Wheel chair users are saying they ‘feel seen again’ thanks to Noosa resident Jo Chamber’s brand, Colour My Wheels.
Inspired by her mum Margaret’s experience in a wheelchair and living in an aged care home, Jo made it her mission to bring as much colour back into her world as possible.
She created bright and cheerful wheel covers, with incredible Australian artists, that would not only uplift spirits but also spark conversations.
“From the conversations that I have had with wheelchair users, and my first hand experience with my mum, is that they feel and are treated like they are invisible,” Jo said.
“Conversation is often directed to the person ‘with’ the wheelchair user, not the wheelchair user themselves. I admit that I was naive in the beginning, not understanding exactly how the wheel covers would impact the customer.”
Jo now hears touching feedback from users saying, “People now have a reason to come up and talk to me, maybe they were looking for a reason before.”
Her mum, Margaret, feels very honoured to have been the inspiration behind the business.
“She is on her fifth set of wheel covers now, so she feels a bit special, especially since the last set was a custom design just for her,” Jo said.
“Everywhere she goes people now talk to her about the wheel covers, so she takes the opportunity to tell them about my business.”‘
Jo felt incredibly proud to see Paralympians sporting the official Paralympics Australia indigenous design by her brand on their wheels while in Paris.
“It was amazing to see them during the opening ceremony and on the wheelchairs of the athletes when they were competing,” she said.
“My absolute favourite moment was when Brianna Hennessy PLY from Canada and Australian Susan Seipel PLY were on the podium taking silver and bronze respectively and both had wheel covers created by Colour My Wheels.”
The brand features a total of 46 different designs as well as custom designs, and Jo made sure the prints were 100 per cent Australian made and recyclable.
“From the beginning it just felt like the right thing to do, to make sure that whatever product I put out into the world, it was via a sustainable process, so I took the time to develop responsible processes and engage with businesses who also cared about their footprint,” she said.
“I never considered sending production offshore as each set of wheel covers is made to order, to the specifications of the user’s wheelchair – and they are all different. Which means that every single set of wheel covers passes through my hands. I get to see and feel every set, and pack them up myself for distribution. This is also my point of difference, along with the fact that I feature designs by seven Australian artists, two of whom are indigenous.”
Jo is now speaking with Queensland Wheelchair Rugby League, Sporting Wheelies, and others, in an effort to create sponsorship opportunities using the wheel covers to promote wheelchair sport from a grass roots level.
She wants to help create opportunities for wheelchair athletes to be able to compete at an international level.
“It is a slow process but I am super excited that we are working on the perfect formula for wheel covers for sports chairs (again, they are all different) which will provide teams with the opportunity to offer the wheel covers, incredibly visual real estate, in their sponsorship packages, which will help towards the purchase and maintenance of the wheel chairs,” Jo said.
“I am also really interested in helping to secure sponsorship funding for individual wheelchair athletes in order to compete at an international level.
“Believe it or not, over half of Australian’s elite athletes live below the poverty line and the costs are even higher for para athletes with specialised equipment, support workers, and more.”
Join Jo in celebrating diversity, self-expression, and the power of colour. For more information visit colourmywheels.com.au
