Young 'spokes-people' earn global success with designer wheels for disabled people

Sisters Izzy and Ailbhe Keane have taken social media by storm with their bold, maximalist designs for wheelchair users. Their Instagram account has nearly 43,000 followers which includes celebrities such as Miley Cyrus and Mark Ruffalo and they have appeared in Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Forbes magazine.

The dynamic duo are currently working flat out to meet global demand for the wheel covers, and artists are queuing up to work with them. A recent collaboration saw them create designs with renowned designer, Orla Kiely.

And all of this started from the seeds of a friendship between two sisters from Ireland who have a passion for fashion.

They decided to challenge dominant perceptions of disability on social media and utilised the design flair and business acumen of Ailbhe to create Izzy Wheels.

“Izzy and I have always been best friends’

Izzy is the inspiration behind the brand. She was born with spina bifida and is paralysed from her waist down. Growing up she found it very frustrating and upsetting that there was nothing available for her to personalise her wheelchair. Ailbhe says: “Her chair was the first thing that people noticed about her, but it wasn’t a reaction of her bright and bubbly personality”.

The two sisters always had a strong bond growing up and were united in their love of fashion.

“Izzy and I have always been best friends and when we were little we always loved dressing up her chair for special occasions. I came up with the idea for Izzy Wheels in 2016 when I was in my final year in The National College of Art and Design,” says Ailbhe.

She adds: “I designed a range of stylish wheel covers for wheelchairs so that users could express their individuality. We came up with the tagline ‘If you can’t stand up, stand out’.”

A key figure in the disability community in Ireland, Izzy is the company’s brand ambassador and its model. Her role in the company is mainly online actively engaging with customers; she is also a multi-award winning public speaker.

Being the chief executive and creative director, Ailbhe is the operational muscle of the company; she curates all of the collections and works very closely with the artists. She says: “Fashion for seated people is very often overlooked. We have hundreds of artists constantly writing to us asking if they can contribute to Izzy Wheels because they believe in what we are doing so much.”

Recently, Izzy tweeted: “I don’t like when people use the term ‘wheelchair-bound’. Wheelchairs give people freedom, increase accessibility and opportunities. Wheelchairs are enabling not binding. I am a ‘wheelchair user’ and very proud of it.”

“Disability fashion is a massively underserved area of design’

Medical design for disabled people is still largely very utilitarian, with not much consideration gone into making it aesthetically pleasing.

Ailbhe is all too aware of this and believes that is part of the appeal of Izzy Wheels; filling in a very much needed gap in the market. She says: “Self-expression is a human right. Until now wheelchair users have had no choice in the appearance of their equipment. Disability fashion is a massively underserved area of design. Wheelchairs look the same as they did a hundred years ago. My sister has a very positive relationship with her wheelchair and she wanted to express that.

“She sees it as a symbol of her ability, not her disability. Wheelchairs are incredible devices which grant people with physical impairments their freedom and they should be celebrated. When someone meets my sister now they always compliment her wheels and it gives her such a confidence boost.”

The wheels themselves are works of art, but by nature they must be practical in application.

Different wheels can be matched with different outfits, giving seated people more control over their appearance, helping to boost confidence, as Ailbhe explains: “The wheel covers are an excellent conversation starter and break down stigmas.”

The covers which come in three standard sizes are made from a very strong lightweight plastic and attach directly to the spokes of a manual wheelchair with Velcro straps. They are designed for easy use.

Social media success is due to ‘creating content with meaning’

The Keane sisters grew their entire business on social media and were the first Irish people to be asked to take over the official Instagram account and be their story for a full day, with 226 million followers.

Social media has been an effective way for them to connect with other people online who identify with their upbeat and positive approach to disability. Ailbhe explains: “It’s been really exciting discovering other communities of people online who share this same positive relationship with their mobility equipment.”

The sisters have an incredible reach on the social media accounts, and are very skilled at using platforms to reach their audience. Ailbhe says: “We have the most loyal and amazing followers including lots of celebrities like Miley Cyrus and Mark Ruffalo. Our video on INSIDER Art last summer was viewed two million times in one day and 15 million times in one week.”

However, the businesswoman is quick to point out that social media will only grow if you have an authentic voice. She says: “The key to gaining success online is by creating content with meaning behind it so that people can relate to it.”

Ultimately, though, it’s Izzy’s voice on Twitter and Instagram that resonates with their social media following. Her positivity bubbles over in her posts about self-image and disability. In one tweet she encapsulates brand Izzy Wheels by saying: “Never describe anyone as ‘confined to a wheelchair’. I’m not confined to my chair, I am liberated by it. My wheelchair is a wonderful device that I use to get around and increase my quality of life.”