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Power Chair Innovators Honored in Time and Popular Science
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Power wheelchair users will never drive off a hidden curb or crash because of an out-of-control chair if the innovative designers at LUCI get their way. Time magazine recognized LUCI’s sensor-based mountable hardware for power chairs as one of the 100 Best Inventions of 2020 and Popular Science deemed it the Best of What’s New in 2020. LUCI’s system mounts between the power base and seat and “combines data from cameras, ultrasonic sensors and radar into a single, 360-degree view of the world, giving riders unprecedented independence and safety,” according to a press release announcing the honor. LUCI CEO Barry Dean designed the product with the needs of his daughter, a power wheelchair user, in mind. “This is an incredible honor, and one we would have never considered when my brother Jered and I started tinkering with my daughter’s wheelchair in the kitchen three years ago,” said Dean. “The most LUCI’s sensors and cameras could keep power chair users exciting part of from flying off curbs or crashing. being included in this list is having the opportunity to bring more attention and, hopefully, innovation to the world of power wheelchair users.” The product is already in use in five states and will be offered in clinics across the country as early as next month. See Time’s full list at time.com/ collection/best-inventions-2020, or learn more about LUCI at luci.com.
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Replace the Blue Button With Your Phone Dana Jones got the idea for Accessadoor while she was stuck inside a building because she couldn’t hit the automatic door opener. Jones called a friend to come let her out. While she was waiting, she thought, “I just used my phone to get help, why can’t I use it to open the door?” Enter Accessadoor, a simple retrofit insert that can be installed onto any door that already features push-button access. The device takes about five minutes to install and runs off the power in the button. Once the unit is installed, anyone who has downloaded the Accessadoor app can open the door simply by opening the app on their phone. Jones and the team at Accessador are working to get the word out to colleges, hospital systems and others. Until they are more readily available, it’s worth asking your favorite almost accessible establishment to install a device. Accessadoor is taking preorders now, and at $99.95, “it’s not going to break anybody’s bank,” says Jones. “It’s kind of a no-brainer.” For more info, check out: accessadoor.com
MEDIA ACCESS AWARDS: CRIP CAMP AND ITS PRODUCER JAMES LEBRECHT WERE AMONG THE HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITIES HONORED NOV. 19 AT THE 2020 MEDIA ACCESS AWARDS. HOSTED VIRTUALLY BY PRODUCER, MODEL AND ACTOR NYLE DIMARCO, THE 2020 CEREMONY RECOGNIZED INDIVIDUALS, SERIES AND FILMS THAT HAVE REDEFINED ON-SCREEN REPRESENTATION FOR THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY, WHILE ADVANCING THE PORTRAYAL AND EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN HOLLYWOOD. NETFLIX HIT AWAY ACTOR DANNY J. GOMEZ AND WRITER RAMY YOUSSEF ALSO WON AWARDS. THE ENTIRE SHOW IS AVAILABLE AT MEDIAACCESSAWARDS2020.COM, ALONG WITH THE SECOND ANNUAL DISABILITY LIST, A CURATED LIST OF THE MOST PROMISING UNPRODUCED SCRIPTS FEATURING AT LEAST ONE LEAD CHARACTER WITH A DISABILITY.
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