Hats of to Izzy who is bravely going where no wheelchair user has ever been before ! Isabel Keane is the Brand Ambassador of an Irish company that sell custom wheelchair spoke guards that started only 9 months ago in September 2016. The company 'Izzy Wheels' has already sold hundreds of sets of wheelchair spoke guards in both the UK but also Worldwide.

The easy to fit spoke guards are designed to be fitted to self propelled wheelchairs and span the entire wheel within the rim. The designs are many and varied and this is the attraction as wheelchairs are seen as medical devices and rarely are they made to look like anything else. Created by independent designers and illustrators these spoke guards turn a regular manual wheelchair into a fashion statement and offer a form of self-expression to the user.

Wheelchairs do become part on the users identity - like it or not and this includes visually, practically on a day to day basis and psychologically. So being able to radically change the look of the wheelchair with ease and create a look and feel that you are content with is an amazing thing to do and totally transforms the meaning of that wheelchair to the user, plus the impression it has on everyone who sees it.

All too often, because the wheelchair is marketed as a medical device they seem to bring negative connotations both to the user but also anyone who sees it and yet at core it is a source of liberation and freedom although to many the wheelchair is rarely seen as a symbol of independence. So for anyone to challenge this is a fantastic idea and provides an outlet for wheelchair users to express themselves and move away from the 'unfortunate wheelchair user' image that is so often felt. Even the notion that a wheelchair can be made to look fashionable is a nice change to the norm.

“Izzy Wheels are so important to me because they draw such positive attention to myself and my wheelchair,” says Isabel Keane, Izzy Wheels’ Brand Ambassador. “I am no longer seen as ‘the poor unfortunate girl in a wheelchair’ by passers-by. I am now seen as a stylish person with cool wheels. They really reflect the relationship I have with my wheelchair… Wheelchairs help, they do not hinder a person and now they do not hinder a person’s fashion choices”.

Although decorating wheelchair wheels is not entirely a new concept, Izzy Wheels are insistent on making this wheelchair transformation an affordable personal customisation. Other companies have sold plastic discs that clip on to the rear wheels but the designs have primarily targeted young children and the choice has been very limited. However this has changed and now the spoke guards from izzy Wheels start at just 99 Euros and are easier to fit to your wheelchair by the use of velcro straps making them easily interchangeable. This means that your wheelchair can have a quite different look from day to day and it can be 'dressed' to suit your attire and the occasion.

Creative Director Ailbhe Keane states the obvious when she says that wheelchairs have looked the same forever “People have negative connotations with wheelchairs and associate them with sick or elderly people. A wheelchair can cost up to €10,000 and none of this goes towards the appearance of your chair. We want to give one of the world’s most underserved community of people the freedom to express themselves… Self expression is a right”.

“Since launching, we realised the demand for personalization,” says the startup’s Creative Director. “We are currently working on a digital platform for Izzy Wheels called ‘Be-spoked’. This platform will give users the ability to build their own designs from a wide range of prints, colours, text and elements. We hope to launch this platform in the next few months”.

We wish the team at Izzy Wheels all the best with this venture and more so we hope that wheelchair users of all ages recognise this affordable opportunity to pimp their ride and jazz up their wheelchair to reflect their style. Dont forget to find some inspiration for your wheelchair here.