Guest article: Sunrise Medical on championing accessibility with Morph’s Epic Art Adventure Trail
Morph’s Epic Art Adventure Trail was a revolutionary art trail which opened in London from 19 June to 20 August 2023, championing accessibility in the community, inspired by the iconic children’s cartoon character Morph. Here, Sunrise Medical’s Marketing Manager, Lucy Evans, discusses why the company decided to sponsor two of its own Morphs in the trail and get behind the initiative.
Why did Sunrise Medical want to partner with Whizz Kidz on Morph’s Epic Art Adventure, and can you explain a little more about the initiative?
“Morph’s Epic Art Adventure consists of 56 six-foot Morph sculptures placed next to some of London’s most iconic landmarks and is the first step-free art trail in the UK. The sculptures were covered with artwork, designed by a mix of well-known artists and exciting new talent.
“Sunrise Medical has partnered with Whizz Kidz, the charity for young wheelchair users, for over 15 years and has collaboratively worked together on an array of exciting projects. When Wild in Art proposed plans for the UK’s first step-free art trail, it felt like a perfect opportunity to work towards our mission of improving the lives of disabled people.
“Our partnership aims to show that people with disabilities can live life to the fullest, the same way a non-disabled person can. This campaign highlights just that, showing how inclusivity should be made available for all and how art can bring communities together.”
What kind of challenges do wheelchair users face today?
“In today’s cost of living crisis, one in five disabled children may not get access to a wheelchair.[1] This saddening statistic highlights how disproportionately affected disabled people in the UK are in the current uncertain economic climate.
“We wanted to play our part in making a difference to this and so we partnered with Senior Designer, Sarah Matthews, on the Roll With It Morph.
“For every person who collects this sculpture on the ‘Morphs Epic Adventure London’ mobile phone app, Sunrise Medical will donate £10, up to the value of £2,500, to provide a wheelchair through Whizz Kidz. This initiative will provide a disabled child with the lifeline of a wheelchair – enabling them to live their lives and reduce their mobility challenges.”
What difference do mobility aids make to the everyday lives of disabled people?
“Mobility aids like wheelchairs are an essential piece of equipment which enables disabled people to live their daily lives. They provide disabled people with the freedom and movement that a person not living with a disability often takes for granted. Sunrise Medical is a world-leader in the creation of bespoke wheelchairs and mobility aids that empower the user and improve their quality of life.
“Additional elements that can be included are powered add-ons such as the ‘street jet’ which tailors the device to the user. This enables free movement in urban areas and is a unique and additional element, exclusive to Sunrise Medical, that supplements the range of freedom a wheelchair user can achieve.”
Why did you choose the Roll With It and Rock Star! Morphs as your sponsored figures?
“The Roll With It Morph, designed by senior designer, Sarah Matthews of Aardman Animations, aligned closely with Sunrise Medical’s values. There is a sense of inclusivity and inspiration in the design of the Morph, with real wheelchair users being represented on the figure itself.
“The fun and bold design that Sarah chose provides a vibrant backdrop for well-known lyrics from Oasis that relates to wheelchair users – a twist that will be sure to engage visitors in the trail.
“The location of the Roll With It Morph is also very significant, based at Peter’s Hill, Carter Lane, and outside of St. Paul’s Cathedral, the ramp that zig-zags through the steps is iconic in itself – as well as having the function of being accessible to visitors.
“Our other sponsored sculpture, The Rock Star! Morph, has been designed by Tom Fletcher, founding member of the number-one selling band McFLY. The Morph is a rock star, jamming out to his favourite song and is an eye-catching addition to the trail. Sunrise Medical is delighted to sponsor this Morph, designed by a real-life rockstar, to highlight accessibility at all levels in the wider community.”
What feedback have you received since the trail opened?
“We’ve had an overwhelming response from the public about the trail – it’s really caused a buzz in London! We’re getting messages all the time from families saying how much they are enjoying the trail. It’s brilliant to see so many people of all abilities and ages taking part, and learning about the importance of accessible activities and the work Whizz Kidz does for young wheelchair users at the same time.”
What’s next for this campaign and Sunrise Medical’s partnership with Whizz Kidz?
“After the target number of sculpture collections via the app has been reached, we will donate a wheelchair through Whizz Kidz to a disabled young person who is in need. This is why, if people haven’t yet, it would be amazing to get visitors up to this fantastic attraction and help us reach our target.
“Alongside this, we’re very proud to say we have also donated a wheelchair already to help raise even more awareness to the public and bring more focus to those on the art trail. At Guildhall, you can witness a wheelchair user Morph for the first time ever, alongside four other ‘Mini Morph’ sculptures.
“This particular Morph sculpture is named ‘A Proud Message To You’ and ties in with the reboot of the much-loved animated Morph programme on Sky TV, Morph’s Epic Adventures, in which one of the episodes you can also see Morph in a wheelchair.”
