Stories from our community: how do you make your AT you?

AT Chatter Wadangali:

Many years ago I needed a trolley for work. However, as a walker user, I could not find what I needed. Nothing had big enough baskets to fit all my equipment (toys and folders) that I needed to frequently move from room to room, and that I could still weight bear on. 

My local disability shop Wheelchairs & Stuff: Opens in new window worked many hours on designing this for me. 

I was a tad upset at the fact that I couldn't get matching colours (i.e. white baskets and beige walker) and they said they also got wheelchairs painted so if I wanted I could also get it painted. I was working with children so I decided fire engine red would be fun. 

This is what they made me... 

I no longer work at that job, but this still works really well in my house and for bringing shopping in when it gets delivered. 

Job Access: Opens in new window (federal government scheme) paid for this. 

Picture description 

Top left: white wire basket from Howard's Storage. 

Bottom left: Aspire Meal Tray Walker in beige.

Right: fire engine red walker with baskets instead of the top and bottom trays with a black base. 

AT Chatter Andrew:

Hi, my name is Andrew. I am a 57-year-old, male identifying, left below knee amputee. 

I have been an amputee for coming up on 12 years. I am a highly proficient prosthetic user, normally about 15 hours a day and in the course of my work and training a beautiful black Labrador named Bronson to be an assistance dog, I can clock up around 18000 steps, roughly 14 kilometres. 

My prosthetic is my mobility. I have a great team of prosthetists who build my legs and help me to stay upright. 

I choose to decorate my sockets so they can tell a story of me. 

My current sockets are all black with gold spider web patterns on them. I choose this design, which by the way, is about $4.00 worth of Lycra from Spotlight, to help people understand what our community is really about. 

A single strand of spider web is very fragile, it will break very easily, but when a spider builds a complete web, it is strong and can catch food for the spider to eat. My design had interlocking spider webs on it to remind me and others that if we are joined together, work together and stay connected, we are so strong that nothing will break us. 

My advice to people is to find your spiders, join them, get to know them and lean in on them when times get tough. 

Watch Andrew talk more about his spiderweb design.: Opens in new window

AT Chatter Elizabeth:  

This is the before picture, I was always bumping the legs of the commode with my wheelchair. The legs also took up floor space and it didn’t look very nice.

In 2022 I had my bath removed and a shower installed. The plumber also installed a new toilet and using concrete raised the toilet by 6cm, which is barely noticeable, and I have much more floor space. 

Response from AT Chatter Wadangali:

I also found the legs got in the way. I have a tiny ensuite and they took up too much space. I use a toilet seat raiser that connects to the toilet but what you did looks so much better! 

AT Chatter Ashleigh:

I love decorating my AT just like I did with my manual wheelchair! Pink is my personality, and being able to personalise my chair to reflect that has made such a difference to my confidence. It feels like I’m showing the world a little piece of who I am. Plus, it matches my hair!

I got the chair 8 years ago through NDIS funding. I am lucky enough to have an OT that knows how important my AT suiting my personality is so we were determined to find the perfect chair for me that also had a pink as a standard colour. That’s when we found this one! The pink spokes are made with bike spoke covers I bought online. The little stars are meant to be put on bike spokes too! 

My chair is a TiLite Aero Z Rigid Frame Aluminium Manual Wheelchair. The pink spoke covers can be ordered online, I got them on Amazon: Opens in new window but they’re cheaper on SHEIN, AliExpress, Temu. Same with the stars: Opens in new window I added!

Have you personalised your assistive technology? We'd love to see it. Share your photos and story with the AT Chat community. You can use the 'submit a story' button or reach out to us on Facebook: Opens in new window .

Need more inspiration? You can also read Fiona's story to see how others in our community make their AT their own.