In my youth, I met a disabled man who was an amputee with a full prosthesis. That moment changed my life and would determine the professional direction that I have taken ever since.
The roots of the Slender Fender started about 5 years ago when parents asked me to address the problem they had with their child’s clothing getting dirty and wearing out prematurely from every day use of a wheelchair. Wheel treads collect dirt and moisture and any clothing that comes into contact with the revolving rear wheels are damaged. With that purpose, I designed several prototype wheelchair mud guards, fender guards, and side guards in my workshop which I installed on my client’s wheelchairs in exchange for user feedback.
The Sender Fender has gone through numerous iterations and modifications until I designed the model that met all the needs of my clients; to fully cover the tire, look sleek, protect the rider’s hands, fingers, and clothing, universally fit any brand of wheelchair and be easy to install.
For my team and I, our mission has always been that every person with a disability has their challenges eased with aids and accessories that have the same standards as those we all use in our everyday lives.
"The fenders look great, and are very sleek. They are very easy to put on, and to take off when I take the wheelchair apart. They sure keep my clothes clean, and keep them out of the wheels. They really are a great accessory for the wheelchair, but I wouldn't call them an option. I'd call them a necessity!"
"We've really come to appreciate Ed's Slender Fender product as time has passed. They're wonderfully designed, protecting clothing from getting caught in the wheel or getting dirty. For someone in a manual wheelchair, their hands and arms do the job of the feet and without the Slender Fender our son's sleeves would definitely have ended up like our shoes do - getting dirty and wet from snow, road salt, dirt and whatever else that might get on his wheels!"
"Ed's fender is also easy to remove and reinstall for cleaning and transportation which is always a plus! The slim, compact design doesn't impede Adil's propelling abilities and that is very important to us and to him because it increases his independence and as well as his self-esteem. We are very happy with the Slender Fender product and Ed's honest and knowledgeable advice!"
Ed has been giving me wheels since I was one year old! My bigger chairs have had a great invention by Ed to keep my sleeves clean and my mom's laundry bill low. My wheelchair wheels can get really dirty in the rain and snow, or when I go "cross-country" with it :)"
"Ed invented the wheel fender to stop the wheels from rubbing on my sleeves and from splashing my other clothes. I have had three chairs now with those great fenders! I even get to choose my own colours! Yay for Ed's fantastic fenders!"
"Slender Fender is used on my daughter Taylor's wheelchair. Without this protection, her lower arms and sleeves on her tops were getting dirty, at times even washing could not get the stains out of her clothes, therefore ruining them."
"This fender certainly protects from water/ mud splashing up in rainy conditions, keeping herself and the seat cushion clean."
"I would recommend Slender Fender, it is light weight and can be put on and removed with ease!"