[Apparelyzed]

DISABLED OUTRAGE OVER WHEELCHAIR CALLED THE SPAZZ

Makers blasted

FURIOUS disability groups have blasted a wheelchair company for calling their new product The Spazz.

The name is the highly offensive and outdated term for "spastic" in Britain.

American firm Colours make the £830 chair, which has "Spazz" on the frame. Bosses insist they are reclaiming negative language linked with wheelchair users and trying to get words like "spazz" associated with positive things.

But disability campaigners have reacted angrily.

SCOPE'S Margie Woodward said: "We stopped using the term 'spazz' years ago because of its connotations and were alarmed when this wheelchair appeared.

"It may be a good chair but we can't accept the name.

"If it carries on, it won't be long before children are calling each other 'spazzo' in the playground
again.

"If this was a derogatory term for an ethnic group or a particular sex, people would be jumping
up and down.

"There is no way we will support the wheelchair while it has this name. The company should
change it."

Allen Jones, of the Wheelchair Users Group charity, added: "I expect they didn't realise it could be offensive. I will write and let them know.

"'Spazz is a negative word and we don't use it in Britain any more. I winced when I saw it advertised."

But John Payne, managing director of Kent Mobility, who import and sell the chair, defended the name.

He said: "We certainly don't want to cause offence.

"The product is reclaiming a name used detrimentally to disabled people in the past.

"I'd hate to see it turned down because of the name.

"As far as I know, Australia is the only place where the name has been changed because of worries it might offend people."

Payne admitted a name change could still happen.

He said: "We are going to run it for a year and see how it goes

[Apparelyzed]

Their next range of chairs are going to be called the "Cripple" and the "Gimp"!

Simon lol

(only joking !)

[hillarymcarter]

I think it is kinda funny......I mean if you don't like the name then don't buy it!
If you are comfortable with it and have a sick sense of humor then get yourself one!
I never understood why people get so wound up about stuff that don't affect them. I mean, come on, nobody is making anyone buy the thing!

[wheelie182]

To be honest, if it was a nice chair, i would still buy it, who cares whats its called, i mean how often do you mention the name of your chair

Tom: Hey Ted, thats a nice chair, whats it called,

Ted: Hi Tom,this is my new chair, its a spazz !!

Tom: Spazz, ha ha Ted your so F##king funny, ha ha

Ted: No, shut up, it really is called Spazz,

Tom: Ha ha, Stop f##king with me Ted, i shall piss my f##king pants in a minute ha ha

Tom: Shut the f##k up you f##king penis, it really is called a spazz

Ted: Ha ha ha

Tom: FUUCCKK YOU !!!! FUUCCKK YOU !!!

Ted: Ha ha ha.........

[hillarymcarter]

That's cool.
That's what I'm saying.....if you don't like it don't freakin buy it.
Why would someone get so upset over something that doesn't affect them? I bet the people who made it didn't even think about the name like that. I just can't understand that.
I mean...they make shirts that say stuff like "quadfather" and people wear them. I think it's funny, but some might get offended.....that shouldn't mean that the people who think it's funny shouldn't be allowed to wear it. My husband owns shirts that say "I became this way just for the parking" and "don't drink and drive" (with a pic of an overturned chair). Just because some people in chairs may think it is tacky doesn't mean he can't wear them.

[DrewsLou]

Those shirts are funny Hillary... where did you get them?

[hillarymcarter]

You can get the "quadfather" at quadfather.com
"Don't drink and drive" at cafepress.com
"I did this for the parking" at teeshirthell.com ....or tshirthell.com
There are also some funny ones on this website if you go to the apparel section.
I also got him a funny one that says "WHITEBOY" at whiteboy.com
For Christmas I am having a tee made that says "I got run over by a cotton picker and all I got was this damn tee shirt!"

[studinchair]

hey if it makes things a little easier, I don't care what they call it! Most of us have spasms anyway

[juls]

I personally wouldn't want a chair with spazz written on it, but otherwise it doesn't bother me or offend...while i was mucking around with my 12 yr old nephew on the weekend i called him a retard...you shouldv'e seen the look on his face...apparently we're not allowed to use those words anymore...even when you are just mucking around!!

[Kevin]

The Spazz has been around for a while here in the U.S. It's not exactly new and I don't remember any complaints about the name when it came to market here.

Sounds to me like it should fall under the 'marketing department didn't do enough research' catagory like when the Nova was introduce to Mexico and no one could figure out why the car wasn't selling (the name means 'no go') or when Gerber tried to sell baby food in Tiawan(??) a good many years ago and couldn't figure out why it wasn't selling. Most people there at the time didn't read, so they bought food according to what's on the label. What's on the label of Gerber baby food?

If 'spazz' is really that offenseive then don't buy the chair. Sales will go down, Colours will investigate to find out why, and they'll ask their marketing department who made the goof to not change the name before introducing it to the UK. It can then be used as a marketting horror story of what happens when not enough research is done when exporting products.

In other words, look at the humor of the situation. Laugh, shake your head, and move on to RGK, or TiLite, or some other company until this marketting faux pau (sp??) passes.

[bigsmiles]

juls, on Nov 20 2006, 05:21 AM, said:

I personally wouldn't want a chair with spazz written on it, but otherwise it doesn't bother me or offend...while i was mucking around with my 12 yr old nephew on the weekend i called him a retard...you shouldv'e seen the look on his face...apparently we're not allowed to use those words anymore...even when you are just mucking around!!

I can't understand someone coming up with a name like that...the spazz its horrible! still i have to agree with Hillary that if you don't like the name then don't buy the bloody thing. What would be
funny is if we found out the person responsible for the name was a wheelchair user himself
Jules i had to smile at what you said to your your nephew my daughter calls me this often....only in fun of course...i hope.

[bedrock]

HI Sorry if I have missed a similar response - but is the name 'spazz' so different from having 'QUICKIE' written over the back of your chair?!?! What message does QUICKIE give out!!! lol - sorry, couldnt resist!

[htwhlz97]

Well guys I have a Spazz, Colours chair and I love it. But I have to admit that I had them take the name of the chair (which is by the way located at the axle chamber under the chair and can bearly notice it ) But I only took it off because I didnt want to have the look of having stickers on my chair. I didnt pay too attention to it or wasnt offensive to it, but I can see where if I were dealing with a very spastic condition I MIGHT have a problem with it.

The owner and creator of most of the Colours collection is a paraplegic and many disabled employees work at the facility. Maybe it was on poke on ourselves, maybe not. I'm curious to see the aftermath.

This post has been edited by htwhlz97: 21 November 2006 - 11:06 PM

[Lee]

I found it rather funny,lol. Its just cheered up my day. I bet they feel rather silly and i also bet they had no input from a disabled person or they would have picked up on it. You would need a t shirt aswell for the other half saying, "spazz maintence", pmsl. Im totally cheered up now after a bed incident last night. PMSL PMSL

The owner and creator of most of the Colours collection is a paraplegic and many disabled employees work at the facility. Maybe it was on poke on ourselves, maybe not. I'm curious to see the aftermath

Sorry,didnt read the above reply but still find it rather funny. Them ppl have a sense of humour.

[DaveP]

There's no such thing as bad publicity!

If they hadn't've called the chair the Spazz, would we have even heard of it? I think this is very clever marketing - risky, but clever.

When I first started my accessible holiday business in 1992 I was struggling to come up with a name, and one idea was "Crip Tours"! I think I'm glad I didn't use that name!!!

[Texaswheelz]

I looked at the chair 2-3 years ago, I liked the look and the name and took no offence even though I have spastic legs, hell I almost picked the chair just because of the name. But then again who cares what a company calls a wheelchair. I've owned 6 or 7 so far and have yet to have anyone ask the name of it. Other then the company names on the back of the backrest(quickie, invacare, colours) I've never noticed the name of the chair itself on them. I know my Barracuda chair didn't have it written on it anywhere. Looking at my current one it is on the bars down at the bottom going from the back part of the frame to the front casters but it's 70% tore off just from general use and I don't think I've had one person point out to me yet that I have a A-4 chair.

BTW, don't get a A-4, I hate it, worse chair I've had, most cumbersome and heavy and it weighs atleast 10-15 lbs more then they state it does.

[htwhlz97]

I had an A4 also and wasnt too thrilled with it.

[MargaretWilson]

I don't know. I think that if I liked the chair I'd get myself one. I don't worry much about names.

[wanting.that.newz]

The Spazz, is a pretty random name... but its nice! i own the silver spazz g which is really cool! look into them!!!!

[rkzenrage]

Looks good to me, if I could push one, would have no issue owning one.

[wanting.that.newz]

rkzenrage, on Dec 12 2006, 02:53 PM, said:

Looks good to me, if I could push one, would have no issue owning one.

I love the purple on it...i have to admit! i love purple though haha! what do you mean if you could push it? you can... is that the spazz or the spazz g?? mines the spazz g...which is black and silver!!

[rkzenrage]

Part of my disability is advanced osteoporosis and advanced degenerative disc/connective tissue disease. Pushing myself breaks my ribs and tears-up my shoulders and wrists (one of which is currently broken). I wish I could have a push chair, however, I really do!

[wanting.that.newz]

rkzenrage, on Dec 12 2006, 07:00 PM, said:

Part of my disability is advanced osteoporosis and advanced degenerative disc/connective tissue disease. Pushing myself breaks my ribs and tears-up my shoulders and wrists (one of which is currently broken). I wish I could have a push chair, however, I really do!

Oh! I get it now... well sorry to hear about your wrist...ive done that playing hockey...hurts the 1st time, doesnt anymore though haha!

[LadyPilot]

Lee, on Nov 22 2006, 12:32 PM, said:

The owner and creator of most of the Colours collection is a paraplegic and many disabled employees work at the facility. Maybe it was on poke on ourselves, maybe not.

I have no problem at all with the name. ITS JUST A NAME!!! Looks like a pretty smart chair better than those F****** ghastly torture chairs called Quickie. WORST chair ever made, as unstable and uncomfortable as a pair of stilettos.

(The hand controls fitted to my glider are called the 'Crip-kit' which I think is hilarious.)

[rkzenrage]

Thinkin' bout' getting a spazz sticker for my chair... fits me.

[Gabriella17]

I also have a spazz g!

[brackman22]

I'm going to hold out for the OopsIshitmyself gl6. Supposed to be real slick!

[rkzenrage]

If it was a bad-ass chair, I'd buy it.

[keeptrukin]

I myself was almost going to purchase the spazz G since the price was great but found a better deal on a quickie chair. I guess I don't find it offensive, I actually liked the name just because it is fun. Other chair makers are so boring with names like T6, GP, A4, X, TR, ZRA, etc..... I think its about time someone went out of the box and named it something other than generic letters and numbers. I think that the quickie shark is another cool name.
I think that just cause we have to be in a chair why not make some noise and have fun too.

Just a side note I have seen spoke protectors that say f-ck you and some other more offinsive ones as well so why not the spazz on your chair?
KT