Company:  BlueSky Designs     Field/Industry: Product Development focused on accessible technology   Product/Service: Developing assistive devices with universal appeal   Products:  Freedom Tent, Garden Rocker, TV/VCR Remote and more ...   Mission Statement: BlueSky Designs applies ergonomics and universal design to develop products that address the needs of people with and without disabilities – at work, at play, and at home. The resulting products make activities easier for, and more accessible to, everyone.

Brief History: Founded in 1997 by Dianne Goodwin, BlueSky Designs is in the business of developing products for people of all abilities – Universal Design. The company began as a custom design provider and in 2002 evolved into a product development organization. The reason for the transition: to benefit more people. Aside from reaching more people, BlueSky products also became “more affordable and more available, [providing] more functional technology for everyone.”   The hard work and dedication of BlueSky Designs has resulted in several awards: National Institutes of Health Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Award, for Accessible Mounting and Positioning Technology for Increased Independence; Department of Agriculture SBIR Awards, Independently Accessible Tent Technology, and Accessible Watercraft Transfer Mechanism, Department of Education SBIR Award, Independently Operable Device Mounting and Positioning Technology for Persons with Disabilities;

Minnesota Inventor's Network, Best New Products of 2003 (August 2003) for the Garden Rocker; and Oasis Balance Grant for Women Entrepreneurs (January-July, 2003), to name a few.   BlueSky Designs is not a manufacturer.  Instead, BlueSky seeks out manufacturing partners and provides access to innovative technology to create the opportunity to “focus on developing and licensing products that can help people do what they want to do.”

Future Goals:  BlueSky Designs hopes to have several new products on the market in the next three to four years, including: an accessible vestibule that can be attached to a variety of tents or vehicles; wheelchair and bed mounting hardware that people with limitations in strength and dexterity can move independently; a watercraft transfer mechanism to make it easier to get into and out of boats; and a powered mounting system which can be repositioned by voice or switch input.   New ideas are welcome, so they invite you to contact them with needs and ideas         http://blueskydesigns.us   Location: St. Paul, Minnesota       © 2005 J Carlton Media LLC

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