iQuad

I have a great marketing idea. We all know the momentum behind the iPod. Not only do people buy iPods, now they are buying multiple iPods. Why? They need one for traveling, another for the gym - you get the idea.

And for each of these iPods, they need accessories. So there are cases - silicone cases, leather cases, neon cases, zebra patterned cases with feathers, cases with straps. And there are docks to put the iPods in. There are car radios to hold iPods and boomboxes.

So I'm thinking that those of us who are quadriplegics should try a new tactic to get more products made for us. Why not just call ourselves "iQuad'?

It's catchy and it's shorter than quadriplegic. We can even snap some shots of quads in silhouette in different colors and do some marketing just to get our image out there. Photo after photo: iQuad, blue, iQuad, red, iQuad orange.

Once that becomes more mainstream, then we go for the accessories. You have the iQuad phone, the iQuad computer and software line, the iQuad eating utensils, the iQuad appliances. All designed for those of us with quadriplegia- but how much more interesting to design a product with the brand name "iQuad" than some rehab product for a high cervical spinal cord injury? There's no comparison.

And the highlight of all of this would be designing the iQuad robot - that customized robotic assistant all of us with quadriplegia dream about, who could assist us with the mundane tasks requiring fine motor movement. The profits from the iQuad idea could push research for this robot forward.

How proud all of us would be to wear T shirts with our iQuad logo, knowing that although we may be excluded in some parts of society because of our disability, we are carving out our place in corporate America by exploiting the brainwashed masses who jump at the word iPod - and are assured success simply because iQuad rhymes with iPod! People will purchase iQuad products even though they have no use for them, not being quads themselves. But it will be cool to own anything bearing the iQuad logo.

So prepare yourself . This is going to be big. Think multiple iQuads, not just one. Picture an army of iQuads in Times Square on the big screen.

And remember - when it's cool to be a part of the iQuad movement, we quads will be the real thing.