We have experience with working with people with disabilities, and are confident that we can find an approach that will work for you. If you have the will, we can find a way. That is our promise to you. For more information, please contact us at your convenience.

Vision Issues

We have experience with working with several levels of vision disability, and have developed techniques that should make it possible for you to weave. Persons with myopia or presbyopia can usually manage well with the correct glasses, increased light, and the proper egonomic positioning for warping and weaving. Those with macular degeneration or other vision limitations can weave with high-contrast fibers. We can show you how to warp the loom with two colors of warp to facilitate weaving. If warping becomes too difficult, we can perform that process for you, and help you identify your weft colors with tactile indicators. Even the blind are able to weave with the right assistance and fibers.

Mobility and Dexterity Impairments

FireWatch Weavers is accessible to persons requiring assistance to manage stairs. The ground floor of our building is wheelchair accessible. This section houses some weaving and spinning equipment, the library, and accessible lavatory. Floor loom weaving classes are usually held on the second floor, which is accessible by two Acorn stairlifts on our internal stairway, but a transfer is required between the two stairlifts. We can easily arrange for classes on the ground floor. A manually powered Quickie wheelchair is available on the studio floor. Users of electric chairs may transfer to the Quickie; users of push chairs may have us move their own chair upstairs for them and transfer to that.

FireWatch offers several table loom models which can be operated by individuals with limited leg mobility. We also have drop spindles and charkhas which are hand-powered.

If you have difficulty grasping or with fine motor skills, we can assist you with or perform your warping, and work with a variety of shuttles to find which works best for you.