Independence! 💙💚💜
Introducing nail grooming independence from the new handheld product line - Lil Nipper®
At ClipDifferent, we know joy and confidence come with accomplishing tasks on your own, no matter how seemingly-simple. Because “simple” means something different to each and every one of us.
Which is why we build joy and confidence into each of our products. Whether it’s encouraging your toddler’s independence, helping an elderly loved one maintain their self-reliance, or giving dad a new way to help with the newborn, our nail clippers are safe, easy, and reliable.
So welcome to our world, where each day means a new opportunity to engineer independence, manufacture joy, and send imagination on an unexpected journey.
All with the goal of “Transform Ordinary.”
The innovative handheld clippers are now shipping. Initial supply is limited.
Independence and Disability Pride
July marks Independence Day as well as Disability Pride Month. I was thinking how it is such a coincidence that these events fall in the same month; fitting as well! Independence Day, July 4th, is a celebration of freedom. To me, it symbolizes autonomy and living life your own way. That is exactly what Disability Pride Month (coinciding with the month the ADA was signed into law) is all about, living your life your own way and being proud of who you are. These two things have a lot in common and both have great significance for me.
I was diagnosed in 2006 with Cerebral Cavernous Angiomas (CCM) or Cavernous Malformations. Generically, they are referred to as brain tumors. It wasn’t until I had one in my brainstem removed in 2013 that my disabilities became apparent. I now use a wheelchair and am paralyzed on the entire right side of my body including my right hand. Prior to that, I had an angioma removed from the outside of my upper brain, just over my ear. The surgery was very successful, and the scar was hidden by hair. This didn’t mask the knowledge of what remained in my brainstem, and so I lived with the knowledge for eight years that it could rupture at any time. I often wondered what might happen in the future. The reality is so different from how I imagined things.
When it finally needed to be removed, causing all sorts of chaos when it ruptured, it became very important for me to relearn some independence. Half of my body was virtually unaffected, and the other half was gaining sensation back daily, yet incompletely. Since those early days, even needing a Hoyer lift to move, I’ve learned how to live alone. One of the most important things to me was to be able to accomplish basic hygiene tasks. One of the things I didn’t think I would ever be able to do for myself again was clip my nails. I am trying to think of a similar situation that comes close to waiting for someone to help you clip your nails and I can’t think of one. Suffice it to say, after a week or so of asking, hoping, and waiting, nails can grow faster than you expect causing all kinds of issues. I’ve experienced broken nails, ingrown nails, scratches all over my face and body, and jagged nails that grow long enough they dig into the palm of my hand.
I didn’t see a way out until ClipDifferent came into my life. I (thankfully!!) went to an Assistive Tech Fair where the inventors of ClipDifferent were demonstrating the product. Before they finished talking, I knew that ClipDifferent would work for me. And I was right! Since getting a ClipDifferent Pro, I’ve been able to attend to my own nail hygiene. This is more than a convenience. Not only has it given me independence and the autonomy of time and place to trim my own nails, but it has also given me confidence. I am not embarrassed that a traditional clipper doesn’t work for me. Instead of being made to feel I should ‘figure it out’ and adapt myself to use an antiquated method, ClipDifferent offers a solution for clipping my nails my way. There are times when I break a nail and can clip it on the spot. I can grow my nails a little longer or cut them very short. The days of waiting for someone to help clip my nails are over. I cannot stress enough how grateful I am! I have confidence and pride in myself and know that the future will bring more of the same because companies like ClipDifferent are hard at work inventing new ingenious products.
Disability Justice activist and freelance writer @ frecklesnpunch.com
About ClipDifferent
ClipDifferent, GBC., a registered General Benefit Corporation, is a Minnesota-based family business that believes everyone can have a superior nail care experience regardless of life circumstances. Since the launch of the ClipDifferent Pro in 2018 using the automatic trimming technology, these smartly-designed adaptive nail clippers have given countless people the ability to independently manicure their nails, safely and effortlessly, at the touch of a button. For more information, visit clipdifferent.com or lilnipper.com.