The first time Andrew Slorance had to go out in public as a wheelchair user was a bad day. Worse than the day he was paralysed by his accident, when he fell from a tree he was climbing, broke his back, and was left a complete T4/5 spinal cord injury. He felt he had lost his identity. He was no longer a typical teenager, he was the teenager in the wheelchair.

“I felt that wheelchairs were horrible medical devices” Andrew explains on the Carbonblack webpage, “and I couldn’t understand why companies didn’t advance their wheelchairs in the same way bike companies did with their products. The sight of the wheelchair defined who I was to the others before they had even met me”.

With that idea on his mind, by the time he was sixteen he had decided that one day he would re-invent the wheelchair. His ambition came to fruition with Carbon Black, a carbon fibre wheelchair he has developed during the last six years.  A chair he describes as being unconventional and like no other in the world. His vision is built on an idea, or rather a wish: “I want wheelchair users to be seen for who they are, and not immediately seen for their disability”.

Andrew Slorance told us about Carbon Black.

Do you think now that you re-invented the wheelchair? Why?

“Yes, I have proved that wheelchairs don't have to be ugly medical devices.  Wheelchairs don't have to be ice makers they can be ice breakers.  My chair gets so much attention and always for positive reasons.  I am treated differently using a CB than when using a conventional chair. I feel cutting edge and stylish, my abilities are enhanced as the pushing is so easy compared to conventional chairs.  What I haven't achieved yet is the widespread availability of CB worldwide but it is on the agenda.  However, even if Carbon Black ends now I will feel I have achieved what I set out to do”.

Was your own story an inspiration for Carbon black’s design?

“Without my own experience CB would never have happened.  It is only with my experience as an active wheelchair user over 25 years that I felt I had enough knowledge that I could risk everything on a re-design of the wheelchair.  All the negative aspects I experienced with conventional chairs I knew others had to also have experienced so I had to remove these aspects from my design. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but I wanted my design to be beautiful. A beautiful, cool, sexy wheelchair would before have seemed ridiculous, as these words and wheelchair don't belong in the same sentence - they do now”. 

You said “forget the conventional, ignore the standard and together we will change perceptions”. What perceptions do you want to change?

“I want perceptions of wheelchairs and wheelchair users to be instantly positive.  I want the wheelchair user themselves to create the perception, not their chair.  A wheelchair can often rob a user of their identity, the wheelchair becomes their identifying feature. It becomes who they are. If the wheelchair looks like a medical device this is the immediate perception an individual will have of that wheelchair user.  First impressions count I want the first impression of a CB use to be all about them not their chair”.

When did you decide that the best material to use for the wheelchair was carbon fibre? Why did you choose it?

“I first heard of carbon when I was 18 and immediately knew if I ever redesign the wheelchair I would use carbon fibre. I use carbon because it is a great material to live with.  It is warm and tactile not like metal that is cold and harsh. It is very stiff so very energy efficient, there is little loss of the user’s energy through unnecessary flexing that you get with metal cantilever designs of wheelchair. The carbon despite being stiff absorbs a vast amount of the vibration from the road.  It is like suspension but without the weight or spongy characteristics typical of suspension chairs.  The beautiful ergonomic shapes that can be created with carbon fibre were also a big plus for me.  Even as a teenager I hated the welded parts on my bike I always thought they looked ugly. I love the way carbon seamlessly blends from one part to another”.

How much has the finished product changed compared with the first idea?

“The finished product is very similar to the first idea, it has just evolved.  Like a car model evolves CB has evolved very quickly and will continue to do so.  I don't ever sit back and think ‘there it is done’.  It will go on evolving for a long time yet and when it has finished evolving then new products will evolve to support it”.

Why do you say this wheelchair has features never before seen in wheelchairs? What is the most important feature?

“Fully carbon fibre has never been done, there are carbon chairs but they have canvas seats and backrests.

No other wheelchair is modular - CB has detachable parts such as the backrest that can be clicked on or off and replaced with a different backrest.

CB has built in hub locking wheels, the cables are concealed within the monocoque to give clean sleek lines.

There is no other chair that is so minimal.  Take a look at CB from behind and a conventional chair from behind and you will see the difference. The CB backrest is shaped to sit within the outline of the user's body shape, not obliterate their body shape with a non-ergonomic square of canvas.

CB offers 700c for 26" full carbon wheels with carbon ergonomic push rims. Full carbon wheels like this don't exist anywhere else.

CB has built in carbon fibre suspension qualities without having to carry the weight of conventional suspension.

CB looks amazing conventional chairs don't, conventional chairs look like wheelchairs”.

After six years of development, you were successful with the Carbon black. What was the most difficult part of the project? Why did it take six years?

“Raising the funds to do it was the hardest part.  Finding the right people to work with was equally difficult.  Carbon fibre companies are very specialist they work around the F1 industry they don't normally take on development projects funded by a man with his credit card.  Finding the team has been really tough but now we have a great team”.   

Why is it important that the wheelchair is hand made?

“It wouldn't be possible to make CB by machine as carbon fibre is a hand build material.  Although there are automated process available for making carbon parts they would require millions invested in equipment, which would probably make the chair too expensive.  Every, CB is made to made to measure so making it by hand is the easiest way to do it”.

Now you can find electrical wheelchairs. Why would people prefer a manual wheelchair?

“Power chairs are fine if you really can't manage a manual wheelchair but I believe in use it or loose it.  Use your upper body if you can or it will waste away and you will loose strength, loosing strength will only lead to more difficult transfers and lifting.  Power chairs are also difficult to put in the car they really require a specially adapted vehicle which won't work for everyone. I guess the rarity is what don't you ask someone who can walk why they don't just sit in a power wheelchair and whizz around, surely that would be easier than having to walk?  That would be stupid though because they don't need a power chair and the same is true for anyone who can use a manual chair.  I have a customer with MS he used to only go outside in his power chair as his manual chair was too heavy to get around by himself.  Now he goes out everywhere in his CB, he pushes it himself everywhere and often goes for miles at a time.  He recently went travelling in Europe with his CB, he feels empowered to be managing himself and keeping the progress of his MS back for as long as possible.  The longer he can be independent the better”.

Is Carbon black especially suited to certain disabilities? Who can use it?

“CB is suited to anyone who can push a chair themselves and seeks and active, independent life. It is less suited to those that need or want pushed around by a helper”. 

Are you thinking about other products, besides Carbon black wheelchair?

“Always!”

You can get more information on Carbon black by clicking here

Photos: courtesy of Carbonblack

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