UK Potter Nicola Swann creates personalised DigniTEA mugs and pottery to accommodate different disabilities that would make a traditional mug/cup style challenging to drink from.
Some examples are double handles for sturdy grip, flared or weighted bottoms so the mug cannot tip easily, angled edges and dips to accommodate the nose and the face of people who may not be able to tilt their heads back, etc.
The small loop on the mug below was designed for a gentleman with a tremor. Being able to have a supported surface – the loop for his hand to grip the mug made it easier for him to control the drinking motion. the bottom of this mug is also weighted, making it harder to tip over.
The caring creative behind MadeWithMud made a custom double-handled mug when a friend asked her if she could make something for her husband. His previous option was a child’s sippy cup, the degradation of which lifted with the respectable new access.
Her eyes were opened to a purposeful endeavour to which she could not turn her back after seeing the dignity flow back into each user. After a few years of steady turnover, she was invited to post her unique designs on TikTok in October last year and caught the attention of 15,000 followers in one week.
“The whole purpose behind it was to allow somebody to be able to drink out of a mug that looked like everybody else’s, rather than having to drink out of what generally looks like baby sippy-cups.” She told The Linc News proudly. “That’s where the whole Digni-TEA thing came from.”
Not only are they compassionately inclusive, but they also come in an array of gorgeous coloured glazes. The household hero is steadily growing her production space as orders from thousands of people living with a disability, looking to regain independence over everyday actions, have been pooling in. A high-demand waiting list highlights a massive unwanted gap in the global marketplace.
Nicola has supplied dignity and independence to a widely overlooked market for consumers. When asked how her efforts in creating these compassionate creations challenged and impacted her life, she replied,
“It’s actually challenged me emotionally which I didn’t expect. I get so many messages and emails on a daily basis. I initially was trying to answer them all because they were so personal. They’d talk about their struggles or someone they care about. So I knew it was having a big impact. I just hadn’t realised a mug could make such a difference.”
Lisa Coxx famously said,
“My legs don’t work, but my credit card does”, she calls out to the millions of business owners who look squeamish in the face of disability with their small variety of inclusive goods. Nicola is definitely supplying for a high demand need.
24% of the UK’s population, 16 million people, and 20% of Australia’s population function with a disability/ handicap or ailment that sees them automatically restricted from most of the mainstream market. That’s a huge chunk of society wanting to be a part of everyday life that is pushed to the side of society’s peripherals with a lack of basic compassion. Economically it doesn’t make sense. Although Nicola is based in the UK, her initiative raises eyebrows under every stretch of the sun and puts consumer pressure on the mainstream to improve the flexibility of their range. Read more….
MadeWithMud custom-made mugs for disability are currently on a popular waiting list and shipped worldwide, so…
Do you know someone who would benefit from having a custom-made mug? Click here to discuss some options or pay one forward!
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