Most of us would be hard pressed to meet a more energetic person than Beau Potter. His passions include rock climbing, wheelchair break dancing, fishing, camping and off road driving. Beau also teaches Ninja martial arts, is a motivational speaker at local schools and has been a volunteer with the State Emergency Services.
Such an active life relies on suitable mobility equipment and Beau found his manual wheelchair was not meeting his active lifestyle and recreation needs.
“It’s been really frustrating being stuck with a manual wheelchair,” says Beau. “There’s so many things I just haven’t been able to do. Probably the most difficult is not being able to fully engage in activities with my seven year old daughter Temperance. “We love going Pokemon hunting and with a manual chair I don’t have a free hand to hold the phone or her hand. It’s the simple things that really get to you.”
Beau and his occupational therapist found an all-terrain mobility device online that perfectly suited his needs and he worked with Ability Centre to try it out and ultimately secure funding to purchase it.
Senior Occupational Therapist Scott Langmead believes it has been well worth the journey. We kept looking for a Segway based mobility device, but their release dates kept getting delayed and a local WA supplier could not be found. “Beau and I found the Zoomability mobility device which is manufactured in Sweden and was only available from a supplier we already work with, who are based in Melbourne. It is an all-terrain four-wheeled device and its sturdy, lightweight construction and lithium batteries make it perfect for people like Beau who love the great outdoors.
“We contacted the supplier and Beau then hopped on a plane to go to Melbourne for a trial of the device. It took time and extensive advocacy to get funding approval from WANDIS but it was worth the wait and we are absolutely delighted Beau was able to take delivery this week.
“While the Zoom is not suitable for people with complex seating needs, we believe there will be many people who will have a great lifestyle benefit from the Zoom. With this in mind, Ability Centre has become the West Australian supplier for Zoom mobility vehicles.”
