If the story of Diego has made you think and you also want to help this cause to change the world
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There are experts in math that are denied to the language and genius of the businesses that never get work without the help of a scarf. There are people who, by much practice, they never sing a song without a tune, and there are other unable to be sorted by a lot to propose. As we all have skills, we also have constraints that prevent or hinder the development of certain activities or skills. As pointed out by the partners of Timpers, it means that, somehow, we all have our disabilities. The question is where we place the importance: of what what we have or what we lack?
In Timpers are very clear: “Matter much, much more to our abilities than our disabilities.” He says it with total conviction, Diego Soliveres (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1980), a partner and co-founder of the it considers to be “the brand of running shoes more inclusive of the world”. Their eyes do not allow him to see, but when you touch the battery it sounds like Roger Taylor, their social skills are those of a born leader and, although until recently I did not know, has an extraordinary ability to design through touch. Diego has a visual disability of 75%, but many would like to be able to enjoy the same vision that he has about life.
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a Very good family! Do help us to share this????? And it is that today I am Diego at the controls of the social networking because I had an inner doubt that I want to share, and that is that a few days ago we took out an ad that we flipa, it is more, and if ye shall see the outtakes I partiríais of laughter. And the thing is that we have had several comments about how we could take a blind person to advertise laughing at him. (me????) And nothing, we just wanted to publish it to all of our followers to see that the only thing that we want is to normalize a situation that should be normalized already, and as, with our touch of humor, What would life without humor? What do you think of you? From our point of view, there is nothing better than to laugh at yourself, and if not to us, tell us, the football team when we travel there, and “see you soon” and “I’m going very blind,” van alone. PD: thank you very much to all of you for the 5000 followers we have managed to do anything. You are the milk! ????
employment Opportunities beyond coupon
Although each time there are more people with disabilities with university degrees, plenty of prepared for entering the labour market, Diego reminds us that, to this day, of the 1.8 million people with disabilities in working age than there are in Spain, three out of every four does not.
He began to study Law at the University of Alicante, but his dream was always to pursue music, so when he learned that he could earn a paycheck by selling coupons, not think twice. With what you got savings he bought his first battery, and was part of a group tribute to Queen, one of the projects that you are most proud. But as his future in music has not finished curdle, he resumed the occupation, and offered to the ELEVEN.
One of the stereotypes most damaging about the blindness that still survives in our day is the belief that people with visual disabilities are limited to a short list and specific jobs to perform. In this sense, Diego always refused to be typecast and the sale of coupons was not his own. He was looking for something different, even if by that time, I never imagined that I would end up becoming an entrepreneur.
Diego, checking the material and the sensations of one of the shoes produced by Timpers. We are 5
a football team in a family of entrepreneurs
“I Missed doing things in a group, the provide, the rowing with people.” And as the sport he had always liked, decided to try with the football. Was on the Soccer team 5 for the blind of Alicante where he was able to regain the illusion of working with others for a common goal: “I felt so well that, from that first workout, I already told you that if you accepted me I was already one more, which even I thought so, I felt like eating the fences and be a package, that I was more happy than anything else.”
His companions gave him the nickname of Marconi, the inventor of the radio, and it is easy to understand why: Diego sends out a wave can carry both energy and optimism to all corners. Aitor Carratalá, the coach of the football team and now his partner in Timpers, recalls that when the team won the league, Diego became “the speaker, to what Pepe Reina”. For his part, Robert Mohedano, the third partner of the company and guide the team, describes him as “a whirlwind that will not stop”.
they Were, Aitor and Roberto, who put in front of Diego the unexpected opportunity that today he devotes his life: “Had done some running shoes and wanted on the computer they were to give our opinion on what we liked and, by the way, why not say it, encasquetarnos running shoes to us”. Not sold many pairs, but they managed something better: “they Were so surprised of our way to appreciate the running shoes, of the little importance that had the view and the lot that had the touch, that they decided why not make a model designed by blind people through what they touched with her fingers,” recalls Diego.
From left to right, Robert Mohedano, Diego Soliveres and Aitor Carratalá. We are 5
Along with some other players, they designed a first model that won several competitions of entrepreneurship and, without realizing it, Marconi became part of the team Timpers as a partner, designing shoes and taking part of the communication of the company. “We are a whole, like a football team or as a music group,” points out Diego. “We started together, sharing a dressing room, then as partners, and beginning with the project, and now we live the three in Valencia, we are flatmates and about the family of the other”.
touch at the service of design
Diego is drawing thousands of letters of materials, detecting those that arouse feelings. The goal is to “get contrasts of materials and textures at the same time that contrasts of strong colors, so that those people with low vision, the shoe is both attractive and accessible”. One of his favorite models is made up of cork and felt-green, because it reminds him of the field days that he spent in the village of his grandparents: “The felt seems like hierbecita, vegetation, and the back of the cork seems to be entirely the trunk of a tree. The touch of this shoe, it really transmits that: nature.”
The laces are round so that they are easier to tie, and the logo, as it could not be of another way, it is stitched in emboss in braille. In addition, Diego is in charge of writing with a machine, the sheet material composition and the thank-you letters custom that complete the box.
Your bet is not only to put the touch in the service of the design, but break down stereotypes through his own example: “people always talk about integrating people with disabilities, but when you integrate you’re already assuming that there is something excluded or something different. What we need to be clear on is the idea of normalizing. And for us, the shoes are a vehicle to achieve such standardization. We have managed to create the binomial blind-fashion and sure that the moment will come when you will see normal”. What a blind person designed running shoes? Taking into account their skills, should be the most normal thing in the world.
Diego, on the football field where he met his business partners. We are 5
we All have our disabilities but, luckily, we also have the knowledge that make us unique and useful in different areas. The key is to have the opportunity to carry them out, discovering that, maybe, what ever we will do is not as essential as what we can share. “I think the people who see perfectly well what focuses all too much on the view, and it is true that you may forget a little of the other senses, but it also happens in other aspects, both at the touch of a shoe as with things a lot more profound as it may be a prejudice. I’m not going to judge never to anyone for a physical, for example. Gives you some different perspective of the world,” says Diego.
But for now prefer to invest all profits into growing your company, in Timpers have clear that they can’t “live on charity and have to live the quality”. Sponsor the football team that gave birth to the brand by providing them with the equipment, ride and dream of dressing one day to the selection paralympic. In the words of Diego: “Timpers has a double value, because it can be our way of life, but at the same time a project that really helps and brings value to the society. I count that and I’m getting the creeps. We want to keep fighting for this truth one day explode and take off”. Do we help them?
Content adapted from the video of Diego
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00:00
(Diego) Can you Imagine a blind person designing running shoes? Diego stopped selling coupons and now is a partner of Timpers, the brand inclusive that puts the touch at the service of design.
00:20
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(Diego) When I was small, my parents realized that I something was happening in the view. I see very little, and what I see is for the right eye and for the left, nothing. He was a normal child, I liked very much the football…
00:35
(Diego) When I started at university, I discovered that the ELEVEN had a mode that was for sale coupon for students and I decided to get to be able to buy my battery and be able to start my greatest illusion, that was the music. All life I will remember with enthusiasm-a tribute to Queen that I put together myself, and I’ll remember him with love and affection super special.
00:59
(Diego) As the sport I have always liked it very much, I decided to try football for the blind totals. Feel within a group, knowing I was going to contribute, that was going to be important to convey mood, make costumes… I felt so good that from that first workout I already told you that if you accepted me I was already one more, which even I thought so, I felt like eating the fences and be a package, that I was more happy than anything.
01:23
(Diego) When I started to train with the team I met Aitor and Rober and then the relationship was a trust and a friendship plenísima. Aitor and Robert took a team training sneakers designed by them, and they wanted the team to see them and give our opinion about what we looked like. And they were so surprised of our way of appreciating the shoes that are wondered why not make a model of running shoes designed for the blind people in the computer through touch.
01:53
(Diego) Timpers we are a company dedicated to the marketing and design of running shoes for blind people through touch, and to all the world. Our running shoes are our brand in the braille system. Besides we use round laces easier to tie and untie, and more complicated than you make you knots. Besides, contrasts strong colours for those people with low vision find it the shoe both appealing and accessible.
02:21
(Diego) this Is to normalize, and for sure the moment will come when you will see norrnal: “Well look, a blind man does this”. “Ah, yes, well, look, it does.”
02:28
(Roberto) everyone has their disabilities. In the case of Diego, for example, is a visual disability, but that it compensates with work that communication beast. It doesn’t have what a person to be less valid for having a disability.
02:41
(Diego) Timpers for me is a company formed primarily by three friends, and I think that is a project that really helps and brings value to the society. Then I acctto that and I’m getting the creeps.
02:57
(Diego) right Now as there are 1,800,000 people with disabilities of working age and three of every four do not work. And I would love to tell people that you have to realize that they matter much, much more to our abilities than our disabilities, and that if everyone puts their grain of sand, as we move to a world that is completely standardized as to the we want. And if people come to this world with a Timpers placed, the better.
This content has been developed by Yoigo.
