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In this INSIDER newsletter: Are Alinkers available?, Digital Accessibility, Advocating Accessibility, Jeff's experiences, Carol shares, BE's hive - Calling for kindness, Useful links.
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Accessibility of the Alinkers themselves
In a previous newsletter we addressed the rather dramatic changes in supply chains and manufacturing in Taiwan due to the pandemic. The accessibility of Alinkers (only Small and Medium) will be affected now and then, but we do our best to have a continued supply. You might experience longer waiting times, and temporary unavailability will happen. So far we have had waiting times up to 3 months, and this is much longer than our usual 2-4 weeks delivery.
Canada and the US are currently stocked, but with the demand, we might have a backlog soon again and we are unsure when the subsequent shipments arrive.
So if you want to be sure to have your own Alinker soon, order now, so we can ship to you directly and you'll have it home in 2-3 weeks in Canada, and for the USA allow up to 6 weeks, the shipment is clearing in the harbour as we speak. For availability outside of North America, contact your local distributor, links are at the bottom of this newsletter.
In the yellow bars below and on our website, we keep you posted on the current and most updated shipping times. When new shipments come in, many of them are already sold, so availability is temporary. Get in now!
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Digital Accessibility - Alinker is ADA compliant!
From both a civil rights and a business perspective, people with disabilities are underserved by today’s digital products.
Our website was not fully accessible, but now it is! We have integrated AccessiBE on our website, a software that fully achieves compliance with the ADA standards.
So when you go to our website now, you see in the bottom left corner a round blue icon with a figure in it. When you click on it, you get a menu with adjustment tools that makes accessibility modifications based on a user's individual needs.
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Advocating Accessibility
Accessibility Awareness Month is the time to reflect even more on the obstacles our world has for people with disabilities. These are not just the physical obstacles I am talking about. Much of the obstacles are related to the mindset of people who are temporarily able bodied and act from assumptions rather than curiosity.
In recent newsletters we shared how Abby got rejected at the Art Institute of Chicago, and Jeff got directed into a wheelchair as his Alinker was not allowed inside the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Here is where people acted from their assumptions and judgement, rather than curiosity.
In both cases the museums responded kindly to our emails, saying that after reviewing and our explanations, they are now welcoming Alinkers, but these rejections should really not happen anymore.
We are in communications with the ADA and AAM to get the Alinkers added to the variety of walk assists / mobility devices that people might use.
Use your voice to these institutions to advocate for accessibility of Alinkers to all public spaces.
Together we move differently
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Jeff visits the Empire State Building
on his Alinker
I had a memorable and enjoyable couple of days in New York. We both give a large credit to the "Linker" for that. It allowed me a measure of independence that I wouldn't have known and didn't enjoy when we visited in September and I depended solely on a cane.
The Alinker increased my range and stamina, too, which allowed us to easily cross Central Park and enjoy the terrific spring weather and the break out of Covid isolation that burst open in the city last weekend. Thank you for making those moments possible!
Visiting MoMA was simplified by one phrase: mobility device. Once we described the Alinker as a mobility device, the guard didn't hesitate to let us in. The Frick on Madison was effortless, too, as they didn't even say a word about it.
The highlight of the trip and the most accommodating I could imagine was the Empire State Building. They had not only the friendliest reception toward me, but also provided special elevators and plenty of ramps and latitude to enjoy that extraordinary view.
Overall New York's curb cuts and its buildings' spaces, especially the entrances, resulted in an effortless weekend.
I love the Alinker and look forward to my trip in July to see my Dad in Chicago. He gave me the Alinker as a Christmas present and it's been quite a gift ever since!
Thinking I'll sign up for a 5K fundraiser for PD research this summer. Wouldn't have even occurred to me as possible before.
As always,
Yours in yellow,
Jeff Herbst
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We got this wonderful email from Carol Mayka....
Hellooo!
I had been following the Alinker story for a year before I was able to get my own. I thought it would be perfect for me but was tentative about purchasing one without being able to try it first. So I took the plunge last November and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.
I can go farther. I can go faster. I feel like a superwoman!
The beautiful design and bright color attracts peoples attention and when they comment, I always tell them everything I can about the Alinker. Several people have gone to your website to check it out after recognizing it might be suitable for themselves or someone they know.
Health is so precious and often underrated. Thank you for sharing your invention with the world. And yes, of course, you can use my photo… Here are a few more photos including the glorious day riding with my granddaughter …
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BE's hive
kindness
In recent months we have noticed quite an uptake in unkind behaviour, especially online, on social media and towards our customer service team. After more than a year of pandemic, people are affected by, and frustrated and angry, unkindness to others only escalates in more division and hate, it never solves anything. Kindness is a choice and a practice, it takes effort and empathy. I believe that kindness is the only way towards a world that is more kind for everybody.
So I want to share a few words of kindness and awareness for relating to engagement online and communicating with the Alinker team.
Only the Alinker staff, people on our payroll represent the Alinker company.
Customer service:
We are not bots that you can yell at, and vent against. We are real people, and a small team, mostly other Alinker users who can talk you through all the questions you might have about the Alinker, use and specific issues.
We do sleep, so leave your email address and we will get back to you.
Be kind to one another, be curious and assume we are doing our best to offer you the best service, we do!
Social media:
We are not anonymous nobodies, we are people and we read all your comments and with that, we incur the aggression and negativity that comes at us at times. Please be kind and assume that we are always striving to treat you with kindness and to answer your questions.
We believe in engaging with people, but with the general uptake we will now delete unkind or rude comments and block profiles that are abusive and hateful.
Engagement:
We have Facebook groups, pages and Instagram. People in these groups are mostly Alinker users, and enthusiasts who share from experiences which is brilliant! We love the engagement in our Alinker Family Group and Alinker Racers group. The users in these groups do not represent the Alinker company, and their suggestions do not necessarily reflect the suggestions of the Alinker company.
We manage the members best we can, but when we see comments or posts that are not appropriate or according the the page rules of engagement, we will remove you from the page.
Caution:
We have learned about some members in our groups who have been approached via direct messages by people who make up fake accounts. They intimidate and ridicule people and change their accounts when we remove them, they keep coming back with new accounts, fake accounts.
PLEASE let us know of any of these approaches, with account names and profile photos, so we can remove them and better manage them. It is disgusting what some people out there are doing to each other. Let's not be part of that.
We are a kind community and would like to make sure that members in our community help us keep it that way. EMAIL US with any concerns
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Useful links
Who to contact in your country
Before contacting us directly, please review our FAQs
Czech Rep, Poland, Slovakia: EMAIL
Switzerland, Germany, Austria: EMAIL
For all international inquiries outside our distribution regions email here
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