Moving in the mobility world

For almost 20 years the wheelchair manufacturer Magic Mobility has been giving wheelchair users their independence back and providing them with a new lease of life through its innovative and modern range of products.

Magic Mobility is the manufacturer of a quality selection of wheelchairs, from the highly manoeuvrable Frontier V6 and the versatile Jewel V6, to the popular four-wheel drive Extreme X8.

The company was set up nearly two decades ago as a partnership between two young Australian men who had recognised a niche in the market for better quality and more versatile wheelchairs.

“These two guys recognised that there was a demand from people who wanted wheelchairs that could take them to places no other wheelchairs could,” says general manager Jill Barnett. “So they began by creating a couple of wheelchair designs that gave people an off-road ability; but, at the same time, the market was starting to be dominated by cheap Chinese imports.

“The company’s founders knew that wheelchair users needed their wheelchairs to gain back their independence and wanted to address the problem of cheap imports that break all the time, have failing motors and which you can’t get spare parts for quickly,” she adds.

Barnett says that the limited availability of quality-crafted wheelchairs had left many people with disabilities housebound and with the need to return to permanent care.

The introduction of Magic Mobility to the market, in many cases, meant that people no longer required day-to-day care and led to a reduction to the amount of government funding spent on people with disabilities.

A model manufacturer

All of Magic Mobility’s products are individually made in Australia with customers across the world turning to the company due to the quality and lifespan of its user-friendly wheelchairs.

Close to 90 per cent of the components of each chair are Australian made, with all models designed, fabricated, manufactured and assembled at its facilities in Victoria.

“Our competitors make thousands of wheelchairs a month—we don’t even make a thousand a year,” remarks Barnett. “But we have a very strong reputation for quality within the mobility industry, thanks mainly to our customer loyalty and word of mouth.”

The firm has sales agents working across every Australian state and export bases in the USA, the UK, France and Italy, as well as several other global locations.

Magic Mobility’s commitment to customer service is what Barnett believes sets the company apart from its competitors, with each of its wheelchairs customised and configured to suit the needs of the client.

“Our local clients can come to our facility or we can go to their homes, so we are able to measure them and quote them directly, before we design and configure the wheelchair to their requirements,” says Barnett.

“It is a like getting a suit made—we take the initial measurement, cut the cloth, and then the client comes to try it on so we can make any other tweaks and adjustments,” she adds.

“For the global market, we actually have quite a detailed order form, on which the customer can specify their requirements, so we can customise the wheelchair to suit their size and lifestyle.”

Flexible service

With time comes change, but with a Magic Mobility wheelchair the user is left with the assurance that whatever changes they go through, the manufacturer of their wheelchair will be there to ensure the model meets the up-to-date specification requirements.

“After a chair has been delivered the client could change, whether it’s their disability, weight or size,” notes Barnett. “If you buy one of our wheelchairs for a child, their rapid growth could mean we have to start making some modifications to their wheelchair.

“For example, you can buy one of our wheelchairs to grow with the client, so you can start off with basically a common chassis and then you add different seat sizes, leg lengths, armrests and headrests to suit a growing body.”

Australian quality

Magic Mobility’s unique wheelchairs often see it termed as a supplier of mobility scooters, but it is purely a wheelchair manufacturer that builds and supplies a product that is tailored to the specific disabilities of the user.

“All of our products have been tested to an Australian standard for stability and driving ability,” says Barnett.

By utilising its 20 years of experience, the company has brought a new lease of life to wheelchair users across the globe through its unique X8 Extreme all-terrain model. Used most often as a second chair, the model provides the users with a spirit of adventure, allowing them to go off road, climb curbs and tackle rough terrain.

The company is also well known for its V6 range of wheelchairs.

“People use the V6 for just about everything,” notes Barnett. “It is almost as versatile as the Extreme X8 and can be taken on the beach, through mud or over rocks.

“It has a great climbing ability and a fantastic suspension that makes it a smooth ride, and it is very versatile indoors and outdoors, but its users are generally people looking to go about their daily business,” she remarks.

Embracing technology

In recent years Magic Mobility has been actively pursuing a social media agenda in order to raise its profile and also offer its online followers the chance to enter competitions to win its wheelchairs.

“We want to do much more promotional activity through our Facebook site as it’s a great way to link to our users across the world,” Barnett remarks. “We have already held one wheelchair giveaway through our Facebook page and, as we really enjoyed its success, we recently decided to do a second one that we ran for our New Zealand agent.”

Along with an established online presence, another technological advance it has been promoting in recent years is an application for iPhones, which—through a Bluetooth-enabled device—gives wheelchair users the chance to control and use their mobiles through a joystick.

This proud Victoria company is highlighting how strong Australian manufacturing standards are today and, through its unique wheelchairs and personal approach to customer service, it has found itself playing a key role in ensuring that those less able bodied have the chance to live their lives as actively as possible.

www.magicmobility.com.au