 
Make The World Accessible Yourself

And

Make Money Too!

By: Michael (Miko) Neuvirth

Published and Distributed by Smashwords

Copyright © 2019 Michael Neuvirth.

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the Author.

Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. Let's get as many people with visible and invisible disabilities to make the world accessible themselves! Please encourage anyone you know with a visible or invisible disability to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

Table Of Contents – Your Journey's Roadmap

YOU Rock!!!

Chapter 1 – Give Me Some Attitude And Make It Positive

Chapter 2 – We Shall Overcome Human Nature

Chapter 3 – A Training Regimen For You That Will Be Euphoric

Chapter 4 – Eureka You Have A Product

Chapter 5 – I Dare You – No – I Double Dare You!

Chapter 6 – Your Very Own Do It Yourself Demo

Chapter 7 – To Patent Or Not To Patent That Is The Question

Chapter 8 – Choosing Your Route To Success

Chapter 9 – The Startup Route

Chapter 10 – The Licensing Route

Chapter 11 – The Passive Route - Be An Influencer

Chapter 12 – Success Or Failure - You Decide

About The Author

Appendix I An Overview Of Patents

Appendix II Caregiver Training Regimen

Free Prize Inside

Disclaimer

**********

YOU Rock!!

You made the decision to download my book because you want to try and make the world accessible yourself and hopefully make some money too.

In this book you will learn two ways to accomplish this – one is where you are active and the other is where you are relatively passive.

But first – a little more about what this book is all about and why it will change your life and mine.

A Journey For YOU – Both Inward and Outward – With Me As Your Guide

This book is more than just a way for you to make the world accessible yourself and to make money too. The book is also about YOU proving to YOURSELF that you will not rely on other people to make the world accessible – but that you will make the effort and put in the time to make it accessible – YOURSELF!

But – this book is even more than that! It is a journey for YOU and I am your guide. I will guide you inward – where YOU will learn things about yourself YOU never knew – and do things YOU never imagined you would ever do.

I will also guide YOU outward – where YOU take it upon YOURSELF – to not only invent accessible products – but to get those products to the market where they will change lives and make YOU some money too!!

Two Ways To Make The World Accessible Yourself And Make Money Too

OK – let's get back to the two ways that you will use to make the world accessible yourself and make money too.

The Active Way

You come up with an invention that solves an accessible need you have. You turn your invention into a product by creating your own startup company or by licensing your invention to an established company who turns it into a product themselves.

You will hopefully make money too when people with the same need buy the product to make their need go away. You may also make even more money if your startup is bought by another company or goes public (your exit).

The Passive Way

Here, you don't come up with an invention. Instead – you become an Influencer and get paid by companies to help them as they develop their own products. What you learn in this book will empower you to excel in both the Active and Passive ways.

Your Free Prize

Sorry it took so long to get to your free prize – but I had to give you some background and context so you will know just how valuable your free prize is. Your free prize relates to both the Active And Passive ways you will use to make the world accessible yourself and make money too. So you actually get two free prizes.

Your First Free Prize

The first free prize relates to the active way. Because there is only so much you can do with a book – we also will be creating some really amazing events for people with visible and invisible disabilities and caregivers worldwide.

**Your** **Free Prize is you get FREE VIP ADMISSION to all events – FOR LIFE!**

So, while some events will be free and others will cost money – you will never, ever have to pay – ever! Plus as a VIP even at the free events you will still get all kinds of goodies for free that other people will have to pay for – or not get at all at any price.

For example – our first event is free. It is a virtual summit dealing with how Disabilities Both Visible And Invisible Drive Innovation.

The Summit WILL BE EPIC! It is the first of its kind event – no one ever did anything like it before. It will spread awareness globally and accelerate your efforts to make the world accessible yourself and make money too.

Plus – you will have the opportunity to virtually meet with, present and pitch your inventions and startups to potential Investors, Partners and Companies. **When you get to the commercialization section of this book – you will fully understand what a great opportunity this truly is for you.**

As a VIP you are entitled to more meetings, more time to network with the movers and shakers and more time to meet, present and pitch. Plus – you never pay – ever!

Plus – there will be live events with limited space. As a VIP you get priority for all of these live events.

Plus – there will be special workshops only available to VIPs.

You get all of this for free – from the comfort of home.

**You will really appreciate the value of this free prize when you finish this book and realize how much time, effort and resources the free prize will save you**.

Your Second Free Prize

Your second free prize relates to the passive way and gives you a major advantage if you want to be an Influencer and get paid by companies to help them develop their products.

**Your second free prize is – YOU GET VIP PRIORITY ANY TIME A COMPANY ASKS US FOR INFLUENCERS**.

This is really important because I along with some really cool people are trying to make it much easier for companies to find the best possible Influencers. We believe that accessibility should be built into every single product from the earliest possible stage. We also believe that people with disabilities – visible and invisible need to be involved in this – as early as possible. It is simply illogical and inconceivable that people with disabilities are not influencing how products are designed.

So – we have created a new venture that will help companies find the very best Influencers to help them make sure that their products will be accessible for everyone.

Basically - we are promoting the use of people with disabilities – both visible and invisible – to help make sure that new products being developed are accessible for everyone.

Let's look or listen to an example (based on a potential project we are working on now)

Let's say a smart car company wants us to provide them with Influencers so they can get direct feedback on their smart car innovations and how they relate to people with disabilities.

We will give our VIPs priority – meaning you get the chance to be an Influencer for that Company before anyone else.

This is really cool and has been something I and the other people involved have wanted to do for a long time.

This is win-win for everyone. By reading this book THE VIPS will make the very best influencers and the Companies who pay the VIPs will get the best value for their money.

More Free Stuff – Your Buddy Saves You Time & Energy

Throughout this book every time I tell you that you will need to email someone, post something in social media, make a cold call, set up a meeting or video chat or prepare any text – I give you specific examples and scripts that you can use word for word or customize yourself.

This will make your Journey easier and save you a lot of time and energy. But it is super hard to cut and paste from an ebook like this. So let me introduce you to your new Buddy. Buddy is a free cut and pastable companion to this book that contains all of the emails and scripts you will need throughout your Journey. It is easy to cut and paste from Buddy into your emails, posts etc.

Plus- Buddy also contains clickable links of all of the resources and websites I discuss in the book. This will make it much easier and much more convenient for you to find and use the resources and refer back to a particular resource whenever you need it.

CLAIM YOUR FREE PRIZES AND YOUR BUDDY!

The VIP free prizes are only available for a limited time - so you should claim yours as soon as possible.

To do so – and to get your Buddy simply send an email to mikohelps@gmail.com. Please put "make me a VIP" in the subject line.

Online Help Center

There is one more free resource for you. As you read or listen to this book - anytime you have a question or do not understand something – go to our free help center – help is just a click away https://accessiblediy.com. Here you can ask questions and you will be provided with answers as quickly as possible.

If for any reason you cannot use the help center – please feel free to email your questions to me – mikohelps@gmail.com and I will make sure they are answered promptly.

YOU Are Uniquely Positioned To Succeed

If YOU put in the time and make the effort YOU can and will make the world accessible yourself and make money too!

Do YOU want to know why I am so sure?? Because I know something YOU don't know -- yet. I know that YOU are uniquely positioned to succeed.

Based on my two plus decades of experience working with inventors, entrepreneurs and startups – I know the one common denominator for success – Find A Real Need!

So – the need is the key – and guess what? People with disabilities - and caregivers – are super qualified to find a real need. Necessity is the mother of invention and as YOU go about your daily routine – YOU constantly face challenges and situations where solutions are needed.

No one knows the need for an accessible product better than YOU do. Certainly not the non-disabled product developers around the world who are currently tasked with creating new products.

We cannot expect them to focus on creating accessible products when they personally never encounter the need for them. When they think of new products to create – they look at their own needs and then they create solutions for themselves and people just like them - based on those needs.

Now It Is YOUR Turn

Now it is your turn to create accessible products for YOURSELF and people just like you. This book will show you how and I will guide you step by step.

Congratulations - You Are Now A Part Of The Accessible Generation

Because you will be trying to make the world accessible yourself and make money too - you are now part of the THE COOLEST movement ever for people with visible and invisible disabilities - **The ACCESSIBLE GENERATION**.

The Accessible Generation believes that the time has come for us - the people facing health challenges and disabilities – the ones who truly need an accessible world - to go out and make it accessible ourselves.

This is Our Anthem

The time has come for us the disabled

whether visible or not - no need to be labeled

To make the world the way it should be

a place with a hundred percent accessibility

We are the ACCESSIBLE GENERATION

We are building an ACCESSIBLE NATION

We are the best ones to get this done

We make the world accessible for everyone

We leverage our disabilities to find the need

Then become inventors and entrepreneurs who will succeed

Our attitude is always that we can do

Our goal is to make the world accessible and make money too.

Nothing Can Stop You Now!

You have this book, your very own guide, VIP status, a Buddy, a free help center and now you have your own movement with an Anthem. Yea Baby! Nothing or no one can stop YOU. So . . . WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!

It is time for our Journey together to begin \- Turn the page and let's get started.

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CHAPTER 1 – Give Me Some Attitude And Make It Positive

Welcome to the start of your journey to make the world accessible yourself and make money too. It is truly an honor to be your guide. We have a lot to do and so much to learn – so let's get this party started!

Develop And Maintain A Positive Attitude

Throughout your journey you will face the unknown and have to overcome numerous challenges and obstacles. You cannot control whether or not this will happen or how many challenges and obstacles you will face. But – you can control your attitude when you face the unknown and when you have to overcome challenges and obstacles.

If your attitude is positive you will be able to deal with them and eventually overcome them and succeed.

So, the first step in your journey is to develop and maintain a positive attitude. As your guide – I am going to introduce you to some super positive people who will share their positive vibes with you – this will enable you to develop and maintain your own positive attitude. Plus – during your journey if you ever get discouraged or feel like you just can't – close your eyes and think hard and these positive vibes will come to your rescue and get you back on track.

Celebrities And Athletes

Let's start by getting some positive vibes from Celebrities And Athletes

**Molly Burke** is YouTuber with over 1.7 million subscribers and more than 85 million views. She is also a Motivational Speaker – who also happens to be super blind (her exact words on her twitter bio).

Check out this quote – and go back to it whenever you question why you want to make the world accessible yourself.

"I am not broken, and I don't need to be fixed, society does." Source: entitymag.com

**Paola Antonini** is a Brazilian supermodel who lost her leg after she was hit by a drunk driver. She refuses to let her disability get in the way of her modeling career. She rocks the catwalk at leading fashion shows around the world - showing off her prosthetic leg. She posts pictures of herself and her prosthesis to over 2.6 million Instagram followers.

Paola made a decision right away not to hide her prosthesis from anyone – she states all the time: 'I want to be a model for other amputees."

One of her followers posted this about Paola's positive vibes:

'Paola... I'm going through a tough time for health reasons, and seeing your photos and videos, you inspire me to fight and always try to look on the bright side!'

**Marlee Matlin** \- Use this positive vibe from an Oscar winning actress to help you find courage, follow your dreams and achieve success:

"You can do anything if you set your mind to it. Look out for kids, help them dream and be inspired. We teach calculus in schools, but I believe the most important formula is courage plus dreams equals success." Source: Brainyquote

Marlee Matlin – an Oscar winning Actress, Author, Advocate, Speaker – who is also deaf

**Kurt Yaeger** who you probably know from Son's Of Anarchy is an actor and producer living in Los Angeles, CA. He is an amputee who serves on the SAG-AFTRA committee for Performers With Disabilities for eight years, working to get more people with disabilities in front of the camera.

Catch this vibe from Kurt and think of it when you think you have failed:

"Failure is the process of success. You can not succeed unless you fail. Don't fear failure, embrace it, learn from it, achieve greatness." Source: kurtyaeger.com

**Zach Anner** is an award-winning comedian, show host, and public speaker. He has cerebral palsy and is the author of the book – If At Birth You Don't Succeed. Use this vibe from him and hopefully one of your true passions will be to create tools that help people thrive.

"My best advice to anybody who has a child with a disability is to really find the tools for that person to thrive and find what their true passions are, because the rest will follow." Source: Brainyquote

Here Is A Positive Vibe Especially For Women

This is one of my very favorite positive vibes for women. It comes from **Bethany Hamilton** who lost her left arm to a 14-foot tiger shark, which seemed to end her career as a rising surf star. One month after the attack, Bethany returned to the water and within 2 years had won her first National title. She is currently a Professional Surfer, Actress, and a Motivational Speaker

Here is her amazing positive vibe: "Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That's what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice." Source: bethanyhamilton.com

**Nicole Kelly** was born without a left forearm and uses a prosthesis. She is a beauty queen and the former Miss Iowa. She speaks at schools and supports art programs that help people with disabilities.

Follow Nicole's positive vibe – no limits!

"I had assumed everyone's parents would be like mine, but many are far more concerned about limiting their child's lives to protect them from harm. I saw then that I could make a change by showing these parents that their child can and should be able to do anything they want. Once parents accept this, it makes such a huge difference to how their child experiences and responds to their difference." Source: The Huffington Post

**Tamara Mena** is a bilingual motivational speaker, actress, host, model, ambassador, survivor and eternal optimist. At the age of 19, she suffered a horrific car accident and is now paralyzed from the mid-chest down.

Feel the vibes coming from Tamara via this quote and remember that one day You will Own It!

"Be proud of who YOU ARE! Let's change this script, let's change the negative stereotypes people have and let's keep uniting people because in the end I believe we have a lot more in common than what our differences are! Accept it. Embrace it. Own it!" Source: tamaramena.com

Disability Does Not Define You

Please use the next positive vibe from **Warwick Davis** as a reminder that your disability does not define you. You WILL BE an inventor, influencer or entrepreneur – not a person with a disability who happens to be an inventor, influencer or entrepreneur.

"I don't want to be just somebody short who happens to act. I hope my legacy will be Warwick Davis, Actor." Source: Citatis.com

Actor, presenter, producer, director – famous for his roles in Star Wars and Harry Potter.

**Lauren Potter** is an American actress, best known for her role as Becky Jackson in the television show Glee. Potter serves as an advocate for those with special needs through organizations including AbilityPath, Best Buddies International, the Down Syndrome Association, the American Association of People with Disabilities, and Special Olympics.

Use her positive vibes to make sure you never – ever – ever quit!

"If you have a disability, keep working hard. Whatever it takes, do it, and don't be mean to people." Source: digitalspy

**Maysoon Zayid** is a Comedian, Actress, and Advocate. She provided this positive vibe during her Tedtalk: "Also, I've got to tell you, I've got 99 problems, and cerebral palsy is just one"

Use it to keep your priorities straight and to focus on things other than your disability.

Use this positive vibe from **Chelsie Hill** to always believe in yourself – ALL WAYS and ALWAYS.

"After a car accident I was told that I would never be able to walk or dance again and dancing is the one thing that I wanted to do with my life. I am very thankful that I had the friends and family in my life to push me to keep dancing whether it is with my legs or with a chair. The one thing I learned in life is never doubt yourself, believe in yourself because you can do anything you want to do as long as you believe in yourself " Source: shape.com

Chelsie Hill is my favorite dancer – not my favorite dancer who is disabled and not my favorite dancer who uses a wheelchair. She is my favorite dancer PERIOD! She is also a Community Leader, Trailblazer, Entrepreneur and Founder of the Rollettes Dance Team

**Nick Vujicic** is a best-selling author, motivational speaker & evangelist who was born without arms or legs. He overcame this and he now is an evangelist who has shared his message of hope to over 6 million people in 57 countries.

Use his positive vibe about failure whenever you fail and you will turn your failure into something positive.

"If I fail, I try again, and again, and again. If YOU fail, are you going to try again? The human spirit can handle much worse than we realize. It matters HOW you are going to FINISH. Are you going to finish strong?" Source: motivationalreads.com

**RJ Mitte** is an actor, producer, and model. He is best known for his role as Walter "Flynn" White Jr. on Breaking Bad - like his character on the show, he has cerebral palsy. His positive vibe will help you set goals and push yourself which is vital if you want to be a successful inventor or entrepreneur

"You can do anything if you set goals. You just have to push yourself. Brainyquote

This positive vibes says it all in only 7 words: DREAM BIG. LIVE BIG. YOU GOT THIS." Source: Liferollson.org

**Jesse Billauer** – was one of the top 100 junior surfers in the world – then weeks before he was going to turn professional he was surfing and got thrown headfirst into a shallow sandbar. The impact broke his sixth vertebrae and he instantly became a quadriplegic. But his story did not end that day in the ocean. With the help of the surf community, he got back into the sport he loved; and in 2015, I became the world champion of adaptive surfing.

As I write this **Nyle DiMarco** is the hottest thing going on the Internet with his remake of Ariana Grande's 7 Rings Video in American Sign Language. This positive vibe from Nyle will help you redefine your own disability however you want. Just believe and work hard for it.

"My message to my deaf community is that we can redefine anything however we want. Anything is re-definable only if we believe and work hard for it." Source: nyledimarco.com

Nyle DiMarco is a model, actor, and deaf activist. In 2015, DiMarco was The CW's America's Next Top Model Cycle 22. The following year, he won season 22 of the ABC televised dance competition Dancing with the Stars.

Fear is one of your biggest enemies if you are trying to be an inventor or entrepreneur. Use this positive vibe from **Jamie Brewer** to embrace your fear.

"Embrace the fear and go for it. That's what I do. I don't run from it - I embrace the fear." Source: brainyquotes

Jamie Brewer is an actress and a model who happens to have Down Syndrome – you may recognize her as Marjorie, Nan, or Adelaide from AHS!! She is also an advocate for people with I/DD.

The next vibe will give you courage

"If you believe in a dream and have the courage to try, anything is possible" Source: Rick Hansen Institute

Rick Hansen is the Founder of the Rick Hansen Foundation and a passionate supporter of people with disabilities in Canada. Rick is best known as the "Man In Motion" for his epic 26-month, 34 country, 40,000 km wheelchair trip around the world to prove the potential of people with disabilities and raise funds for spinal cord injury research. Rick is also a three-time Paralympic gold medalist.

**Angel Giuffria** \- "I never lost a hand – I never had a hand – and I like that I am different and I want to continue to play on that. I love my bionic arm. I like being referred to as a cyborg" Source: popsci.com.

Angel is an actress, public speaker, humanitarian, and model. She is considered the youngest in the world to wear a myoelectric [muscle-controlled prosthetic].

Use this positive vibe from **Sean Stephenson** if anyone ever tells you that you can't:

"If someone tells you – you can't – they really mean – I can't" Doubt is a virus that attacks our self-esteem, productivity and confidence. Faith that you and your life are perfectly unfolding is the strongest vaccine." Source: azquotes.com

Dr. Sean Stephenson was predicted not to survive at birth because of a rare bone disorder that stunted his growth and caused his bones to be extremely fragile (fracturing over 200 times by the age of 18). Despite his challenges, he took a stand for a quality of life that has inspired millions of people around the world.

**I hope that these positive vibes are having a powerful effect on you and helping you to develop and maintain a positive attitude. Let's get some more vibes – this time from advocates and activists**.

Positive Vibes From Advocates And Activists

This positive vibe is right on point if you want to be an Entrepreneur!

"Find your passion, find your purpose, and fulfill it by any means necessary," Your deafness does not prevent you from being an inspiration to do more and do better. Life is what you make it, so make it where the generation after you will enjoy and learn from the life you have lived." Source: undefeated.com

**Matt Maxey** founder of DEAFinitely Dope, an organization that aims to bring the deaf and hearing communities together through music.

Use this positive vibe from **Haben Girma** as to make sure you never forget why you are trying to make the world accessible for everyone

"There are 1.3 billion people with disabilities in the world. That's a huge population, like almost the size of China, and a lot of companies completely ignore this population. But, it's in our interest to think about this population and to think about what products we can build, or rather than having separate products, making our mainstream products accessible to everyone." Source: thetempest.co

Haben Girma, the first Deafblind Graduate of Harvard Law School, Disability Rights Lawyer, Author, Speaker, Accessible Technology Advocate

This positive vibe from **Mama Cax** will help you make each day count!

"For me, every day is an opportunity to make a difference and live a life with a purpose" Source: Boredpanda

Mama Cax is a Haitian-American Blogger, Advocate, Motivational Speaker and Model. She has studied in NY, France, Tunis & Rome and holds a B.A & M.A in International Studies. Her innovative prosthetic leg and message of self-love has landed her features in magazine like: TeenVogue, Cosmopolitan, Essence Magazine, Glamour, Refinery29, ASOS Magazine, StyleLikeU and i-D.

Use this positive vibe from J **essica Kellgren-Fozard** to - Go and show the world who you are!

"Businesses, the media and politicians need to start seeing disabled people for what we are: useful members of society who have something to bring to others." Source: guardian.com

Jessica – adds vintage fabulousness to a life with deafness, disabilities and chronic illnesses. She is a TV presenter and Youtuber

This positive vibe by **Jay Ruderman** demonstrates why people with disabilities make the best Inventors

"Since confronted with life difficulties that require creative adaptation and ingenuity on a daily basis, disabled individuals know resilience, and they know how to think out-of-the-box and on their feet, or wheels. In fact, recent studies show employers who hire people with disabilities report a higher level of dedication and increased retention." Source: Huffington Post

Jay Ruderman is the President of The Ruderman Family Foundation a non-profit that n believes inclusion and understanding of all people is essential to a fair and flourishing community.

Use this positive vibe from **Lisa Cox** anytime time you start to be afraid or think you will fail

"Live without fear of failure and live with genuine gratitude and enthusiasm for every day. Live with the knowledge that challenges are just choices waiting to happen. I know it can be done!" Source: lisacox.co

Lisa Cox - a multi-awarded writer, presenter and consultant. Her life-changing experiences are fueling her mission to muse, educate, challenge convention and broaden our definitions of diversity and disability.

Think of this vibe from **Carla Cressy** if you ever want to give up. "I can't bear the thought of anyone enduring what I have had to go through, if I can stop one person from experiencing the pain, it's all worth it." Source: tori.ng

Carla Cressy – Founder & Chief Executive The Women With Endometriosis Charity, Activist, Advocate For Change. Formerly one of England's leading glamour models, Carla had to give up modeling because of her Endometriosis.

Remember this positive vibe from **Charlie Beswick** when people tell you that your invention, idea or startup will never amount to anything. "Standing apart from a crowd and saying no when they are heading in a direction you don't want to travel is one of the hardest and bravest things a person can do." Source: ouralteredlife.com

Charlie Beswick – a mother and caregiver to two twin boys – Oliver and Harry. Harry was born with Goldenhar syndrome which means that he has no eye, eye socket, nostril, ear and a short jaw. He's also non-verbal, has global learning delay and Autism so life is as challenging as it is rewarding at times. Charlie's blog is her way of sharing her journey and helping other parents.

Face and overcome fear with this positive vibe from **Dana Suchow**.

"So many times in my life, when I get scared, I give up, I avoid, I run away, or I stop trying. This year I'm going to work hard to listen to my fears, validate that they're coming from a real place that's trying to keep me safe, find out what my fear is trying to tell me, and remind myself that I lived through the last time I was scared, and I will make it through safely this time as well!" instagram.com/danasuchow

Dana Suchow is a speaker and educator who gives parents, teachers and caregivers the tools they need to prevent eating disorders and raise body confident kids!

Failure can be a good thing – catch this positive vibe from **Belo Miguel Cipriani:**

" Challenge yourself to fail every chance you get. It will help you push yourself to learn something new, to meet new people, and to find new confidence in yourself." Source: gimundo.com

Belo Miguel Cipriani – an award-winning author, prize-winning journalist, blind disability advocate and spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Make the most of each day using this positive vibe: "For years our focus has been on adding tomorrows. Now, we are focused on adding tomorrows AND living today." Source: cff.org

Preston W. Campbell, III, M.D. President and CEO, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

You will never, ever give up with this positive vibe from **Ally Gizzard**.

"It's okay to cry. It's okay to scream. It's okay to have a meltdown. Just don't unpack and live there. Remind yourself that sometimes life is just hard and some days are just rough and sometimes you gotta cry before you can move forward and all of that is okay, but don't you dare give up just because you're breaking, because you will also heal. And It's hard to beat a person who never gives up. So cry it out and then focus on where you're headed." instagram.com/allygrizzard

Ally Grizzard - the paralyzed bride that walked down the aisle, wheelchair weight lifter, speaker youtuber, motivator

This is the perfect positive vibe if you choose the Startup Route to make the world accessible yourself . . .

"If you have to start up something that no-one has ever done before:

"You have to believe you can do it! Do a little bit of research and go with your intuition!" Source: annaKennedyonline

Anna Kenndy OBE, UK Autism Ambassador, Founder UK Autism Charity AnnaKennedyonline, Finalist BBC Peoples Strictly 2015 Founder Autism got Talent , Patron

This positive vibe from **Emily Ladau** will help you when you make cold calls to potential investors and partners:

"All my activism is driven by my firm belief that if we want the world to be accessible to people with all types of disabilities – we must make the disability experience accessible to the world" wordsiwheelby.com

Emily Ladau - Activist, Writer, Public Speaker who is living life on wheels and fighting disability discrimination

You will make an impact with this positive vibe:

"It's all about being able to impact others in need, even in some small way, to help them live better lives." Source: blacktie-colorado.com

Wayne Connell, Founder and President of the Invisible Disabilities Association, Caregiver for his wife who has MS and Lyme Disease

This is positive vibe from Guide Dogs UK will remind you why you have to keep trying to make the world accessible yourself:

"We will not rest until people who are blind or partially sighted can enjoy the same freedom of movement as everyone else." Source: guidedogs.org.uk

Guide Dogs UK provides guide dogs and other mobility services for people who are blind or partially sighted.

These Vibes Will Be With You During Your Journey

Wow – some amazing positive vibes from some amazing people. These vibes are with you during your journey. Call upon them if you ever get discourage or feel like you just can't. Close your eyes and tell yourself to think positive and these positive vibes will come to your rescue.

**********

CHAPTER 2 – We Shall Overcome Human Nature

Now it is time to get more specific. You will make the world accessible yourself and make money too – via the active and passive ways we discussed at the very beginning of this book.

But – Dear Reader – It is up to you to make this happen and it won't be easy.

In all of my experience working with inventors and entrepreneurs I have seen them delay, procrastinate and put things off. I did too - it is human nature to do so. It is just how our brains work.

But there is a way to overcome human nature. Your brain needs to know that there is a clear path to the completion of the particular task you seek to accomplish. When there is no clear path to completion for your brain to focus on – it simply decides that the task cannot be done and starts the process of procrastination and delay.

For you to overcome this and become an inventor and entrepreneur – you need to show your brain that it is possible to invent truly needed products and get them to the market so people can benefit from them and you can make some money too.

Overcoming Human Nature

You will do this here by feeding your brain real life examples of your peers – people just like you – who are making the world accessible themselves and making money too – or on their way to do so.

As your guide – I am going to introduce you to them and briefly tell you their stories – and accomplishments.

When you read or listen to their stories and accomplishments or how they did it or are doing it – you will provide your brain with what it needs to realize that there is a clear path to completion. This will enable you to overcome any procrastination or delay and go out and make the world accessible yourself!

Plus - I really enjoyed researching and writing about these amazing inventors and entrepreneurs. I am honored to give them the exposure and get their incredible stories out there. So get ready to be entertained, and motivated - as your brain gets the clear path to success it needs so you can overcome human nature.

Let's start with your peers who invented solutions to a need they had. All of them came up with high tech, low tech or no tech inventions that solve major problems they faced.

Inventors Who Came Up With Solutions To Their Own Needs

Marten DeVlieger – Enabling People With CF To Live A Fuller, High Quality Of Life

Marten DeVlieger invented his first device when he was seven years old. Growing up on a farm, one of his chores was to shell peas - so he invented a machine to shell those peas faster. Too fast as it turned out, since the peas shot all over the yard, and all that was left were the inedible shells. His mom wasn't too happy, but that experience helped him understand that unexpected outcomes were all part of the process.

Many years later, as a person with Cystic Fibrosis and desperate for an effective treatment to clear his airways, Marten developed a device known as the ChestMaster. As he developed it - he was reminded of that lesson again and again.

People with Cystic Fibrosis have to deal with their lungs filling up with mucous that is difficult to expectorate and if not cleared out of the respiratory tract, results in extreme difficulty in breathing and severe infections that cause scarring in the lungs. Scarring in the lungs leads to decreased respiration capacity, quality of life, and lifespan.

There are a few devices on the market that are designed to move that mucous upward and outward, but Marten did not find any of them to be as effective as the chest percussion therapy (CPT) he had received as a child from his mom or from a physiotherapist as an adult.

Marten needed a device that would simulate the manual pounding on his chest and back and allow him to take deep breaths during treatment so that he could cough and expectorate the mucous. No products on the market did that.

Vigorous exercise that required deep breathing produced great results for Marten – so he wanted a device that could facilitate deep breathing and freedom of movement during treatment.

Over the course of a year Marten came up with several ideas for a device that met the above criteria. After he had a design that seemed feasible, he scavenged for spare metal pieces and came upon a sewing machine engine and standard electrical box to use in his prototype. After soldering it all together, he had what looked like a cross between an iron maiden and Buzz Lightyear apparatus. He slipped the metal contraption over his head, plugged it in and was promptly knocked off his feet by the force.

Many tweaks and redesigns later, he had a device that simulated manual CPT amazingly well. It wasn't pretty but it worked. It worked so well that he and his family decided to see what a contract manufacturing firm could do with it to refine it into a device that could help others like him. As a representative of the patient population that was going to be using this device, Marten knew what features would make this device most beneficial.

Marten collaborated with StarFish Medical and they came up with a product that had all the features Marten wanted and needed. The key was that Marten was the end user and he knew exactly what the product needed to do to solve his problem and the problem of others with CF. He also personally tested each iteration – making sure it had all the features needed to help as many people as possible.

Marten partnered with Hill-Rom to commercialize his invention and get it into the hands of as many people with cystic fibrosis as possible. Hill Rom is currently marketing and selling Marten's invention worldwide.

What is extremely cool is that Marten always said that he wanted to create a portable, long-lasting battery-powered device that clears the lungs so patients are free to be outside, go camping, and live a fuller, higher quality of life.

That is exactly what Marten is doing right now. You can follow him on Instagram cf_adventurer. Source: www.mddionline.com/how-i-developed-device-treat-my-cystic-fibrosis

Accomable – Making It Easier For Everyone To Travel Regardless Of Disability

Srin Madipalli and Martyn Sibley - two childhood friends with Spinal Muscular Atrophy were frustrated by the difficulty of finding accessible places to stay and reliable information. So they created Accomable to make it easier for everyone to travel, regardless of disability.

In the early days, Srin set out on a road trip across Europe to find out how many truly accessible properties were out there. With the help of friends and social media, he quickly discovered some unique accessible stays. As the recommendations started pouring in, the platform began to grow, along with an engaged community following. At this point, it was clear, it was time to scale.

Soon afterwards, Accomable secured a grant from the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford University and raised £300,000 in funding from a group of leading Angel investors. Over the next year the Accomable team accelerated the growth of the platform to list fully verified, accessible properties in more than 60 countries worldwide.

In November 2017, Accomable was acquired by Airbnb - which will enable them to take their dream and mission to a global level, working together, to make the world a more accessible place.

As part of the acquisition, Srin Madipalli joined Airbnb as Accessibility Product and Program Manager in San Francisco.

This quote from Srin sums up why you should make the world accessible yourself: "The original idea we had was to solve a problem that Martyn and I specifically had," "We said to ourselves, 'we can fix this problem with tech.'" Source:accomable.com/, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accomable

Martyn Sibley – Let's Live In A World Without Barriers, Prejudice or Discrimination

Martyn Sibley is continuing his entrepreneurship and now, his bigger vision is to live in a world without barriers, prejudice or discrimination. He is implementing his mission by blogging about his personal journey, and providing online support, information and debate within the disability and health fields. He has created many digital initiatives, including:

Disability Horizons Magazine, Disability United and TodaHerbal Health Blog. He is also a motivational speaker and world changer. Source:martynsibley.com/about-me/

Rewalk – Exoskeleton Walking Aid For Paraplegics

Dr. Amit Goffer founded ReWalk following an all-terrain vehicle accident that resulted in quadriplegia. Dr. Goffer pioneered the invention and development of the ReWalk Robotics wearable exoskeleton that enables paraplegics and people with lower limb disabilities to stand, walk, ascend/descend stairs and more. Even though the technology does not currently enable Dr. Goffer to walk because he is a quadriplegic, his tenacity to develop a wearable exoskeleton so that others could walk paved the way for the ReWalk Rehabilitation and Personal systems to be used by more than 1,000 people (ReWalkers) around the world today. He is regarded as a pioneer and expert in the emerging exoskeleton industry. Rewalk went public in 2014. Source: http://rewalk.com/

UpnRIDE - Far More Than A Wheelchair

Dr. Goffer is what is known as a serial entrepreneur – someone who has started and succeeded in more than one company. He left Rewalk and created a new company called UpnRIDE and this time it will help him as well. UPnRIDE is a wheeled robotic device designed for quadriplegics – helping them to be fully mobile in both standing and sitting positions, indoors or outdoors.

UpnRIDE is a mobility device, as opposed to ReWalk's walking device, and it is actually a wheelchair that brings quadriplegics from a sitting position to an upright position. It is good for both indoor and outdoor environments. UpnRide is currently in transition from research-and-development to market. Source: https://upnride.com/

Ai-Media – Making The World's Content Accessible To Everyone

Alex Jones, co-founder of Ai-Media, was born deaf and grew up not having the same level of access as his hearing friends. Then Alex met Tony Abrahams who was also looking to make a meaningful impact in the world. So together they started Ai-Media – a company that is making content accessible to everyone through live captioning, video captioning, transcription, and audio description.

Today, the company has offices all around the world and millions of people rely on Ai-Media's services every day to watch TV, browse social media and gain access to education. Source: www.ai-media.tv

All Access Life – Connecting You To The Accessible Resources Out There!

Brad Heaven was born with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. Dan O'Connor has been working alongside Brad for the past 8 years as his aid. Over the years – they have built a very unique and everlasting friendship. Since Brad is non verbal they have their own way of communicating with his eye movements and body gestures. Brad also uses technology to communicate with the use of switches located on both sides of his head. Over the years they have seen the amazing effects technology has had on his life. He's already accomplished so much at his young age and has technology to thank for it. However, they also noticed how fast technology comes and goes, making it difficult to keep up with the current (sometimes superior) gadgets.

So they created an amazing website site that makes it easy to keep up with the latest developments in accessible technology. Plus – they produce their own product reviews on video where they personal use and demonstrate each product under review.

Their site is growing and becoming more and more popular. Full disclosure I am a subscriber. Source: www.allaccesslife.org/

Sesame Enable - By People with Disabilities, for People with Disabilities

Hello, my name is Giora, I can't move my hands or legs. Can you make me a smartphone I could use?

App and game developer Oded Ben Dov was demonstrating a game that was controlled using only head gestures on a local television station. A viewer named Giora Livne who is a quadriplegic, called him up the next day and said, "Hello, I can't move my hands or legs, could you make me a smartphone I could use?"

Oded said: "I had no former acquaintance with disabilities before Giora called, but once he presented the problem so concisely – "can you make me a smartphone I could use?" – I knew I found a calling beyond just games."

Giora convinced Oded to create a brand new company together. The company - Sesame Enable. - enables quadriplegics and others who cannot use their hands to operate a smart phone.

Today, the company has already launched several products with more in the works, to bring greater accessibility to people with disabilities. Source: https://sesame-enable.com/about-sesame/

Curb Free with Cory Lee – Sharing The World From A Wheelchair Users' Perspective

At the age of two Cory Lee was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (type 2). When he was four years old he got his first powered wheelchair and took his first trip – it was to Walt Disney World. After several more international trips he simply fell in love with traveling.

Cory decided that he wanted to share his experience and get other people with disabilities to travel and enjoy it too.

So he started a blog called Curb Free with Cory Lee. Since starting his blog around 5 years ago, he has become one of the leading travel blogger focusing on accessibility.

In 2017, he won the prestigious Lowell Thomas Award for Best Travel Blog and was named the 2018 Person of the Year by New Mobility Magazine in January 2019. He also frequently speaks about accessible travel at conferences around the world. Source: https://www.curbfreewithcorylee.com/

GO! Mobility Solutions - The GO! Anywhere® Portable Shower Chair

Rick Goldstein is paralyzed due to a C5-C6 spinal cord injury. He had to schlep a non-portable shower chair with him whenever he went on trips. On short trips he could stuff his non-portable shower chair into his van. He was also very embarrassed when porters pushed it through parking lots and hotel lobbies. Plus – the non-portable chair did not work very well and was extremely cumbersome.

If he had to fly his options were very limited – he could not take a non-portable shower chair with him. He felt restricted and even though he loved to travel he would only do so when it was absolutely necessary.

So he decided to come up with his own solution. He founded a company called GO! Mobility Solutions and invented The GO! Anywhere® Portable Shower Chair. Rick's portable shower chair is now greatly improving the quality of life and independence of people who are paralyzed. Source: https://goesanywhere.com/about-us/the-inventor-rick-goldstein/

PUSHliving - Pushing Boundaries Of Wheelchair Accessible Lifestyle Travel & Business

Deborah Davis was in a car accident at 18 that caused C6 and C7 spinal cord injuries that resulted in quadriplegia. She founded PUSHLiving because "Traveling while in a wheelchair requires a tremendous amount of logistical planning, and unforeseen barriers can easily ruin a trip."

PUSHiving leverages its knowledge of accessibility needs, vets tour operators, arrange for appropriate lodging and transportation, and deliver necessary equipment that enables wheelchair travelers to explore the world with ease and confidence. PUSHliving also advocates for full access in accommodations, employment, healthcare, and more. Source: www.pushliving.com

The Smart Baby Buggy – Safety For People With Vision Impairments And Their Babies

Ramona Williams has a series of eye conditions including congenital toxoplasmosis which has significantly impaired her vision since she was born. She did not feel comfortable using a baby stroller with her cane folded up under her hands on top of the stroller's handle bar because her cane kept falling and it was hard for her to navigate the stroller this way. Her cane had to be there to signal that she has a visual impairment. Ramona realized that something is really needed to enable people with sight loss who have babies to move around outside safely with their kids. So she invented the smart buggy which uses a combination of LIDAR – laser technology used in self-driving cars – and ultrasound sensors to warn users of oncoming hazards such as vehicles, pedestrians, curbs and drop-offs through vibrations in the handlebar. It also has a place for a cane and a sign that the person pushing it is visually impaired. Source: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/185888/visually-impaired-inventors-dream-smart-baby-buggy/

Handizap – A Sixth Digit To Help You Type

Josh Smith was injured in a diving accident - leaving him a C-6 quadriplegic. While in inpatient rehabilitation Josh became frustrated with the adaptive technology he was given in to be able to type on a keyboard and use his cellphone. So he invented the Sixth Digit – a ring stylus. By using a Ring Pop with an eraser head on the tip, he developed his first demo of the Sixth Digit.

Then Josh formed his business Handizap to market the Sixth Digit and other inventions that he is in the process of developing. Source: handizap.com/about/

Easyhold – Helps You Get A Grip

Following years of wear and tear on their hands and joints – the Mellin sisters who love extreme sports, gardening and cooking were losing their grip strength. They could no longer do a lot of the activities they enjoyed. But, refusing to give up their active lifestyle was NOT an option, so they decided to find a solution to help maintain a firm grip on tools, sports equipment, and household implements.

One day one of the sisters – Kerry was cleaning her barn and she grabbed a broom and began to sweep, but her weak thumbs were too painful to continue. So, grabbed some duct tape, made a loop across the broom's handle and slipped her hand inside. Surprised at how effortless it felt having this little bit of support over the back of her hand, it allowed her to maintain control of the broom with minimal grip and sweep pain free.

Easyhold was born.

The sisters created their own prototypes and samples and after lots of hard work and having to "ambush" therapists to get them interested – their easy grip product took off.

The word of mouth from parents of special needs children was also loud and clear as news traveled that there was a grip assist small enough for children's hands and that it worked effortlessly.

Currently - EazyHolds have become invaluable for those with cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease, Rett syndrome, stroke, limb loss and other conditions that limit a person's grip. The 3 sisters' little straps, born out of necessity, are quickly becoming a staple in care facilities, schools and homes - all around the globe. Source: eazyhold.com/pages/about-us

Euan's Guide - Removing The Fear Of The Unknown

Euan MacDonald was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in 2003. He has gone from being ambulant disabled to a manual chair user and is now a powerchair user.

As a powerchair user, it can be difficult to find accessible places to go, even if it's just for a coffee with friends. So Euan had to rely on trial and error or hours of web searching and phone calls before choosing where to visit. This can be frustrating and time-consuming due to the lack of disabled access information out there, so he realized that he couldn't be alone in his search. He knew other people with disabilities would be able to recommend accessible places to go, and he was very keen to hear from them, their families and caregivers.

This idea became Euan's Guide, the disabled access review website where people share their own experiences of disabled access wherever they go. Euan's Guide wants to be a friendly, honest and empowering alternative to hours of web searching and phone calls, and most importantly Euan and his team hope it will remove the 'fear of the unknown' when visiting a venue for the first time. Source: euansguide.com/about-us/an-interview-with-euan/

Attitude Is Everything – Making Live Music Accessible For Everyone

Suzanne Bull has always been a person with a disability who loved music. In the mid '90s she was at a music festival and in those days, there was no access. In struggling to keep her front row place facing the stage, her neck got trapped on the barrier. Her thoughts were to get out alive and find a way of making live music accessible!

She began to document the experiences of other disabled people at festivals and venues, and interviewing the music industry to find out why they were not providing services to their disabled customers. It turned out that the industry did not understand what their obligations were under the law. So what they needed was practical guidance.

So Suzanne set up Attitude is Everything in 2000 with a steering group of live music and disability arts professionals. It challenged the music industry to improve their access to Deaf and disabled people. Since then, over 160 venues and festivals have signed up to their Charter of Best Practice, thousands have trained in disability equality and there has been a huge increase in the numbers of deaf and disabled people accessing live music.

Suzanne's ultimate goal is for deaf and disabled people to be able to attend, work or perform at any live music event. Source: www.musictank.co.uk/blog/suzanne-bull-mbe-music-the-arts-disabled-people/, attitudeiseverything.org.uk/resources/diy-access-guide

AccessNow – Mapping Accessibility Worldwide

Maayan Ziv was born with Muscular Dystrophy and has used a wheelchair since she was a child. That meant the sorts of things that came naturally to other kids – getting around, participating in events – were more difficult for her. So she had to come up with creative solutions, in order to adapt.

She has a great quote that sums up why people with disabilities make the best inventors: **"I'm often making my own way and that trained me to be an entrepreneur since I was a kid," Ziv said. "With my disability, it led me to think outside the box."**

Frustrated by not knowing if certain places she had to go to were accessible – she started her own company – AccessNow. Her company developed an app that uses crowd sourcing to pin-point the accessibility status of locations on an interactive map. Users can search for specific places or browse to see what is nearby with the accessibility features they need. If information is not already on their map, users can add it themselves and contribute to AccessNow's worldwide community. Source: cjnews.com/news/canada/entrepreneur-heads-israel-share-accessibility-app, accessnow.me/about/, news.microsoft.com/en-ca/2018/12/03/creating-a-more-accessible-world-qa-with-maayan-ziv-founder-and-ceo-accessnow/

Active Hands – Gripping Aides To Help You Be Active

When Rob Smith was 20 years old he fell down a cliff and suffered a high-level spinal cord injury which left him with partial paralysis in all four limbs. His injury was an incomplete injury (the spinal cord was not completely severed) so he is able to stand and to walk very short distances using crutches – he also uses a wheelchair for many day-to-day activities.

Rob began to realize that it was actually the frustration of having very poor function and strength in his hands that restricted his life much more. Hand gripping activities that were easy before his injury were now impossible for him to do. He could not find anything that enabled him to overcome his grip problems.

So Rob decided to come up with his own solution. He began to design gripping aids to enable him to be independent again. He worked with his mother who used her sewing machine to create some working models of his inventions. After a number of prototypes and testing they came up with the basic designs which have developed into the core of the Active Hands Gripping aids they sell today.

His gripping aids can be used for gripping objects in the gym; outdoors, such as for kayaking or biking; in the house (for cleaning and doing DIY); in the garden and kitchen; and for activities such as snooker or holding game controllers. Source: activehands.com/history/

ParrotOne - One Click That Changes Everything For People With Disabilities

Piotr Lewandowski has CMT a neuropathic disorder that makes his muscles weak – so he can only type with two fingers – one on each hand and it also requires him to use a wheelchair.

He was frustrated that it was so hard for him to type and communicate using a standard keyboard- so he created a new startup company called ParrotOne. ParrotOne is designing and developing a mobile multi-messaging app and a physical, smart-touch keyboard that uses Artificial Intelligence to make typing on any device easier for users with weak hands and fingers. Piotr's goal is to make life easier for anyone who has a disability and help them communicate and work via the Internet. Full disclosure – I am the proud owner of an official Parrotone key ring/thumb drive. Source: parrotone.com

Acqua Running – The Secret Weapon For Rehab And Training

After taking a physical to join an elite Army unit, doctors told Terry Nelson that he had a blood disorder that would quickly lead to kidney failure. His brother Dennis stepped in and donated one of his kidneys.

Terry vowed to repay his brother by competing in the World Transplant Games in his brother's honor. His bad luck continued and only a few weeks before the competition – he broke a bone in his foot and was told it wouldn't heal in time for the race.

Refusing to give up, he trained using flotation devices in the pool to speed up his recovery. It worked – and Nelson went on to win gold in the 5,000 meter run.

However, his body began rejecting the transplant and through all kinds of complications he lost his right leg, his hearing and was fitted with a pacemaker.

He was told not to exercise but Nelson said that sitting around only made him feel worse. He began going to the pool daily and running in water for 20 minutes. It helped him physically and mentally.

This thinking lead him to invent what the Real Madrid Football (soccer) team has called their "secret weapon," – a buoyancy suit. The suit is used primarily to help injured players train in water, enabling them to build their fitness when they are unable to run normally. It is also used in rehabilitation for people with disabilities – making the rehab exercises easier and more effective.

Word spread quickly about the super suit and in a few short years, they were on the must-have list for international athletes.

Nelson founded a new company based on his invention – Aqua Running. Acqua Running is very successful and growing worldwide – clients and users of his suit include some of the world's best and most famous athletes, Army Veterans – as well as people with disabilities whose rehab is now much more effective and who can now exercise more freely. Source: thestar.com/sports/soccer/2017/12/02/terry-nelson-the-man-behind-real-madrids-secret-weapon.html, aquarunning.co.uk/

Toy Like Me – Positive Representations Of Disabilities In Toys

Rebecca Atkinson grew up wearing hearing aids. She knows first-hand how it felt to be a child who never saw themselves represented by the mainstream and what that can do to a child's self esteem. She believes that being excluded in the toy box teaches all children that it is OK to exclude in real life. She wanted to change this for generations to come by getting global brands like Lego, Mattel and Playmobil to include positive representations of disability in their products.

She created ToyLikeMe to call on the global toy industry to start positively representing 150 million children worldwide and end cultural marginalization.

Rebecca began making over toys to give them disabilities and create a new more celebratory and fun aesthetic by giving fairies guide dogs and wizards wheelchairs.

They gave some Playmobil figures some waggy-tailed guide dogs and whizzy wheelchairs and started a petition asking Playmobil to produce the figures for real. Over fifty thousand people signed and Playmobil said yes. Then Playmobil began developing products inspired by ToyLikeMe.

In January 2016 Lego unveiled their first ever wheelchair-using mini-figure at Nuremberg Toy Fair. The UK press attributed ToyLikeMe's influence to this product.

The company's next achievement was when they gave a batch of Tinkerbell dolls some hot pink cochlear implants and took some snaps. These images were shared thousands of times and the story was covered by global press.

ToyLikeMe currently has followers in over 45 countries and every week more and more people join their 'toy box revolution'.

Rebecca has an amazing quote: **"For children without a disability, seeing a brand like Lego celebrate human difference helps to create a more positive attitude when they meet someone with an impairment in real life."** Source: toylikeme.org/about-us/our-story/

Fulvio Marotto – Customizing Prosthesis To Lifestyle

Fulvio Marotto has the distinct honor of being the world's first quadruple amputee to hold a driver's license. He was a champion motocross rider and all-round athlete. Ten years ago, in his mid 30′s, a rare blood disorder resulted in doctors amputating both of his hands and his legs below his knees to save his life. Throughout his one-year hospital stay, through seven comas and three calls to the priest, he was focused on getting back to his life before his illness—on being able to ride his motorcycle again.

He refused the prosthetics the doctors recommended and set out to design his own. He needed devices that would allow him to return to the same lifestyle he enjoyed before his illness. There were no shortage of challenges, not the least of which were convincing friends and family that he was going to return to a normal lifestyle.

The first step was designing new legs, because that gave him mobility and independence. They needed to be comfortable, durable and functional. Having legs allowed him to then work on devices that would enable him to ride his motorcycle. Next came the hand controls. He devised a method to work the brakes with his right hand and shift with his left. These designs are transportable so that within ten minutes, he can transform any bike into one that's street legal for him to ride.

Fulvio continues to work full time as a mechanic, working on his inventions in his spare time. His concept of customizing prosthesis to lifestyle is innovative. And there are other benefits to his designs, such as the gearing he designed so he could operate the motorcycle. It increases available power and is catching the attention of racers. His ideas have made such a difference for him in allowing to do almost everything he could do before his illness, including downhill skiing and swimming. Source: fulviomarotto.com/

PUFFIN – Making Smart Assistive Technology

Born with Cerebral Palsy, Adriana Mallozzi experienced the life-changing possibilities of technology early in her life. She loves to travel, but typically cannot bring her power chair along with her. As a result she is cut off from everything and is dependent on personal electronics and the need to always stay connected.

Her experiences led her to conceptualize a game-changing new concept for assistive technology. She created a new company – Puffin Innovations that has a new take on puff-and-sip technology that could drastically improve everyday access for people living with physical disabilities. Called the Puffin – the technology is an enabling technology that is an innovative input device for people with disabilities.

The Puffin is unique because it is user-centric – it learns from each user's input, adapts to each user's specific preferences and habits. and requires just one device to access multiple other pieces of technology.

Puffin Innovation's goal is complete accessibility; that includes a new puff-and-sip design that's both portable and affordable. Source: puffininno.com/, ifundwomen.com/projects/puffin, blog.helphopelive.org/2017/09/07/puffin/

Ralph Braun The Father of the Mobility Movement

Ralph Braun (1940-2013) was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy as a young boy in 1947. Doctors told his parents he'd never be independent, but both Ralph and his parents were determined to prove them wrong. In the next few years, Ralph lost his ability to walk. At a young age, he set his mind to engineering the first battery-powered scooter. From there he designed the world's first wheelchair lift, installed in an old postal Jeep and complete with hand controls. Necessity is the mother of invention, and Ralph's physical limitations only served to fuel his determination to live independently and prove to society that people with physical disabilities can participate fully and actively in life.

What started as a personal drive to keep independent evolved into BraunAbility, the leading manufacturer of mobility products across the globe. Ralph passed away in 2013 at the age of 72, but not before he launched the mobility movement.

Ralph never let being disabled stand in his way. As he says: "I just had to walk the extra mile, or roll the extra mile in my case." _Source: braunability.com/commercial/ralph-braun.html_

Pretty Sick Supply – Fabulous Gear For People With Chronic Illnesses

After she went from taking zero medication to taking all kinds of medication in all kinds of sizes – all SarahCate wanted was a cute pill organizer to fit in her purse. She searched online, read all kinds of reviews, looked for images to see if it could fit in her purse but she just could not find what she needed.

She discussed this with her friend Kris and they decided to follow SaraCate's dream to build their own store - and with that PrettySick Supply Co. was born. SarahCate and Kris both live with multiple disabilities and chronic illnesses so their main focus is to help make it easier for people to find medical gear that doesn't look medical. Since launching their site in July of 2017, they've added more than 300 shops in 18 categories and have reached individuals in 59 countries across the world.

Now, Pretty Sick Supply is more than a single store — it's a shopping directory for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Most are small, Etsy-based shops offering unique items like colorful canes, wheelchair and walker cushion covers and pill organizers. Their motto is: "Just because your problems are chronic, doesn't mean your gear can't be fabulous!" Source: prettysicksupply.com

Bdelight – Using Your Head To Make Super Cool Jewelry

Ashley Hughes is a quadriplegic who makes really cool jewelry using only her her head pointer. She was paralyzed from the neck down her whole life, after suffering from a spinal cord injury during birth. Needing something to occupy her time while off from school she bought some materials from the local craft store and experimented with making her own bracelets. She has been using her head pointer – a long wooden stick attached to a band around her head -- to perform daily tasks that most people use their hands for and has been making the bracelets with it for the past several years.

She starts by using her head pointer to place the beads on the tray and rearrange them until she find a pattern that works. Then she puts each bead on the string one by one. Once all the beads are on – her aunt ties the knot to complete the bracelet.

Ashley's products have become so popular that she is busier making jewelry than she ever imagined. She has done special green bracelets for St. Patrick's Day – her lime green bracelets symbolize spinal cord injuries. She donates those proceeds to help fund medical research. Source: bdelightjewelry.com/about

John's Crazy Socks – Spreading Happiness With Socks

John's Crazy Socks is a father-son venture inspired by co-founder John Lee Cronin, a young man with Down syndrome. John's affinity for crazy socks paired with his love of making people smile made the company's mission clear: They want to spread happiness.

The company has a social mission and a retail mission, and they are indivisible. They want to show what is possible when you give someone a chance. Every day, they demonstrate what people with intellectual disabilities can do. And they believe in giving back: they donate 5 percent of their earnings to the Special Olympics as they've played a vital role in John's development. They also create socks with specific "awareness" themes, such as their Autism Awareness Socks and Down Syndrome Awareness Socks.

According to Inc. magazine - During 2017, John's Crazy Socks pulled in $1.75 million in gross sales, representing 42,710 separate orders. The online store sells 1,500 different kinds of socks, giving shoppers a lot of options from which to choose from. _Source: johnscrazysocks.com/pages/our-story_

MightyWell – Friends In The Fight

Emily Levy created her company Mighty Well® out of her own necessity. During her sophomore year of college, she was diagnosed with Chronic Neurological Lyme Disease. When she had her first PICC line put in, she was told to protect it by wearing a cut-off sock, sleeve-like, on her arm. Her reaction was - "I'm sorry...what? A sock? On my arm? In public? Like...on dates? A SOCK?!"

She wondered how she was ever going to fit into the carefree, collegiate lifestyle she had imagined for myself.

As soon as she had the sock on her arm, she saw the irony: Intended to protect and conceal this critical piece of my treatment, instead it fixated on her illness and disregarded what was left of her wellness. It silently urged her to define herself as sick, and tempted her to hide instead of getting out there and doing the things that make a life. Like flirting with that adorable hockey player!

Emily became obsessed with finding a solution that looked and felt fabulous and wouldn't affect her lifestyle.

That is how her product - the PICCPerfect® PICC line protector was born. Emily quickly realized that she and her company could improve so many more lives by creating additional products designed around the same set of values.

That is how her company Mighty Well® was born. Mighty Well® is a growing line of medical accessories that put strength, confidence, and mobility back into the toolkit for spoonies and anyone else coping with a health setback.

Emily says it all with this quote: **"Nothing powers physical healing like feeling like you, so get out there and do your thing. You are not a diagnosis — you're Mighty Well®!"** Source: mighty-well.com

Louder Jewelry – Jewelry That Can Help People Speak Up – Get A Little Louder

Nancy Thompson dreamed of creating her very own business but she had some really big doubts about whether it was possible. Growing up hard of hearing – made her question her own abilities and she went into a lot of situations expecting to fail.

Thompson decided to find a solution for a problem that has bothered her all her life – how to explain to people that she had an Invisible Disability – that she was hard of hearing.

Growing up, her mother used to joke with her that she should wear a sign. So that is what Nancy decided to do – create signs for people who were hard of hearing – but in the form of highly attractive jewelry.

The businesses she always wanted was born and she named it Louder Jewelry.

She now provides chic visual communication cues that seek to facilitate inclusion, respect, and kindness.

When customers buy a piece of her jewelry they also get to choose a charity that a portion of profits will be donated to. This serves a dual purpose – it happens Nancy give back and it is a way for her customers to make their voices heard in the world.

An announcement on its website says Louder Jewelry is closing forever February 18, 2019. The store may be closing but Nancy is still a motivating force for people with invisible disabilities. Source: louderjewelry.com/about, www.forbes.com

Raul Krauthauser – Making The World More Inclusive Via Social Action

Raul Krauthauser has osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease, and uses a wheelchair. Raul is a marketing specialist dedicated to solving social problems, and making solving social problems fun. As a child, he lived in both Germany and Colombia, where he witnessed many stark economic divides. With his own genetic bone disorder confining him to a wheelchair, he experienced the social divides facing people with disabilities.

Based on his own experience where it was hard for him to find accessible places, Raul created Wheelmap. Wheelmap is an app that promotes the inclusion and awareness of urban wheelchair users through a crowd sourced online map of wheelchair-friendly places around the world. Because wheelmap allows for easy identification of wheelchair accessible places within a category in a given geography, the community and its data place pressure on owners to improve the inclusiveness of their facilities.

Raul has also developed a printable 3D mini-ramp which can be used to overcome sidewalk curbs in a wheelchair. He and his cousin Together with his cousin he founded the nonprofit organisation Sozialhelden in 2004. The organization develops projects which address social issues and offer practical solutions in a spirit of diversity and inclusion. Source: www.ashoka.org/en-IL/fellow/raul-krauthausen

Be My Eyes – Making The World More Accessible For Blind And Low Vision People

The Be My Eyes story started in Denmark in 2012 with Hans Jørgen Wiberg, a Danish furniture craftsman, who is visually impaired himself. Through his work at 'The Danish Association of the Blind', he recognized that blind or low-vision people often needed a little assistance to solve everyday tasks. However, it wasn't until a blind friend told him that he used video calls to connect with family and friends, who could help him with these tasks, that Hans Jørgen got the idea for Be My Eyes. He believed that the technology of video calls could be used to visually assist blind or low-vision individuals, without them having to rely on friends and family, but using a network of volunteers.

In April 2012, Hans Jørgen presented his idea at a Danish startup event, where he got connected with a team that was ready to make Be My Eyes a reality. On January 15th 2015, the Be My Eyes app was released.

The app connects blind and low-vision individuals with sighted volunteers and companies from all over the world through a live video call. Since it was launched in January 2015, more than 1,800,000 volunteers have signed up to assist blind and low-vision users.

Be My Eyes users can request assistance in over 180 languages making the app the biggest online community for blind and low-vision people as well as one of the largest micro-volunteering platforms in the world! Every day, volunteers sign onto Be My Eyes to lend their sight to blind and low-vision individuals to tackle challenges and solve problems together.

In December 2017 Be My Eyes was chosen as Google Play Best Apps of 2017 in the categories; "Most Innovative", "Best Daily Helper" and "Best Hidden Gem", and in May 2018 Be My Eyes won the Google Play Award 2018 for "Best Accessibility Award". _Source: bemyeyes.com/about_

Full disclosure – I am unbelievably proud to be one of Be My Eyes' volunteers and I hope you become one too!

Sadie McCallum – Inventor Of The Amazing Curb Climber

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to my very favorite inventor. Her name is Sadie McCallum and she is 11 years old. She has Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy. She loves reading and wants to be an author or librarian when she grows up.

Because she loves books – she also loves the library. Because she has Cerebral Palsy it is hard for her to get around. She uses a walker.

A lot of places where she lives are not very accessible. The ramps are too far away from the parking lots and from the entrances to the buildings – including the one building she loves more than any other – the Library.

Sadie always said that it would be much easier if her walker was more like an all-terrain vehicle and go over curbs or stairs.

When she was 7 years old and in 1st grade, she had a double hip osteotomy to help her walk better. She spent a week at Boston Children's Hospital and four weeks not bearing weight and even more time going to physical therapy.

She had a lot of time to think and that was when the idea for her invention – The Amazing Curb Climber was born.

When she was in the 3rd grade Sadie decided to enter her school's Invention Convention, which is like a science fair for inventors with the Amazing Curb Climber as her project. It became a project for her whole family.

To build the Curb Climber they used two of her old walkers — one for demonstrating and one for creating the wheel base. They used plastic (for the wheel base) and lawn mower wheels to make the Curb Climber and borrowed her brother's skateboard curb to show how the invention worked.

Her dad did the drilling and sawing for the wheel assembly, and he helped build and move a portable curb (for testing the Curb Climber).Her mom helped by editing Sadie's Inventor's Journal and project board for the Invention Convention. Her sister Claire helped with the assembly and demonstrated the model.

Sadie designed, helped to build, test and demonstrate the final invention.

The Amazing Curb Climber won first place for "Best Use of a Wheel" second place for "Kids' Choice." Sadie and her team went to the regional Invention Convention and won first place for "Special Needs Award" and another first place for "Microsoft Technology Award."

Sadie still wants to be a writer but she is working on a list of of ideas for people who are disabled. She is planning on participating in her schools next Invention Convention. Source: thriving.childrenshospital.org/cerebral-palsy-innovator, facebook.com/sadieiship/

NV Access Every Blind + Vision Impaired Person Deserves The Right To Freely Access A Computer

Michael Curran and James Teh met as children at a music camp for the blind, where they realized they shared a strong interest in computers. Several years later they decided to join forces to help improve the accessibility of computers for blind and vision impaired people.

For blind people to use a computer, they need a screen reader which reads the text on the screen in a synthetic voice or with a braille display. But in many cases screen reading software costs more than the computer itself. In the past this has left computers inaccessible to millions of blind people around the world. This is a critical problem, because without computers, access to education and employment is severely limited, not to mention everyday functions such as online banking, shopping and news.

In April 2006 Michael began to develop a free screen reader called NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) for use with computers running on Windows. He invited James, who had recently completed his IT degree, to develop the software with him.

Together they founded the not-for-profit organization NV Access to support the development of the NVDA screen reader. Before too long they were able to work full-time on the project thanks to a series of corporate grants and individual donations.

NVDA has been translated by volunteers into more than 43 languages, and been used by people in more than 120 countries. It has also won multiple awards. NVDA is open source software, which means the code is accessible to anyone. This enables translators and developers around the world to continually contribute to its expansion and improvement. Source: nvaccess.org/

Inventors Who Came Up With Solutions To Love Ones' Needs

Now, as your journey continues – please allow me to introduce you to some really cool inventors who came up with solutions to their LOVED ONES' needs.

Ablegamers – So Everyone Can Game

In 2004, Mark Barlet founded AbleGamers after Multiple Sclerosis attacked his best friend, Stephanie Walker, nearly taking away her ability to interact and connect through video games. His vision was to ensure that no one with a disability would ever be without answers on how to conquer disabilities and continue enjoying one of the world's largest past times – gaming.

Ablegamers fulfills his mission. It is setup as a 501(c)(3) Charity and it is improving the lives of gamers with disabilities utilizing the power of video games. It gives people with disabilities custom gaming setups including mouth controllers, eye gaze modified controllers and special assistive technology that let them play with their eyes, so they can have fun with their friends and family.

Ablegamers is truly a game changer! You will meet ablegamers a few more times during your journey. Source: ablegamers.org/mark-barlet/

Alinker – A Socially Inclusive Solution Providing A New Way To Move

The Alinker story started with a comment by the aging mother of Alinker's founder. The mother Antonia Esman while passing some elderly people with walkers and scooters told her daughter Barbara Alink - "over my dead body will I ever use one of those!".

Barbara set out to design something better for her mother but soon realized what was truly needed was a vehicle for social change, challenging assumptions about people with mobility challenges.

So Barbara invented the Alinker - a three-wheeled walking bike designed to help people stay active, do what they love, and live life to the fullest.

The Alinker is designed to be so cool that it overcomes the uneasiness towards disabilities that is felt by mainstream society. Source: thealinker.com/

Upsee – An Upright Mobility Device Designed For Kids With Disabilities

When Debby Elnatan's son Rotem was two years old, doctors told her that he had no conscious awareness of his legs. Rotem was born with Cerebral Palsy, a permanent movement disorder that affects motor skills, muscle tone, and posture. He spent much of the day seated, but Debby wanted more for her son – specifically, she wanted him up and moving. So, she would walk and stand with him, guiding his arms and legs with hers. Constantly having to stoop and kneel with her son proved to be physically strenuous and unnecessarily stressful for Debby.

This experience inspired her to think outside of the box for a solution. Debby knew that she wanted to help Rotem walk but had to figure out a more efficient way. That's when she invented the Upsee. It's an ingenious mobility device that effortlessly assists movement. An adult wears the Upsee around their waist as the child wears a harness, and both parties share sandals that allow the grownup to guide the feet of the little one.

The Upsee is incredibly popular and is helping parents and children worldwide walk, move and have fun together.

You will come across Debbie in your journey when we get to demos because her demo for the Upsee was very creative and cost effective. Source: mymodernmet.com/debby-elnatan-upsee-harness/

Handiscover - Enabling People With Limited Mobility To Discover The World

Handiscover's founder Sebastien has a son with a muscle disease. When traveling the world, Sebastien and his family realized how challenging it was for them to find accommodations adapted to their needs. They got very frustrated about the lack of purposeful information about accessibility of both vacation rentals and/or rooms for hotels. So, Sebastien started Handiscover - a booking website with a focus on accessibility. The company has since evolved into a full fledged two-sided marketplace, enabling consumers to search for and book travel accommodation based on various accessibility needs.

Handiscover currently lists 28,000 properties and rooms, and covers 83 countries. It raised $700,000 in new funding in August 2018. Source: techcrunch.com/2018/08/08/handiscover/

The Mighty - A Media Company That Helps People

More than 5 years ago, Mike Porath and his wife had a truly awful day. First they learned that their yet unborn baby was short one organ and maybe more. Then they learned that their 2-year-old daughter had a rare chromosome disorder, Dup15q syndrome, and as the doctor put it, her mind probably wouldn't develop beyond that of a small child.

Lying in bed that night they were shaken and lost. This was not the life or family they had planned. Mike then told his wife that they were going to do something good with this – he did not know what – yet.

As time progressed the greatest lesson that they learned is that the challenges you face truly can become your greatest opportunities. This is the catalyst for creating The Mighty.

The Mighty is a digital health media platform and community created to empower and connect people facing health challenges and disabilities. The Mighty enables its readers and subscribers to "face disability, disease and mental illness together." Source: themighty.com

Medisafe – Never Forget To Take Your Meds

Brothers Omri and Rotem Shor faced a family health emergency. Due to a miscommunication about his medication schedule, their father, a diabetic, accidentally took an extra dose of insulin. It was a mistake which put his life in grave danger.

The brothers soon discovered that his experience was very common and that mistakes in medication management have created a global health crisis in need of a solution. They decided to create that solution.

Combining their entrepreneurial skills, the brothers created Medisafe to help patients like their father manage complex prescription schedules, and to provide information and promote collaboration throughout the healthcare industry.

Medisafe has grown from a small startup to a large insights company with 4.5 million registered users worldwide, 180,000 app store reviews with an average 4.7/5 star rating, and over 1 billion doses managed through its platform. Source: medisafe.com

Accessiblego – Helping People Find Accessible Places Is In Their DNA

AccessibleGO was inspired by Emma Eljas, the mother of its cofounder Miriam Eljas Goldman. Emma was a wheelchair user with multiple sclerosis. She loved to travel with her family in their wheelchair-lift van. Some of the venues were accessible – many were not. Even calling in advance didn't solve the problems.

When Miriam was a teenager she and her mother went to a local movie theater. Over the phone, they were told the theater was completely accessible. When they go there they saw that there were lots of steps to enter the actual theater from the lobby. Miriam asked the manager how employees could give such incorrect information. The manager took a flimsy, cracked ramp made of fractured plywood out of a broom closet and proudly declared the theater accessible. Knowing full well there was no way Emma's wheelchair plus body weight would make it over the 'ramp', Miriam and her mother left the theater, disappointed and frustrated.

This firsthand exposure to accessibility issues was the impetus for Miriam to create accessiblego. AccessibleGO is a full-service accessible travel platform providing search, reviews, and bookings of accessible hotels, cruises, transport and destinations worldwide. Source: accessiblego.com/

Ruh Global Communications – A Path To Empowerment And Success For People With Disabilities

When told by 'experts' that her daughter, Sara, who was born with Down's Syndrome, would be lucky to push shopping carts at the local grocery store, Debra refused to accept this and her daughter became the impetus that made Debra the go to strategist for inclusion by Corporations and Governments. Debra became a Global Keynote Speaker and was honored to be invited to Address the United Nations General Assembly. Debra's unshakable faith in the power of human potential and her love for her daughter led her to create Ruh Global Communications. Now, she works with leading companies and brands teaching them that employing people with disabilities gives them a competitive advantage. Source: ruhglobal.com/

Esight – Everyone Deserves To See

Esight was founded by Conrad Lewis, a Canadian electrical engineer with two legally blind sisters. His motivation was to build a device that would enable his sisters to see, be able to work and independently perform virtually all activities of daily living.

eSight has developed sight-enhancing, clinically validated electronic glasses for the visually impaired. eSight can be used for reading, traveling safely, seeing the faces of loved ones in full detail, and engaging in various activities with greater independence. eSight uses a high-definition camera to capture everything you look at. A powerful algorithm processes the video and displays it onto near-to-eye screens with no perceptible delay. eSight can be used in place of other low vision tools, such as CCTVs, digital magnifiers, screen-reading technology and more. eSight can be customized with prescription lenses built right into the eyewear. It is mobile, hands free, and suitable for near, far, and mid-range tasks.

Esight's core belief is that Everyone Deserves To See. They have made a global commitment to Make Blindness History by 2020. Source: esighteyewear.com

E-nable – Giving The World A Helping Hand

In 2011, Ivan Owen created a metal, functional puppet hand for a Steampunk costume. After posting a video of the hand on YouTube, he was contacted by South African carpenter Richard Van As who had lost his fingers in a woodworking accident. Owen and Richard worked through various prototypes and designs via skype and email, using objects they could both find around their homes and respective countries.

This ultimately led to a mother of a 5-year-old boy contacting them to see about the creation of a tiny version of this hand for her little boy Liam who lives in South Africa who was born with no fingers on his right hand.

Ivan taught himself how to use 3D printer design software and contacted a 3D printer company that donated two 3D printers so they could work on creating a stronger and more functional design for him. Together, they created the first 3D printed mechanical hand.

Ivan decided to publish the design files as open-source and public domain, so that not only could Liam have a hand, but so that people could download and print these devices for anyone that needed one – anywhere in the world.

In July of 2013, Jon Schull, a professor at RIT, started a Google+ group and created a map for makers to share their locations so that people who were seeking a hand could find the closest volunteer. He invited people to join him and put themselves on the map.

This is how the e-NABLE Community was born. The e-NABLE Community is an amazing group of individuals from all over the world who are using their 3D printers to create free 3D printed hands and arms for those in need of an upper limb assistive device.

During that first year – the e-NABLE community grew from 100 members to over 3000. They created over 750 hands for people around the world. Within another year – they have more than doubled to nearly 7000 members and approximately 2000 devices created and gifted to individuals in over 45 countries.

All of these 3D printed hands and arms were free to the end user thanks to the incredible volunteers in the e-nable community. Source: enablingthefuture.org/

iMerciv - Empowering People With Vision Loss To Move Freely and Safely

Vision Loss is an important and growing issue to iMerciv co-founders, Arjun Mali and Bin Liu. Bin's father is currently living with inoperable glaucoma and Bin and Arjun want to provide him and everyone like him with a functional and effective solution. Blindness is also something very dear to Arjun as his family has supported a blind school and orphanage in India for decades.

Arjun and Bin decided to create solutions that would greatly improve day-to-day life for someone who is blind, deaf-blind or partially sighted. Their first solution is called the BuzzClip. It is a small and discreet wearable. The device uses ultrasound to detect obstacles that may lie directly in one's path. It then notifies the user of these obstacles through intuitive vibrations, allowing the user to safely navigate around any objects that they may encounter. The BuzzClip offers essential head level obstacle detection and can be attached to many forms of clothing, making it a highly versatile and useful device.

The company's goal is to make a long lasting impact to communities living with blindness or significant loss of vision and empower them through new disruptive technology to lead a more confident and independent life. Source: imerciv.com

Fun and function – Kid Friendly Sensory Toys And Tools

Husband and wife Haskel and Aviva Weiss started Fun and Function because they couldn't find kid-friendly sensory tools that would fit their family's needs. They channeled their frustration and turned it into a passion for creating truly needed sensory toys and tools.

Fun and function is passionate about designing products that help kids feel good and achieve their best. The company's focus is to create fun, engaging, creative and cool products that help unlock the potential in every kid. Source: funandfunction.com

AbleThrive - Ensuring People With Disabilities Can Thrive

Brittany Dejean's dad was paralyzed in a car accident when she was 12 years old and after seeing that while it is possible to live well with a disability – it was not the norm. So, she dedicated her life to making life better for people with disabilities and their families.

To do so, she created AbleThrive – a one-stop platform featuring curated resources for living well with a disability. Resources are curated from blogs, organizations, hospitals and companies around the world, organized and delivered to their users based on their specific needs. AbleThrive makes it easier for people with disabilities to find what they need to live life to the fullest. Source: ablethrive.com

LoganTech – Making A Difference One Milestone At A Time

LoganTech was founded in 2004 by parents who struggled to find an acceptable AT solution for their son Logan, who has autism and is nonverbal. Logan's father, Glen Dobbs, used his engineering background fueled by the desire to better communicate with his son to create the Logan® ProxTalker® . This product is a stepping stone from silent symbol systems like PECS into more advanced AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) technologies.

The company now has a full product line of AAC products including a line of Braille products. Source: logantech.com

Ambionics - The Strength Of Love, The Power Of Human Ingenuity

When Ben Ryan was told his 10-day-old baby Sol would had to have an arm amputated – he immediately determined that no obstacle would stand in the way of his child living a full and active life.

Ben set out on the road to becoming a self-taught design engineer. He became obsessed with the development of an idea he had for prosthetics that was inspired by nature. Spiders use fluid pressure to make their limbs move. Ben believed the same principles could be applied to the movement of prosthetics for human beings. In 2016 he set up a company called Ambionics with a clear goal: to turn his ideas into working reality.

Ambionics has since gone from strength to strength. Using knowledge from his own training as a neuro-psychology lecturer, and collaborating with engineers, bio-technologists and specialist designers, Ben has led Ambionics to develop major advances in prosthetics technology.

In just two years of the company's existence, Ben has proudly accepted two national (USA and UK) and seven international awards for technology and innovation achievement.

Ben continues to challenge current practice around the technologies and the treatment timings applied to babies and toddlers who are missing a hand. He is striving for greater functionality, much improved outcomes and better lives.

Ambionics is still pre-review and is relying on corporate sponsorships, donations from the public and Ben's paid public speaking engagements to fund itself. Source: ambionics.co.uk

Magic Wheelchair - Putting A Smile On The Face Of Every Kid In A Wheelchair

Magic Wheelchair was created following a simple question its founder Ryan "The Dude" Weimer asked his young son Keaton who has SMA - "Hey, pal. What do you want to be for Halloween?" Keaton answered very quickly that he wanted to be a pirate.

A couple days later Ryan had a "Eureka Moment" and realized that his son was in a wheelchair and every pirate needs a ship – so let's build one around his chair!

Ryan did not know how but he also does not believe that there are any goals, dreams, or aspirations in life that can't be achieved. In the end he we came out with a pretty awesome pirate ship for Keaton to sail around in for Halloween.

Keaton loved it! He even made the front page of the newspaper!

So that's how this all started. Now every year Ryan creates an amazing Magic Wheel Chair Costume for Keaton – despite the fact that it can frustrating, discouraging, occasionally painful, and expensive.

Ryan turned his "Eureka Moment" into a a non-profit organization called Magic Wheelchair that with the help of makers, volunteers and donations builds epic costumes for kiddos in wheelchairs — at no cost to families. All they have to do is apply for one via Magic Wheelchair's website.

Magic Wheelchair's vision is to put a smile on the face of every child in a wheelchair by transforming their wheelchairs into awesomeness created by Magic Wheelchair's makers, volunteers and donors and the kids' imaginations. When they see the magic wheelchairs, people are amazed and it is a great opportunity to spread awareness about SMA and Muscular Dystrophy. Source: magicwheelchair.org/

Conclusion – It Can Be Done – And You Are THE One To Do It!!!

I want to conclude this section with a quote about Marten Devlieger – the very first inventor I talked about in this section.

"It's quite impressive to see somebody who is living with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) take matters into his own hands and develop something that not only helps himself, but others like him and others to come,",

Ken Chan, vice-president Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Canada

Now it is your turn to be the next Marten or the next anyone you just read about. Onward to the next chapter where Euphoria awaits you!

**********

CHAPTER 3 – A Training Regimen For You That Will Be Euphoric

Your Turn To Shine

Your brain now knows that you can make the world accessible and make some money too. No delay, no procrastination and no putting things off will stop you. So - Let's go!

Getting To Your Eureka Moment

The first step is for you to get to a Eureka Moment. A Eureka Moment is a moment of sudden, triumphant discovery or insight. You Eureka Moment will be when suddenly it hits you – you just came up with an amazing idea that will help you and others like you have a better life.

But getting to a Eureka Moment takes TRAINING.

The training involves you focusing on finding unmet needs. That is the key. And guess what? People facing health challenges or disabilities are super qualified to find unmet needs. So are caregivers for a loved one who is facing a disability or health challenge.

Why – because Necessity is the mother of invention and as you go about your daily routine – you constantly face challenges and situations where solutions are needed.

You encounter unmet needs every single day. You just don't know that you are encountering them – but you will – because this section of the book will train you to do so.

Your Training Regimen

Starting now, you will train yourself to spot and notice needs as you go about your daily routine. This training will lead to your Eureka Moment. The next section will show you how to train yourself and your subconscious to notice needs and make noticing them a habit and a major part of your daily life.

Caregivers Please Go To Appendix I

To prevent confusion and to keep things moving – I have placed the training for caregivers in a separate section that can be found in Appendix I. So Caregivers – please go to the Appendix for your training and then we will all meet again in Chapter 4. Depending on what e-reader you are using – you can just click on Appendix I above or in the table of contents to get there.

These training exercises are really important. So, if at anytime you do not understand a training exercise or have any questions – please use the help center https://accessiblediy.com or email me – mikohelps@gmail.com. Never forget that I am here to help you and guide you on your journey.

OK – let's get back to the training exercises. For all of them - just try to do them as best as possible depending on your own personal situation.

Write Down, Record, Take Notes Of Problems, Frustrations, Challenges

The first thing you need to do is get a small notebook or you can use your phone, a tablet, a digital recorder - any recording or note taking device you typically use – depending on your health challenge or disability. The act of writing down or recording etc. will help in training you to spot or notice needs as you go about your daily and nightly routines. Eventually your training will turn into a habit and you will start to notice more and more needs – naturally.

From the moment you wake up – until the time you go to sleep - write down or record, etc. the problems, frustrations and challenges you experience on a daily basis. Use these as your guide:

\- You wanted or needed something that wasn't there.

\- A device or product you used was too complicated.

\- A device or product was too cumbersome or bulky.

\- You wished you had X to help you.

\- You needed help with something but if you had X you would not need that help.

\- What are some of the things you use in your daily life that seem to be outdated or that really haven't changed or been updated in a long time?

Notice Things As Part Of Your Activities Of Daily Living

Now - let's get more specific and focus on noticing things as part of your activities of daily living. These are just some examples to get you started and focused and are not disability specific – so depending on your disability - some items may not be relevant to you.

**Bathing and showering** \- What would have made it easier? Could there be a better way for you to bathe, shower, wash up etc. If you cannot take a bath or shower what could be done so you could? If you needed help - what could be done, changed, added, subtracted so you would not need help?

**Grooming** \- what was hard about brushing, combing or styling your hair? Could the brush or comb be changed to make the process easier, faster, or better? What about the shampoo or soap - was it easy to use, pour, open, close, etc

**Brushing your teeth** \- can you hold the toothbrush in your hand or could the brush be shaped in a different way? What about putting the paste on the brush - easy, hard, is there a different way to do it that would make the process easier or better? If you needed help - what could be done, changed, added, subtracted so you do you would not need help?

**Dressing** \- do conventional clothes fit you properly? If not - why and how can you change them so they will fit you better. What about buttons, zippers, clasps - can you manipulate them? How could you change them so they work better for you?

**Eating** \- does conventional silverware, glassware and/or flatware make sense to you? Could they be changed in a way that would make it easier for you to eat and drink?

**Toileting** \- does a conventional toilet make sense for you? What could be changed to make the process less intrusive or cumbersome? What would be the ultimate toileting experience for you? If you need help - what could be done to the toilet so you do not need help anymore? What about the toilet paper or wipes? Do they make sense for your situation or is there a better way?

**Public Transportation** – Trains, Buses, Taxis, Uber, Lyft - if you take public transportation or taxis including Uber Or Lyft - what happened that frustrated or annoyed you? Getting on and off? Seating, buying a ticket, transferring to another bus or train, space issues. If you needed help - what could be done so you would not need help? What was missing from the bus, train, taxi or plane that would have made your life so much better?

**Cars and Driving** – If you can drive can you use GPS, Waze, and other apps in your car? Are the apps accessible? Do street signs make sense, can you see them clearly? Could they be shaped differently or made larger, smaller, different colors. Are there better ways for you to get in and out? Are there better ways for you to transfer from your wheelchair or store your wheelchair?

There Is Always A Better Way

OK. You get where I am coming from. As you live your life each day - you need to look beyond standard practice and the "accepted", typical way of doing things. You need to question everything and accept nothing. Remember the people who designed and built the things you interact with probably did not have any type of disability and never thought about people like us who do.

In the meantime – keep going through the above thought processes - have fun and enjoy the journey.

Special Creativity Training

So far your training regimen dealt with learning how and what to notice as you go about your everyday lives. Now, let's supplement your regimen by incorporating some very cool creativity exercises. This will help your conscious and subconscious come up with needs that are truly viable – and get you to your Eureka Moment faster and more effectively.

Like the other training exercises – just do the best you can. Remember if you have any questions use the help center https://accessiblediy.com or email me mikohelps@gmail.com.

Remember to continue to write down or record etc your responses and thoughts as you do the exercises.

Random Word Creativity Exercise

For this exercise you need to think of any random word that pops into your head and then tie that word into your health challenge or disability.

As an example, let's assume your random word is sushi (it was mine). Now, think of how all of the characteristics of sushi can be connected to your health challenge or disability.

The point here is for you to try and be creative. There are no right or wrong answers and the answers are not as important as the process of getting to them by doing the exercises.

1. Can you eat the sushi and if so how will you eat it? Can you use your fingers or do you need something else to help you? Can you communicate with the sushi chef? Do the sites and sounds of the sushi chef making the sushi disturb or confuse you? Can you sit at the sushi bar? Is there a better way for you to experience eating sushi?

2. How could you improve chopsticks so that you specifically could use them or use them more effectively?

3. Could you take something away from the process of making or eating sushi and still have something that is perhaps even better? For example, maybe you do not even need the sushi mat – maybe it is only used for historical reasons? Because it has always been done that way!

A Bizarre Exercise For You

The next exercise is actually very bizarre – and on purpose. I want you to please try to think of bizarre ideas that would solve accessibility challenges you encounter every day.

Write down or record etc. your answers and like in the previous exercise, the answers are not as important as the process of coming up with them.

The Method To This Madness

Before I give you some examples to help you get started - I want you to know that there is method to this madness. What seems to be bizarre on the onset may not seem so bizarre after a bit of further thought.

Once upon a time, the thought of implanting electrical leads and then using electricity to stimulate the brain and spine may have seemed bizarre – but today it is being used for pain management, and to treat Parkinson's and other brain based disabilities. There are also companies working on brain computer interfaces where your thoughts will directly control a device.

Furthermore, the entire concept of creating artificial hips made out of metal or ceramics and then replacing a human hip probably seemed extremely bizarre back in the day, but today hip replacement surgery is very common.

Even more "bizarre" is creating a personal customized prosthesis using a 3D printer. This is something you might have seen or heard on science fiction shows like Star Trek. But, today, as you read or listened to in Step 2 - creating an amazing and affordable prosthesis using a 3D printer is becoming more and more commonplace.

Moreover, the concept of using guided missile technology and guidance system software to explore the small intestine is also extremely bizarre but it happened and lead to a major invention and breakthrough that lead to even more inventions. In brief, a rocket scientist specializing in guidance systems had a friend who was suffering harsh pain in his small intestine. The rocket scientist asked himself: What if you could steer a camera-equipped "missile" through the gastrointestinal tract to record pictures of the small intestine?

Seems really bizarre but it lead to the creation of Given Imaging, a pioneer in the creation of pillcams - tiny cameras you swallow like a pill that can take pictures inside your intestine and other super hard to reach places - non invasively. The company made the world better and made a lot of money too. It is now part of Medtronic a 116 BILLION dollar leading medical device company.

Some Guidance For You

So here is some guidance (get it) for doing this bizarre exercise. The goal is for you to think of bizarre ideas that would make your life better by solving at least one accessibility challenge you encounter every day.

There are no rules - anything goes - use your imagination and just free your mind to think. No limitations, no laws of physics or even laws of nature. Just come up with something bizarre that theoretically solves the challenge.

Some Of My Bizarre Solutions To Accessibility Challenges

How about using radar for people who are blind or visually impaired so they can "see" like bats.

What about using mixed reality glasses and augmented reality software to tell people who are blind or visually impaired exactly what is around them in real time.

Flying wheelchairs or helicopter style wheelchairs would be really cool and would solve a lot of challenges people who use wheelchairs face.

What about having real time holographic or augmented reality captions that are used when people speak so that people who are deaf or hearing impaired could see the words and read them in real time. People who are non verbal could use that solution to communicate as well.

If pictures were used instead of words – it could be like a universal translator so if someone spoke in another language anyone could then understand them. This is a great example of creating an accessible product and having everyone win.

OK. You get the point. Just have fun and let your imagination run wild. You may not know it yet or you may not believe me - but this "bizarre" exercise will help you come up with a viable need – plus it can be a lot of fun.

Your Turn To Think Of Bizarre Ideas

Remember - the goal is for you to think of bizarre ideas that would make your life better by solving at least one accessibility challenge you encounter every day.

There are no rules - anything goes - use your imagination and just free your mind to think. No limitations, no laws of physics or even laws of nature. Just come up with something bizarre that theoretically solves the challenge.

Free Form Exercise

For the next exercise, I would like you to write, dictate, record etc your answers to the question below for at least 10 minutes without stopping.

You need to just keep writing or recording the first things that pop into your head and do not stop for at least 10 minutes.

Here is your question:

1. Describe a tool that would make your life 10x better.

Remember – you need to start writing or recording your answer and not to stop for at least 10 minutes. If your mind goes blank then write or record "my mind is blank." But the key is you must keep writing or recording.

2. A bonus question is: Describe in great detail your perfect day.

Something Really, Really Cool Is Going To Happen To You

As you train your conscious and subconscious minds – something really and I mean really – REALLY cool will happen to you. When you least expect you will have A EUREKA MOMENT! You will have your sudden triumphant discovery – where you come with your solution to a problem you face.

When you reach your Eureka Moment you have become an Inventor. Yes, like Edison, Franklin, Marten, Debby, my favorite inventor Sadie, Rick, Fulvio and many others – you will be an Inventor.

It will not happen overnight – it is a marathon and not a sprint. You need to stay focused and stay positive – which is one of the reasons for the positive vibes of Chapter 1.

When you do get to your eureka moment - you will feel fantastic – dare I say Euphoric!! When it happens – you will be even closer to making the world accessible and making money too.

Enjoy this euphoria – it is an amazing feeling.

OK. I hope you enjoyed your Eureka Moment. You are making amazing progress – so lets keep the momentum going and continue with the next step in our Journey – turning your Eureka Moment into a product.

**********

CHAPTER 4 – Eureka You Have A Product

Yes, yes, YES!!! You had your eureka moment!

Congratulations! You are an Inventor and on your way to making the world accessible yourself and making some money too.

First Things First

The first thing you need to do is make sure you have written down or recorded your Invention in as much detail as possible. If you can, you should also draw a picture or a diagram of your invention. Or, you can describe your invention to a friend who can draw it for you. It does not have to be fancy or even look good – it just has to be used by you to describe your invention as best as you can.

Now, let's continue to develop and refine your Invention and turn it into a product.

Please use the questions below as your guide. As you answer them - the more detail the better. Like before, do this with whatever means you have written or recorded things in the past. Whatever works best for you based on your personal situation.

Please note this is a broad general list and some of the questions may not apply to your invention. If you need help please use this help center link https://accessiblediy.com, or email me directly \- mikohelps@gmail.com

Here are the questions:

1. What is the problem your invention solves?

2. What is currently available to solve this problem?

3. What is your solution and why is it better?

4. Why is your solution unique?

5. Who will use it?

6. What are the features of your Invention?

7. What are its user benefits?

8. Describe your invention in ten words of less

9. How will it be used?

I don't expect you to answer all of the questions or finish the ones you try to answer overnight. Give them a lot of thought and take your time and answer the questions as best as you can.

For your convenience – the questions are in your Buddy so you can refer to them easily and copy and past them as you need. If you did not claim your free prizes and your Buddy – do so now please. Email me – mikohelps@gmail.com with make me a VIP in the subject line.

Check If Your Invention Is Out There Already

When you feel like you have answered all of the above questions as best as you can – the next step is to check and see if your invention in one form or another is already out there on the market or if someone filed a patent application that deals with your invention.

There are several methods for you to do this. I am listing them from "easiest" to "hardest" with patent searches as the last step. This is the last step because it is the hardest and most time consuming. You may already learn that your invention is out there in one form or another before you get to the search step – so this will save you a lot of time and energy. Please note that none of these methods is infallible and even if you do the searches in the following section and don't find anything you think is similar – your invention may still be out there.

Methods To Check If Your Invention Is Already Out There

Let's start with the "easiest" way a regular google search.

1. Regular Google Search

The easiest and fastest way to check if your invention is already out there is to conduct a "regular" google search.

In the questions above I asked you to describe your invention in ten words or less. You can use that as the basis for your key words.

Start simple – and type in or input a few of the key words. Look at the results. Do irrelevant words appear in the results? For example – if you google me – Michael Neuvirth you will get all kinds of results for an NHL hockey goalie – even though his real name is Michal Neuvirth. You can get rid of the irrelevant results using a "-" a minus sign. So if you google michael neuvirth -goalie -hockey you will get much better results. The minus sign is a great trick for you to use in your google search. It can eliminate a lot of clutter and irrelevant results.

Search Exact Phrases

You can also search exact phrases which will narrow down your results as well. "Simply put quotation marks" around the phrase you want to search to do so.

Go through at least 5-6 pages of the search results to be thorough. If possible – look at the images in the results. For blind and visually impaired – hopefully there will be some good alt text that properly explains the images.

Here To Help – But . . .

If you have specific search questions – I will be glad to help via the help center https://accessiblediy.com or email mikohelps@gmail.com. But please make a really good attempt yourself first. Remember what I said at the beginning of this book – this book is about more than just making the world accessible yourself – it is about you proving to yourself that YOU can succeed – if you try. So try first and if you need help – I am here for you. Thanks

Good luck with your google searching and let's move on to the next method.

2. Post An Open Ended Question In Your Social Networks

Go to Facebook and any Facebook groups you are in that are related to your health challenge or disability. For Caregivers – you can go to your Facebook groups dealing with Caregivers and Caregiving.

If you are not in any relevant Facebook groups – then you should join some. These groups offer a lot of benefits so you should join them anyway.

It is easy to find relevant Facebook Groups and they are easy to join. Just type in or input your particular health challenge or disability into the search bar in Facebook. Go to the Groups in the results and choose the groups you think you can benefit from and that can benefit from your input and contributions. After you join – take a second and introduce yourself. Some groups will welcome you and ask you to say a few words about your self. My advice for doing so is to make it short and positive.

****** Don't forget – clickable links and cut and pastable versions of all of the texts, scripts, posts, databases and resources I mention throughout the book including the ones that follow are available in your Buddy - email me mikohelps@gmail.com to get your free copy. ******

Here is an example.

Hi, my name is Derek Trucks. Thank you so much for letting me join this group. We all have something to give and I hope that I can both contribute and learn. Thank you again for the add.

Try to contribute by answering questions and posting your own. But before you do – make sure you know and follow the group guidelines. Plus - don't argue or try to prove a point. No one has ever – I mean ever – changed their point of view based on Facebook comments.

Caregivers can find groups the same way by inputting the world Caregiver in the Facebook search bar. When you introduce yourself in a general caregiver group – you can mention that you are a caregiver for a loved one with ______.

How To Ask Open Ended Questions

Cool - you have joined some groups, introduced yourself and hopefully already contributed. You are ready to ask some open ended questions to see if your Invention is already out there. The key is to focus on the problem and not your solution. Let's assume your invention deals with a way of not getting wet while using a wheelchair in the rain.

So your post would look something like this: "Hi, I have a quick question – if you use a wheelchair – how do you keep from getting wet when you are caught in the rain?

By asking something open ended you are not telling anyone your invention and the answers can be very broad.

Here is an example for Caregivers for an invention that deals with taking medication on time and at the proper time:

Hi everyone! How do you make sure your loved one takes their pills when they are supposed to?

Hopefully the responses will be something like good question – never really thought of it. Or, I use product x here is the link. So then go and check out product x to learn more.

Don't forget to thank each person who responds and pay it forward. When someone else asks a question in the group or needs help – please take the time to answer if you can.

3. Search Assistive Technology Databases

The next way to see if your invention is already out there is to search through the various databases of assistive technology products.

A quick but very important note: **the databases and sites discussed in this section will also be great resources for you when you start to commercialize your invention. So take a few extra minutes to really get to know them and learn how to use them - they will come in very handy when you start the commercialization process (more on this later).**

Here is a list of the databases. Let's go through them and learn how to search each of them.

Abledata.com

This site is really easy to search. Just go to the search products box and type in or input key words. You can start just by imputing your particular health challenge or disability. Caregivers can start by simply using "caregiver" as their initial keyword.

What I really like about Abledata is how the results are organized.

As I mentioned above – you will use these databases again when you commercialize your invention. Abledata organizes the results in such a way that it can help you find information on potential partners and licensees quickly and efficiently. Plus there are links to the more information and contact information for each company.

ATIA.org

Here, you need to make sure you go to the membership directory to do the search – not on the home page. You can search by keyword and also filter by area of focus or by disability. The results give you information on each company, contact information and a link to their website. Again – this is also a great site to use to help find potential partners and licensees.

Enablemart.com

This site is similar to and works in the same way as the two above. But it also has a compare feature which can be very useful both for searching to see if your invention is out there and for commercialization purposes.

VISION IMPAIRMENTS

www.afb.org/prodmain.aspx

If your invention deals with vision impairments then you can use the American Foundations For the Blind (AFB's) product database. This is a comprehensive listing of assistive technology products used by people who are blind or visually impaired.

You can browse products by category, manufacturer, task or small visual display. You can also do a key word search. You can also link to product reviews published in AccessWorld: Technology and People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired - AFB's online technology magazine.

HEARING IMPAIRMENTS

https://www.harriscomm.com/

If your invention deals with hearing impairments – please check out this site that was created by someone who has a hearing impairment. This site is truly for and by people with hearing impairments because they offer Voice, TTY and VP for their users.

The search is very cool because it offers search suggestions and products. It is also organized so that it is easy to understand the results.

SPINAL CORD IMPAIRMENT

If your invention deals with a spinal cord impairment then you should use https://spinalpedia.com/

Take your time and go through the entire site. They cover lots of products and technologies. You can also search their site and their blog to see if there is anything similar to your invention out there.

GAME BASED INVENTIONS

If your invention is a game – you must contact ablegamers.com and ask them some open ended questions – similar to the ones you posted in your Facebook groups in Method 2 above.

They are experts on assistive technology for gaming and they really want to help people with disabilities play all kinds of games. So if your invention has anything to do with gaming – contact them via the link above and ask a few open ended questions and maybe even set up a time to speak with them on the phone or video chat. If your invention involves gaming – ablegamers needs to be your new best friend.

4. Knowledge Is Power – Search Leading Blogs And Newsletters

Information is knowledge and knowledge is Power! So I also strongly suggest that you subscribe to and read the following newsletters and online resources. You can initially use them to check and see if your invention is already out there. Then you should use them to keep up to date on the latest developments in Assistive Technology and to get access to the new products that are being developed.

You should use the last one to educate yourself on how to be an entrepreneur and how to grow your startup.

Here Are The Resources

Limping Chicken focuses on everything related to deafness, publishing blogs by Deaf people and "laying eggs every week".

SPINALpedia serves the needs of thousands of individuals and families affected by a spinal cord injury (SCI) from all over the world. They empower their community through shared SCI knowledge, voices and stories.

David Banes produces a MUST READ newsletter called Access and Inclusion through Technology News.

All Access Life is the site run by Brad and Dan that I covered in the overcoming human nature section.

Ability Magazine covers the latest on health, assistive technology, universal design, mental wellness—and much more.

Cool Blind Tech is your source for the best assistive tech news, reviews and interviews from top blind and low vision experts.

Assistive Technology Blog educates readers about the latest and greatest in assistive technology – especially affordable, state of the art technology.

Disability Scoop Disability Scoop is the most comprehensive source dealing with developmental disabilities including autism, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and more.

Abilities.com enlightens and entertains with articles, videos, contests and information on disability products, adaptive sports, assistive technology, community heroes, inclusive recreation and more!

Tim Ferris is included in this list for 2 reasons. First – you should listen to his podcasts because they are amazing and will teach you how to be a successful entrepreneur and how to grow your startup.

Read this quote someone left on his blog to understand the second reason:

. . . I'm partially deaf and have a hard time with podcasts. I *really* appreciate this!

The "this" is that Tim took the time and spent the resources to make transcripts for every single episode of his super popular Podcast called the Tim Ferris Show. To date there are more than 350 transcripts!!! Thank you Tim.

****** Your Buddy has clickable links for all of the above resources along with cut and pastable text of all of the posts and scripts discussed above. You should have claimed it along with your free prizes by now. If not please do so now. Email me mikohelps@gmail.com. Please put "make me a VIP" in the subject line. ******

5. Patent Searches

At this stage – you will be conducting patent searches as another way to see if your invention is already out there. You may or may not end up filing a patent for your invention. That is a completely different issue which we deal with in a later chapter. For now let's focus on how to conduct a patent search to find out if your invention is already out there.

My Suggested Strategy For You To Conduct Your Own Patent Search

I have a very cool strategy for you to conduct your own patent search. It will not work for everyone – a lot of it depends on where you live in the U.S. and if you can travel to a physical location in your area. If you do not live in the U.S. then this option is not for you and you should skip to Strategy Number 2 – Use Google Patents.

My strategy is to take advantage of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and its Patent and Trademark Resource Centers (PTRCs). These are physical locations staffed by information experts trained on how to use search tools to access patent and trademark information.

Because they are part of the U.S. Government – they should be accessible. If you go to one that is not – please let me know mikohelps@gmail.com and I will contact them big time! They provide the human touch that no webpage or legal book can provide in helping inventors and small businesses find the information they need.

So, I suggest that if there is a PTRC near you and you can get to it – that you go there to conduct your search. This way if you need help – someone is there to answer your questions and provide non-legal assistance. Please remember that the staff cannot conduct the search for you – but they can answer your questions and explain how to use the search tools available.

Now, assuming that there is a PTRC near you - you need to do a little homework before you go.

The USPTO provides a really good video tutorial – www.uspto.gov/video/cbt/ptrcsearching/. It will help you and and it has special accessibility features – including a full transcript of the video presentation. Go through the tutorial very carefully. It will teach you all about patents and how to conduct a patent search. This way, when you get to your local PTRC, you will be able to do your search and ask the staff intelligent questions. You can also view the video at the PTRC and ask the librarian questions as you go. Then you can conduct your search.

Once you have conducted the search – the key now is take the time necessary to review your search results.

Patents and patent applications are very complicated documents that contain all kinds of legalize. So – here are some tips for you to "quickly" go through the patents and patent applications you found in your search that you think might be relevant to your invention.

For the results that appear to be most on point - I suggest you go straight to a section called "Background Of The Invention." This should focus on the problem and the inventor's solution. You should see if this is similar to your problem and your solution.

I would then skip all the way to the end of the Patent or Published Patent Application to something called the claims. The claims are the heart of a patent – they define the limits of exactly what the patent does, and does not, cover. Claims are only supposed to only be one sentence – but in most cases they are one long run on sentence. Focus on the Independent claims – the ones that start with "A" and not "The".

This should give you a basic idea of whether or not the patent or published application is relevant to your invention.

Strategy Number 2 – Use Google Patents

If you do not live in the United States or if you cannot get to a PTRC for any reason – then I suggest you do a patent search using Google Patent.

The reason for this is that it is much easier to use Google Patents than to search on the USPTO site.

Google Patent is really an amazing tool and it is free! https://patents.google.com/. Google Patents includes over 87 million patent publications from 17 patent offices around the world, as well as many more technical documents and books indexed in Google Scholar and Google Books. So it is very comprehensive.

The biggest advantage of doing a patent search on Google Patent is that it is very similar to doing a regular google search. Like a regular google search, you need to input your search terms into the search box. You can use the minus sign and quotation marks to narrow your search just like I explained for a regular google search.

Please make sure you check the box "Include non-patent literature" so you will also get literature from Google Scholar as part of the search results.

Enter freeform text – like you did in your regular google search and use what you learning during that search to find even better key words to use in this patent search.

The search results page contains the results of the search on the left side of your screen (or top on smaller screens).

Results are sorted by relevance by default, and can be sorted by newest or oldest filing date using the "ordered by relevance" menu above the search results list.

To change the number of results per page to 25, 50 or 100, click the "10 results / page" menu above the search results list.

Navigate to the next page using the arrows at the bottom.

If you are searching for images, click the thumbnail next to any result to expand into the thumbnail grid view. Hover over each thumbnail to zoom in, and move the cursor to change the zoomed position.

Please note that patent applications typically are published for public review around 18 months after they were initially filed. So when you do patent searches either via google patents or the USPTO your results will included both issued patents and pending patent applications that have been published. But will not include patent applications that have not been published yet. Remember – searching is not infallible and there are no guarantees.

Now, you need to take the time to review the search results.

Patents and patent applications are very complicated documents that contain all kinds of legalize. So – here are some tips for you to "quickly" go through the patents and patent applications you found in your search that you think might be relevant to your invention.

For the results that appear to be most on point - I suggest you go straight to a section called "Background Of The Invention." This should focus on the problem and the inventor's solution. You should see if this is similar to your problem and your solution.

I would then skip all the way to the end to something called the claims. The claims are the heart of a patent – they define the limits of exactly what the patent does, and does not, cover. Claims are only supposed to only be one sentence – but in most cases they are one long run on sentence. Focus on the Independent claims – the ones that start with "A" and not "The"

This should give you a basic idea of whether or not the patent or published application is relevant to your invention – or not. But again – no guarantees that this method or any other you use to search will provide all the answers.

Your Training Is With You For Life So Don't Worry

If during any of the searches discussed in this section you realize that your invention is already out there – your journey is not over. You just need to keep doing what you have been trained to do and come up with another Eureka Moment and move forward. It is as simple as that. Your training made coming up with Eureka Moments a habit – a part of your daily life – so just use your training and continue on your Journey to make the world accessible yourself and make some money too!

I DARE YOU

If you did not find anything that would make you think your invention is already out there – then your journey continues with a HUGE DARE from me in the next Chapter.

**********

CHAPTER 5 – I Dare You – No – I Double Dare You!

In this Chapter we start to focus on commercialization. Commercialization is the process where you make money from bringing your invention to the market.

Let's cut to the chase. Coming up with an invention is very difficult – commercializing it is much harder.

Why? Fear!!! You have now reached the point in time where fears begins to rear its ugly head.

Fear is your enemy. I know so many inventors who came up with great ideas and inventions and then quit. They rationalized and made excuses for not taking the next step and commercializing their inventions.

They had what I call Inventionitis. Inventionitis is a word I made up after watching so many inventors NOT try to commercialize their inventions because of fear of failure. As long as the invention was still on the drawing board these inventors could talk about how they were inventors who invented really cool stuff. But they were afraid to try and commercialize it. Afraid of failure. Afraid of what people will say if no one is even interested in commercializing their invention. Afraid of being rejected.

These inventors keep on coming up with new ideas and inventions and keep talking about them. But they are too scared to commercialize their inventions. They are afraid of failure!!!

One of the reasons I added the Overcoming Human Nature Section to this book was to show you that people just like you did it!. They created products that make the world accessible and they are making money too. You can too. You just can't be afraid.

You cannot be afraid to fail. Failure can be a good thing - as long as you learn from it and then keep on trying and learn to never give up.

Come ON!!!! How many challenges have you overcome because of your disability or because you were caring for someone with a disability?? You of all people should not be afraid. You of all people better not quit!

Are You A Winner Or A Quitter?

The rest of this book is for winners – not quitters. So, you better not turn the page and continue reading this book unless you are totally committed to commercializing your invention. Totally committed to putting yourself out there. Totally committed to being rejected again and again by potential partners or investors – and ignoring the rejection and making yet another call or sending yet another email to potential investors/partners.

By turning the page you are telling yourself once and for all – that you are committed to doing whatever it takes to commercialize your invention so you can make the world accessible – Yourself and make money too.

Once you turn the page – there is no turning back.

Quit or turn the page. The choice is entirely yours.

Winners never quit and quitters never win.

Which one are you?

I know which one you are - because you got this far already - and you better know it too!!!

So, let's count it down – 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...

NOW GO AHEAD – DON'T BE AFRAID – TURN THE PAGE

I DOUBLE DARE YOU

*********************************************************************

Congratulations!!! You Turned The Page!! Yea Baby!!! I new you would. I knew it – I just knew it – I AM SO PROUD!!!

You decided that you are a winner and not a quitter. You made the gutsy decision to try and commercialize your invention. You have shown you are committed to your invention and now you are on your way to making the world accessible yourself and making money too.

Now the rest of this book is dedicated to helping you bring your invention to life and getting it to the market – so people can benefit from it – and you can make some money too! This process is called commercialization.

A Quick Overview Of The Commercialization Process

What does the commercialization process entail?

Commercializing your invention involves:

Building a demo – a working model or prototype of your invention.

Deciding on whether or not you need to file a patent on your invention

Choosing the most suitable route to bring your invention to life and get it to the market. You will choose this route based on your own personal situation.

We will focus on two main routes with some variations for each. The routes are the two active ways we talked about at the very beginning of this book. Now we will look at or listen to them in more detail.

One route can be starting your own company from scratch that will bring your invention to life and get it to the market. You become an entrepreneur and have your very own Startup.

The other route is licensing your invention to an established company that will bring it to life and get it to the market themselves. They do most of the work and you collect royalties.

You need to chose your route based on your own particular circumstances. I cover the routes in detail later on – and provide advantages and disadvantages for each – along with some detailed examples as well.

Regardless of what route you choose – you will need to have a demo – which is basically a working model or some kind of way to demonstrate that your invention works.

So our Journey continues with the next Chapter that will show or tell you how you can create your very own demo of your invention. Yea Baby – this is getting to be really exciting – Isn't it!

**********

CHAPTER 6 – Your Very Own Do It Yourself Demo

Regardless of the particular commercialization route you choose – you need a demo to show (demonstrate) that you have more than just an invention on paper. You want to show that your invention can do what it is supposed to do - even if the demonstration is very basic.

There is another reason why you need a demo that is very important. Excitement sells! If you want anyone to help you – you will need to get them excited about your invention. Describing it will not get them excited or excited enough – they need to be shown. They need to see it, touch it and then "play around with it" When they do – it becomes real. It is more than just something on paper.

Rant time!!!

Now, some of you might be stating to think - "I am not an engineer, I am not handy, I cannot make stuff – I cannot move my hands, I am a spoonie, I am always tired, I am in constant pain, I am paralyzed I am excuse, excuse, excuse - so how can I create a demo."

My one word answer – REALLY!!!???

Check out the movie Breathe – The true story of Robin Cavendish who after contracting polio was confined to a bed and given only months to live. He was paralyzed from the neck down and had to be connected to a very cumbersome, archaic mechanical ventilator 24 hours a day – 7 days a week.

Mr. Cavendish did not let his paralysis and the fact that he was connected to a mechanical ventilator stop him. He became an inventor and and invented really cool devices that provided independence to people who were paralyzed. He used his mind to come up with solutions to his own situation and when he needed help with demos he called upon his friends and family to help him.

Results – not excuses!!!

Did you skip the sections in this book on positive vibes and overcoming human nature? People with all types of disabilities have invented life changing products and brought them to market. You can too! Maybe you need to reread or re listen to them if you have any doubts about your abilities. I have the utmost faith in you. You got this far and you will go all the way – don't let having to create a demo stop you. Just another hurdle we will get over – together. If you are having doubts –  email me immediately mikohelps@gmail.com and I will get you back on track! But I will also give you a major talking to for doubting yourself.

RANT OFF!

Now that we have gotten that out of our systems – let's get back to creating your very own demo. First of all, your initial demo can be very, very simple and and very basic. It does not have to look good – it just has to work.

To make you feel a bit better about just how basic your initial demo can be – let's take a look at some of the early prototypes of some successful inventions.

Early Demos Of Very Successful Companies

The first demo for a catheter - the very first catheter ever - that removes blood clots was created when the inventor Dr. Thomas Fogarty cut off the pinky of a surgical glove, inflated it and used it with glass tubes filled with jello to simulate a clot. Yep! Jello and a pinky from a glove!!

The first demo for Rob Smith and Active Hands \- discussed in the overcoming human nature section - was created by Rob and his mother in their living room using her personal sewing machine.

The first demo for the dialysis machine was from cellophane sausage skins wrapped around a cylinder, resting in a bath of cleansing fluid.

The first demo of the very first stethoscope invented ever was just a 10 inch by 1 inch hollow wood cylinder.

The first demo for a ventilator consisted of strawberry shortcake tins (boxes) and a doorknob.

Handizap – which was covered in the overcoming human nature section was invented by Josh Smith who is a C-6 quadriplegic. Josh's first demo was made from a plastic ring pop and an eraser.

The first demo for the Upsee – remember Debby in the overcoming human nature section was just two pairs of sandals sewn together by a neighborhood shoe maker.

The first demo of Given Imaging mentioned in your training regime was a frozen chicken and a makeshift probe. It was crude – but effective. They proved that the probe could move inside the chicken without causing any damage and that was all they needed to prove early on. They used a frozen chicken!!! They went on to make a huge difference in the world and be worth billions of dollars – and their first demo was made from a frozen chicken!!!

So stop fretting over your demo – Please! It is not your final product. Don't waste time on making it pretty or cool looking – just make it so it can prove your invention can work.

The key is to have fun, be creative and enjoy the process.

OK – so let's get started on helping you make that first demo.

Make Your Own demo

You can make your demo alone or with friends or family. Remember Robin Cavendish from the movie BREATHE – he was paralyzed from the neck down and had to breathe through a respirator 24/7. Yet, he came up with some brilliant inventions and used a very good friend to help him make his demos.

If you decide to try and make your own – remember – it just needs to be basic. Depending on your invention - start by trying to use common materials you have lying around your home. Cardboard, glue, duct tape, play dough, silly putty – remember function is the key – not design.

Get Help Making Your Demo

The following sections deal with where you can get help making your demo. As always - clickable links and cut and pastable text and scripts are in your Buddy - if you did not ask for it or your free prizes yet – email me mikohelps@gmail.com.

Use Makerspaces – They Rock!

You can also try to make your own demo together with a Makerspace in your neighborhood.

A makerspace is a collaborative work space inside a school, library or separate public/private facility for making, learning, exploring and sharing tools, knowledge and expertise. These spaces are open to kids, adults, and entrepreneurs and have a variety of maker equipment including 3D printers, laser cutters, cnc machines, soldering irons and even sewing machines.

The core of any makerspace is the maker mindset of creating something out of nothing.

How To Use MakerSpaces To Create Your Demo

The first maker space you should really get to know is one that is specifically focused on Assistive Technology. It is called AT MAKERS – http://atmakers.org/.

You might remember that I mentioned them as one of the Facebook groups you should use to ask open ended questions. This group wants to be the catalyst for helping to create new products for people with disabilities.

ATMakers introduces Makers and Assistive Technology (AT) users and gives these two communities the tools they need to collaborate. AT users and those who support them desperately need engineers and technologists to help them with everyday tasks. High School STEM and Robotics students, hobbyists & DIY electronics enthusiasts have the skills necessary to create innovative solutions today.

ATMakers can help you by matching you up with high school STEM and Robotics students, hobbyists and DIY electronics enthusiasts who have the skills necessary to help you create your demo and hopefully even your final product.

You should really get to know this site and get involved with it. Also, you should have already joined their Facebook group and if not please join now and start meeting kindred spirits. The people in the group may also be able to help you make your demo.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ATMakers/.

I also suggest you join the Facebook group because that is where they do the day to day discussions and it is a good place where you can ask for help.

Once you join – introduce yourself and then ask for some help.

Here is some suggested text for that first post introducing yourself and asking for help – assuming you did not use them in Section ____

Hi, thank you for letting me join this group. My name is Rick Wakemen and I am an inventor. I have invented something really cool for MS that will help me and others with MS have a much better quality of life. I am a newbie and need your help please. I need to create a working model/demo of my invention. I would appreciate any help any of you can give me. I would also love it if you could hook me up with STEM and Robotics students or any other organization you know that can help me create a demo. I am also available to provide feedback or brainstorm with anyone else creating new products. Let's help each other! I am based in Detroit, Michigan. Thanks so much

Hopefully you will get some answers and then you can continue the discussion in the Facebook group and maybe offline with the people who offer to help you.

Good luck.

Give Back – Karma Is Never Wrong

Don't forgive to give back – stay active in this group and others where you ask for help. Contribute to the community and the discussions. Users may have questions about your specific disability, the products you use and may want you to give feedback on their inventions. KARMA is very cool and is never wrong. The more you give – the more you get.

You need these makers and maker groups a lot more than they need you – so please make sure you give back to them as best as you can and be as grateful as possible.

Finding Other Makerspaces

You can also find makerspaces in your area directly via google. These are not Assistive Tech maker groups like ATMakers but they can still help you create a demo.

An easy way find to find them is to just google "Makerspaces your city and state". For example if you live in Farmington Hills, Michigan you would google: "makerspaces Farmington Hills Michigan". Then simply check out the results and find the best spaces in your Hood.

Once you find a makerspace in your area - you can contact it using this script more or less – you can customize it for your exact need:

Hi. My name is Lou Reed and I am an inventor. I have Lupus and I have invented something that will help me and others with Lupus have a much better quality of life. I am a newbie and need your help please. I need to create a working model/demo of my invention. I would appreciate any help any of you can give me. I would also love it if you could hook me up with any other organization you know that can help me create a demo. I am also available to provide feedback or brainstorm with anyone else creating new products. Let's help each other! Thanks so much

If the makerspace has a phone, if you can, I suggest you call them up and give your "script" over the phone. If you cannot do that or if you are more comfortable using email – then you can email it.

Remember that simply showing up is 80% of the work – so do it – either call them or email them but do it – don't delay and don't procrastinate. Remember – you turned the page – you want to commercialize your invention and getting a demo made is a crucial step.

E-Nable

If you invention deals with prosthetics for the hand then you should check out - E-Nable http://enablingthefuture.org

They may be able to both help you create a demo and get your invention to the people who truly need. it. I hope you remember this amazing organization from the overcoming human nature section. To refresh your memory - E-Nable is a group of Makers, Engineers, Medical Professionals, Tinkerers, Teachers, Students, Artists, Philanthropists, Parents and "Ideas people" who have come together from across the globe to collaborate, innovate and re-design the 3d Printable open source design of a mechanical hand device that was released as the original "Robohand" open source file in 2012.

E-nable does not sell these devices - but instead - encourages parents and individuals to create them on their own, guides them in the building process and prints parts for those that need them.

The designers at E-nable offer their assistance and design skills at no cost to aid those that would like to DIY (do it yourself) one of these devices and has numerous members that are willing to take on individual cases to help custom design around different shaped hands or needs.

Here is some suggested text you can use when you contact them:

Hi, My name is Debra Harry and I am an inventor. I have invented something really cool for amputees and I would love to see if we can collaborate somehow. I am a newbie inventor looking to make a demo of my invention and I need all the help I can get. Please let me know how to make this happen and how I can also help you.

Thank you for your time

ABLEGAMERS

If your invention involves anything having to do with gaming then you should check out http://www.ablegamers.org/

You might remember ablegamers and its founder Mark Barlet. I wrote about him in the overcome human nature section. Just as a reminder – In 2004, Mark founded AbleGamers after Multiple Sclerosis attacked his best friend, Stephanie Walker, nearly taking away her ability to interact and connect through video games. His vision was to ensure that no one with a disability would ever be without answers on how to conquer disabilities and continue enjoying one of the world's largest past times.

I love this quote from their website - **"Reach out if you're having trouble gaming due to a disability. We've never met someone with a disability we couldn't help."**

Ablegamers can really help you if your invention has anything to do with games. They are experts in Assisted Technologies for gamers. The best way to contact them is via the form on their website. You can use your own variation of this script when you contact them:

Hi, My name is Leslie West and I am an inventor. I have invented a really cool device for disabled gamers, or I have invented a really cool game for people with disabilities. I would love it if we could collaborate somehow. I am a newbie inventor looking to make a demo of my invention and I need all the help I can get. Please let me know how to make this happen and how I can also help you. Thank you for your time.

Check Out A Maker Faire

You should try and visit a Maker Faire!! Maker Faire is the "Greatest Show on Earth," an incredible celebration of makers and a showcase of innovative-in-the making. Maker Faire is the best evidence of the power and reach of the Maker Movement — all around the globe.

You should be able to get help with your demo at the maker faire and you will also get see some really cool stuff and meet some incredible people.

Use this to find a Maker Faire Near You - https://makerfaire.com/map/

Use Hacker Spaces – They Can Really Help Too!

Hacker Spaces are very similar to MakerSpaces but they focus more on software than hardware and physical products. However, the trend is that the Hackerspaces are moving toward physical products as well.

So if your invention is an app or software based then you should try to find a HackerSpace to help you create a Demo or working model. But in any case, there may be a hackerspace close to you that also focuses on physical products – so it is worth using the link below to search for one.

You can find Hackerspaces near you via this site:

https://wiki.hackerspaces.org/List_of_Hacker_Spaces

Like MakerSpaces above - you can also google "Hackerspaces your city and state" and you should get a list of hackerspaces near you

Once you find a hackerspace near you – you can contact them using this script with your own specific variations:

Hi, my name is Ann Wilson and I am an inventor. I have invented a really cool digital product for anyone who has a chronic illness – Spoonies! My invention will help me and others like me have a much better quality of life. I need to create a demo of my invention. Something simple like a basic app or web based demo and I would appreciate any help that you can give me. I would also love it if you could hook me up with any other organization you know that can help me as well. I am also available to provide feedback or brainstorm with anyone else creating new products. Let's help each other! Thanks so much.

Check Out Your Local Library

Libraries are really helpful and Librarians are one of the best kept secrets for getting help out there. So contact your local public library, introduce yourself and ask them if they have any type of 3d printing, makerspaces or hackerspaces in their facility. A lot of them do.

Plus - Librarians are incredibly smart and have can do attitudes - tell them you are an inventor and you need help creating a demo/working model. If they can help you in any way \- they will find a way to do so. You will get some kind of value added when you talk to a librarian – so it is worth your time to do so.

In addition to contacting public libraries near you – you can also try contacting any Universities, Junior Colleges, or Tech Centers near you. Introduce yourself and ask them ask them if they have any type of 3d printing, makerspaces or hackerspaces in their facility. It never hurts to ask – remember nothing ventured – nothing gained.

In short – when contacting any of the groups mentioned above - Never think what would happen if they say no – always think – how cool will this be when they say yes!!

If for any reason you are not getting responses from the entities you contact – use the HELP center and or contact me via email – mikohelps@gmail.com. I will help you. Remember – I got your back and we are on this Journey together.

Clickable links and cut and pastable scripts of everything in this Chapter are in your Buddy. Hopefully you already claimed it along with your free prizes. If not – you know the drill by now – so do it.

Also, please do not forgive to give back – you need these makerspaces, hackerspaces, libraries and the other entities discussed above a lot more than they need you. So stay active in whatever entity helps you. Contribute and give back. Share what you have learned with others. KARMA is very cool and is never wrong. The more you give – the more you get.

COOL! You will soon have your very own demo. But there is so much more to do – lets keep the momentum going and try to answer the question that almost every inventor wants to know . . .

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CHAPTER 7 - To Patent Or Not To Patent – That Is The Question

Depending on your Invention – one question that will probably come up during your journey is - should you file for patent protection for your invention?

The best way to get an answer is to ask a Patent Attorney. Most will meet with you and give you their opinion for free either via the phone or in person. So the best way for me to add value in this chapter is to help you find and meet with the best possible Patent Attorney – and to try to help you save some money too.

A Bit Of Context

But we also need some context – we are dealing with patents in the commercialization section of this book because there are some connections between patents and the commercialization route you choose.

Remember when I said that there are basically 2 main routes that you can use to commercialize your invention.

The Startup Route - where you become an entrepreneur and create your own startup company from scratch. and

The Licensing Route – where you license your invention to an established company.

Generally speaking – you can go the startup route whether or not you have filed for a patent.

This is not the case if you choose the licensing route. If you want to use the licensing route – generally speaking – you will have to file for patent protection and get what is known as patent pending status for your invention. This means that you have officially filed for a patent, paid the fee and received a serial number from The United States Patent Office (or most likely the Patent Office in your Country).

Why? Business reality. In most cases – companies will not meet with you to discuss licensing your invention unless your invention is patent pending.

So let's find you the best possible Patent Attorney so you can get the answers you need to make informed decisions.

I have provided a brief overview of Patents and Patent Pending Status in the Appendix to help you do your homework before you meet with a Patent Attorney – it is just an overview – not legal or any other kind of advice.

Also, I cannot give you any advice - legal or otherwise - but I am here to help. If you have specific questions about patents that do not require legal advice – I will be happy to help you – please use the help desk – https://accessiblediy.com or email me – mikohelps@gmail.com.

Finding, Choosing and Meeting With A Patent Attorney

The very best way to find a patent attorney is via a referral from someone who actually worked with the particular patent attorney. Ask business persons and entrepreneurs you know for this type of referral.

The second best way is via referrals from people you know and trust. Ask your friends, associates, and service providers like regular lawyers and accountants to recommend a few patent attorneys for you.

Make sure that when you ask for the referrals that you specifically mention that you want a Patent Attorney who works with individual inventors and who specializes in the area of your invention. For example – if your invention is some kind of device – then you want a patent attorney who specializes in devices and not in digital products, pharmaceuticals, biotech or ecommerce.

Once you get the referrals, take the time to google each one to find their websites and try to learn as much as you can about the potential candidates and their firms before the meeting. You can also google them to see if they have any published any articles or been quoted in any magazines. This will help you learn more about them.

Meeting With Potential Candidates

Once you have narrowed down your list you should arrange a meeting – either in person or via phone, video chat, etc. with each potential candidate. You should not be charged for this meeting and if a potential candidate tells you there is a charge – do not make the meeting and cross this candidate off the list.

Telephone Script

Call the particular candidate and say something like this:

Hi. My name is John Michael Osbourne. I am an inventor. You were recommended to me by _________. I would like to meet with you in person or via the phone to see if you can help me and if you are the right fit for me and my invention. I understand that there is no charge for the meeting and that it can last around an hour.

Thank you.

If for whatever reason you cannot verbally contact the potential candidates – you can use the above the content for the body of an email. For the subject line – I suggest you input - __________ referred me to you. This should ensure the email is opened.

Try to have some dates that are good for you and ask if they are good for the attorney. This will help you avoid playing phone tag in trying to arrange a meeting.

You need to do your homework and prepare for the meeting to make sure it is a productive as possible. The meeting should be free – so let's make the most of that time and set some goals.

Your Goals For The Meeting

Your primary goal is to find get as much valuable free advice as you can in the limited amount of time that you have.

Your secondary goal is to see if you have the right chemistry with the particular candidate – if you feel comfortable with him/her. Is he/she a good listener? For example, if the candidate takes phone calls, or reads and sends texts during the meeting and seems like he/she is doing you a favor by meeting you – then he/she is probably not the best candidate. Trust your instincts.

After as little small talk as possible – briefly explain your invention to the candidate. Keep it simple and again focus on first describing the problem and then your solution.

At the beginning of Chapter 4 I asked you to try and answer these questions:

1. What is the problem your invention solves?

2. What is currently available to solve this problem?

3. What is your solution and why is it better?

4. Why is your solution unique?

5. Who will use it?

6. What are the features of your Invention?

7. What are its user benefits?

8. Describe your invention in ten words of less

9. How will it be used?

You can use your answers here to help explain your invention to the Patent Attorney.

When you finish explaining it - simply ask: Should I apply for a patent?

Wait and listen patiently to the answer. Silence is your friend. If you are talking you are not learning.

Stay focused on getting that answer. Don't digress into any other issues. If the candidates advises against filing for a patent – make sure you get all the reasons why and if they don't make sense to you – go and get at least one more opinion before making any final decisions.

If the candidate recommends going forward – ask him/her why – what makes him/her believe that you should file? Then make sure you ask about the cost. Please make sure that the cost and payment structure is crystal clear. Is it a flat fee? Hourly etc.

Try to get a quote for a fixed fee – and if the candidate only works via billable hours then make sure there is some kind of cap or ceiling. This will enable you to shop around and compare apples to apples.

When you decide on a particular candidate – you can negotiate on both price and terms. It never hurts to ask for a discount – you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Also make sure that you get all costs in writing.

The One Thing You Should Make Sure You Ask

Do not be afraid to ask the candidate if they could prepare you patent application for free. Plenty of lawyers do what is called PRO BONO – FREE work once in a while as a way of giving back. So you can say something like – Does your firm have any type of Pro Bono program and if yes – could my patent application be part of it? It is a simple as that – worst case the candidate says no. Best case – you get your patent application for free.

Your final decision should be based on the above criteria, your instincts and the chemistry between you and the particular candidate.

You Have To Be In Charge

Once you start working with your patent attorney – YOU need to be in charge and manage the process. The patent attorney has lots of other clients and you need to make sure he/she stays focused on you.

Keep in close contact with your patent attorney. Get his/her email and cell phone as well as office contact information. Never be afraid to contact him/her and never, ever be afraid to ask questions.

You also have to be aware of all deadlines and timetables and stick to them. Do not assume your patent attorney will simply handle everything. Take the bull by the horns and be in control of your patent filing.

What To If You Cannot Afford A Patent Attorney

If you cannot afford a patent attorney – you can try and file your own patent application. There is no legal requirement that says a patent application has to be filed by a Patent Attorney.

If you decide to file on your own then the first thing you should do is check out the USPTO Inventors Assistance Center.

The Inventors Assistance Center (IAC) provides patent information and services to the public. The IAC is staffed by former supervisory patent examiners, experienced primary patent examiners, various intellectual property specialists, and attorneys who can answer general questions concerning patent examining policy and procedure.

What The IAC can do for you

Answer general questions regarding patent examining policy.

Answer questions concerning necessary formats and items needed for your patent application.

Assist you with forms needed and with filling out the forms.

Direct your calls to appropriate USPTO personnel or web pages as necessary.

Provide you with general information concerning patent examining rules, procedures, and fees.

Send you patenting information and forms via USPS mail or facsimile.

How to Contact the IAC

Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 8:00 PM (ET), except federal holidays

Toll-free: 800-PTO-9199 (800-786-9199)

Local: 571-272-1000

TDD/TTY customers can dial 800-877-8339 for customer assistance

Another Place To Go To For Help

There is another USPTO program you can use if you decide to file by yourself. It is called the THE USPTO PRO SE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The Pro Se Assistance Program is the United States Patent and Trademark Office's comprehensive pilot to expand outreach to inventors who file patent applications without the assistance of a registered patent attorney or agent (also known as "pro se" filing).

The USPTO always recommends using a registered attorney or agent to assist in preparing and prosecuting a patent application. However, the USPTO also recognizes that the cost of such assistance is prohibitive for many applicants, particularly independent inventors and small business concerns. In light of that, the USPTO has launched the Pro Se Assistance Program to help inventors meet their goals of protecting their valuable intellectual property.

The Pro Se Assistance Program offers various services for the public, including:

Dedicated personnel for assisting pro se applicants

In-person assistance for the general public at USPTO Headquarters

Targeted support to connect applicants with relevant resources and information

Online resources via their Web page

What Is The Difference Between The Above 2 Assistance Centers?

I was not sure what the difference was between the Pro Se and the IAC – so I called both of them to ask. The answers were basically that both the IAC and Pro SE Program provide inventors with help if they want to file without a patent attorney - but only the Pro SE let's inventors set up a face to face meeting.

Who Cares – Try To Use Them Both!

In essence, the Pro Se and the IAC are two separate entities in a bureaucracy! Take advantage and use them both. Call them both and get as much help as possible and if still need assistance and are able to travel to Virginia – then you can set up an appointment for even more help.

Maybe – Just Maybe – You Can Get A Patent Lawyer For Free

This is a real long shot but it never hurts to try – but you must live in the U.S. If you do not – contact your local Patent Office and see if they offer a similar program.

The USPTO have a very cool pro bono program for independent inventors and small businesses based in the U.S. It is called The Patent Pro Bono Program.

Inventors and small businesses that meet certain financial thresholds and other criteria may be eligible for free legal assistance in preparing and filing a patent application. The Patent Pro Bono Program is a nationwide network of independently operated regional programs that match volunteer patent professionals with financially under-resourced inventors.

Requirements

Each of the regional programs may have different requirements for admission. In general, the requirements for admission are:

Income

Your gross household income should be less than three times the federal poverty level - though some regional programs may have different criteria.

Knowledge

You must demonstrate knowledge of the patent system in one of two ways:

Having a provisional application already on file with the USPTO, or Successful completion of the certificate training course.

You must also be able to describe the particular features of the invention and how it works.

Please note – I took the certificate training course to see what it involves and I am happy to tell you that it is worth the time and if you complete it - you automatically get a a certificate - you do not have to take a special test or anything. So you basically just have to go online and take it and you pass it.

Because the specific requirements of income, knowledge, and invention vary by program, you should contact your regional program for specific information.

Conclusion – A Patent Is Not A Panacea

If you end up filing a patent application either via an attorney or by yourself – please understand . . .

You now only have patent pending status. It will probably take at least a year and probably 2 or longer for you to get a patent - assuming you get a patent at all.

Plus - a patent is not a panacea. Having a Patent does not guarantee success and not having one does not mean you will fail.

No matter what – you still have to do the work and put in the effort that it takes to commercialize your invention and bring it to the market.

So lets move on to the next part of the Journey – choosing the most suitable way for you to commercialize your invention.

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CHAPTER 8 – Choosing Your Route To Success

Just to refresh your memory – commercialization is when you bring your invention to life and get to the market. There are basically 2 main paths or routes with some variations that you can use to commercialize your invention.

The Startup Route - where you become an entrepreneur and create your own startup company from scratch. and

The Licensing Route – where you license your invention to an established company.

We will deal with both routes in great detail and have devoted a Chapter for each of them. We start with the Startup Route.

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CHAPTER 9 – The Startup Route

Becoming an entrepreneur and starting your own company from scratch that will design, develop, market and sell you invention is not easy - to say the least. But it can be done as you learned when you met the companies and inventors who did it or who are doing it - in the overcoming human nature section of this book.

This route also has the potential for the highest rewards – both financial and social. When you read about or hear about someone having an exit and becoming a multi-millionaire or even billionaire- it is typically because they had their own startup company and built it up from scratch.

When you read about or hear about companies that are providing social impact and truly making the world better – these companies were created and then built from scratch by highly motivated entrepreneurs.

Hopefully if you go this route you will end up being BOTH!

Your Road Map For Success

Here are some of the key steps and milestones involved in starting your company. Use these as your Road map for success!

I have provided the milestones in a "typical" order but nothing about starting your own company is really typical – so the order and specific milestone(s) will vary for each startup. As I cannot know exactly what your invention is all about – some of these milestones may or may not be relevant to you.

As you will see or hear – a recurring milestone is raising money. One of the realities of being an entrepreneur and having your own startup is that you will constantly be trying to raise money. Startups need to grow and money fuels that growth. So be prepared to be spending a lot of your time trying to raise money.

Other milestones include:

**Creating a Working demo** : We dealt with this extensively in a previous chapter. In sum, you need a working prototype or demo to prove that you have more than just an idea and that your invention actually works. At this stage - your demo can be very basic- remember Jello and Frozen Chicken from the previous section.

**Learning All About Your Market** : You need to do your homework and learn about your market. You will need to estimate the total market size when you raise seed funding and the best place to find these numbers is via Associations and Non-profits that focus on your disability. For example, if you google "how many people in the world have multiple sclerosis" the first result is the National Multiple Sclerosis Society website and all of the data you need about the market is right there on the site. Based on my experience as an investor and entrepreneur – one the best ways to impress an investor is to know your market inside and out. Do you homework – do some google searches using "Your Disability" followed by key words, like "market size", "major players" "leading products", "forecasts and trends.

**Raise Seed funding** : You can use your demo to help you raise your initial funding which is referred to as seed funding. At this stage your startup is just a little seed that you hope will one day grow into a huge tree that bears a ton of fruit. But getting to that point will take a lot of time, effort and money. The first money you raise for your startup is called seed funding. You get it from investors that hope it will help your fledgling startup grow. You may have read or heard somewhere that your seed investment should come from friends and family. I suggest that unless your friends or family are filthy rich and can afford to lose all the money they invest in you that you DO NOT go to friends and family. Instead, focus on raising your initial money from "Angel Investors". I discuss raising money and Angel investors in great detail a bit later.

You should use not waste your seed money on fancy offices or high salaries. You need to use your seed funding primarily for product development so you can create your your first Minimum Viable Product – MVP (see below).

**Find A Co-Founder/Partner And/Or Key Employees** : Unless you have the technical skills to create your MVP – you will need to find a technical co-founder/partner and or key technical employees like developers, programmers and engineers. If you are a technical person – then you need a co-founder/partner to help you with the commercial side of your startup but that can wait till after the MVP.

**Continue Working On Your First Minimum Viable Product MVP** : Your MVP is the first "real" version of your product. It does not have to have all the "bells and whistles" \- but you need it to test with real users and get some feedback – good and bad. Your goal is to learn as much as you can from users of your MVP and then incorporate what you learn into the next version. You keep repeating this process until you feel that your product is ready for Beta Testing. This process of learning and then incorporating what you learn into your next product version is called iteration.

**Find And Use The Best Professionals You Can** : It is important for you to be able to rely on professionals for help and guidance. This means lawyers and accountants. Make sure you find the best ones who specialize in startups. Please note, just because you raised money does not mean you need to pay huge fees to your professionals. A lot of the very good ones have special programs just for startups with special rates and deferred payments. The best way to find the best professionals is via recommendations.

**Raising More Money** : Once you have your MVP – if you need more money you can leverage your MVP to go and raise more. This will provide you with the money you need for product iterations, beta testing and your product launch.

**Continue To Build Your Team** : You're also likely to need some more specialist expertise, to support the business with areas such as marketing, web design and finances. Some of this can be done via outsourcing and free lancers. You want to keep you startup "lean and mean" for the longest possible time.

**Start Beta testing** : Products are never really done – but they are due! You cannot iterate forever. So, when you believe your product is more or less ready – you need to do what is known as a Beta Test which will be the last testing you do before you launch your product to the world. You could conduct a private beta test with invited users only first and then a public beta test will be open to anyone who signs up.

**Launch Time BABY!** After successful beta testing it is time for you to launch – to get your product out to the world. This takes a big marketing push and – you guessed it – a lot of money. .

**Grow And Exit:** At this point you are on your way and now you need to focus on scaling your company and growing bigger and bigger. Your next big goal is to exit so you and your investors can cash out. This is what your investors have been waiting for and it is your big moment. Your exit typically occurs if another company buys your company (M&A) or if your company goes public on the Stock Exchange (IPO).

**Start All Over Again** : You did it and now you can become a serial entrepreneur and do it again – and again. Keep on making the world accessible yourself and making money too!

The above covers the key milestones you will need to achieve to make your startup a success. It is a great road map – but commercialization and bringing your invention to life will have lots of twists, turns and all kinds of obstacles in your way.

The One Thing You Can Control

But there is one thing about the entire startup route that you – yourself - can control and that you – yourself - can do to make it easier. That one very important thing is be enthusiastic!

You Must Be Enthusiastic!

You must radiate enthusiasm to everyone you talk to and meet with concerning your invention. Remember, you are not just some inventor – you are an inventor with a health challenge or disability or you are a caregiver for someone with a health challenge or disability. Your invention will make lives better – including your own life. You must convey this via your enthusiasm.

Enthusiasm begets more enthusiasm which in turn leads to success. Enthusiastic people are hard to resist. If you can spread enthusiasm and excitement about your invention to everyone you meet, they will jump on your bandwagon. This includes potential partners, employees, vendors – and most of all Investors.

And . . . speaking of Investors - let's continue on our Journey and focus on helping you raise money from Angel investors.

Raising Money From Angel Investor

Angels are a great source for you to raise money for your fledgling startup. I do not recommend that you ask your friends or family for money – unless they are filthy rich and losing all the money will have absolutely no effect on them – or your relationship with them whatsoever. Also DO NOT MORTGAGE YOUR HOUSE OR GO INTO ANY KIND OF DEBT TO FINANCE YOUR STARTUP. TAKE THIS OFF THE TABLE RIGHT NOW!!!

In addition, some companies founded by people with disabilities have received money via business competitions, challengers, and other contest style events. While this can provide you with some money – the amounts are typically pretty small - you will spend a lot of time and effort finding, preparing for and participating in these types of events. You will lose focus and end up wasting a lot of time – and time is your most precious resource.

Plus, the chances of you actually getting any money from these types of events or contests is really low and in my opinion just not worth your time and effort. There are only so many hours in the day and as the founder of a startup - you need to spend your time as efficiently as possible.

Focus On Finding Just The Right Angel Investor

So, my suggestion is to focus all of your time and energy on finding just the right Angel investors who can both invest money and give you added value via their business acumen.

It will take time – you need to build up your relationship with the Angels, keep them updated, keep in contact with them and basically develop a nice relationship with them. When they feel that the time is right – they will invest – you just need to keep them interested and impressed. Sometimes you get "lucky" and Angels invest relatively quickly. The point is that no one is going to invest unless you find them and convince them to! You have to do the work.

****** Remember we are here to help and we will get you in front of some Angel Investors via our Summit and if you take advantage of the first free prize and become a lifetime VIP - you will get the most time with the Investors – email me – mikohelps@gmail.com to get the free prizes with make me a VIP in the subject line. But – you cannot rely on just one source – you need to find as many Angels as you can. ******

So – with all of that in mind - let's focus on raising that first investment from Angels.

An Overview Of Angel Investors

The term "Angel" originated in the early 1900s and referred to investors who made risky investments to support Broadway shows.

Today, the term "Angel" refers to high-net worth individuals who typically invest in and support start-up companies in their very early stages.

Some Angel investors provide much, much more than money. They are the epitome of "been there, done that." They are typically very successful business persons who have the knowledge, business acumen, networks and contacts to help you grow your fledgling company.

So, finding the right Angel investor can make or break your new company.

OK, so how to you find the right Angel and how do you get him/her to invest in your startup?

Get A Referral – A Warm Introduction

The very best way is via a referral – also known as a warm introduction. You need to find someone who can referral you to an Angel Investor. Someone who will either make the introduction to the Angel for you – or someone who will give you the name of the Angel and say that you can use his/her name when you contact the Angel. You need to be aggressive and contact as many referral sources as you can. **Don't think what if they say no to a referral – think – how cool will it be if they can provide me with a great referral!**

Time for you to play statistic and probabilities. You need to contact as many potential referral sources as you can. Don't be shy.

The trick is do all the work so the person you are asking does not have to do very much if he/she decides to ask Angels to meet with you.

Here is a good script for you to use when you are asking someone to refer you to an Angel investor. (Like always – cut and pastable scripts from this section are available in your free Buddy).

Hi ____,

I am in the process of raising money from Angel investors. I would greatly appreciate it if you could introduce me to any Angel investors you personally know. I completely understand it if you do not feel comfortable making introductions.

Here is some language you can use if you decide to reach out to any Angels you know:

"I would like to introduce you to Gregg Allman. He has a startup that solves a huge, previously unaddressed problem for people with Epilepsy. Greg has Epilepsy and he knows the need for his solution first-hand. Gregg believes that everyone who has Epilepsy needs his solution and he is highly motivated to make this a reality. He has a working demo and he needs money to complete his MVP and build a small team.

I thought you might be interested in this unique opportunity – you have a chance to change lives and make money too. I fully understand if you are not interested and thank you for your time.

Please let me know and I will connect you directly with Gregg. Thank you so much

Caregivers can use this variation on the script:

Hi ____,

I am in the process of raising money from Angel investors. I would greatly appreciate it if you could introduce me to any Angel investors you personally know. I completely understand it if you do not feel comfortable making introductions.

Here is some language you can use if you decide to reach out to any Angels you know:

"I would like to introduce you to Marcy Levy. She has a startup that solves a huge, previously unaddressed problem for people with Lou Gehrig's disease – ALS. Marcy is a caregiver for a loved one with ALS and she knows the need for his solution first-hand. Marcy believes that everyone who has ALS needs her solution and she is highly motivated to make this a reality. She has a working demo and he needs money to complete her MVP and build a small team.

I thought you might be interested in this unique opportunity – you have a chance to change lives and make money too. I fully understand if you are not interested and thank you for your time.

Please let me know and I will connect you directly with Marcy. Thank you very much

Start the referral process with any service providers you may know. If you have any friends or relatives who are service providers – lawyers, accountants etc – ask them as well.

Your Social Networks

You can also use your social networks. As I mentioned in the demo section above, some of the same resources you used to create your first demo may be able to help you find Angels. That is why I also told you how important it is for you to give back to these groups and become active contributors and to stay active in the groups. Don't just use them when you need something – give to them, contribute, answer questions, post cool relevant information - help out. Make it win-win!!!

Here is a sample post you can use in your Facebook groups and the Maker Groups like ATMakers I mentioned in the demo section:

HI, this group has been so helpful – thanks so much. My startup is creating a product that truly improves the lives of people with ___________. It solves a major need in a very cool way. We are now starting to raise some money and would like to meet with Angel Investors. Does anyone in this amazing group know any Angels? Thank you so much.

Here is a sample post for Caregivers. Hi, this group has been so helpful – thanks so much. My startup is creating a product that truly improves the lives of caregivers who are caring for a person with ___________. It improves the lives of both caregivers and loved ones in a very cool way. We are now starting to raise some money and would like to meet with Angel Investors. Does anyone in this amazing group know any Angels? Thank you so much.

Please make sure you like and reply to any responses you get and thank the posters too.

Again – you are playing statistics and probabilities. You need to hustle and use whatever sources you can.

Boards Of Directors And Advisory Boards Of Charities And Non-Profits

You can try to get referrals from charities or non-profit organizations that focus on your particular disability or if you are a caregiver - the disability of your loved one. You should be able to find these via google or Facebook.

Once you have identified the non-profits and charities - check out their Board Of Directors and their Advisory Boards. These are made up of wealthy people who truly care about helping people with disabilities. They may or may not be Angel Investors but you may be able to get them interested in your fledgling startup and if they do not want to invest – they may introduce you to people who do

Use the sample text and subject line below or your own text when you contact them via email.

Subject Line – Helping An Inventor with Cystic Fibrosis

Hi,

I am contacting you because you are passionate about helping people with CF. My name is Steven Winwood and I am inventor of a very special product that dramatically improves the lives of people with CF. I know this because I also have it.

My company is currently looking for our first investors (Angels) and I was wondering if you could help us find Angels interested in CF products and Companies.

Thank you for your time

Steven Winwood

P.S. As someone with CF – I truly appreciate everything you and (NAME OF CHARITY OR NON-PROFIT) are doing. Thank you so much

Caregivers can use this sample subject line text:

Subject Line – Helping A Multiple Sclerosis Caregiver Inventor

Hi,

I am contacting you because you are passionate about helping people with Multiple Sclerosis. My name is Tracy Chapman and I am inventor of a very special product that dramatically improves the lives of people with MS, or dramatically improves the lives of caregivers of loved ones with MS. I know this because I am also a caregiver for my _____ who has MS.

My company is currently looking for our first investors (Angels) and I was wondering if you could help us find Angels interested in MS products and Companies.

Thank you for your time

P.S. As a caregiver – I truly appreciate everything you and (NAME OF CHARITY OR NON-PROFIT) are doing. Thank you so much

You will have to do some google searching to find the particular email if it is not listed. Or, you can call the charity or non-profit and ask for it. Remember nothing ventured – nothing gained.

If you don't here back in a few days or even a week – you can send it again. Remember – people are really busy and get lots of emails – so be patient.

Supporters Of Charities And Non-Profits

You can also try to get referrals from supporters of charities and non-profits who focus on your disability or for caregivers - the disability of your loved one.

Go to the charity or non-profit's website. Read the news section. Check if any leading business people are involved in the charity. Check out the non-profit or charity's lawyers and accountants – they are great referral sources. Then contact them just like you contacted the Advisers and Members of The Board. Just make sure you customize the email for them.

If you do not get a response – then wait around a week and try again. Be persistent but not overly aggressive.

Statistics And Probabilities

Remember – you need to use statistics and probabilities. The more Angels you contact the better chance you will eventually get an investment. You need to be persistent and put in the hard work to both find and contact the Angels. Time to really hustle and work it baby!

Remember You Already Have One Good Source

Don't forget your first free prize – you get to be a VIP at our Summits. Our first Summit will get you in front of Angel investors and as a VIP you will get priority and even more time with them then regular attendees. I hope that by now you have already claimed your Free Prizes and your Buddy – via email mikohelps@gmail.com.

How To Contact The Angels

OK, you have a list of potential Angels – now you need to contact them and start the process of getting them to invest. Nope – Now you need to learn as much as you can about each Angel before you contact him/her. Use google to find out as much as you can about each Angel.

Use what you learn about each Angel to help you filter and prioritize which Angels you really want to invest in your startup. Also, use what you learn to help break the ice when you meet with the Angel. You will make a great first impression if the Angel sees that you took the time to learn about him/her and that you did your homework.

Prepare An Elevator Speech

Now, that you have learned about the Angels, it is time for you to prepare a very short, hard-hitting elevator speech. An elevator speech basically means that if you met the most perfect investor in an elevator and only had until she reached the top floor to pitch her, what would you say or sign?

Your elevator speech must be very short – yet still grab and keep your potential Angel's attention.

There are no magic words. However, if you sound very passionate and enthusiastic on the phone your chances of getting a meeting increase substantially. This is also true if the Angel can somehow feel your passion and enthusiasm as she reads your email.

Focus on the potential Angel. It is all about him/her. Keep the pitch short and make sure you state the problem, your solution, why it is life changing and why the Angel should care.

The nice thing about Angels is that they want to invest and are actively looking for really attractive deals. The bad thing about Angels is that they are often inundated with pitches from entrepreneurs. Therefore, your pitch must be special.

Your Telephone Elevator Pitch

You can also try to contact potential Angels via the phone. For your telephone elevator pitch, I suggest something like this – remember you must be extremely passionate:

Hello, my name is Susan Tedeschi and I received your name from (the referral source that gave you the name). As someone who has Fibromyalgia, I constantly face some unique challenges everyday. I have invented a solution to these challenges that I know first hand will make the lives of people with Fibromyalgia much much better.

I would gladly pay for this and I am sure that everyone who is a "spoonie" would pay for it as well.

I would like to meet with you to show you my invention and see if you are interested in helping me get it to as many people with Fibromyalgia as possible and make some money too.

Just think – you can actually make the lives of people with Fibromyalgia a lot better and make some money too!! How cool it that??!!

When is it convenient for you to meet? I am available – state some days and times that you are available to make it easier for the Angel to decide – and to avoid all the time wasting back and forth of finding a convenient time. Thank you.

Caregivers can use the following variation:

Hello, my name is Chrissie Hynde and I received your name from (the referral source that gave you the name). As a caregiver for a loved one who has SMA , I constantly face some unique challenges everyday. I have invented a solution to these challenges that I know first hand will greatly improve the caregiving experience.

I would gladly pay for this and I am sure that everyone who is a caregiver for a loved one with SMA would pay for it as well.

I would like to meet with you to show you my invention and see if you are interested in helping me get it to as many caregivers as possible and make some money too.

Just think – you can actually make the lives of millions of caregivers a lot better and make some money too!! How cool it that??!!

When is it convenient for you to meet? I am available – state some days and times that you are available to make it easier for the Angel to decide – and to avoid all the time wasting back and forth of finding a convenient time. Thank you.

Your Written Elevator Pitch

Now, let's work on your written email pitch. The key here is the subject line. Angels get a tremendous amount of email and skim the subject lines before deciding to open a particular message. Therefore, the subject line must be extremely hard hitting.

I suggest something like this

SUBJECT: Invented By A Person With CF For People With CF

you should use your particular disability in place of CF

For the message you can put something like this:

Dear ________,

I received your name from (put in the person who gave you the referral). My name is Neil Peart and I have Cystic Fibrosis (CF) – so I know the need for products that make life better for people with CF better than anyone else.

I have invented a unique product that solves (insert the problem here).

As someone with CF - I know that it is truly needed and that it is a winner.

I really want to get this product to people with CF – it is a life changer. I have already developed a working demo and would love to show it to you.

I would also welcome the opportunity to explain how you will be able to make money and dramatically improve the lives of people with CF by investing in my startup.

Let's make that happen!

Please let me know if you have time to meet with me. I am available – give 2-3 potential days and times to make it easier for Angel to decide. Thank you very much for your time.

Sincerely yours,

Your Name

Caregivers can use this version:

SUBJECT: Invented By A Caregiver For Caregivers

Dear ________,

I received your name from (put in the person who gave you the referral). My name is David Byrne and I am a caregiver for a loved one with Diabetes so I know the need for caregiving products better than anyone else.

I have invented a unique product that solves (insert the problem here).

As a caregiver for a loved one with Diabetes \- I know that it is truly needed and that it is a winner.

I really to get this product to caregivers – it is a life changer. I have already developed a working demo and would love to show it to you.

I would also welcome the opportunity to explain how you will be able to make money and dramatically improve the lives of caregivers by investing in my startup.

Let's make that happen!

Please let me know if you have time to meet with me. I am available – give 2-3 potential days and times to make it easier for Angel to decide

Thank you very much for your time.

Sincerely yours,

Your Name

Help You With Your Elevator Pitches

Send you pitches to me via email mikohelps@gmail.com I will provide you with some feedback. Please put Elevator Pitch Help in the subject line.

Rejection Is Not The End Of The World

I am sure that the Angel(s) you contact will agree to meet with you – but – if not - you must start getting used to rejection. It is part of the startup process.

Most if not all startups get rejected by investors. The key is to keep contacting more investors and to never give up.

The founder of Airbnb, David Chesky was rejected numerous times when he tried to raise seed funding. He actually published the rejection emails (google airbnb rejection emails). He was asking for $150,000 for 10% of his company. If an investor would have invested instead of rejecting him – that investor stake would be worth over 2 billion dollars today!

David sent out 7 emails to investors he was referred to by a good friend. He received 5 rejections and 2 investors did not even take the time to reply.

David published the emails because he wants any entrepreneur who gets rejected by an investor to read them and realize that it is not the end of the world to get rejected.

If you get rejected – and you will – don't dwell on it – investors are only human and they make mistakes. Just go out and prove them wrong like Airbnb did!

I am thrilled that Airbnb ended up getting an investment and I will be thrilled when you do to.

Airbnb's founders did not give up – they got their initial investment and just kept on growing and to date they are worth over $30 billion dollars!! More importantly they want to help people with disabilities find accessible places to stay. As mentioned previously – Airbnb bought a company called Accomable - a startup based out of London that focuses on travel listings that are disabled-friendly.

So, if you get rejected – don't let it bother you – just keep on keeping on and eventually you will get that funding.

Just stay positive and focus your energy on finding and meeting with Angel investor(s).

You can also reread or re-listen to the positive vibes section of this book. The vibes there will keep you positive and help you stay focused on getting an Angel to invest in your startup.

Remember the Help center \- use it or  email me – mikohelps@gmail.com if you ever feel that the rejection is getting to you. I will set you straight and get you to focus on what is really important!

Preparing For Your Meeting With The Angel Investor

OK, let's stay positive.

You got your meeting! The next step is to prepare for your meeting and make sure you make an amazing impression on the Angel.

I am going to be very realistic here. I do not think you should waste your time preparing a powerpoint or similar presentation for the Angel. Like I said at the beginning. you need to be enthusiastic and truly passionate. You need to show the Angel that you truly believe in your startup and that it will make the world better and improve the lives of people with your disability or caregivers caring for someone with a disability.

I once had a meeting with an Angel investor and literally spent weeks preparing a powerpoint presentation. It had all the bells and whistles and was extremely detailed. I practiced it over and over and over and over. I was ready to knock the Angel's socks off.

The Angel came in, we made small talk and then I said that I was ready to show him my powerpoint presentation. The Angel said – "I hate presentations – just tell me straight out why I should invest in your startup – and then show me a demo. You have 10 minutes but don't feel like you need to use it all."

Luckily I was really passionate and enthusiastic and the demo worked great. The Angel then told me he would call in a few days with his answer, He called 3 days later with a yes. I was thrilled but I kinda hated myself for wasting so much time on the bells and whistles of the presentation.

So, the moral to my story – you need to tell your story.

Tell The Angel YOUR Story

This will be easy for you - just base it on the Journey you are taking now. Start from the need – you needed something and it was not there. So you invented it yourself. Angel investors really want to know that entrepreneurs they invest in have unique insights about the need. Hello?? You have unique insights about the need that no one else could possibly have. You observed it in your everyday life. Then then you came up with a a solution via your eureka moment. Then you turned your eureka moment into a product. Then you created a demo. Plus – you want the solution more than anyone else because it will improve your quality of life.

Remember The Quote About Marten Devlieger

Discuss how your invention will help you and all of the others like you. Remember the quote I used about Marten Devlieger at the end of the Human Nature section. Use this to show the Angel how impressive it is for someone who is living with your disability to take matters into your own hands and develop something that not only helps you – but others like you.

Just be yourself and tell YOUR story.

If the Angel decides to invest – it will be an investment in YOU.

Plus – make sure you demo works and that you know your market inside and out.

You should also make sure you weave the following into your story:

The Size Of Your Market – you should know this already as I put into one of the milestones you will need to achieve. You will make a great impressions when you show the Angel that you know your market inside and out

When you finish your story it is time for your demo. Don't use a major build up or anything – just show the Angel the demo. Let it speak for itself.

Practice Makes Perfect

Once your story is done – you then need to practice telling it until you know it by heart. No scripts, note cards or cheat sheets. If you want to show passion – you cannot read from a card or script.

If you are non-verbal then you can make slides and have each sentence of your story on one slide. Just use the words – do not add illustrations or graphics etc. Practice going from slide to slide and make sure the transitions are smooth. Just have the text appear on each slide – no fade in or fade out etc. Simple font with black and white text. Just make sure the font is around 26pt at minimum.

Dress Rehearsal Before Your Meeting

To help you prepare – feel free to email me mikohelps@gmail.com and I will gladly rehearse with you via video chat. If you are non-verbal you can also present to me via video chat or Facebook live.

Get To The Meeting Early

Make sure you get to the meeting early so you can relax and set up your demo. If you are non-verbal – you can set up your presentation.

Just relax and be yourself and let your passion and enthusiasm shine through. If you took me up on my offer and had some rehearsals with me then you should not be nervous at all. No first time jitters for you.

I am not going to tell you how to act – just be yourself – that's it. You cannot try to be a poser or a faker. The Angel will see right through that and it will be a major turn off. Don't fake it till you make it – Just be yourself.

Follow-up

Send the Angel a thank you note via email. Don't ask if she is interested, just send a nice thank you note. Now, you just need to continue to meet with other Angels and wait it out.

Remember – it is a process. You need to be very patient and continue to update the Angels as your startup continues to develop.

Start Looking For A Good Attorney

In the meantime, you should start looking for an attorney who specializes in startups. You don't really need one until the Angel agrees to invest and sends you what is known as a term sheet. But you should be ready.

You should try to get a referral – so reach out to the people you used to try and help you get introduced to Angels. It is a good opportunity for you to update them and tell they that you have had meetings with several Angels and that you are optimistic about getting an investment and you want a referral for a very good startup attorney.

Do Not Pay Full Price

Keep in mind that firms have a special startup practice group that will provide you with what you need and only expect you to pay if you end up raising the money. They also have programs for startups at very low costs and some will even defer any payments for a year.

At this stage you basically only need an attorney to help you close with the Angel and to help you with the legal issues of creating your company.

You goal is to raise Angel money and achieve the milestones I listed.

The One Thing You Should Never Do!

Never, ever, ever, ever give up equity for services. It is never worth it – ever!

What The Attorney Will Do For You

Basically, the attorney will review the documents the Angel will send you once she agrees to invest. The most important of these is the term sheet. The term sheet is basically a handshake in writing. It is not binding but it contains the key points regarding your financing.

A really good attorney with experience will help you negotiate the term sheet and close with the Angel. When you meet with potential attorneys ask them to explain Angel financing in detail and ask them for references. Please contact the references and make sure each was 100% satisfied with the particular attorney.

Keep Working In Parallel

As you continue to wait for answers from Angels, remember you still have a lot to do in parallel.

Continue to meet with Angels

Work on the reaching the milestones I listed and following the roadmap for success.

Keep on updating the Angels you have already met with.

So, while you are keeping busy, play it very cool with the Angels you met with and do not press. Update them on new developments in your startup or the market. Stay positive and if all goes according to plan, an Angel will contact you and tell you it is a go and that she will be sending you a term sheet.

You and your attorney will review the term sheet, negotiate it and hopefully close. The term sheets for an Angel round are pretty standard and not very complicated. Just make sure you understand each section. Don't be afraid to ask your lawyer as many questions as you want.

You Closed With The Angel

Yea Baby!! You closed with the Angel and raised your seed round. Take a few hours to celebrate – startups should always celebrate the good times – because there will be a lot of ups and downs.

Don't rest on your laurels – yes you raised money – but there is still so much to do if you want to achieve your goal of making the world accessible yourself and making money too. The seed money can be used to pay yourself a small and I mean small salary but the vast majority needs to go toward building and scaling your startup.

To remind you – you still have many, many milestones you need to achieve:

\- Find A Co-Founder/Partner And/Or Key Employees Or Subcontractors

\- Continue Working On Your First Minimum Viable Product MVP

\- Raise more money

\- Continue To Build Your Team

\- Start Beta testing

\- Launch Your Product To The World

\- Raise More Money

\- Grow

\- Exit

\- Start All Over Again As A Serial Entrepreneur

I Hate To Say I Told You So – But

I said at beginning of this book when I talked about the first free prize that you would not appreciate just how cool the ability to pitch to investors is until much later in the book. Now – after reading about the startup route you totally understand what an amazing opportunity this is for any entrepreneur.

I hope you have already claimed our Buddy and all of your free prizes – including lifetime VIP at all of our summits. If not email me mikohelps@gmail.com and put make me a VIP in the subject line.

Please Give Back

When you make the world accessible yourself and make money too - please do not forget to give back.

You can give back in a lot of ways. A super cool way is to become an Angel investor yourself. Wouldn't that be amazing!!! You will have come full circle – from working so hard to get an Angel investment – to becoming an Angel yourself.

You can also donate some money to charities and non-profit organizations that focus on helping people with your disability.

If you choose this route – I would be grateful if you would consider the following charities and non-profits for your donations. Some of them were already mentioned in this book as sources to help you – so please think about giving back.

American Foundation For The Blind

AT Makers

Cerebral Palsy Foundation

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Disabled American Veterans

Invisible Disabilities Association

Lupus Foundation of America

Ms. Wheelchair USA

National Alliance On Mental Illness

National Association For The Deaf

National MS Society

Special Olympics

Spoonie Survival Kits

For your convenience – I have included links to all of the Charities' websites in your Buddy (email me) .

The First Of 3 Routes

So now you know what the Startup Route is all about – but remember it is only the first route. Maybe the startup route is not for you or maybe you don't want to be an Entrepreneur. Don't fret – we got you covered.

Your Journey now continues as we look at or listen to the second commercialization route – Licensing.

### **********

CHAPTER 10 – The Licensing Route

An Overview Of Licensing

Unlike the Startup Route where you bring your invention to the market by creating and building your own startup company from scratch – licensing is all about finding someone else – an established company – to bring your invention to the market.

Licensing is basically an agreement where you "rent" you invention to another company who then does most of the work to bring it to the market. Your compensation or "rent" is typically a percentage of the sales the companies makes from your invention. This is called a royalty.

You are known as the LICENSOR and the company that "rents" your invention is known as the LICENSEE.

There are lots of hybrids and variations regarding licensing – it is a negotiation between you and the company. The goal is to get to a mutually beneficial relationship where you each give and get value.

Key Advantages And Disadvantages Of Licensing

The main advantages to licensing over creating your own startup is time, money and risk. You do not go through the time consuming, costly and high risk process of creating your own startup in order to bring your invention to life. Instead, the licensee brings your invention to life by developing it, manufacturing or making it and then marketing and selling it. The main disadvantage for you in the licensing route is that because the licensee assumes almost all of the costs and risks – the licensee – not you - gets MOST of the rewards.

The Licensing Process Step By Step

We have already discussed the first two things you will need if you want to license your invention – a demo and patent pending status.

Once you have those two – you then need to determine the best possible company (Licensee) that will license your invention.

Find Your Champion

After you identify potential companies - you need to find a champion at the company. The champion is an executive who will convince the higher-ups that they should invest the time, energy and resources to license your invention. You cannot push your invention through all the corporate hurdles and obstacles alone. You need to find a champion to do it for you. The key is to convince the champion that it will be a feather in his/her cap if his/her company licenses your invention.

It is all about how your invention will help the champion look good and how it will benefit the champion's company. IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU OR EVEN HOW COOL YOUR INVENTION IS!

This statement is very important – so let's take a closer look at or listen to what finding the champion is all about

It Is All About The Champion – Not You

I am sure your invention is amazing. But champions do not want amazing inventions. The ONLY thing potential champions care about is what will your invention do for them and their careers?

Furthermore, while your invention will hopefully change the world – the only thing the Company you want to license it to cares about is – how will it affect our bottom line. It is all about them – not you or your invention. You need to keep this in mind and you will see some applications of this when we discuss pitching your invention to champions and the company.

Once you have identified the champions and companies – you need to pitch your invention to them and convince them to negotiate a licensing agreement with you. This will hopefully end in a mutually beneficial agreement where you license your invention in exchange for royalties.

In essence, the established company licenses your invention and then does with it more or less what your startup would do. Only here, the established company has everything in place, has a lot of experience and expertise and theoretically should be able to get your invention to market faster than if you created a startup on your own.

The risk is now on the company to develop your invention. If they do, you make money from royalties.

Your royalties will typically be much less than your startup exit, but with much less risk and very little cost or work on your end.

But – licensing can be more discouraging and more frustrating than starting your own company. Why? You will think you are wasting valuable time chasing potential licensees – and most will end in Wild Goose Chases for you. Worse – you will get rejected over and over and over again and start to have some self-doubt.

Do Not Get Discouraged!

My role as your guide is to make sure you do not get discouraged. Remember – you turned the page – you are a winner not a quitter. So anytime you feel frustrated or discouraged – email me – mikohelps@gmail.com and I will get you back on track.

Plus – I want to remind you of The Free Prizes you got for downloading this book. As a VIP you will get help meeting potential licensees and champions at our events. So you can put in the back of your mind that you will not strike out – you will be able to virtually pitch your invention to potential licensees at our events. If for some super strange reason you did not yet claim your Free Prizes and your Buddy – email me mikohelps@gmail.com with make me a VIP in the subject line.

OK – knowing that our events will help you license your invention should make you feel better and give you some confidence. But don't forget you need to play statistics and probabilities and try to find as many champions as you can. Plus this book is all about you doing things yourself. So with that in mind - lets continue our Journey and show you how you can find that Champion!

Finding The Company And Your Champion

The first thing is need to do is create a "potential licensee and champion data base" This is where you will input and store the results of the searches you will conduct for your champion and companies. Use whatever you feel comfortable with. Do it how you regularly create documents – if you usually get help from someone then get the help. This is important.

I like google docs but just use what you like. Make sure you create sections for company name, email, champion name, champion email and a notes section for followup.

This is very important – you need to get and stay organized.

Back To Those Databases We Go

Now, remember way back in the "Check If Your Product Or Service Is Already Out There" section – I told you "that the sites discussed in this section will also be great resources for you when you start to commercialize your invention. So take a few extra minutes to really get to know them and learn how to use them - they will come in very handy when you start the commercialization process."

Well – I hope you took my advice – because now you are going to use these databases to find your champions and the companies you want to license your invention.

All the clickable links to the databases and cut and pastable versions of the text and scripts in this section are available in your Buddy – email me – mikohelps@gmail.com.

Let's Return To The Sites And Find Champions And Companies

Now, let's return to ABLEDATA.com. In the search products box, input the disability your invention deals with.

Then on the far right side of the results page you will find "Filter By Who Sells It". Open each name one by one in a new tab. Then under "Seller(s)" click on the company name. Then skim through the results and if you think the company is relevant then click on "Web Address". You will now be at the company's web site.

Skim the site and if you think the company is still relevant. Go through the menu of the site and find "Team" or similar. Here is where you will hopefully find your champion. Review the team members' blurbs and look for key words like business development, licensing, new products and similar words that will indicate if the particular person is responsible for new products, product development or even better licensing or business development.

If you are really lucky the person may have his/her email or a link to the email on the bio. Copy and paste that along with the company name and the generic company contact email – typically info@ or contact@ into the "potential licensee and champion data base" you created.

I deal with situations where the email is not available a little later.

Now lets look at ATIA.org

Here, you need to make sure you go to the membership directory to do the search – not on the home page. You can search by keyword and also filter by area of focus or by disability. The results give you information on each company, contact information and a link to their website.

Go through the website as I described above to find your champion and company and copy and paste the data into the "potential licensee and champion data base" you created.

Vision Impairments

If your invention deals with vision impairments then you can use the American Foundations For the Blind (AFB's) product database. This is a comprehensive listing of assistive technology products used by people who are blind or visually impaired.

You can browse products by category, manufacturer, task or small visual display. You can also do a key word search.

Hearing Impairments

If your invention deals with hearing impairments – please check out this site that was founded by someone who has a hearing impairment. This site is truly for and by people with hearing impairments because they offer Voice, TTY and VP for their users.

The search is very cool because it offers search suggestions and products. It is also organized so that it is easy to understand the results.

The site is harriscomm.com

Games

If your invention is a game – check out ablegamers.org. Check out their sponsors, board members and other people on their website. If any of them are potential champions or licensors – you should contact ablegamers and ask for an intro. Add ablegamers to your database as a champion and then contact them using the suggested text I provide a little later on. If your invention involves a game – you must become friends with ablegamers.

OK, you should be able to compile a very detailed database of companies and champions using the above sites. If you are still having trouble then use the help center or contact me directly mikohelps@gmail.com

What If There Is No Email?

Speaking of email – if the champion's email is not found on the site – try to use some of these tips and tricks to find it.

First – there is always google. Google the champions name in quotes and then email and see if it is in the results.

If that does not work you can contact the company directly via phone or via the company's general email and simply ask for it.

Use this script as an example:

Hi, my name is Stephen Stills and I have ALS. I am also an inventor who is very interested in your incredible company. I would like to contact Mr. Johnson (the champion) via email. Could you please provide me with his email? Thank you.

You can also go to the particular company's Facebook page and send them a message – do not post it on the page but send it via a private message. You can use the suggested text here as well.

Try Twitter

When you go to the particular website and read about your particular champion – check and see if he/she has a twitter link. If not, try googling "Champion Name Twitter" to find the twitter handle (address). Or – search for the champion on twitter. Once you find the handle – skim through some tweets, retweet or like some of them. Then, tweet at them directly.

Something like "@champion twitter handle" Your company is creating amazing products. Love it!

Hopefully you will get some kind of reply. If yes – super cool. If not – no worries. Now, simply ask for the email - "@champion twitter handle" may I email you some info you will find very interesting and helpful? DM (direct message) me your email. Thanks.

When you get it - add it to your database.

Here to Help As Always - BUT

First of all the scripts about can be found in your Buddy.

Second, if you found an amazing champion but cannot find his/her email and you gave it your best effort – email me – mikohelps@gmail.com and I will try to help you out. No promises – remember what I wrote at the beginning of this book - "I will also guide YOU outward – where YOU take it upon YOURSELF – to not only invent accessible products – but to get those products to the market where they will change lives and make YOU some money too!!."

So if you feel that you really tried your best to find the email but you could not – then email me and I will also do my best to help you.

Preparing Your Email Pitch

Cool. You have your master list all organized in your database. Now it is time to prepare your email pitch. This will be very similar to the pitch for the Angel investors we covered in the Startup Route - only this time, we are preparing two types of pitches. The first one is a pitch to the Company. The second is a pitch to your potential champion. As always – cut and pastable scripts are in your Buddy.

We are going to contact both the company and your champion as a way of doubling the chances that your email will be read and responded to.

The first prong is to contact the Company via its general email. Then, hopefully it will be forwarded internally to the person at the company responsible for licensing which should be your champion but it might not be. Again you are playing statistics and probabilities.

If the site has some kind of submission form \- copy and paste the subject line at the very top and then your elevator pitch into the form and then fill out the rest of the form completely.

Like before, your passion and enthusiasm must shine through the entire pitch!

OK, let's draft an email pitch to the company. I suggest something like this – very similar to the Angel pitch:

For the Subject Line I will give you a few choices and you can decide which one fits your personality or you can come up with your own:

SUBJECT: Let's Make "the Company" even better – together!

SUBJECT: Invented By A Person With MS – For People With MS!

You can use either of these, make your own variation or make up something completely new. The key is to focus on how the Company benefits. That will be your recurring theme throughout the licensing process. How they benefit from your invention. It is all about them – the Company and the champion.

Now, let's draft the message for the company email. Here is a good working example:

Hello. My name is Joe Walsh. As a person with Multiple Sclerosis I deal with special problems and challenges everyday. I have invented a product that solves one such problem facing anyone who has MS.

The problem is (insert the problem here). I have invented a solution to this problem that I know anyone with MS will pay real money for!

By working together to commercialize my invention, "Company X" will continue to be on the forefront of innovation and will enhance its reputation of providing truly market driven solutions that people with MS are demanding.

Moreover, imagine the smiles on the faces of your satisfied customers around the world when they realize that there is finally a solution to a major problem they faced – a solution you implemented!

I would be honored if "Company X' ended up being the Company that gets my invention into the hands of the people who need it. Please contact me so that we can set up a meeting or video conference where you can see a demonstration of my invention.

I can be reached by phone at _____ and via email at: ______. (If you have any special needs like hearing or visual impairments mention them here and provide the best way to get in touch with you).

Let's make this happen – together.

Thank you very much for your time.

Here is a good working example for Caregivers:

SUBJECT: Let's Make "the Company" even better – together!

SUBJECT: Invented By A Caregiver To Help Caregivers & Their Loved Ones

My name is Gladys Knight. I am a caregiver for a loved one with Multiple Sclerosis. This gives me a unique perspective regarding new innovations. I see the need for new products from both the caregiver and loved one points of view. I have invented a product that solves a major problem for caregivers (if your solution is for caregivers) or for loved ones with MS (if your solution is for loved ones only).

The problem is (insert the problem your eureka moment is based on here). I have invented a solution to this problem that I know caregivers or anyone with MS will pay real money for!

By working together to commercialize my invention, "Company X" will continue to be on the forefront of innovation and will enhance its reputation of providing truly market driven solutions that people with MS are demanding (or caregivers of a loved one with MS are demanding).

Moreover, imagine the smiles on the faces of your satisfied customers around the world when they realize that there is finally a solution to a major problem they faced – a solution you implemented!

I would be honored if "Company X' ended up being the Company that gets my invention into the hands of the people who need it. Please contact me so that we can set up a meeting where you can see a demonstration of my invention.

Let's make this happen – together.

Thank you very much for your time.

Contacting Potential Champions

Now, let's work on contacting potential champions. This is much harder and much more time consuming than contacting the companies – and another reason why we use the two pronged approach.

Elevator Pitch For Potential Champions

For the elevator pitch do not use the same subject line that you used for the company email. Either create a new one or use one of the two I suggested:

SUBJECT: Let's Make "the Company" even better – together!

SUBJECT: Invented By A Person With Epilepsy – For People With Epilepsy!

Here is a good working example of the body of the email – the beginning is like the email you sent to the company.

Hello. My name is Tony Iommi. As a person with Epilepsy I deal with special problems and challenges everyday. I have invented a product that solves one such problem facing anyone who has Epilepsy.

The problem is (insert the problem here). I have invented a solution to this problem that I know anyone with Epilepsy will pay real money for!

You are in the unique position where you can help yourself and your Company by helping me commercialize my invention. By working together to commercialize my invention, you and "Company X" will continue to be on the forefront of innovation and your reputation of providing truly market driven solutions that people with Epilepsy are demanding will be greatly enhanced.

Moreover, imagine the smiles on the faces of your satisfied customers around the world when they realize that there is finally a solution to a major problem they faced – a solution you implemented!

I would be honored if you ended up being responsible for getting my invention into the hands of the patients who need it. You and I can make this happen -- together.

Please contact me to discuss how we can move forward and to arrange to see a demonstration of my invention via an online conference video call. I can be reached by phone at _____ and via email at: ______. (If you have any special needs like hearing or visual impairments mention them here and provide the best way to get in touch with you).

Thank you very much for your time.

Caregivers can use this example:

My name is Carol King. I am a caregiver for a loved one with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). This gives me a unique perspective regarding new innovations. I see the need for new products from both the caregiver and loved one points of view. I have invented a product that solves a major problem for caregivers (if your solution is for caregivers) or for loved ones with CFS (if your solution is for loved ones only).

The problem is (insert the problem). I have invented a solution to this problem that I know caregivers or anyone with CFS will pay real money for!

You are in the unique position where you can help yourself and your Company by helping me commercialize my invention. By working together to commercialize my invention, you and "Company X" will continue to be on the forefront of innovation and your reputation of providing truly market driven solutions that people with MS are demanding will be greatly enhanced.

Moreover, imagine the smiles on the faces of your satisfied customers around the world when they realize that there is finally a solution to a major problem they faced – a solution you implemented!

I would be honored if you ended up being responsible for getting my invention into the hands of the patients who need it. You and I can make this happen -- together.

Please contact me to discuss how we can move forward and to arrange to see a demonstration of my invention via an online conference video call. I can be reached by phone at _____ and via email at: ______

Thank you very much for your time.

Follow Up – Polite Persistence

If you are lucky – you will get a response within a few days to a few weeks. But, most likely you will not get any response at all. When this happens – after about two weeks – you need to follow-up. I cannot stress it enough – you must follow-up. Don't be afraid, don't procrastinate – just follow-up.

Busy, important people get 100's of emails a day – so yours will either be ignored or lost in the inbox shuffle.

Do not take it personally. You must follow up. You need to be persistent but in a polite way. Send a follow up email. Use this text as an example for your email:

Subject Line = Your Company – My Invention – Perfect Match

Hi,

Further to the email I sent you (put date sent here) with subject line – put subject line you used here):

My invention will truly provide you and your company with competitive advantages. Please give me 10 minutes to demonstrate this to you – via an online video call.

Thanks

If after 2-3 days you still do not get a response – then send another email and use this example:

Subject Line = Your Company – My Invention – Now or Never

Hi

It is me again. Please give me the opportunity to show you why my invention will both help your company and your current and future customers.

Like I said in my previous email – just give me 10 minutes.

Thank you

P.S. - I will follow up with a phone call and if that does not get me a response then I will not contact you again.

If you have not received any response from the company or the champion then if possible call the company and ask whoever answers the phone to speak to the champion or his/her secretary or personal assistant. When you do – simply say that you sent emails on and give all three dates and would appreciate a response.

Hopefully you will be put through to the champion or his/her secretary or personal assistant. If you are – then simply repeat what you wrote in the first email and ask for a meeting via video conference.

You may simply just get a response like - "I will make sure you get a prompt reply.

You can also go to the Company's Facebook page and send them a message saying that you have sent the company several emails and they have not yet responded. Ask them if they could help you get a response.

Do this as a private message to the company. Do not post it in a comment or as a public post on their page.

Again – polite follow-up is part of doing business. It is something you will have to do. If you do it politely and professionally and base your follow-up on the examples I provided the companies and champions will respect you and see just how passionate you really are. It will help you in the long run.

Remember – people are busy and already have more than enough work to get to done before they even get to your email. So you need to follow-up to cut through all of that noise.

Meeting With Your Potential Champion

I am sure the potential champion(s) will agree to meet with you – eventually!

But, Dear Dr. Reader, as in Angel financing, you must start getting used to rejection. You will be rejected – either via a rejection email or by simply not getting a reply to your email – even after all of the followup. Just do not let it bother you. If you are rejected via email or simply just ignored – put that in your database and move on.

Ignore the rejection and keep fighting the good fight. Remain positive and focus your energies on the companies and champions that do respond and that do want to move forward with you.

If you are having trouble dealing with any rejection - reread or re listen to Chapters 1 and 2. You should also reread or re listen to the section where I discussed all of the rejections that airbnb received – including rejections because the investor did not even bother to reply to their email.

You can always contact me mikohelps@gmail. I am a good listener and sometimes all you really need to do is vent a little. You can vent to me – and I will help you deal with any rejection.

Answering The Reply From The Champion

Let's stay positive. You got a reply and the potential champion is interested.

Most likely the reply asked you for more information. In my experience – instead of spending time sending information back and forth – you should suggest a video conference where you can give a demonstration and answer questions. It is the best way to get the champion's attention and to let your passion shine through. Email them something like this:

Thank you for your email. To save both of us a lot of time and to really help you see the advantages of my invention – can we please schedule a short video call and I will demo my invention. 10-15 minutes is all it should take.

Give some days and times good for you to avoid all the back and forth choosing dates. Please let me know and if needed – please suggest some alternative days and times good for you.

Thank you.

Just make sure that you will be 100% ready on whatever dates you send.

If you are hearing impaired – Skype now provides live captions and subtitles so you can suggest doing the video chat via Skype.

Preparing For The Video Chat

Now, how do you prepare for the video chat?

The good news is that because the champion is meeting with you – the champion is most likely convinced that it will be a feather in his/her hat if the company licenses your invention.

So, now - you need to show them that your invention does what you said it does. You will do this by showing them your demo and answering their questions about it.

You also have to them a story – and this will be similar to story for Angel investors I wrote about in the startup route. Tell YOUR Story!

This will be easy for you - just base it on the Journey you are taking now. Start from the need – you needed something and it was not there. So you invented it yourself. Companies really want to know that inventors have invented something that is truly needed and that they have unique insights about the need. Hello?? You have unique insights about the need that no one else could possibly have. You observed it in your everyday life. Then then you came up with a a solution via your eureka moment. Then you turned your eureka moment into a product. Then you created a demo. Plus – you want the solution more than anyone else because it will improve your quality of life.

Remember The Quote About Marten Devlieger

Discuss how your invention will help you and all of the others like you. Remember the quote I used about Marten Devlieger at the end of the Human Nature section. Use this to show the Champion how impressive it is for someone who is living with your disability to take matters into your own hands and develop something that not only helps you – but others like you.

Just be yourself and tell YOUR story. Let your passion and enthusiasm shine!

Then give a demonstration using your demo. Then be quiet and let the champion ask questions.

Answer the questions using short sentences with no hyperbole or exaggeration. Just be honest and be yourself – remember – you turned the page!

Tell the champion you want to license your invention to them so they can get it to the people who need it.

Then don't say anything else. Just ask the champion what the next steps are and leave it at that.

Most likely – the champion will tell you that he/she will speak with others at the company and get back to you.

Thank the champion and end the meeting on a positive note – saying something like – Let's make this happen – together.

In sum – just be yourself and let your passion for your invention shine through. If you can accomplish this, you can convince your potential champion to be your real champion and you will have a very good chance of successfully licensing your invention to the champion's company.

Practice Makes Perfect

To make sure you make the best impression at your meeting, you need to first prepare the story based on the above and then practice telling it until you know it by heart. It must be natural and not staged.

If you are non-verbal then you can make slides and have each sentence of your story on one slide. Just use the words – do not add illustrations or graphics etc. Practice going from slide to slide and make sure the transitions are smooth. Just have the text appear on each slide – no fade in or fade out etc. Simple font with black and white text. Just make sure the font is around 26pt at minimum.

Dress Rehearsal With You – My Pleasure

To help you prepare – feel free to contact me – mikohelps@gmail.com with dress rehearsal in the subject line. I will gladly rehearse with you and give you feedback via video chat. If you are non-verbal you can also present to me via video chat. I really hope you take me up on this offer.

Do not make a script, "cheat sheet", note cards or the like. You must know it by heart and tell the story with as much passion and pride as you can.

Once you have written your story, you need to do six things:

1. Practice

2. Practice

3. Practice

4. Practice

5. Practice

6. Practice

Now, you just need to be patient and to try to continue to pitch to other potential champions and wait it out.

It will take time because your champion first needs to decide if she is interested. Then she needs to get your invention into the loop. She will probably be waiting for answers from her higher-ups as well.

Find An Attorney Who Specializes In Licensing

In the meantime, you should start looking for an attorney who specializes in licensing. In this case, if you used a patent attorney to get patent pending status, he/she may be able to help you or provide you with a referral.

Just like with Angel investors – try to get your lawyer to offer you a delayed payment plan where you pay him/her only after you get an agreement with a company. Don't be shy to ask the lawyer to work for you pro bono – a fancy way of saying for free. Lots of firms do this – but you have to ask.

Keep Nudging Your Champion

You will have to keep gently "nudging" your champion. She has a lot to do and had more than enough work to do before she met you. Like I said in the previous section – you must follow up and you must do it professionally and politely. The best way to do this is to provide your champion with updates about your invention and your industry.

For example, if you have a new version of your demo that is an improvement over the one you demonstrated to the champion – then email the champion and let her know.

If you read or hear an article that really justifies the need for your invention or deals with the problem your invention solves – then send the email to her.

No need to ask for an update on your status – it is implied when you take the time to contact the champion. Don't be overly aggressive and remember keep it polite and professional.

Hi, this article from ______ really demonstrates the need for my invention. Thought you should take a look at it.

Best,

Ozzy

You can also send something like this:

Hi, I have a new demo that does ______ and ______. It is really cool. Let me know if you want to see it via video.

Best,

Ozzy

You should be reading or listening to the newsletters and publications I mentioned in Chapter 4. This will keep you abreast of latest developments and provide you with potential articles to send to your champion.

You need to be patient and hopefully be in the position where you are in contact with more than one champion.

Finally A Response

You will get a response from your champion following your video call and demo. It could be a rejection, a request for a mutual NDA, some questions, or even a draft of the company's standard licensing form.

If it is a rejection – deal with it. Everyone gets rejected. Just reread the Airbnb rejection letters and move on. Companies reject inventors for millions of reasons all the time. Just move on. There are other champions and other companies. If you can't deal with the rejection – email me – mikohelps@gmail.com. I will get you back on course. Plus we can debrief together and see what you can learn from the rejection.

Let's stay positive. If the response is a set of questions – just answer them as best as you can. Don't rush to get the answers back as soon as you can. Take you time and answer them in detail.

If you get a request to sign a mutual NDA – then have your lawyer go over it. The same goes for if you get a standard licensing agreement – go over this carefully with your lawyer.

Now you will be engaging with the champion and the company and doing a lot of back and forth. Don't be intimidated. You will get to an agreement.

I wish I could deal with every scenario you will face – but that is impossible. Just stay positive and true to yourself and let things play out. **You cannot control what will happen – but you can control your attitude when something does happen. Keep you attitude positive. Look how far you have come from the moment you downloaded this book to the moment you are negotiating a licensing agreement for YOUR invention**.

So just enjoy the Journey and stay positive and keep on doing the work. The agreement will come – either this time – or next time – on the time after that. But it will come.

When it does come and you start getting those royalty checks every 3 months like clockwork in the mail – please remember to give back. A great way is to donate some of your royalty money to charity. Here is the list of the charities I recommended in the give back start up section. They are amazing and I hope you consider them when you start to get royalties from licensing your invention.

Some of them were already mentioned in this book as sources to help you – so please think about giving back.

American Foundation For The Blind

AT Makers

Cerebral Palsy Foundation

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Disabled American Veterans

Invisible Disabilities Association

Lupus Foundation of America

Ms. Wheelchair USA

National Alliance On Mental Illness

National Association For The Deaf

National MS Society

Special Olympics

Spoonie Survival Kits

For your convenience – I have included links to all of the Charities' websites in your Buddy (email me) .

Karma Is Never Wrong

Please give back. Karma never forgets and is never wrong. If you give back from your first success – the odds of having another success go up big time. When you give you get.

So, promise me that you will not just relax and collect your royalty checks – but you will try to invent another very cool accessible product – again – and again.

Or – maybe you will try the other active route and startup and build your own company to bring your new invention to the market.

Then again – maybe you want to be a bit more passive and spend your time being an Influencer. We deal with how to do that – right now.

**********

CHAPTER 11 – The Passive Route - Be An Influencer

As I wrote way way way back at the beginning of the book. There is another way besides the startup and licensing routes that you can use to make the world accessible yourself and make money too. This route is relatively passive. Here, you don't come up with an innovation. Instead – you become an Influencer and get paid by companies to help them as they develop their own accessible products.

By Now – You Are Already Trained To Be An Influencer

Guess what? You are already trained to be an Influencer. All the training and exercises you did to get to your Eureka Moment makes you an amazing Influencer. Your entire training regimen has prepared you to excel as an Influencer.

For example, one of the reasons companies want to use Influencers is to make sure that their products under development are market driven. In other words – that there is a need for those products. HELLO!! Who is trained to spot needs? You! Who is trained to notice needs as they go about they daily lives? Yep – You!

Companies work with Influencers by having them provide all kinds of feedback so they can learn as much as they can from potential users about their current and future products.

Because you read this book – you now understand the big picture and what it takes to go from an idea to the market – making you Dear Reader – a very valuable Influencer.

The problem is that most companies do not even think they should use people with disabilities to help them make their products accessible to everyone. It just does not occur to them. Inconceivable and illogical – but for now that is the reality.

Plus - when companies do want to use people with disabilities to help them make their products accessible to all – they can't find them very easily or cost effectively.

Hopefully this will change. I along with some really cool people are trying to make it much easier for companies to find the best possible Influencers. We believe that accessibility should be built into every single product from the earliest possible stage. We also believe that people with disabilities – visible and invisible need to be involved in this – as early as possible.

So – we have created a new venture that will help companies find the very best Influencers to help them make sure that their products will be accessible for everyone.

I can't go into very much detail yet – but basically we are promoting the use of people with disabilities – both visible and invisible – to help make sure that new products being developed are accessible for everyone. We streamline the process for companies and try to make it as easy as possible for them to find and work with the best possible Influencers.

This is really cool and has been something I and the other people involved have wanted to do for a long time.

The best thing is that it is truly win-win. You win because you get paid to help make products accessible. The companies win because if you are one of the Influencers – they get highly trained Influencers who also have positive, can do attitudes because they read this book.

If you claimed your second free prize you will updated regarding becoming an Influencer. Stay tuned. If you did not claim your Free Prizes or your Buddy by now – just do it – email me – mikohelps@gmail.com.

Now – let's move on to the final chapter of this book and find out if you are going to succeed or fail.

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CHAPTER 12 – Success Or Failure - You Decide

The goal of this book is to get you to make the world accessible yourself and make money too.

When this happens you win and and your journey will have been a huge success. Really??!! NOPE – not even close.

The goal of this book is NOT to get you to make the world accessible yourself and make money too. Success does NOT happen when you do – and you do NOT fail if you don't.

The goal of this book is to get YOU to not be afraid to take The Journey to make life accessible yourself and make money too.

For you to leave your comfort zone and travel through the unknown world of invention, startups, entrepreneurs, prototypes, licenses, cold calls, emails to champions, follow-up, Angels and all the other mysterious things you encounter along the way.

To get you to experience both the euphoria of getting to your Eureka Moment and the agony of getting rejected by Investors and Licensees.

To get you to face, deal with and overcome the obstacles along the way and try to do things you never thought you could or would.

To get you to have the courage to attend the virtual events, to use the help desk and to challenge me when I challenge you.

Most of all – the goal of this book is to get you to start the journey but to never – ever finish it. For you to to keep striving for more and keep doing more to help yourself and to help others.

Your Never Ending Journey

Let's say you make the world accessible yourself, you make some money too and maybe even have an Exit and make even more money – You will have gone on an amazing journey.

But the Journey does not end there – it is not over. Your Journey will continue by you giving back, by you becoming an Angel Investor, or a consultant or an Adviser. Your Journey continues by you mentoring others so they can try to make the world accessible themselves and make money too.

Your Journey continues with you trying to make the world accessible and make money too – again . . . and again! You may succeed or you may fail but by now you know that that really does not matter – does it?!

Think back to the beginning of your journey – the day you downloaded this book and started to read or listen to it. How much have you learned since then? How much have you accomplished? Are you the same person as you were when you started? Have you learned things about yourself? Have you surprised yourself? Are you proud of yourself? Are you glad you started this Journey? Of course you are – and the Journey is only beginning.

At very beginning of this book – I told you that YOU ROCK – and now at the very end you know that you are on a Journey where YOU will keep on ROCKING!!!

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About The Author

Hi!

My name is Michael Neuvirth – You can call me Miko. Thank you so much for reading or listening to my book. It was an honor to be your guide and I look forward to continuing to be your guide. Like I said over and over in the book – our Journey together does not end when you finish the book. We will be in contact via email and the help desk. We will interact at our virtual summits and other events.

Plus – I really hope that we meet again when I contact you to be an Influencer for the new venture I mentioned in this book.

Please keep in touch – mikohelps@gmail.com. I am always here to help, chat, listen and learn.

A little bit about me . . .

Family Man

I am a family man – husband and father of 4 wonderful children.

Been There And Done That

\- Over 25 years of first hand experience helping inventors and entrepreneurs

\- Entrepreneur myself who has gone from Patent to Public with valuations exceeding $200 million

\- Licensed Inventions Worldwide

\- Raised money for inventors and startups

\- Developed business plans used to raise millions of dollars and as blueprints for success

\- Director of Start-up Division of an Investment Bank

\- CEO of technology accelerator

Won Some Academic Awards

\- Merit Scholar

\- Summa Cum Laude and

\- Phi Beta Kappa

Entrepreneur

I have my own startup called Accessible DIY that incubates our own internal inventions that deal with invisible disabilities and helps people with disabilities make the world accessible themselves and make money too.

I am also involved in the Influencer project I mentioned in the book where we are trying to make it much easier for companies to use people with visible and invisible disabilities to help them make sure that their products will be accessible for everyone.

I also have a few other ventures in what is called Stealth Mode – we are working "secretly" under the radar. These ventures all have to do with helping people with invisible and visible disabilities create products and startups that make the world accessible for everyone.

Person With Invisible Disabilities

Oh, and by the way - I am also a person with several invisible disabilities.

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Appendix I - Caregiver Training Regimen

Welcome Caregivers – sorry for the detour but you are here so let's get started on your training regimen.

Your Training Regimen

Starting now, you will train yourself to spot and notice needs as you go about your daily routine. This training will lead to your Eureka Moment

The next section will show you how to train yourself and your subconscious to notice needs and make noticing them a habit and a major part of your daily life.

These training exercises are really important. So, if at anytime you do not understand a training exercise or have any questions – please use the help center https://accessiblediy.com or email me – mikohelps@gmail.com

Never forget that I am here to help you and guide you on your journey.

OK – let's get back to the training exercises. For all of them - just try to do them as best as possible depending on your own personal situation.

Write Down, Record, Take Notes Of Problems, Frustrations, Challenges

The first thing you need to do is get a small notebook or you can use your phone, a tablet, a digital recorder - any recording or note taking device you typically use. The act of writing down or recording will help in training you to spot or notice needs as you go about your daily and nightly routines. Eventually your training will turn into a habit and you will start to notice more and more needs – naturally.

From the moment you wake up – until the time you go to sleep - write down or record, etc. the problems, frustrations and challenges you experience on a daily basis. Use these as your guide:

Write down situations where you wanted or need something that just was not there.

Take note of "faults", "limitations", and "drawbacks" in the tools and devices you use in providing care to your loved one.

\- What is missing?

\- Is there a better way?

\- What tool or device could you have used today?

\- What comments or actions did your loved one make about a particular device, tool, product or app you used with him/her?

\- What is your loved one "complaining" about?

In addition, as part of your training you need to think about the following as you care for your loved one and write down or record your observations and conclusions:

If only I had . . .

If only I could . . .

Less Invasive . . .

Comfort for both of you . . .

Simpler . . .

Why not? . . .

What if? . . .

Labor saving? . .

Caregiver fatigue . . .

Burn out . . .

Respite needed but how and when?

There Is Always A Better Way

OK, you get where I am coming from. As you live your life each day - you need to look beyond standard practice and the "accepted", typical way of doing things. You need to question everything and accept nothing. Remember the people who designed and built the things you interact with were probably never caregivers themselves or probably never thought about caregivers when they designed and built them.

In the meantime – keep going through the above thought processes - have fun and enjoy the journey.

Special Creativity Training

So far your training regimen dealt with learning how and what to notice as you go about your everyday lives. Now, let's supplement your regimen by incorporating some very cool creativity exercises. This will help your conscious and subconscious come up with needs that are truly viable – and get you to your Eureka Moment faster and more effectively.

Like the other training exercises – just do the best you can. Remember if you have any questions use the help center https://accessiblediy.com or email me mikohelps@gmail.com

Remember to continue to write down or record etc your responses and thoughts as you do the exercises.

Random Word Creativity Exercise

For this exercise you need to think of any random word and then connect it to the health challenge or disability of the person you are caring for.

As an example, let's assume your random word is sushi (it was mine). Now, think of how all of the characteristics of sushi can be connected to how you care for your loved one.

The point here is for you to try and be creative. There are no right or wrong answers and the answers are not as important as the process of getting to them by doing the exercises.

1. Can your loved one eat the sushi alone or do you have to help him/her? Can your loved one use their fingers or do they need something else to help them? Can your loved one communicate with the sushi chef? Do the sites and sounds of the sushi chef making the sushi disturb or confuse your loved one? Can he/she sit at the sushi bar? Is there a better way for your loved one to experience eating sushi? What is missing from the sushi bar or restaurant that would have made the experience better for you and/or your loved one?

2. How could you improve chopsticks so that your loved one could use them or use them more effectively?

3. Could you take something away from the process of making or eating sushi and still have something that is perhaps even better? For example, maybe you do not even need the sushi mat – maybe it is only used for historical reasons? Because it has always been done that way!

4. If you were preparing sushi for your loved one, what would you have to do differently from the sushi chef?

The point here is for you to try and be creative. There are no right or wrong answers and the answers are not important. Going through the process of coming up with the answers by connecting a random word to the disability or health challenge your loved one faces is what really matters and is what you need to focus on when you do this exercise.

Try to do this at least once a day and if possible using a few random words.

A Bizarre Exercise For You

The next exercise is actually very bizarre – and on purpose. I want you to please try to think of bizarre ideas that would make your caregiving easier by solving an accessible challenge you or your loved one encounters every day.

Write down or record your answers and like in the previous exercise, the answers are not as important as the process of coming up with them.

The Method To This Madness

Before I give you some examples to help you get started - I want you to know that there is method to this madness. What seems to be bizarre on the onset may not seem so bizarre after a bit of further thought.

Once upon a time, the thought of implanting electrical leads and then using electricity to stimulate the brain and spine may have seemed bizarre – but today it is being used for pain management, and to treat Parkinson's and other brain based disabilities. There are also companies working on brain computer interfaces where your thoughts will directly control a device.

Furthermore, the entire concept of creating artificial hips made out of metal or ceramics and then replacing a human hip probably seemed extremely bizarre back in the day, but today hip replacement surgery is very common.

Even more "bizarre" is creating a personal customized prosthesis using a 3D printer. This is something you might have seen or heard on science fiction shows like Star Trek. But, today, as you read or listened to in Chapter 2 - creating an amazing and affordable prosthesis using a 3D printer is becoming more and more commonplace.

Moreover, the concept of using guided missile technology and guidance system software to explore the small intestine is also extremely bizarre but it happened and lead to a major invention and breakthrough that lead to even more inventions. In brief, a rocket scientist specializing in guidance systems had a friend who was suffering harsh pain in his small intestine. The rocket scientist asked himself: What if you could steer a camera-equipped "missile" through the gastrointestinal tract to record pictures of the small intestine?

Seems really bizarre but it lead to the creation of Given Imaging, a pioneer in the creation of pillcams - tiny cameras you swallow like a pill that can take pictures inside your intestine and other super hard to reach places - non invasively. The company made the world better and made a lot of money too. It is now part of Medtronic a 116 BILLION dollar leading medical device company.

Some Guidance For You

So here is some guidance (get it) for doing this bizarre exercise.

The goal is for you to think of bizarre ideas that would make your caregiving easier. There are no rules - anything goes - use your imagination and just free your mind to think. No limitations, no laws of physics or even laws of nature. Just come up with something bizarre that theoretically solves the challenge.

My Bizarre Solutions For Caregivers

How about a way to clone yourself so you can get respite and still provide care?

What about an iRobot type of tiny robot sponge that automatically cleans a person's body by traveling all over and around it. No need to give someone a shower or a bath.

Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa for pills would be uber cool. You could ask the pill what it is for, potential side effects and conflicts and the pill could tell you when it was time to take it and even better if it was actually taken and when!

How about inflatable clothes with helium so you could lift a person in and out of wheelchair, bed or car much, much easier.

OK. You get the point of these exercises. Please take the time to do them. It will be fun and like the previous exercise, your answers are not as important as the process of coming up with them. Trust me when I tell you that this "bizarre" exercise will help you get to your Eureka Moment.

Free Form Exercise

For the next exercise, I would like you to write, dictate, record etc your answers to the question below for at least 10 minutes without stopping.

You need to just keep writing or recording the first things that pop into your head and do not stop for at least 10 minutes.

1. Describe the perfect tools that would make your caregiving better and easier.

Remember – you need to start writing or recording your answer and not to stop for at least 10 minutes. If your mind goes blank then write or record "my mind is blank." But the key is you must keep writing or recording.

2. A bonus question is: Ask Yourself - What device would make me obsolete?

My dear Readers – please write down or record your answers to these exercises and review your answers at least once a day, preferably right before you go to sleep.

Something Really, Really Cool Is Going To Happen To You

As you train your conscious and subconscious minds – something really and I mean really – REALLY cool will happen to you. When you least expect you will have A EUREKA MOMENT! This is the time when you come up with the NEED. When you reach your Eureka Moment you have become an Inventor. Yes, like Edison, Franklin, Marten, Debby, my favorite inventor Sadie, Rick, Fulvio and many others – you will be an Inventor.

It will not happen overnight – it is a marathon and not a sprint. You need to stay focused and stay positive – which is one of the reasons for the positive vibes of Chapter 1.

When you do get to your eureka moment - you will feel fantastic – dare I say Euphoric!! When it happens – you will be even closer to making the world accessible and making money too.

Enjoy this euphoria – it is an amazing feeling.

OK – hope you enjoyed your Eureka Moment. You are making amazing progress – so lets keep the momentum going and continue with the next step in our Journey – and turn that Eureka Moment you had into a product.

Again – sorry for the detour – your Journey continues with all of us in Chapter 4. Please go there now – Thank You. Depending on how you are reading this book – you should be able to just click on Chapter 4 above or in the Table Of Contents.

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Appendix II A Brief Overview Of Patents

Before we get started – let me add a disclaimer. I am only trying to educate you here. I am not providing any legal, business or other type of advice. You will get that when you meet with a Patent Attorney as I discuss in the main section of the book and get his/her advice.

All of the following information was summarized from information available on the USPTO website.

What Is A Patent?

A patent is the grant of a property right to the inventor, issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (or your Country's Patent Office).

What confuses a lot of people is that a patent does not allow you to do anything. It is a Negative Right – it gives you "the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling" the invention in the United States or "importing" the invention into the United States.

There are three types of patents:

1) Utility patents may be granted to anyone who invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof;

2) Design patents may be granted to anyone who invents a new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture; and

3) Plant patents may be granted to anyone who invents or discovers and asexually reproduces any distinct and new variety of plant.

Patented Versus Patent Pending

A lot of people confuse patented with patent pending. Patented means that you have an issued patent. That Patent Office examined your patent application and granted you a Patent. Now, you have the right to exclude others as described above.

Patent Pending means that you have officially applied for a Patent and that your application is pending – it is awaiting approval or rejection from the Patent Office.

Anyone can get Patent Pending if they apply for the patent properly and pay the fee.

Patent Pending does not give you any rights. All patent pending does is put people on notice that you have filed for a patent on your invention.

Moreover, a lot of people confuse patents with trademarks and copyrights. So lets look at each so you can learn the differences.

What Is a Trademark or Servicemark?

A trademark is a word, name, symbol, or device that is used in trade with goods to indicate the source of the goods and to distinguish them from the goods of others. A servicemark is the same as a trademark except that it identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than a product. The terms "trademark" and "mark" are commonly used to refer to both trademarks and servicemarks.

Trademark rights may be used to prevent others from using a confusingly similar mark, but not to prevent others from making the same goods or from selling the same goods or services under a clearly different mark. Trademarks that are used in interstate or foreign commerce may be registered with the USPTO.

Copyright is a form of protection provided to the authors of "original works of authorship" including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works, both published and unpublished. The 1976 Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the exclusive right to reproduce the copyrighted work, to prepare derivative works, to distribute copies or phonorecords of the copyrighted work, to perform the copyrighted work publicly, or to display the copyrighted work publicly.

The copyright protects the form of expression rather than the subject matter of the writing. For example, a description of a machine could be copyrighted, but this would only prevent others from copying the description; it would not prevent others from writing a description of their own or from making and using the machine. Copyrights are registered by the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress.

Provisional Patent Applications

OK, so now you know a little about patents, trademarks and copyrights. Now, let's turn to something relatively new called a Provisional Application For Patent.

Since June 8, 1995, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has offered inventors the option of filing a provisional application for patent which was designed to provide among other things - a lower-cost first patent filing in the United States.

A provisional application for patent (provisional) is a U.S. national application filed in the USPTO. A provisional is much easier to prepare and costs a lot less to file than a "regular patent application". A provisional also enables inventors to establish an early effective filing date in a later filed nonprovisional patent application. Furthermore, it also allows the term "Patent Pending" to be applied in connection with the description of the invention.

According to the USPTO, a provisional has the following advantages over a non-provisional - "regular patent application":

Provides simplified filing with a lower initial investment with 12 months to assess the invention's commercial potential before committing to higher cost of filing and prosecuting a nonprovisional application for patent.

Establishes official United States patent application filing date for the invention.

Permits authorized use of "Patent Pending" notice for 12 months in connection with the description of the invention.

Enables immediate commercial promotion of invention with greater security against having the invention stolen.

In essence – a provisional provides inventors a cheaper and faster way to obtain patent pending status for their inventions. It also gives inventors a year to file a non-provisional patent (the "regular patent") and get the priority date of the provisional.

When you meet with potential patent attorneys – please make sure you ask them about Provisionals. A good sign will be if they bring up Provisionals on their own.

Good luck with your meetings and I hope you find the very best patent attorney to help you.

I cannot give you any advice - legal or otherwise - but I am here to help. If you have specific questions about patents that do not require legal advice – I will be happy to help you – please use the help desk – https://accessiblediy.com or email me – mikohelps@gmail.com.

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Disclaimer

This book and the material herein are provided for informational or educational purposes only, and are not a substitute for any type of advice including professional and legal advice. You should not rely on any information herein for legal, business, marketing or any other type of advice. You should consult with professionals like attorneys, patent agents and patent attorneys, consultants and the like for any advice and before making any decisions. No attorney-client relationship is created by presentation of this information. Any information we provide via our help center, email or via any other channel is only to further the education process. While we believe that the materials herein will help you invent and commercialize your inventions there are no guarantees that this will happen. We have provided sample texts, posts, blurbs, scripts etc as examples and there is no guarantee that if you use them they will achieve your desired purpose. We have provided the information about companies, products and inventions using information available from the respective websites for educational and informational purposes only. There are no endorsements or recommendations given and we have no affiliations with any of them.

We have provided suggested databases and resources to search to see if your invention is out there but the list is not exhaustive. There are other databases and resources you could use and there are no guarantees that your invention is not already out there even if you do not find them in any of the databases or resources. There is no guarantee that even if you do not find your invention via any of the methods described herein that it is not still already out there or already patented or patent pending. We cannot be held responsible for any of the search results.

Copyright © 2019 Michael Neuvirth. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the Author.

Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.
