The Trabasack has had a busy year, with social media and disability influencers tapping out their support for the innovative wheelchair bag and tray in one!

We have been proud to support the work of the Special Effect group – a charity devoted to making gaming more accessible for disabled people of all abilities. Special Effect go to great lengths to research new tech and experiment with daily living aids that may help the disabled community to game without barriers – making lives more fun, and gaming more inclusive!

We LOVE this video of feisty gamer Devina – ready to challenge her sibling to a race-off on Gran Turismo, thanks to the efforts of the Special Effect charity, teamed with our Trabasack Curve Connect!

 

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A post shared by SpecialEffect (@specialeffectteam)

TheTrabasack Curve Connect has become a firm regular that Special Effect purchases for their avid gamers – with the velcro-receptive tray surface being ideal for attaching switches, controllers and joysticks without fear of them falling off or moving during a heated gaming session! The ergonomic shape and soft cushioned edging makes the Curve Connect ideal for gamers of all ages and abilities.

Trabasack are so proud to have our products used by the disabled gaming community, and we hope you can take the time to find out more about the amazing work the Special Effect charity does.

Also spotted online was a lovely review of the Trabasack Mini, from disability awareness blogger and mum Lizzy Gwilliam.

Lizzy was featured on the BBC a few years back, testing out wheelchair-friendly shopping trolleys that also feature a platform for securing a baby car seat – allowing disabled parents to shop and also push their babies at the same time.

Since then Lizzy has also discovered the Trabasack Mini – and we were extremely pleased to hear of how our wheelchair tray and bag has been so helpful to her:

 

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A post shared by Elizabeth Gwilliam (@lizzy_bunton)

Our range of Trabasack wheelchair trays and bags have a multitude of uses, and we believe there is a model to suit every need – so why not check out our full range of wheelchair tray-bagsandaccessories, and see how the Trabasack can make your life easier and more accessible!

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New rules require people to wear a face-covering or mask in most public indoor settings. But, if you have a medical condition or disability that makes it impossible for you to wear one, you can self-certify as being exempt from wearing one and avoid being fined.

Leicestershire based entrepreneur, Duncan Edwards, who has family members with disabilities, became aware, early in the pandemic, of the need for a device to provide others around them with immediate and simple-to-understand information regarding mask exemption.

Duncan explained:

“I noticed people were printing their own cards to use on the bus. The quality was not good and the cards did not last long. Some people were also getting hostility towards them for not wearing a mask. I, therefore, decided to produce a long-lasting, mask exemption card, made from recycled materials and attached to a lanyard or badge clip. It is a durable, portable pass that you can wear around your neck, or pinned to your coat while travelling or in shops, and is instantly visible.”

Having partnered with online lifestyle magazine Disability Horizons to launch a shop selling stylish and practical disability living aids at the end of 2019, they collaborated to create a new product.

The bright red lanyard has ‘MASK EXEMPT’ written in white capital letters so it is easy to see. The credit card-sized ID badge further explains your mask exemption as being due to a ‘disability/health condition’. Both can be shown and read at a safe distance.

Duncan continued:

“We sold 100 the first day we advertised them, which doubled to 200 the next day. Sales have continued to soar with many disabled people fearful of what the new rules meant for them if they couldn’t wear a mask, now over 40,000 have been sold. We’re now also selling them in bulk to businesses, organisations, workplaces, schools, colleges, and many more outlets.”

Other products are now available on the Disability Horizons Shop and include, ‘Crystal Gaze’ lightweight face shield (a possible alternative if someone can’t wear a face mask), ‘Keep 2M Social Distance’ cards, and yellow and red ‘Keep 2M Distance’ sashes to help remind people to keep their distance if the wearer is at high risk if they catch Covid-19.

Duncan Edwards is Managing Director of Trabasack, a company founded with his wife Clare as a social enterprise to create, manufacture and share new British innovations that help disabled people and promote social inclusion. Trabasack has won and been nominated for many awards and its products used by thousands of people worldwide.

Disability Horizons is an online community magazine founded in 2011 by two disabled men – blogger and influencer Martyn Sibley and businessman Srin Madipalli. The magazine’s aim is to enable disabled people live the life they choose by offering advice, creating a community and changing perceptions around disability. Everyone on the team is either disabled themselves, has a long-term health condition or a close family member with a disability.

The shop collaboration came out of a need for a curated range of disability products from trusted suppliers. Over the years both companies had seen how great products and services can make a real difference to disabled people’s lives. But they need to be the right products – innovative, stylish and truly valuable.

To order any of the products please visit https://shop.disabilityhorizons.com/

https://disabilityhorizons.com/

www.trabasack.com

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We are always on the look-out for innovative and inclusive new products to add to our collection here at Trabasack, and when we first heard about the stunning range of Samantha Renke bags we instantly knew they were perfect for our store.

Sam Renke is a world-renowned actress and disability campaigner, and after many years of a fruitless search for a handbag that was both accessible for disabled people as well as being fashion-forward and stylish, Sam decided to take the art of design into her own hands and created her gorgeous range of contemporary handbags.

The Samantha Renke range of bags would not look out-of-place sold amongst designer or high-end high street retailers – Sam has clearly applied her own personal, fashionista stylings to her range whilst also utilising her experience as a disabled person to create a truly inclusive handbag brimming with helpful features to make everyday life easier.

Accessible and Inclusive features include:

1. Matching Clutch Bag

2. High-contrast interior lining

3. Large, fabric zip-pulls

4. Hidden zip-pocket for private/sensitive items

5. Insulated bottle holder

6. EXCLUSIVE TO TRABASACK.COM – Free set of detachable shoulder/wheelchair straps with mobility clips

7. Elasticated key chain

8. Pen holder

9. Mobile phone pocket

10. Made from Vegan-friendly soft faux-leather

Please have a look at our extensive range of Sam Renke bags for sale here, at Trabasack.  Please do note that although the Sam Renke bag is one of our favourite inclusive fashion accessories, it does not include a built-in tray – so do consider the Trabasack Curve with purple trim for your wheelchair tray and bag in one!

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It is our pleasure to announce the Trabasack Curve Connect is to be recognised as an official Microsoft Xbox accessory!

In a recent video posted on Youtube via the official Microsoft channel, we meet Zach Anner; comedian and abundantly charming internet personality, as he uses what he himself describes as “15 minutes of training” in video game play, alongside our Trabasack Curve Connect, to take on long-time friend (and life-long gamer) Josh Flanagan in an Xbox One “Killer Instinct” showdown of skill, and pure gaming defiance!

Zach Anner is a California-based celebrity polymath with cerebral palsy, but foremost a notable comedian, whose Youtube channel has racked-up millions of views and over 350k subscribers. His videos and vlogs offer viewers everything from insightful and unique informal chats about life-lessons and living with disability in young adulthood, to his weekly “WOW” (Workout Wednesday) episodes, where Zach defies general fitness ideals by using his relentless, self deprecating humour, and it has to be noted, impressive upper-body strength, to bring hilarious workout tips and truly endearing moments of pure personality to his viewers.

This official Microsoft video showcases a whole plethora of accessible gaming equipment alongside the Trabasack Curve Connect, and Zach’s sweet gaming set-up includes the new Microsoft Adaptive Controller; a gorgeous-looking piece of gaming kit that has been designed specifically for players with physical, motor and developmental disabilities. The slim, modular shape and slick two-tone design gives the Xbox Adaptive Controller (XAC) a truly contemporary tech aesthetic, yet the large domed buttons, over-sized glossy D-pad and USB ports for connecting an additional analog stick provide the practical support needed for high-energy competitive gameplay (or steady control over your mage or ranger if RPGs are more your thing!).

Other accessible gaming accessories used in Zach’s video include the Ultimarc Ultra-Stik+ which features a switch interface and a velcro bottom – making it an ideal gaming companion to the Trabasack “Connect” range. Zach also uses a number of “Buddy Button” switches which are available in a range of colours that can be chosen to correspond with the action buttons on a traditional Xbox controller.

Our Trabasack Curve Connect lapdesk and bag-in-one was created with so many practical uses in mind, and of course it is testament to its design that it lends itself so perfectly to becoming a new staple gaming accessory to the many people with disabilities whom enjoy engaging in gaming of all genres. As you can see from the Microsoft video, the large lapdesk surface of the Curve Connect, teamed with the ergonomic shape means gamers are provided with the space and comfort needed to utilise alternative forms of gaming controller with ease, and side straps teamed with the bean bag inserts will always ensure that the Curve Connect stays steady and secure up on your lap.

The velcro-receptive tray surface of the Curve Connect means all equipment can be swiftly secured or even removed and exchanged depending on the gaming conditions, and the internal, zip-up bag compartment is spacious enough to store controllers and even portable consoles such as the Nintendo Switch, so you can pack-up your gear and go to gaming sessions with your buddies wherever and whenever you desire!

We know that the perpetual development of technology can often leave most of us by the way-side when it comes to keeping up-to-date with equipment options and gaming specs, and that’s why we whole-heartedly recommend anybody with a disability who loves to game, or is just interested in trying console gaming for the first time, to take a look at the Special Effect charity website. The Special Effect team, alongside assistance from your local Occupational Therapist, can provide you with all the support and information needed to ensure everyone, no matter their ability, is offered a fair chance to explore the satisfaction, euphoria, magic and even social affinity that gaming can bring.

We were given such joy to see Zach Anner using our Trabsack Curve Connect, and it is truly thrilling for us to think of how the Trabasack may now provide so many shared moments of enjoyment, exhilaration and gaming triumph for gamers with disabilities across the world.

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What are the options for using a trabasack as a tray or mount for your Xbox Adaptive Controller?

The XAC is not handheld so you need a comfortable and secure tray for using it on your lap. Who wants a ‘granny laptray’ with the coolest new controller on the market, so what you need is a trabasack as your XAC tray. Even if your set up uses the XAC as a ‘junction box’ away from your body you may need switches and joysticks close at hand and that is also easy with a trabasack.

Trabasack as an XAC tray and switch mount

Trabasacks are a unique bag and tray in one that make a perfect accessory for enjoying your XAC. Using a trabasack you can comfortably hold the xac on your lap. You can also use it for mounting buttons, switches or joysticks in conjunction with the XAC. The trabasack also has straps that will hold the tray comfortably on your lap, either by attaching it to your chair or around your waist. All trabasacks have a bag space for holding your accessories or anything you want close at hand whilst gaming. They also have a bean bag base for comfort and leveling on your lap.

You can see Zach Anner using a blue  trabasack curve connect  on his lap in the Xbox xac promotional video.

There are several types of trabasack and in this post I will show you the options:

We will start with the one Zach is using, the Curve Connect:

The Curve Connect has a curved shape that hugs your waist and a velcro receptive surface that you can secure the XAC or add switches or a joystick to. They come in red, blue or orange trims and have two sets of straps. Short ones for securing the tray to armrests or long ones for putting around your waist or the back of a chair (like a bumbag/Fanny pack).

To buy one of for more details click here

An alternative to the Curve Connect is the Curve. It is the same shape and size but instead of a fabric velcro ready surface it has faux-leather vinyl surface and is available in all black or with a purple trim (pictured).

All trabasacks also have a bag space that you can use to store gaming accessories or the xac itself.

Click here for specs or to purchase a trabasack curve

The smallest trabasacks are the MiniandMini Connect. It comes with two long straps and either a vinyl surface (Mini) or a velcro receptive tray surface (Mini Connect) for placing the XAC on your lap.

Trabasack Mini is about the size of an A4 pad or notebook

A trabasack Mini Connect with an XAC showing scale

The largest trabasack is the Max:

Shown with a laptop but there is plenty of room to use it as an XAC tray

Interior lined with luxury red satin, with document wallets, pockets and more

It has a considerably bigger tray surface and with more space to hold your kit and for your controllers. Like all trabasacks it comes with straps, a bean bag base and a purpose designed tray surface for using on your lap. This is the smartest and most luxurious XAC tray you will find!

More details are here

What else might you need from us?

Another accessory you may find useful for securing controllers or joysticks or for using as a wrist support whilst gaming is the Media Mount. The Media Mount is a bean bag sack noodle that can be stuck to itself or and used to aid mounting.

A trabasack Media Mount holding a controller on a blue curve connect. Image from the One Switchblog.

The Media Mount sticks to itself and can twist around switches and controllers giving them height or changing the angle at which they can be used.

More info about the Media Mount is here. The Media Mount will only stick to the Trabasack Connect models or any other velcro ready surface.

Trabasack Hook Tape

We also sell 120 cm lengths of hook tape (like the rough velcro tape) that will stick to your XAC or switches to attach them to your trabasack connect surface. So pop a pack in your basket.

If you have any questions about using the trabasack with an XAC please contact us and I will do my best to help.

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Protected: For Earth Day, the why in Manuma

I realized recently that my fashion schooling was punctuated by several significant events– disasters, really– that mark the intersections of my values system as a citizen of the world and as a fashion designer. They were landmarks on the map that lead to me to build Manuma.

 

Animesh Basnet

People, Planet

I started classes at Parsons in Manhattan in September, 2011.…

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jammi-dodger:

Hey everyone!

My partner Shaaba and I have just relaunched our social enterprise True To Me. Some of you may remember it as This Is Me. But we’ve rebranded, and relaunched yesterday!

20% of everything we make goes back into the LGBT+ community in the form of giveaways, donations, and more. 

As part of the relaunch we’re offering a limited edition Project Pride Box that is currently available for pre-order and will be shipped out in late June. 

We also offer a bunch of other stuff, such as keyrings, posters, and wristbands.

ClickHERE to check out what we do

Here’s a few things that we sell! :D