An endorsement of Greepers shoelaces has appeared in Your Autism Magazine. A brand new review of a top product for children with autism.

Your Autism Magazine

At Living with Disability we have some products we consider our absolute favourites. One of these is Greepers shoelaces. This innovative product range should be celebrated and that’s why we’re glad to see them featured in Your Autism Magazine. We believe in this product and we’re glad to see others do.

Greeper Shoelaces for Autism

Greepers Laces Review

Your Autism Magazine is the quarterly publication of The National Autistic Society for their members. Their latest issue includes a fantastic, helpful review of Greepers. We firmly agree they are a great investment for children and even adults living with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

Your Autimsn Magazine’s review shows off the funky red Greepers Laces but the range is much wider than that. All colours from black to purple to neon green are available. Wearers can match their laces to their personality or simply choose those that complement their outfit best.

The review in the magazine highlights how beneficial Greepers can be for children with autism. It explains that, “one parent said, “these laces are absolutely invaluable, especially as my son – who has autism – gets older. They mean we can choose any shoes he likes and can be confident that he can manage them.”

The review also says “Greeper is a special type of shoelace, it looks like a regular bow-type shoelace, but will never come undone. The laces are threaded through a central aperture with four stoppers positioned in strategic places. They can easily be loosened or tightened by the wearer or their parents”.

With glowing reviews it’s clear that Greepers are on the up. Hopefully this feature in Your Autism Magazine will further their uptake and widen their appeal.

Benefits of Greepers for Children

Greepers Laces Full Page

Greepers Laces can be great for children who have difficulty getting to grips with regular laces. They appear identical so there’s no stigma and they give children with disabilities much-needed independence when choosing footwear.

Greepers are universal as the parent above said, they can be used with any shoes of your choosing. They’re also a great solution for children who have that annoying habit of repeatedly untying their shoes. With Greepers it simply isn’t possible.

Your morning routine rush will be halved as the stress of shoelaces is removed. They are a better option than Velcro or elastic-laced shoes as the level of support is much better. We’ve looked previously at the differences between Greepers and Elastic Laces and it is pretty clear which comes out on top.

We’re always pleased when one of our favourite brands receives media coverage. Therefore we are really happy for Greepers and their appearance in Your Autism Magazine.

These are fantastic I bought them for my son who is partially sighted and has Asperger’s syndrome so getting dressed can be tricky for him but tying laces impossible! Now I have found these he had more choice for shoes and trainers and these were for his beloved boots he wears to Uni all through the winter! Fantastic invention thank-you x

Recent feedback for Greepers Hikers Laces.

Inventor of Greeper Laces gets Facebook Feedback for how useful they are for children

Peter Greedy who originally invented Greepers for his own children, gets regular feedback from parents with children with autism.

The wider appeal of Greeper Laces

As we have said before, the great thing about Greepers is that they are also used by top sports people, so children can emulate their heroes too! This month also saw Greepers worn by Lucy Gossage winning Ironman UK in a pair of purple ones! This is such a fab pic we had to share it here!

Lucy Gossage winning Ironman UK wearing a pair of purple greeper laces!

UPDATE: Greepers Still in the Lead Triathlon 220 Magazine

As we mentioned above, Greepers are the best laces for athletes and have just been recommended again in the 220 Triathlon Magazine’s new edition (April 2014). They have a feature “Race Day Kit” essentials and Greeper Laces are one of the chosen products and given the top rating and the award BEST ON TEST.

Greeper Laces in Triathalon 220 Magazine

Greeper Review BEST on TEST feature in Triathalon 220 magazine

The review reads:

“We’ve tested Greeper Laces before and, despite fierce competition from French outfit Xtenex and their bobbly efforts, in our eyes – and on our feet – the UK product continues to lead the way.For those new to tri or 220, the traditional lacing system is replaced with a brilliant mechanism that requires no tying. Simply guide the Greeper through eyelets in reverse before clamping in place at the toe end via a miniature plastic connector. Back at the tongue end the ingenious toggle requires a gentle tug of its protruding loops to tighten. Pull the toggle to ease pressure.

Sprinkling your shoe with talc and a modicum of practice will have you T2-ing faster than ever before. But, more importantly, your foot feels secure – unlike other systems that can leave your foot slipping about like Bambi on ice.

Verdict: Still the leader of the triathlon lacing pack. 93%.”

Final top tip. Buy some @GREEPER_LACES. Cheap, keeps your feet secure, won’t come undone & % goes to charity!

— Chrissie Wellington (@chrissiesmiles) April 3, 2014

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Purple Day was founded in 2008, and is celebrated each year on March 26th

International Purple Day: Raising awareness of epilepsy

Purple Day is a worldwide event dedicated to raising awareness about epilepsy. Since Canadian Cassidy Megan created Purple Day in 2008, March 26th has seen people from across the globe join together for the cause.

Supporting Purple Day can be as simple as wearing an item of purple clothing. However many organise events to not only raise money for epilepsy charities, but to give people a chance to discuss epilepsy and meet others with the condition.

600,000 UK people living with epilepsy

Purple Day offers fantastic support for those who suffer from epilepsy as well as their families and friends. There are currently over 600,000 people in the UK who are living with epilepsy. Yet despite these numbers the condition is still often misunderstood by the public. 1 in 10 people will have a seizure  at some time in their lives.

Epilepsy is a condition that is characterised by seizures. A seizure is caused by a disturbance of electrical activity in the brain. This can then can manifest itself physically

Cassidy Megan – founded Purple Day to raise awareness and dispel the myths surrounding epilepsy

in a number of ways. Seizures can be mild or severe. A mild seizure can cause brief loss of consciousness and loss of muscle tone. However more severe seizures  can leave the sufferer totally unconsciousness and their body stiff.

Do and Don’ts for Seizures

If you are with someone and they are having a seizure that causes jerky body movements (know as a  tonic-clonic seizure ) you should do the following:

• move them from anything that could cause them injury, such as a hot stove or away from traffic
• note the time of that the seizure began, this can be important for medical treatment later. Try and time the seizure.
• rest their head on clothing or a cushion if they are on the floor
• help them to breathe by loosening ties, scarfs or other tight clothing around their necks
• when the convulsions begin to stop, put them in the recovery position by turning them on their side, again keeping their airway open
• reassure them and talk to them gently. Having a seizure causes embarrassment and anxiety. People are often confused when they come round. Stay with them.

Don’t put your fingers or anything else in the person’s mouth, they will not ‘swallow their tongue’ although they may bite it but it will heal and not cause lasting damage. Putting anything into the persons mouth could be dangerous or cause them harm.

When should I call an ambulance?

People with epilepsy may have seizures quite frequently and do not need to go to the hospital each time. Most seizures last less than 5 minutes. The person will usually be able to let you know if they require an ambulance or not. People with epilepsy may have a mediband, sos bracelet or necklace or carry an emergency card to let people know what to do.

You should call an ambulance by dialing 999,  if:

• you know that the person has never had a seizure before
• the seizure goes on for more than 5 minutes
• seizures occur in a series, and they appear to stop, but then begin again
• the person does not regain consciousness or is having difficulty breathing

Dravet Syndrome

Although epilepsy is relatively common in the UK, there are rarer epileptic conditions. My son has Dravet Syndrome which is a rare and life-threatening form of epilepsy that is diagnosed in children. Dravet Syndrome affects around 1 in 30,000 children in the UK. Whilst this is rare, they are around 200 families on our UK Dravet Facebook group.

Many children who are diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome develop normally until they have their first seizure around 3 to 6 months old. After the epilepsy begins children will gradually lose the developmental skills they previously had and find it hard to progress and learn. The developmental issues that occur with Dravet Syndrome can cause delays in speech and language, motor skills and the functioning of the nervous system.

Whether it is rarer forms of epilepsy such as Dravet Syndrome, or common forms – the effect of the symptoms strongly impact upon the quality of life of those that have epilepsy. That is why global awareness raising events like Purple Day are so important in raising funds and over coming the stigma that can come with the condition.

The XL Challenge

A fun way to support Dravet Syndrome charities and epilepsy research this year is to follow David of thexlchallenge.com. David has so far completed challenges including a dip in the sea for New Years Day, fun runs, eating bugs in a bush tucker challenge, half marathons and Terror nights!

@4nhq new breakfast at 4n? twitter.com/theXLchallenge…

— The XL Challenge (@theXLchallenge) March 15, 2013

David is doing 40 challenges in his 40th year and raising lots of money and awareness of Dravet Syndrome and epilepsy along the way.

David after a charity run in Cypress

He still has many unusual tasks to complete this year, follow him on twitter, check out his page and sponsor him!

Getting Involved in Purple Day 2013

A pair of fantastic Greeper Laces are on offer to anybody who mentions purple day on their blog and links back to us.

To celebrate Purple Day 2013, we are offering a 10 free pairs of purple Greeper Laces to our readers who are willing to share their thoughts on the event.
Perhaps you’re hosting a Purple Day party, or taking part in a sponsored event? Epilepsy Research UK offer a fundraising pack filled with ideas to raise awareness and bring support to those with epilepsy this Purple Day. From wearing purple to school or work, or even dying your hair purple – like Helen Webster of Salisbury.

Purple Day Laces Giveaway!

We’d love to hear your Purple Day stories or accounts of living with epilepsy. Or even a mention of Purple day on your blog to help raise epilepsy awareness. Simply write a short blog post (at least 200 words) and give Purple Day  a mention, leave a comment below. We will send you a free pair of  awesome ‘once applied always tied’ purple Greeper Laces. (offer limited to UK residents, 10 pairs to give away!) **Sorry Offer Now Closed**

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Having to bend to tie shoe laces can cause pain and difficulty

Tying shoelaces can be a daily struggle for many people. Having to bend and stretch can be uncomfortable and cause pain, whilst also taking an inconvenient amount of time to do so. However, there are gadgets and types of shoe laces to help you avoid this. Elasticated and stretchy laces are the best known solutions, they help you transform your everyday lace-up shoes into slip-ons, to provide comfort and ease of use. How do they work and what are the alternatives?

How Do Elastic Laces for Shoes Work?

The stretch lace fabric of these shoe laces are threaded and tied in exactly the same way as ordinary laces. However, the elasticated fabric provides tension once tied, and it it this that makes sure your shoes remain tight and secure whilst wearing them.
When using elastic shoelaces, you only ever have to tie your shoelaces once the first time you apply them. After this your lace-ups work as slip-ons, permanently removing the need for you to bend and stretch. Eventually they may still come undone though.

Greeper Shoe Laces for Disability

Average elasticated shoe laces can easily break

There are many simplified versions of the elastic shoe lace on the market, most of which offer a temporary solution to the problem.
Cheaper elastic laces can lose their stretch over a short amount of time. Most importantly elastic laces often come undone whilst you’re wearing your shoes. This can make shoes uncomfortable and give you a less secure feeling whilst being worn as well as being a trip hazard!

This is why Greeper have designed an innovative and inclusive alternative to elastic shoe laces. Greepers are designed using high quality traditional polyester laces but have a simple fitting system that provides toggle that prevent the laces ever coming undone “Once applied, always tied”.

Greeper laces are ultimately more durable and comfortable than elastic shoe laces, they give better support as they use traditional laces that do not stretch.

After the initial application, Greeper shoelaces are forever tied. Unlike elasticated laces Greeper shoe laces do not rely on the tension of elastic to keep the shoes fastened. Instead an ingenious toggle system allows you to tighten or loosen the laces quickly and easily, whilst giving you piece of mind that they will always stay fastened.

Greeper Easy Fasten Shoelaces Vs Elasticated Shoe Laces

Reviewers the world over have made comparisons between elasticated laces and the innovative design of the Greeper shoelace. “220 Triathlon” magazine recently voted the Greeper Lace as “editors choice” and many world-renowned athletes champion the Greeper lace over other elasticated brands. It’s fair to say that when elasticated laces are pitted-against Greeper Laces, Greeper “out-run” the competition every time!

The benefits of Greeper laces vs elasticated shoe laces:

• Greeper Laces never come undone – ensuring complete shoe support and comfort, reducing the risk of injury, increasing performance.
• Quick and easy to fasten – Simple toggle system allows you to loosen and tighten your shoes in seconds, without ever untying your laces.
• Fully adjustable – Eliminates overly-long lace loops, provides the ultimate fit and promotes foot health, especially for sports.
• Polyester laces – Elastic shoe laces can become weak and break whilst running – the use of traditional-style polyester laces removes the fear of laces ever breaking or loosing tension.
• Much better support to the foot. The laces themselves do not stretch, therefore the shoe supports the foot much better than laces where the laces are stretching during movement.

Time-saving Sports Laces

Caroline Steffan – ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championship title-holder, wearing Greeper Laces.

One of the other pros of Greeper Laces is the time-saving aspect. Greeper Laces benefit from allowing you to quick-tighten your laces. If you are the sporting type, enjoying competitive sport – Greeper Laces can knock much needed seconds off you run-time.
The lace lock system allows super-swift lace tightening and the secure fitting provides security throughout your run.
This eliminates the need to stop-start to fix loose laces, and stops extra foot movement that often happens using elastic laces.
Once you have set up your Greeper Laces properly, they will help to shave those precious pit-stop seconds off your run time. Endorsed by Ironman Champion Chrissie Wellington on Twitter:

Final top tip. Buy some @GREEPER_LACES. Cheap, keeps your feet secure, won’t come undone & % goes to charity!

— Chrissie Wellington (@chrissiesmiles) April 3, 2014

We’ve found a review on amazon by a customer who purchased Greeper Laces for her sports-loving husband:

Bought these for my hubby as he is a keen triathlon competitor. Just what he required to save himself a few valuable seconds… Thank you.

Greeper Always Tied Shoelaces Used by Everyone

Although championed by professional athletes and amateur sports fans alike, Greeper laces are an affordable inclusive design that can be used by anyone.

The bright colours and design of the Flats range of Greeper Laces are ideal for children’s shoes

Greeper laces come in a number of different styles and colours. The “Sports” design being perfect for all types of athletic sport-shoe and the “Hikers” design ideal for more outdoor-style footwear and activities.
The designers at Greeper understand the need for an everyday, easy to apply lace for  everyone, including people with impairments or disability. That is why they have produced a number of non-sport styles to assist those who simply need a lace solution for work or school.
The “Execs” and “Flats” ranges are the ultimate in inclusive design. These can be worn with smart dress-shoes, school shoes or trainers, yet still providing the same comfort and security of the more athletic designs.

Stay Tied Laces For Children

Many parents find the white and black sports or exec laces ideal for children at school. It removes the need for children to retie their laces or the danger of the shoes coming off or even being taken off (!) by children with disabilities or behavioural problems.  Like this recent feedback from Amazon: “bought these for my son who has autism and struggles to tie laces and they are perfect as he can do them on his own making him as independent as possible.”

For more information about Greeper Laces please see our previous post.

An extensive range of Greeper laces are available for purchase at Trabasack.com

@trabasack They are great, but if you find fiddly things hard, you’ll need help setting them up, once on, amazing!

— Rob (@GingerRob) February 23, 2013

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Searching for “Disabled Shoe laces “? Greeper laces are always tied, useful for top sportsmen and people with disabilities a truly universal design.

With the Paralympics coming up we thought we would feature a neat gadget used by top athletes like World Ironman Champion Chrissie Wellington MBE.

Shoelaces as used by top sportswoman Chrissie Wellington MBE

At Living With Disability we were really excited when we first heard about greeper laces as we realised the difference they could make to so many lives. You see, Greeper Shoe Laces carry the tagline ‘One Applied, Always Tied’ and you can adjust, loosen or do anything you need with your shoe laces without every needing to tie and untie them. This really is an innovative, yet simple creation which we had to share.

There are many groups of people living with disabilities who can significantly benefit from Greeper Shoe Laces. Firstly, we thought of those living with a range of learning disabilities which have made tying shoe laces very difficult. In the past, many people living with certain learning disabilities were seen only wearing Velcro shoes but with Greeper Shoe Laces, the range of shoes to choose from is wider and more accessible. Secondly, Greeper Shoe Laces are a great idea for children with autism who frequently remove their shoes, as there’s no need to retie and they can be put back on in seconds. We also believe Greeper Shoe Laces would be a great idea for anybody living with painful conditions such as arthritis which make bending and stretching difficult. You can simple slip your shoes on and off and the laces remain tied. People who are overweight or have back pain can also benefit as the laces remove the need for bending of reaching down to retie them during the day.

Once applied they stay on all day long

Greeper Shoe Laces require a little initial fitting but once it’s done, they’re there to stay. They come in a huge range of colours and two different lengths, so you can fit them in your trainers or boots. The really ‘inclusive design’ wow factor is the fact that they can be used in any shoes or training boots, removing the need to find expensive specialist footwear and allowing athletes to choose the absolutely most suitable shoes for the event. They’re a great help and remove one more of those pesky daily tasks which can become a difficult chore. This informational video shoes exactly how Greeper Shoe Laces work:

Range of Greeper Laces

There are several styles in the Greeper lace range. No matter what the occasion or task, there is a Greeper lace in a style and colour to fit your needs and tastes.

Sports Greeper laces in Neon Pink

Sports Greeper Laces

Greeper Sports laces are ideal for all types of sports shoes. Whether you enjoy tennis, running or golf; the Sports range are an oval type like the ones usually included with running shoes. They are also perfect for school shoes such as smart footwear or plimsoles used for gym.

Sports Greeper Laces are available in the following colours:

• Neon Green
• Purple
• Red
• Neon Orange
• Yellow
• Blue
• Black
• Neon Pink
• White
• Grey

Beige and Brown Hiker-style Greeper Laces

Hiker Greeper Laces

Greeper Hiker Laces are ideal for outdoor hiking and walking boots. They are longer than any of the other styles (150cm). This allows for the extra length needed when threading through the eyelets of boots. Greeper Hiker Laces feature a durable yet lightweight nylon toggle with high tension springs. This ensures that your laces will stay tight no matter the incline or conditions.

Hiker Greeper Laces are available in the following colour combinations:

• Purple/Black
• Brown/Black
• Beige/Brown
• Black/White
• Pink/Purple

Smart and stylish – Black Greeper Execs laces

Execs Greeper Laces

The Execs range of Greeper Laces are a stylish and formal option for smart shoes and occasions. Perfect for classic men’s shoes, business footwear and both girl’s and boy’s school shoes.
Execs Greeper Laces are available in either Brown or Black.

Modern and Fresh – The Greeper Flats range in Orange

Flats Greeper Laces

The Flats range of Greeper Laces are most popular amongst younger sporting-types. They are 10mm wide, flat laces that are usually found in less-formal sports footwear. They are ideal for pumps and “Converse” skater style footwear, and are available in with either the SureGrip or Sports toggle.

Flats Greeper Laces are available in the following colours:

• Pink
• Black
• White
• Red
• Purple
• Orange
• Brown

Thomas the Tank Engine Greeper Laces for Children

All children will struggle to learn how to tie their own laces, however for a number of children with fine motorskill issues, SEN and autism – this can be a frustrating new skill to learn, and may cause a lot of stress to both the child and care-giver when it comes to putting on their shoes. Greepers are ideal for children who struggle to fasten their own laces, and Greeper have designed an extra-special fun pair of laces featuring the most famous train in the world – Thomas the Tank Engine himself!

Officially endorsed by the NAS (National Autistic Society), these Thomas-themed Greepers are perfect for children who often remove their shoes when out and about, as the “stay tied” functionality means shoes can be quickly placed back on feet without having to retie the laces. For every pair of Thomas the Tank Engine laces sold, Greeper make a contribution to the NAS.

At Living with Disability we are particularly excited about this product because it really is a brand new idea and something we think thousands of people could benefit from. If you’re interested in making a purchase, please checkout the range of Greepers available from Trabasack.com

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