June 17, 2008
The GADA* (Go Anywhere, Do Anything™) Belt
I stayed with Craig and Andrea Kennedy during the 2008 SATH Congress in Florida. It has been an act of discipline but I have kept quiet about their new product the the GADA (Go Anywhere, Do Anything™) Belt. Today they released the press release that follows.
Having fallen out of my wheelchair at some of the most unpredictable times I could certainly see the value of the non-intrusive protection and restraint system that Craig was testing at the congress. Especially in sports and outdoors situations this product make sense for even the most agile wheelchair users.
The GADA* (Go Anywhere, Do Anything™) Belt released June, 1st 2008
You GADA Have One!
Access Anything owners and renowned disability & travel experts and adventurers, Craig & Andrea Kennedy are set to launch their newest innovation, The GADA Belt, which is a side guard, clothing protector, and sports belt for manual wheelchair users that also improves seating posture, at the Southern California Abilities Expo in Anaheim, California on May 30, 31 & June 1.Posted by rollingrains at June 17, 2008 12:59 AMSteamboat Springs, CO, (May 26, 2008): Beginning on May 30th, 2008 manual wheelchair users will be able to purchase the latest innovation in wheelchair seating products, The GADA Belt, at the Abilities Expo in Anaheim, California.
“The GADA Belt was born from ten years of personal experimentation after many falls and after ruining pair after pair of pants. As active as I am, I really felt like I needed a seat belt for my chair,” says Craig Kennedy, President of Access Anything.
The GADA Belt, named after the company’s motto Go Anywhere, Do Anything™, is a soft, secure, waterproof side guard set/clothing protector for manual wheelchairs that is also used as a sports belt, and is great for maintaining proper seating posture. This multi-functional device was designed to replace the hard-plastic side guards that typically come with manual chairs (and can cost as much as $300) and gets rid of the need for separate, single-strap lap belts often used by wheelchair athletes in sports such as tennis, basketball, and rugby. The GADA Belt’s soft canvas design reduces skin damage and breakdown, and actually improves the handling and performance of your chair while playing sports and recreating outdoors. This product is currently designed to fit all Quickie and Ti model manual wheelchairs. Design modifications for other models such as Invacare, Lasher Sport, Colours, Kushcall, and Flight Ultralight are underway and GADA belts will be available for these brands soon.
For active wheelchair users and business men and women that need to look professional, the GADA Belt also keeps clothing clean & dry, and is a great way to keep business jackets neatly tucked in. And for people with hip and/or pelvic alignment issues, the GADA Belt has been recommended by physical therapists to help correct and ensure good posture and alignment.
Craig and Andy Kennedy are travel consultants and writers specializing in marketing and education for all aspects of disability travel including recreation, adventure, eco travel, and ADA rights and interpretation. They started Access Anything in 2003 and have published two travel guides for people with disabilities, Access Anything: Colorado (Fulcrum Books, 2005), and Access Anything: I Can Do That! (Outskirts Press, 2007). They are considered the premier experts on adventure travel for people with disabilities in the United States today. For more information or to purchase your own GADA Belt, visit www.gadabelt.com, www.accessanything.net/onlinestore, and http://www.accessanything.net/text/AATraveler_0508.pdf .