Riding a bike or scooter is something many adults and children love to do but it can present a unique challenge for someone with a limb difference, especially in relation to balance and posture.
Working closely with the Koalaa Community throughout the process, our design team set about engineering a solution; one which is both comfortable and robust, and importantly, which can handle the many different movements associated with riding a bike.
The result is the Sarah tool, which attaches to a Koalaa sleeve then latches on to handlebars securely, while also allowing for a quick release when needed.
And it’s not just great for bikes! It is a tool that can also be helpful for other activities that require grip, such as using scooters or balancers, and pushing buggies and shopping trollies.
What inspired its name?
We love to name our tools after the people who inspired them and the Sarah tool is no different. The tool has been named Sarah in honour of Koalaa Limb Buddy, Sarah Fisher, who is a keen cyclist herself and has been central to the development and testing of the new tool. In fact, she’s currently in training to be the first person to cycle round the world one-handed!!
The Sarah tool is available for those with an ALX sleeve (for below elbow limb differences) and will soon be available for Paww users too (those with partial hands and fingers). We’ve also been working on something very special for our younger Joeyy wearers.
The Joeyy Sarah is here!
The Joeyy is our super soft sleeve that has been designed for babies and toddlers aged under 3 years old. Supporting our younger users to benefit from the capabilities of the Sarah tool too, we’ve been busy working away on a unique new addition - the Joeyy Sarah!
The Joeyy Sarah is an all-in-one, meaning the Sarah tool is built into the sleeve itself rather than being removable. It is available in a range of eye-catching, sensory designs, including fluffy sheep and colourful bee.
One year old Aditya from Bristol was one of the first users to receive one and it was delivered to him personally by Koalaa team members Nicole and Jess. A huge thank you to the whole family for welcoming them along and of course to Aditya for demonstrating the new Joeyy Sarah so beautifully. We’re delighted to say it was an instant hit!
Project Limitless and the Sarah Tool
The Sarah tool is available for free to any child who has received their prosthetic through Project Limitless. If you haven’t registered your child for Project Limitless yet, simply visit www.yourkoalaa.com/projectlimitless and enter a few simple measurements. Funding is available through the project for children and young people aged under 18, who are based in the UK.
Find out more
If you’re a current user and you’d interested in a Sarah tool, get in touch with your Limb Buddy today!
For more information about our sleeves and tools, the support we provide, or if you simply want some help and support as a member of the limb difference community, then drop us an email to hi@yourkoalaa.com and we’d love to speak to you.