Hi everyone, I hope you’re all well and busy travelling :). Below is a lengthy article about a British man who invented a travel chair for his disabled wife after, once again, receiving poor specialist assistance at London Heathrow Airport. Something that, sadly, is a frequent experience! I thought you all might find this article interesting, especially for anyone who like/wants to travel. The chair sounds great, though it seems a little expensive at first glance. But if one can use the chair to gain greater freedom and travel, then it’s probably worth it. Enjoy article, Stay safe, happy days, Thanks, Tony :).
TRAVELLER CHAIR – WITH YOU ALL THE WAY! The story of how one man became an inventor for the love of his life.
(Belper, Derbyshire)
Now available to pre-order!
A story of how the husband of a wife with reduced mobility decided to take on the world issue of travel challenges and invented a product to totally change their travel experiences – all in the name of love.
Richard Williams is a manufacturing specialist and a professional engineer. His wife Jane has cerebral palsy and has had this condition since birth. What this means is that she finds it difficult to walk excessive distances, particularly when travelling through airports.
It was on a trip coming back from Asia into Heathrow about 5.30 am, tired, hungry and they just wanted to get home. No wheelchair service provider appeared, as was arranged, and this wasn’t the first time. There was no-one around to help. So Richard ended up scrabbling around trying to find a wheelchair.
This was the lightbulb moment, when Richard thought to himself ‘I can fix this. I am a manufacturing specialist and professional engineer. I CAN FIX THIS!’ So what started out as an idea three years ago has become Traveller Chair.
Traveller Chair is a lightweight folding transit chair that folds down to a carry-on size case that meets 95% of airline requirements for hand luggage. So, with a Traveller Chair, you do not have to be reliant upon third party services as the chair can stay with you all the way.
Traveller Chair retails at £395 excluding VAT and has a variety of features that make it a must-have travel companion.
Traveller Chair Features:
● WEIGHS ONLY 9kg approx – it’s the lightest folding adult transit wheelchair available.
● SUPPORTS 100kg – It’s an ultra-lightweight wheelchair but still strong enough to support passengers up to 100kg (16 stone).
● INTEGRAL CASE – It holds 72 hours worth of travel essentials in both case and chair modes.
● EASY TO TRANSPORT – It’s lightweight, making it ideal to transport on long trips.
● COMPACT DESIGN – It can fit into car boots with ease and complies with over 95% of airline carry-on luggage requirements.
● EASILY FOLDS/UNFOLDS – Quick folding and unfolding (in under 30 seconds) combined with its ultra-lightweight profile makes it ideal for people with reduced mobility.
● SHOULDER/LAP STRAP – It comes with a shoulder strap for ease of carrying when folded which also doubles up as a lap strap for extra security and safety when sat in the Traveller Chair.
● CARRY HANDLE – makes carrying easier when folded.
● Eligible for VAT relief
The chair has undergone a make-over in its last phase of manufacturing and has a great new look which incorporates flashes of cyan colour, a greenish-blue, that we are affectionately calling Traveller Chair blue. The bright lively greenish-blue reminds us of the sunshine sparkling on azure blue seas on our holidays (you’ll see what we mean from the images below!). The mechanical features of the chair have also had a makeover, making it really clear for the users of the chair to fold and unfold as they embark on their journey.
There are future plans to release a range of luggage that will work with the Traveller Chair to make it the must-have transit wheelchair and luggage range to give optimum freedom and independence to those with reduced mobility.
You can pre-order your own Traveller Chair now at www.travellerchair.com with deliveries expected in early Autumn.
If you would like more information about this topic, please email hello@travellerchair.com.
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— Tony Giles blind solo traveller and public speaker. Author of new eBook: Seeing a Slice of Southern Africa My Way ISBN 9781839781544 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08RWLRC2F/ I’m Fund raising for Galloways Society for the Blind, a charity that supports blind and visually impaired people throughout the northwest of England. my challenge: to raise £3,850 or more. Half for Galloways to support their fine work and half to send me to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Peru in April 2022. My Go fund me page: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/TonyGiles1