Ford’s research and development goes beyond the already complicated business of creating vehicles. It looks into all aspects of driving, including having a division dedicated to investigating how driving or riding can be made more practical and comfortable for those with special needs. From there, it created the SupportBelt for breast cancer patients. Benna Ford gives you the details.
Ford states that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes. Unfortunately, that leads to more than 100,000 breast cancer patients having mastectomies every year. Among the many physical and psychological hardships posed by these surgeries, one of them is the pain of using a shoulder harness, which applies pressure over wounds and scarring chemo ports. It keeps many mastectomy patients from wearing their belts or wearing them properly.
One cancer patient interviewed describes how she tried to place a shaw between the belt and herself with poor results; others describe dreading driving and not using a belt at all because of the pain involved.
Ford has dedicated more than $139 million to breast cancer research over the last 30 years, but in this area, Ford figured it could do the work itself. The last thing these patients need is to suffer the increased injury from not wearing a seat belt during a collision.
The project was given to the Ford Human Centered Design team. After extensive research, the team developed the SupportBelt, which is designed to be attached to the shoulder harness portion of the seat belt. At its heart is a comfortable foam core designed to provide comfort over the chest area. Protecting the foam is a leather outer skin, which includes two straps that wrap around the belt and fasten with Velcro. The side that comes in contact with the wearer has soft suede-like surface material, 40% of which is derived from recycled PET plastic from water bottles. It is similar to Ultrasuede and other surfaces used in car interiors that feel like suede but are much more durable and can withstand the wear that vehicle interiors encounter.
To ensure the SupportBelt is available to those who need it, Ford offers it at no cost to mastectomy patients in the U.S. who reserve it. Ford is also licensing the design to allow other automakers to adapt, design, and manufacture their own.
If you are a mastectomy patient or know a patient who could benefit from the SupportBelt, contact one of Benna Ford’s sales professionals. They can show you how to make a reservation and let you drive or ride comfortably again.
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