WHAT’S NEW IN ACCESSIBILITY?
Two products
you didn’t know
you needed!
It is so great to see many of the new
products and services being introduced
to the market are aiming to promote
accessibility and inclusion. In this section,
we’ve uncovered two you might not have
heard of before, and how they are
advancing accessibility in Australia.
One invention that’s changing the way
people with disabilities live is called Obi.
Obi is a robotic feeding aid that mimics
the human arm with touch-sensitive
buttons.
Created by a father and son team in the
United States, the idea for Obi came from
watching a family member with a
disability struggle during mealtimes.
“Game
changer” is
thrown around
a lot when it
comes to
technology, and
Obi certainly
meets the
criteria.
Wim Hartog is
the endorsed
supplier of the
device here in
6
Australia and has seen firsthand how Obi
helps.
“I think this is the best invention ever to
show people how independence should
look,” Wim says.
“The first client to buy one from me was a
nine-year-old boy who can’t use his arms
at all. Until he got an Obi, his mum was
assisting every mealtime. Now, with Obi,
the whole family can have meals together
– and he’s doing it all himself.”
While technology is certainly changing a
lot for people with disability, low-tech
innovations are also making an impact,
especially in sport.
Just ask Powerchair Fishing guru and
Queensland inventor, Rob Agius.
With almost 60,000km of coastline and
over 4000 marine species in Australia, it’s
no surprise fishing is the go-to weekend
event for Aussies. Rob is a keen fisherman
– an expert, really. For him, fishing was a
hobby that turned into a business, which
is now providing opportunities to people
with disabilities all over the world.
Rob was left a quadriplegic after a road
accident just before his 18 th birthday, but
he hasn’t let that hold him back. A self-