Weather protection products for the disabled

One of the many barriers to the disabled is the Canadian weather. Obviously I try to avoid the rain and snow at all times. But there are times when I have to go out when it's raining and I'm not going to stay indoors all winter. Nothing will stop me from doing anything. So I have a couple of products to help me deal with the weather. And with winter fast approaching, it's appropriate to share those products with you.





HYDRA RAINSUIT

This is not a product specifically for the disabled. But it is a very useful product for me. It's a Wetskins hydra rainsuit. It's a two piece waterproof suit and easily fits over clothes. It has a nylon outer shell with a lightweight nylon lining. All seams are heat sealed. The jacket has a zippered hood and an elastic draw cord at the waist. The pants have an elasticazed waist with drawstring and gusseted leg cuffs with zippered closure. You can put them on over your shoes and then zip up the cuffs. This will keep you dry in the rain. It retails for $59.99 and is in the Camping section of all Canadian Tire stores. There are cheaper rainsuits available but you get what you pay for.




B-KOZY

Many wheelchair users use a traditional blanket to protect their legs from cold weather. The problem with that is the blanket isn't attached to anything and will frequently get caught in the wheels and wind up in the snow. What do you do then? Toronto resident Jeff Edelist designed a polar fleece blanket designed specifically for wheelchair users. It's called the B-Kozy. Jeff is in a chair himself. I have a B-Kozy and it's great. It's a piece of fleece that wraps around my lap and legs and is attached around my legs by velcro closures. It takes thirty seconds to attach and keeps my legs warm in the middle of winter. Every wheelchair user should have a B-Kozy and if a family member is disabled, it's a great gift. At a retail price of $69.95, it offers great protection and value for a minimal cost. It's available in Toronto at Medichair at 416-222-5281.





WINTER COAT FOR QUADS

I'm a parapelegic so I can wear a regular winter coat but a regular winter coat is a big problem for quadrapeligics. They need help dressing and can't adjust a winter coat if it rides up while in the chair. Jeff Edelist to the rescue again. The B-Kozy Jacket is a fleece winter coat with special features designed specifically for quads. The jacket has velcro on the sleeves for those who have lost motor control in their arms. It also has an eight inch shirttail and will not bunch up in the back. So if you want to stay outside longer, you can do that and and the B-Kozy Jacket will keep you warm. The retail price is $129.99 and is also available at Medichair at 416-222-5281.




This is Canada, folks. Winter is coming. Make sure you're prepared for cold weather. I know I am.




Frank Pozen is a CPA member and writes the weekly Joshi Dreams column at http://www.pwinsiderxtra.com/ You can check out his Big Bad Blog at http://frankp316.blogspot.com/ If you have any products for the disabled that you would like Frank to review, contact him at frankp316@rogers.com.