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The Kenguru is the first electric vehicle to truly put wheelchair users in the driver's seat

kenguru wheelchair car

The Kengura featured on Translogic.

We live in a modern world full of technological wonders. Just look at the way we get from A to B—electric vehicles that need no gas, Teslas that drive themselves … it’s an interesting time to be alive.

And yet, even with all these advancements, transportation remains an issue for many drivers with disabilities. Though many vehicles offer wheelchair access, for example, it can still take considerable time and effort to simply get in and out.

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That’s where the Kenguru comes in.

The Kenguru (pronounced like Australia’s most popular marsupial) is not just another smart car. It’s making a splash in the electric vehicle world for being the very first EV created specifically with wheelchair users in mind.

Instead of multiple side doors, the Kenguru has one large door that takes up the entire back panel. With the punch of a button, the door opens for direct access. No seats, no trunk. Just freedom.

Driving is equally simple. Motorcycle-style handlebars replace the traditional steering wheel, and the company is currently working on a joystick version for those who have more limited upper body strength. There are only three gears: forward, neutral and reverse. And, according to The Next Web, it’s technically considered an electric scooter, meaning there’s no driver’s license required to operate it, making things even more accessible.

The Kenguru only clocks about 25 mph and has a 60 mile range, but speed and distance aren’t really the main point—inclusivity is. With this kind of vehicle, drivers can easily enjoy a quick trip to the store, an impromptu movie, meeting with friends … simple pleasures that are easily taken for granted.

Plus, there’s the Kenguru’s affordability. An article for Startup Selfie reports that where the car is priced around $25,000, buyers qualify for a federal “green incentive,” which offers a rebate discount. Some drivers will qualify for the “vocational rehabilitation incentive,” if the Kenguru is considered a work vehicle. In other words, these vehicles could shoot down to anywhere from $20,000 to a flat zero.

Stacy Zoern, an attorney in Texas, discovered Kenguru after purchasing—then totaling—a fully modified $80,000 van … all within only a few months of having it. Yikes.

Zoern tells Translogic that for some time after the accident, she depended on others to get around. On a whim, she searched the internet to see if the technology had improved over the years. She was pleased to discover that it had.

There was only one issue: The Hungary-based company that developed the Kenguru lost its bank loan and was relying solely on fundraising. But Zoern was so impassioned by what Kengura had to offer disabled drivers, she decided to give them a call, and the rest appears to be a partnership destined for success.

Zoern joined forces with Istvan Kissaroslaki (the vehicle’s original creator) to move the company to Austin, Texas, and has worked diligently to gain investors. By 2014, Kengurus were fully produced in the U.S. You might have already seen one cruising nearby.

And beyond supply chain challenges (not having the funding to build enough cars for such a heavy demand), Zoern says that the plan is for Kenguru to go worldwide, with dealerships in Spain and Germany showing interest.

This is an exciting example of how technology can help connect us—all of us—to life, and make the world a better place.

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Easy (and free!) ways to save the ocean

The ocean is the heart of our planet. It needs our help to be healthy.

Ocean Wise

Volunteers at a local shoreline cleanup

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The ocean covers over 71% of the Earth’s surface and serves as our planet’s heart. Ocean currents circulate vital heat, moisture, and nutrients around the globe to influence and regulate our climate, similar to the human circulatory system. Cool, right?

Our ocean systems provide us with everything from fresh oxygen to fresh food. We need it to survive and thrive—and when the ocean struggles to function healthfully, the whole world is affected.

Pollution, overfishing, and climate change are the three biggest challenges preventing the ocean from doing its job, and it needs our help now more than ever. Humans created the problem; now humans are responsible for solving it.

#BeOceanWise is a global rallying cry to do what you can for the ocean, because we need the ocean and the ocean needs us. If you’re wondering how—or if—you can make a difference, the answer is a resounding YES. There are a myriad of ways you can help, even if you don’t live near a body of water. For example, you can focus on reducing the amount of plastic you purchase for yourself or your family.

Another easy way to help clean up our oceans is to be aware of what’s known as the “dirty dozen.” Every year, scientists release an updated list of the most-found litter scattered along shorelines. The biggest culprit? Single-use beverage and food items such as foam cups, straws, bottle caps, and cigarette butts. If you can’t cut single-use plastic out of your life completely, we understand. Just make sure to correctly recycle plastic when you are finished using it. A staggering 3 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans annually. Imagine the difference we could make if everyone recycled!

The 2022 "Dirty Dozen" ListOcean Wise

If you live near a shoreline, help clean it up! Organize or join an effort to take action and make a positive impact in your community alongside your friends, family, or colleagues. You can also tag @oceanwise on social if you spot a beach that needs some love. The location will be added to Ocean Wise’s system so you can submit data on the litter found during future Shoreline Cleanups. This data helps Ocean Wise work with businesses and governments to stop plastic pollution at its source. In Canada, Ocean Wise data helped inform a federal ban on unnecessary single-use plastics. Small but important actions like these greatly help reduce the litter that ends up in our ocean.

Ocean Wise, a conservation organization on a mission to restore and protect our oceans, is focused on empowering and educating everyone from individuals to governments on how to protect our waters. They are making conservation happen through five big initiatives: monitoring and protecting whales, fighting climate change and restoring biodiversity, innovating for a plastic-free ocean, protecting and restoring fish stocks, and finally, educating and empowering youth. The non-profit believes that in order to rebuild a resilient and vibrant ocean within the next ten years, everyone needs to take action.

Become an Ocean Wise ally and share your knowledge with others. The more people who know how badly the ocean needs our help, the better! Now is a great time to commit to being a part of something bigger and get our oceans healthy again.

The fascinating reasons why anger and irritability may be disguising your depression

Sometimes anger is hiding something bigger than a fleeting emotion.

Therapy in a Nutshell|YouTube

How anger and irritability can disguise depression

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But sometimes anger is hiding something bigger than a fleeting emotion. Emma McAdam, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and host of the YouTube channel, Therapy in a Nutshell, posted a video explaining how anger and irritability can actually be a symptom of depression.

The video really breaks down how the media portrays depression versus some of the lesser known symptoms of depression. When people think of depression, they often imagine someone that's extremely sad all the time and struggling to do basic skills. But depression can show up hidden behind other symptoms like irritability, insomnia, loss of appetite, and lack of focus.

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Americans share the top 13 things foreigners should avoid when visiting the U.S.

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via RDNE Stock project/Pexels, Neal Wellons/Flickr and Karolina Wv/Pexels

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The U.S. is a melting pot of diverse cultures, histories and landscapes, creating a rich and complex national tapestry that takes time and travel to truly comprehend. Heck, even Americans ourselves have a hard time understanding each other from time to time.

It's a place where every state can feel like its own little world, each with its own traditions, accents and cuisines. So, it’s understandable that when many people from around the world visit for the first time, there are some things they probably wished they had known ahead of time.

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