions he threw were jaw-droppingly unbelievable, but what a gift we Packer fans were given to have been able to watch Brett break countless records, as is the fact that 16 of his 17 years were spent in the great state of Wisconsin. I’m sure Green Bay is a very somber city right now, not to mention the rest of the state. Aaron Rodgers certainly has his work cut out for him, but I think he’ll be embraced wholeheartedly next season by us Cheeseheads. We will miss Favre terribly, though, and wish him a long, healthy, and relaxing retirement. (Looking forward to a fantastic season from the Brewer’s this year, but more on that in future posts…)
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So happy for the uber-ferOsh Christian Siriano, the sassy winner of the 2008 Project Runway competition. Though he was at times a tad annoying with his larger than life self-centeredness, he ultimately proved that his talent equaled his bravado. Plus, that show had a bunch of snores for personalities, (um, LOVED Jillian’s line, but her personality was just so blah the entire season!) save some lighthearted verbal contributions from Chris. In any case, Christian brought it fashion-wise, and colloquially as well. Thanks to him for his spicy personality throughout the season and for showing some realistic, sensitive emotions during the last couple shows. I actually kinda cried a little when he won. I’m including the following video in case you haven’t seen the end of the finale yet, or if you, like me, just want to watch the winning moment one more time. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
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OK, so February isn’t that bad, my sweet peeps. Just dig the TWO websites I found that I know you’ll love as much as I do. Check out www.disaboom.com and www.beautyability.com for some rad reading and great ideas. Forging ahead, both of them, and I have to say that the gal who runs beautyability (Tiffiny, I think) is a sassy, stylie chica. I love it that she blogs about fashion and makeup tips as well as all-things disability. Can’t wait to contact her to touch base and see if we can become kindred spirits on our quests to improve the appeal of assistive devices!
I apologize for starting the month out with such a sour attitude, my lovelies. I think I must have forgotten to take my happy pills the day I made the last post. I still have serious beef with the whole medical mobility supply business (save for a couple that I’ve mentioned here before, like www.colourswheelchair.com. Now, I’m one happy mamacita, what with the finding of the websites above, and the fact I’m diligently working on updating my business plan to seriously turn my passionate ideas into a living, breathing company. With support from Tiffiny and those involved in disaboom, I think I may start making headway. Whatchas think? Oh, and my husband (who will from now on be referred to as “the very best husband in the world” or “tvbhitw”) got the speakers reconnected to the PC, so I’m catching up on album releases from the past month or so. (Can anyone say, “Thriller 25th Anniversary Edition”?–that’s enough to put a smile on anyone’s face…)
As far as music goes, I haven’t made any suggestions of late, so here’s what I’m diggin this 15th day of February: Hotchip’s new album; Michael Jackson, duh!; Drive-By Truckers’ “Brighter Than Creations Dark”; k.d. lang’s “Watershed”; and especially Bob Mould’s newest project, “District Line”. I am listening to this album on repeat avec much pleasure. I’ve always thought Mr. Mould was a musical genius, so am happy to post this video about “District Line’s” release. He is really handsome, dear darlings; much more so than I remembered from the 90’s. Looking forward to Missy Elliot’s next project, as well as Goldfrapp’s.
Love you guys for reading and putting up with my random rambling and bitchiness on occasion. Be in touch and drop me some feedback, mmmkay? Below, two videos of Bob Mould. The first is handsome Bob’s release of “District Line”, and for kicks, Sugar’s video of “If I Can’t Change Your Mind”–one of my all-time favorite songs. (I am not a fan or advocate of smoking, but I can’t help but be a little turned on by the way Bob nonchalantly holds a cigarette throughout the Sugar video…oh, and the band T-shirt/grunge style cardigan combo is sigh-worthy, too). Whose 15 year High School Reunion is coming up this summer, I wonder?…Hmmm, can’t guess. Whatever, I know…
WARNING–PONDEROUS POST OF PISSYNESS…
GRRRRR!!! I am posting this photo to remind us all (myself included) why I remain steadfast and wholeheartedly committed to changing the lonely landscape of depressing medical devices. Not in a good mood fearless leader, you ask? Not today, my precious pancakes, this first day of Feb. 2008.
The lowdown–This morning, I went to Ask.com and google.com to see if my site came up with some related keyword searches. NADA. Where is my site? It certainly doesn’t appear when I type in ”cool walkers” or “colorful wheelchairs”. It’s no wonder the site hasn’t generated the excitement for which I’d so earnestly hoped upon its launch back in August 2007. I have heard of SEO (search engine optimization) companies that get paid to go through your site in an effort to boost it to the top of the search engines. Obviously, I need this service, as I have no idea how to go about doing this mydamnself. The Hitch: these services are pricey, pricey, pricey, compadres! A less-expensive one runs about $850 for the total overhaul. Fabulous. What the french, toast?!
Not only did my searches come up fruitless when keyword-searching for my own site, I found nothing new to report or gush about to you all in this realm. The savior site for creative photos, www.Flickr.com even proved hopeless, as I searched for colorful and inspired examples of folks with their sassied-up devices! I found the picture above, though which further soured my affect following my disasterous search engine debacle.
I may be down, kids, but am nowhere near out this early in the year. I still believe that 2008 WILL BE GREAT, and I’ll continue to report my progress (and setbacks) as they occur. Next post will be sunnier, certainly, and I’ll make sure to include a little music and mayhem to satisfy your senses.
Peace and posole,
S
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Happy 2008, dear readers!
A quick post, this one. Husband, two cats, dog Shiner, and I have successfully moved into our new home. We are much closer to “everything Albuquerque”, and are loving it.
As promised, I am beginning to contact and showcase local arts organizations. The two above are the Prodigy Arts Coalition and the Albuquerque Arts Alliance. If I can get the involvement of artsy folks around the area, I am sure this website and my dream of improving the aesthetic appearance of assistive devices will start to become a reality. I have a wonderful gut feeling that 2008 will be a great year for DigMyWalker and that you will begin to see more (new and recyled) appealing devices out and about by the end of the year. (Or at least, I’ll continue to work towards that goal).
Will be meeting with my website designer in the next few weeks to update the site and get ideas for how to make it more visable to the greater web community. Sorry about some of the outdated pages; you’ll see changes soon…
May wellness, creativity and laughter be major parts of your life this year. 2008 will be filled with all things political, surely, which will prove both exciting and annoying depending on how many TV commercials and news spots you will be watching. In any case, be sure to register to vote, (I just updated my registration) and get out there to make your lovely voices heard.
Contact me with any questions or comments you have about the site. Suggestions for improvements are always appreciated.
In digability,
Sarah
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Happy Holidays, y’all!
It’s snowing today in Albuquerque, so I’ve caught the holiday spirit bug in spite of being up to my neck in moving box chaos. Husband and I are in the middle of the move to our new home the day after Christmas, so no Christmas tree this year. I decided to display a magical holiday image here instead. (I guess it’s putting up a tree of the digital kind!)
OK, so 2007 has brought me a bit closer to making my assistive devices improvement dreams a reality; if only in the fact that I was able to launch this rockin’ website. I must admit that while I adore my site, worldwide hits/visits are far fewer than I’d hoped for upon first professionally venturing out into cyberland. Only a couple people have shown interest in my site’s forum. Not one person has mentioned the contest, which is a page that hasn’t been updated since the launch of the site. (Well, I can’t say that I’m that lacking for posts on the forum–I get daily spam posts of credit card offerings, porn links, and other crappy stuff I monitor and delete OFTEN. Lovely. Not what I’d had in mind originally, but hey…) With the forum and the contest pages, I’d hoped (and still do) for the job of maintaining a beautiful, colorful online haven where artists and the rest of us can share our ideas and pictures of “devices improved”. Admittedly, I haven’t been as diligent “getting the word out” about my side as I should be. I plan on touching base with the local Albuquerque art community after the big move to get some creative and dynamic people involved with this industry-altering project. With greater involvement from people here in my fantastic city and elsewhere, I am certain that the website and the idea of turning medical necessities into lifestyle accessories will blossom beautifully in 2008.
I will personally continue practicing daily acts of peace, global-mindedness, kindness, and beauty in 2008. (well, most days anyway…) I also promise to continue working on bringing style and sassiness to personal mobility devices, or at least to make a big stink as to why we all should be working towards this goal. The day I see colorful, creatively-designed children’s walkers, wheelchairs, canes, and crutches in Toys-R-Us along side the other toys, is the day I’ll know I’ve finally succeeded in making my dream a reality. Oh, to acheive such lofty goals!!!
In hugs and Christmas cookies,
Sarah
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