Trabasack lap desk bag is an award winning British innovation. Designed in the UK, the Trabasack range is registered with a European Community Design and a US Design Patent.

Established in 2007, Trabasack is a family-run business with a strong regard for ensuring the highest quality standards are met at all stages of production.

The Trabasack range is a blend of modern style with a heritage twist where functionality meets fashion. In collaboration with the company Harris Tweed Hebrides, Trabasack are passionate about preserving the use of heritage materials.

The company is run by Duncan Edwards, with style and design ideas from his wife Clare who created the original trabasack design. They are keen to provide ethical and environmentally friendly products. Whenever possible, components are sourced for their sustainability or created from recycled materials, and all Trabasack business decisions adhere to a strict environmental and ethical sourcing policy.

Trabasack is proud to be part of a group of social enterprises, with our lap desk bags and accessories providing freedom and accessibility to aid social inclusion. Our profits are reinvested, and our mission as a social enterprise is to create and promote, stylish, inclusive and non-stigmatising products for disabled people. Universal design, where disability and impairments are considered at every stage of product development are our goals. We try to use other social enterprises and small businesses whenever possible, and are always keen to develop partnerships with other companies for co-promotions. Since the company started we have met many inventors and designers along the way. Since starting Trabasack, we decided to also bring the best of the products we’ve found to our store – so you will find a whole plethora of innovative products for disabled people and daily living aids all just a click away.

It’s a Family Affair

The Trabasack company is proud to be a family-run business and the original product idea came about to solve a problem in the family home.

Clare and Duncan’s son Joe was born with Dravet Syndrome, a condition which causes severe epilepsy and learning disability. As a former sculptor Clare turned her creative energies into product design and created the first Trabasack as a wheelchair lap tray designed to be safe and easy to use for Joe. Soon the family found others enquiring about their innovative tray and they took the step to make the product commercial.

Clare remains dedicated to her creative roots – with ideas to improve and develop the product range whilst Duncan handles the practical side of things from marketing to ordering and social media.

Social Company Status

The Trabasack Company is dedicated to social media and is one of the few social enterprises who truly recognise the power of the many social media channels. The focus is simple – to get the products out there to as many different people as possible and market them in a way which appeals.

You can find Trabasack on Twitter, Facebook, across many specialised blogs and on Tumblr. Tumblr in particular is a niche social network with millions of users worldwide and it’s a network which many

 businesses are overlooking. Only 5% of businesses have tapped into Tumblr and the Trabasack team are dedicated to showing it works with one of their posts reblogged 50,000 times.

Trabasack products have featured in Britain’s Got Talent duo Brett Domino’s videos and the company founders have been on Radio 2 to discuss the product’s qualities. They have also recently featured in GQ Magazine.

At Trabasack the ethos is very much about being personable and approachable and social media is one way of directly connecting with customers and providing on the spot solutions to their needs.

Design for All

The Trabasack Company has regularly belief in Design for All concepts and how they’ve played a key role in bringing the product to market. As a wheelchair user Clare has a unique perspective when designing and can ensure her products meet the needed of a wider spectrum of users than perhaps other on the markets. Products too are designed with children and those living with disabilities in mind. The company embraces social inclusion and endeavours to design a product range which is fashionable as well as functional.

Award Winners

The Trabasack Company has picked up and been nominated for a number of awards since its launch. Below are a list of accolades the company are very proud to share and display:

• UnLtd Level 2 Award Winner

• BHTA Independent Living Design Award

• enABLE 09 Innovation Gold Award

• Winner Best in Show Enabled by Design Annual June 2010 Able

• Medilink ‘Best Start up’ Finalist

• Trabasack Shortlisted Most Unique Product Mumpreneur Award 2010

• Able Magazine 5 star product rating

• Co-founder of Equip-able Ltd Clare Edwards, shortlisted Stelios Award for Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year

Find Us Online

You can follow Trabasack on Twitter, like the Trabasack Facebook page or visit the Tumblr Blog.

Duncan also runs two popular disability blogs: a gadget review site at LivingwithDisability.info and a general disability news blog with over 5000 disabled followers worldwide.

Level 2 Business Award from Unltd the charity for social entrepreneurs.

Winner Best in Show Enabled by Design. 2010

Independent Living Design Award. BHTA 2009