Assistive Technology with The OT Practice Brand Ambassador Alex Lewis
About Alex Lewis and why he formed FLOAT
When Alex Lewis became an amputee, he describes a time that he went to “a prosthetics boot camp” in the US and was told he would require an enormous £4,000,000 in assistive technology over a 25-year period in order to live a full and independent life. Astonished and crestfallen by the eye-watering amount he asked himself, "How anyone could afford this, and how on earth could it cost this much money?"
After a chance meeting at Imperial College leading to his involvement in trialling assistive technology with PhD students, he was surprised to be the only amputee involved. His passion for end-user-led design and innovation led to a vibrant partnership with university students all over the UK and he created the FLOAT foundation (For The Love of Assistive Technology), to bring everyone together and help to create more tools that could make an impact on the ability of amputees to live more independently.
Ukraine Visit with Koalaa to fit prosthetics
Alex and Nate shared how they had recently returned from fitting Koalaa upper limb prosthetics as part of a Red Cross project to assist those injured in Ukraine — which both expressed was a cause where they were glad to be able to provide quick assistance for amputees.
We heard about the background to the creation of Koalaa’s prosthetic and how it is made with soft, comfortable materials and is super-quick and easy to fit. During product creation, Alex and Nate swapped experiences and ideas and the result is a prosthetic that is very affordable, and you can buy it direct from Koalaa. We learned that this upper limb prosthetic is also customisable with Velcro straps and comes with a range of tools options so that you can play sports, bench press, hold pens and more; all designed to improve independence and expand a user’s range of activity. It is available to all ages, with their youngest user being just 6 months old.
For OTs wanting to recommend Koalaa prosthetics, the company provides a peer-to-peer service to help anyone understand how to support users throughout their limb difference journey. About Ukraine, Nate reflected, the company support proved to be incredibly valuable for training volunteers “as those we helped with newly acquired upper limb injuries could get help fast and start to envision how to live more independently once again.”
Koalaa demonstration
It is always fun to be able to look at and feel a new OT product, and those interested in upper limb and splinting for clients were treated to a more detailed OT-focused demonstration after the talks. A feature we noted was that the affordable price point allowed clients the freedom to potentially buy “off the shelf” which is useful for anyone with a recently acquired upper limb injury who wants to get an adaptive aid fast and adds another option for anyone on a waitlist. If a client can get their independence back sooner, and start adaptive OT faster, the opportunity to maintain muscle and limb fitness is greater than if they waited longer.
Pig 2 Pig Sea and Land
The team also enjoyed hearing about Alex’s preparations for his 2024 adventurous undertaking of the Pig 2 Pig challenge over land and sea. Travelling from Cornwall rowing over 350 miles of water and then cycling 650 miles on land – all between two pubs called “The Pig” – in Harlyn Bay near Falmouth and then all the way to Dover. It was clear from Alex’s social media presence and his interview with the BBC news, there were going to be a lot of people following his journey and what a great way to raise awareness of his foundation’s objectives, raise money for charity but also in “proving a point that you can do it if you meet the right people” referring to the team around him who helped make it all possible.
We have since followed Alex’s adventure which started at the beginning of June and lasted for 4 weeks, where he became the first ever quadruple amputee to row offshore across the South of England. Using an adapted rowing boat and handcycle, he camped out along the way in the beautiful English countryside, and visited businesses and schools to share his story. Alex’s desire to complete these challenges comes from a determination to help drive advances in technology which then enables those with limb differences to live as full and independent a life as possible — including an active sporting life.
Alex and his mission to improve independence with "FLOAT"
For 2025, there is a plan for Alex to ski in Greenland. Alex is clear about his mission to expand the assistive technology available to individuals with limb difference and is continually pushing the boundaries of what is possible. His indomitable spirit, sense of humour, and willingness to help by being an amputee involved in trialling new products with their inventors, in turn helps to drive industry innovation and bring people together.
The vision statement for his FLOAT Foundation is: ‘To create and support endeavours surrounding the education, development and implementation of assistive technology globally’.
➡️ To find out more about Alex Lewis and his ground-breaking work trialling innovations in prosthetics visit Alex Lewis Trust the-alff.com
