All Blog Posts (473)

Training through the Pandemic - with Paralympic hopeful, Gary Smith

For Gary Smith, retiring from a career in wheelchair Basketball due to a long-term shoulder injury was not an easy decision. He had played wheelchair basketball for as long as he could remember and made many lifelong friends through the…

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Added by Ryan MacDonald on March 24, 2021 at 9:03 — 2 Comments

Nothing is impossible!

When the first snowflake fell this year, it made me think about the amazing  Amanda Lees (pictured right). To me, I see snow as something that makes it really difficult to get around in my wheelchair. To Amanda, snow is an opportunity to travel, meet with friends and hit the slopes! We asked her to write a guest blog telling us all about her ski adventures........and she didn't disappoint. Here it is......

"As I zoom down the mountain, making…

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Added by Ryan MacDonald on January 28, 2021 at 12:04 — No Comments

New brain-machine interface could offer control over wheelchairs

Georgia Tech researchers have created a new brain-machine interface (BMI) that uses a new class of nano-membrane electrode combined with flexible electronics and a new deep learning algorithm to help disabled people wirelessly control devices. The BMI could be used to control things like an electric wheelchair, interact with a computer, or operate a small robotic vehicle without having to use a hair-electrode cap or mess with wires.

Read the full article at:…

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Added by George Perfect on October 3, 2019 at 8:50 — No Comments

NAIDEX Info and Lioving With Spinal injury

I am very excited that the 2020 NAIDEX show will be better than ever.  As always I will be talking at NAIDEX.  I just published a post about disability dating on the NAIDEX Blog 

https://www.naidex.co.uk/news/blog.asp?blog_id=19855

Also of great interest to the Bespoken community is an article about independent living that I wrote for the independentliving site.…

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Added by David Millar on July 8, 2019 at 19:16 — No Comments

Of wheelchairs and pricing – and a challenge to an open source hardware project

Anyone who either uses or has an interest in electric wheelchairs and the way the industry behind them works might be interested in the (warning: long) article I published at:

https://www.biznik.co.uk/of-wheelchairs-and-pricing-and-a-challenge-to-an-open-source-hardware-project/

In addition to calling out the appaling…

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Added by George Perfect on June 22, 2019 at 7:00 — No Comments


Staff
Blackwood Design Awards 2018/19 Judging Day Video

With the success of last weeks Blackwood Design Awards it seems only fitting that we made a video from the day! 

Watch the full thing below: 

Added by David Quinn on May 24, 2019 at 15:22 — No Comments


Staff
The Blackwood Design Awards 2018/19 Judging Day

Another year and it was another successful Blackwood Design Awards.

Held in Datalabs conference room in the magnificent Bayes Centre in the heart of Edinburgh’s University campus it was a setting fit for the occasion.

Judges arrived from across the country at mid-day:

Toby Mildon – A diversity and Inclusion…

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Added by David Quinn on May 22, 2019 at 16:00 — 1 Comment


Staff
The Blackwood Design Awards 2018/19 Shortlist Finalists!

BDA 18/19 Finalist Shortlist               

It’s the shortlist time…

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Added by David Quinn on May 10, 2019 at 15:00 — No Comments

Edinburgh Napier Students Wow With Their Designs!

Since autumn term 2018 Blackwood Innovation team have been actively working with third- and fourth-year students from the School of Engineering and Built Environment at Edinburgh Napier University. The students are tasked to work in teams to create and design a product that promotes digital technology and a roadmap for that product…

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Added by bespoken Team on April 9, 2019 at 13:55 — 1 Comment


Staff
Disabled Access Day 2019

It was Disabled Access Day on Saturday the 16th of March so we braved the snow and delayed trains to visit …

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Added by David Quinn on March 22, 2019 at 13:14 — No Comments


Staff
Ramble Tag - a Blackwood Design Awards Entry

Ramble Tag is one of the entries to our Blackwood Design Awards and yet is already something of a success story. From it's fairly humble beginnings as two neighbours dog walking and an old luggage handle to a successful Kickstarter to a fully fledged product already being used in major airports in the UK. 

It's innovation is in it's simplicity…

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Added by David Quinn on February 6, 2019 at 16:30 — No Comments

Thanks and Goodbye

Today is my last day working at Blackwood and managing bespoken. After giving it a lot of thought I decided it was time for a change, and so, I’m going off to teach English as a foreign language in Japan. I wanted to do a short blog post reflecting on my time at Blackwood, so here goes. 

In 2013 I had just finished university with a very fancy degree…

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Added by Paul Richoux on November 2, 2018 at 10:00 — No Comments

wheelAIR Diversify Their Online Sales With New “Try Before You Buy” Scheme

Cooling backrest cushion start up, wheelAIR, remain cutting edge in their e-commerce sales strategy by offering their website customers the option to try out the wheelAIR before they buy. They are also making purchase easier for customers by offering a payment plan. 

‘Try before you buy’ will allow wheelchair users…

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Added by Laura McFarlane on October 24, 2018 at 13:12 — No Comments

Blackwood Wins Prestigious Business Award in Ceremony in Glasgow

Blackwood Homes and Care were honoured this week at the Herald Scottish Digital Business Awards 2018 taking home the Charity & Social Enterprise Award.

 

This is a tremendous honour and recognises Blackwood’s outstanding work and dedication to using technology and innovation to help people live life to the full. It especially acknowledges our work in…

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Added by bespoken Team on October 12, 2018 at 9:30 — No Comments

Britain’s Got Talent Winner Brings the House Down at AGM

BRITAIN’S Got Talent winner, Lee Ridley, has performed a special show to help promote the work of Blackwood.

Lee, who shot to fame by winning this year’s series of the ITV talent show, performed a laughter-filled routine as the main guest at our AGM, which explored his rise to fame as ‘Lost Voice Guy’.

The theme of the day focused on communication as we launched…

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Added by bespoken Team on September 20, 2018 at 11:01 — No Comments

Edinburgh airport remain cutting-edge with service offering for disabled passengers with purchase of innovative wheelAIRs

Following a successful summer trial, Edinburgh Airport have purchased wheelAIR cooling backrest cushions from Edinburgh-based mobility dealer FastAid Products for customers with wheelchairs to use whilst in the airport.

 

Working with…

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Added by Laura McFarlane on August 29, 2018 at 8:28 — No Comments

wheelAIR key backer in historical moment for inclusivity: the first ever Adaptive Highland Games

Scottish healthcare start-up wheelAIR were key supporters of what have been described as the UK’s first ever Adaptive Highland Games. Adaptive events took place at the largest ever Mey Highland and Cultural Games in the very north of Scotland, in John O'Groats on Saturday 4th August.

 

This marks a…

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Added by Laura McFarlane on August 7, 2018 at 13:45 — No Comments

Mobility Scooter Helpful Information

I would like to share with you a mobility scooters company that has produced some amazing guides for owners and people thinking about buying a mobility scooter. 

Below is a list of all the articles they have and at the bottom, I have put the link to the page where you can find all these and more articles and guides.

Mobility Scooter…

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Added by Ivan Kokuti on July 31, 2018 at 8:45 — No Comments

Model and Influencer Samanta Bullock Joins wheelAIR as Official Brand Ambassador

Glasgow based healthcare start-up, wheelAIR, have secured the model, athlete and influencer Samanta Bullock as their second official brand ambassador.

 

Originally from Brazil, Samanta has had a glittering career as a former Paralympic tennis player, a successful model and style icon as well as a key representative for many disability inclusion…

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Added by Laura McFarlane on July 25, 2018 at 11:30 — No Comments

Short break for the bulletin

Hi all,

The bespoken team is a little short staffed this week with holidays and so on so we will not be sending out a bulletin on Friday the 20th of July.

All bespoken members can still post content, ask questions and support one another and engage with bespoken during this time. The bulletin will return on Friday the 27th of July.

Thank you

The bespoken Team

Added by bespoken Team on July 13, 2018 at 14:25 — No Comments

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