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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I was so pleased to see that Andrew Slorance had finally achieved his dream. Having watched him on his documentary in 2012 my heart really went out to him as he seemed so close to his goal and yet still too far to realise it. I literally screamed at my TV, "Oh come on! Give the guy a chance!" when he couldn't find someone to finance his project. Since then, I have often wondered if he had been successful in completing the Carbon Black and only discovered last week through Blackwood's Bespoken that indeed he had. I am so delighted not only for him, but for the many people who will enjoy the benefit of using this chair. I will never be able to use the CB but I can't tell you how delighted I am that Andrew Slorance finally succeeded. He will certainly bring a lot of happiness, not to say 'relief' to many disabled people who can once again enjoy the outdoors and indeed, enjoy life itself. He is so right about the regular wheelchairs being cold and harsh. I loathe my wheelchair. I can't get into places I want to and when I'm in, I can't get out! It's not the first time I've had to deconstruct my chair in order to get out of a less than suitable disabled toilet! In the winter my chair reminds me how cold it is as the metal retains the cold and I can't seem to keep warm.  I really love the way Andrew's chair looks because to me it looks like it is an extension of the person in it. I really wish I could have tried it before I graduated to a power chair. When I had a manual chair I couldn't go out on my own. I did try a couple of times but ended up having to get someone to get me home. The normal manual chair is so heavy. If you hit a pothole in the pavement it is almost impossible to get going again and forget about crossing the road, because even a small slope can stop you if you don't have the huge strength to push yourself up on the other side. I once got stuck in a large puddle that had been concealing a hole when I was crossing a side road. I couldn't get out and to make things worse I seemed to be amusing a small group of people who though it okay to stand laughing at my predicament. I sat frustrated in floods of tears when a cleansing department truck passed. One of the men on the back came rushing over to help me and in fact wheeled me all the way home. Definitely my knight in shining armour. I wouldn't wish the feelings I had that day on anyone. Surely the wheelchair is supposed to free us from our captive life not make it worse! We need more people like Andrew Slorance and we need the disability industry to get off their behinds and realise that they are making our lives harder not easier.

 I always rant on about the need for more input from disabled people when designing and producing anything for the disabled. To me it seems like the natural thing to do but I have to say that with the many problems arising from items that just don't do the job right, obviously this is not happening. Shockingly, and within the last few years a hospital was built in my area. You would think a hospital of all things would be disabled friendly. Not the case! This hospital had no electronic doors at all, so wheelchair bound people to little old ladies with walking sticks, could only look on in anguish hoping that some one would come and hold the heavy doors open so they could get in and then stand (or sit) at the next door and again wait for help. Some clinic rooms are too small so it is impossible to get a wheelchair in without a big struggle and shoving around of furniture. Examination couches (including MRI and CT scan couches)are too high even for the able bodied if they are short on height. You cannot transfer under your own steam. Instead you have to be man-handled on and off the couches. It's so humiliating. You can forget about claiming back any travel money too as the cashier's office is up a flight of stairs with no elevator. If a hospital can't get it right, what hope do disabled people have? It's 2014 for goodness sake and things are getting worse not better. It might be a start if the government paid more attention to people like Andrew Slorance and give funding and support to ensure their projects to assist disabled people come to fruition sooner. Perhaps more of us would then be able to slot back into a working life.

Apologies for going on so much. I just feel so strongly that disabled people get such a rough deal of things and it is more a case of "that will do for them" than genuinely ensuring that things work to give us an 'on par' life with able bodied people.  Kindest regards, June

Hi June,

 

I totally agree with you about the need for people with disabilities to be able to influence, if not lead, the design process when it comes to disability aids. By the way that is shocking about that hospital? Have you looked to see if it appears on Euan's Guide? Might be worth them looking into it.

 

I also wanted to tell you that if you ever spot a practical problem for people with disabilities that is not being addressed then you could suggest it as a possible challenge in next year's Student Design Contest. We've had some great designs in the past and you never know, someone might come up with a clever solution.

 

Paul

Thank you Paul, I will definitely keep that in mind and I will have a read of Euan's guide. The hospital has in the last several months made their doors electronic. Whether they will or even can address any of the other problems remains to be seen. I honestly can't understand how this happened but perhaps the cheapest tender is not always the best!

This sounds terrible but I always seem to find the most inadequate disabled toilets or inaccessible shops when I'm out. One Sunday my family took me for a bit of a mystery tour that turned into a bit of a nightmare. They took me to a place called Bigger. It's a lovely village that could be forgiven for being stuck in a time warp. (late 50s early 60s) I really loved the look of the place and it brought back childhood memories for me. The trouble started with no disabled parking, so my wheelchair had to be wrestled out and I had to be wrestled in! Then we went on to cobbled roads and tiny pavements that caused me no end of pain and ended with not being able to go into any of the shops or cafés with my wheelchair. Not to say I never did find a disabled toilet! A beautiful village but absolutely no good for people in wheelchairs. Since then I have been told to check on the website disabledgo.com before venturing out to new places so I will at least have an idea if it is worth me going. I guess we have to look at places in different ways. Not all small villages want to make it disabled friendly because they feel it will detract from its beauty but then surely they keep it beautiful so that people can enjoy it. Are we therefore not people because we need wheelchairs and sticks to get around? It's a hard enough pill to swallow at the best of times, disability, but when I come upon places like this I feel they might as well have put up a large notice saying, "No disabled people, please!" I honestly hope I haven't upset anyone saying this. It is definitely not my intention. It's just the way I sometimes find things. It's no ones fault my body has given up on me but why should that prevent me from enjoying the things that able bodied people do?

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