Sean Guyett (pictured) combined his love for his partner Ora Hambleton with the force of magnetism to create a magnetic walking stick for disabled people. Hambleton, who has multiple sclerosis, found that a standard stick regularly fell over when she was on public transport or when it was left leaning against a shop or cafe counter. So Guyett, a graduate of Nottingham Trent University, set about designing a more empowering mobility aid. Named after Mount Ida, where mythology suggests magnets were discovered, the ‘Ida’ attaches to a person’s hip using removable magnetic pads secured on to clothing, enabling users to use both hands freely.
Image: Tracey Whitefoot
When we need to go, we need to go, but what if there’s no toilet in sight? Zoë Chapman grew tired of letting her toddler Mayson go in cardboard coffee cups when out and about, and found that alternatives were limited to bulky travel potties. Eyeing a compact solution, she designed The Whizzer, a silicone, leak-proof portable eco-toilet that could easily be mistaken for a sleek travel mug. The Whizzer also supports, she says, neurodivergent children who prefer not to use public toilets due to the sensory overload, and those with bladder conditions.
After caring for her terminally ill father and with her grandfather experiencing prostate enlargement, Chapman developed the design further. Her latest product will be the first Whizzer to be specifically adapted as a medical aid, and features in a research and development project for the Innovate UK Women in Innovation Award.
Image: Sherrie Higgins
