Black is Back Here

As an admittedly vain individual, I can’t begin to describe how excited I am by Permobil’s new black tires. Using the slogan “Black by popular demand,” Permobil has announced that customers can now order the mid-wheel-drive M300 or M400 with black, non-marking tires. For the less vain (or smarter) wheelers, this may seem trivial — and to be honest, I have no brilliant rebuttal — but damn, do the black tires look slick!

The basic package comes with silver rims, but Permobil is also offering black rims for both the casters and main wheels. You can choose between solid or pneumatic drive tires. Personally, I think the black-on-black of the “Blackout Wheel Package” is a little much. I prefer the black tires with the standard silver rims.

This opens up a whole new realm of color combos for the vain (or fashion conscious) wheelchair user. It also represents a huge step forward for wheelchair ninjas — staying in the shadows has never been so easy! Find out more here: http://permobilus.com/blacktires.php

Accessible bathrooms in little places

Building an accessible bathroom or remodeling your bathroom to improve access can be tricky. Fitting in rails, making sure there is room to transfer and that you can roll under and to everything usually means space, and lots of it. Texas-based Culnat thinks they may have the solution in the Wyng Wetroom System.

Natalie Noack, the co-founder and president of Culnat, explained the system in a press release:

“With the Wyng Wetroom System, spaces as small as 5 by 7 feet can be converted into full wheelchair accessible bathing rooms without the need to knock down walls,” said Noack. “People think they don’t have an alternative because of limited resources. Even if money is no object, it’s the ‘nowhere to expand’ that can leave a family with undue stress and no other choice but to move out of the home they love. The public needs to know that there is now a solution. We believe that independence can be achieved in nearly any size space, providing added safety and restoring independence.”

The wetroom has numerous options including a rail system and a toilet that can double as a safe shower bench. It also offers a custom flange to prevent water damage and leaking. Check out Culnat at http://www.culnat.com/