International Women's Day 2023, like the ones before it, is a festival of female success. On this day the world rightly turns the spotlight to the feats accomplished and leadership demonstrated by women. The world is finally taking real steps towards true gender equality, and events like International Women's Day 2023 (and of course its predecessors from previous years) have been instrumental in driving that change. As a female-led business it only feels right that we mark International Women's Day 2023, in some way, and we'll share our plans for that with you below...
How ExpHand are marking International Women's Day 2023
In honour of International Women's day 2023 we're going to share the latest chapter in Kate and ExpHand's success, and show how the ExpHand makes a truly lasting difference for girls and boys with an upper limb difference, as well as their families too. That latest chapter of success for Kate and the ExpHand team takes the form of a speaking appearance at the Innovation Women Conference, during which ExpHand’s Kate will take to the stage and share her story of success in what has been known as a field traditionally dominated by men.
More about the Women in Innovation Awards
Alongside attending the Women Innovation Conference, Kate also attended the Innovate UK 'Women in Innovation' awards. These look to find and reward "women with exciting, innovative ideas and ambitious plans that will inspire others". These awards are open to women across the UK, from all backgrounds and working in all fields. All you need is a good idea and a confident proposal, and you could be in with a chance of the top prize - a £50,000 grant to make your proposal a reality. If you ask us, initiatives like these awards are absolutely in line with the aims and spirit of International Women's Day 2023, and we're really proud to be a part of it!
The impact of Kate and the ExpHand
Kate and women like her are blazing their own trail and making their mark as role models, showing each young girl that dreams of being an engineer or a scientist that it is not only possible to choose a path through education and learning and get the job that they want, but that they can also then succeed in that field. However, the impact of the end product of Kate's hard work - the ExpHand - also makes a huge difference to the lives of the children that wear these highly innovative prosthetics.
A limb difference, if handled badly or with difficulty, can be a negative factor in many areas of a person's life. This is especially true if that person is a child - a school pupil surrounded by peers who may not understand the how's or why's of limb difference, and may not be ready for the complex discussions that can explain it. And yet at the same time, making sure that a child with a limb difference has a suitable prosthetic as they grow can also be tough - a source of financial hardship for their family and support network, discomfort and exasperation for the child as they start over with each new prosthetic and learn how to use their arm again.
However, the ExpHand takes away these negative issues. It grows with the child, offering a 'new' prosthetic through adjustment, rather than replacement. One ExpHand is designed to last several years - a span of time during which a growing child may need as many as ten new prosthetics - and throughout that time all that should be required is adjustment of the ExpHand to keep up with the child's growth. Even better, the construction of the ExpHand is sustainable too. Unlike most modern prosthetics, when an ExpHand reaches the end of it's useful service life, it can be melted down, and the PLA re-used to 3D-print another ExpHand for another child!
More information on ExpHand
If you'd like to learn more about the truly inspirational story behind the ExpHand, our website has a great 'about us' page that will deliver the extra information that you're looking for. If you have some questions about the ExpHand or life with a prosthesis that you'd like answered then our 'FAQ' section is the place to go, while in addition to pieces like this one on International Women's Day 2023, the ExpHand blog is also home to some great stories of empowerment and success from important figures in the limb difference community like Alex Brooker and Cerrie Burnell, or Paralympian Lauren Steadman.