It’s a poo thing!

When we set up Rackety’s I was on a mission to make quality products available for a long neglected group of people and families who need adaptive clothing.

I had clear plans to take on the healthcare market and change the accepted standard of design and presentation of products for families and children with disabilities. What a gloomy dated place it was!!!

Thankfully the tide was turning and although there is still a long way to go, we are very proud to have contributed towards a change of attitude to what is acceptable for a healthcare product.

Being inexperienced I thought that adaptive clothing automatically went with wheelchair use and that this would be my core customer base.

I just didn’t know about “The poo thing” I was like most of the world that are unaffected- blissfully ignorant.

These days it’s a different story it turns out our core business is based around poo wee stripping and dipping and I have become something of an expert in the field.

It has also set me off on another mission to make sure all families new to “a poo situation” understand they are not alone- it is very common and there is help available. 

We are gathering “poo stories” from our customers so we can create a small book to help families who suddenly have a problem understand how common it is.

Some of the tales we here are funny and some of them are quite dreadful- why not send us your story to help other families.

 annabel@racketys.com or on our facebook  page  if you prefer http://www.facebook.com/racketys

 

Model Muddle Shock

We have been following the story's about two beautiful children who have been used as models by Fashion company's. JoJo Maman Baby in the UK  and Spanish Fashion Designer Dolores Cortés, Valentina have both featured models who have Downs Syndrome.

Here at Rackety's we have made a point of always featuring models who have a disability and this has been noticed, we hope, for the right reasons.

What has shocked us most is the highly unpleasant and possibly ignorant reaction via the media and social networks to the choice of both businesses to feature models who are visibly a little different. Instead of congratulating the companies for being inclusive they are accusing them of using the children to gain publicity.

It is so disheartening to realise how cruel and thoughtless people can be when they have no experience of disability.

We applaud both businesses for their decision and are fully supportive of any publicity that helps to raise understanding.

Rackety's stunning  model from 2004

Join our blog

We are looking for guest bloggers to add some more interest to Rackety's blog. You know who you are, Mums and Dads who like to blog, the sort who start for a bit of fun and before they know it are doing it full time.

So come on join in with an inspied idea, a shred experience, we'd love some funny stories, or anything you think would be of interest in Racketyland.

We will be seaking you out so watch out!!

Proud Moments

We all have a few proud moments in our life no matter how big or small. This week a proud Mum was telling me her son was representing his school in Boccia, and another proud Dad was telling me about the progress of their daughter with toilet training. In Rackety's world it is common for things most families take for granted to be major achievements for their children.

Today we launched our beautiful new products, and although we are always frustrated because we would like to offer you more choice, we are very proud of the work that goes into making our products as well as we possibly can.

So a proud week for us and hopefully for you and your families too.

Check out the New products online http://www.racketys.com/

Fancy a Forum?

What do you think we can do to make Rackety's disabled clothing more interesting and useful for you?
 We get so many helpful and interesting comments , I get the impression that my customers like to be able to talk about their every day lives. We are really keen to find out more about our customers and how we can help you. 
It would be great to find out what your favourite way of using the Internet is.
Do you prefer to follow Twitter, or do you like to go on Facebook , maybe you enjoy reading Blogs?
It appears that Rackety's families are very keen to communicate, and we wondered if you would like to have a Rackety's forum on the site, somewhere you could speak to each other?

Let me know what you think, which ever way you choose- don't forget we also answer the phone, read letters and welcome visitors to the unit!!!

What a week!

It all started off as normal and then everything, as they say, started to go pear shaped, we had some hideous problems with our IT which resulted in my having to spend HOURS re creating last months work all over again!
As I was sitting grumpily typing away, my inspiration, as always , is my customers.
In the same week one of my customers was when ringing to complain that the zip had broken on her child's pajamas and was expecting a fight to get her money back. When we responded by saying we would not only send her a new pair, but mend the old ones as well she bust into tears. It seems that families who live with disability spend their lives fighting not just for their rights but for every little thing they need.
I also heard this week that my partner in the States is having to go to court just to maintain the support she has for her son, the cuts are biting everywhere. Finally I was told about a Mum who's daughter not only shreds her nappies and eats the content but gets her hands up her back and scratches until she bleeds.
So when I start to feel a bit sorry for myself because I have some extra work to do, its very easy to snap out of it and carry on.

You remain my inspiration.

Can you believe it! Racketing around the World.

I sometimes have to stop and wonder at what has happened over the past few years. We started Rackety's out of a genuine desire to create a better shopping environment for families who live with disabilities and were stuck when it came to certain items of clothing.
Never in a million years did we imagine that we would soon become an international business. I suppose it may have been a clue when we started to sell to France very soon after we set up.

This month we have opened a new website in America Rackety's USA, we set up a site in Norway earlier on this year Rackety's No, and are just beginning to work on Rackety's Australia.

It just goes to show that there are no boundaries to the needs of our customers. The power of the Internet has allowed so many families to benefit, not just from companies like us, but from knowing that they are not alone with the unique needs of their families.

Rackety's disabled clothing has been  sold to over 25 different countries around the world, and each time we send out another blog or email or facebook I am always amazed to receive such fascinating responses from unexpected places.

Soon we plan to link up our Rackety's community around the globe so that you can connect with similar families around the globe- how exciting is that!