You’ve seen the stickers and signs. A little red maple leaf on grocery store shelves. Shoppers scanning labels like detectives. Buy Canadian has become a kind of national call-to-action in response to American tariffs and comments about Canada being a “51st state.”
But what does that mean if you live with a disability? For the SCI community, the conversation around buying Canadian hits differently, because so much of our everyday lives depends on equipment, supplies, and tech. And right now, some of us are thinking hard about where those things come from.
Let’s be honest: buying Canadian isn’t always easy. “Made in Canada” means at least 51% of the production cost is domestic. “Product of Canada”? That bumps up to 98%. Some companies are Canadian owned and operated but sell a mix of imported and local goods. Even knowing what you’re supporting can be tricky.
Then there’s the reality of cost. Many people with SCI and related disabilities are living on fixed incomes or stretching benefits to cover rent, groceries, caregiving, equipment, and medical supplies. The higher price of many Canadian-made goods may reflect quality or ethical production, but it’s not always within reach.
Plus, many of the products we rely on just aren’t made here. When you live with SCI, it can take months or years of trial and error to find what works for you. We love celebrating with peers when they finally find the right catheter to reduce UTIs or adaptive clothing that doesn’t cause pressure sores! But the right product might be imported, expensive, or not covered by funding.
Access is another barrier. Inaccessible storefronts, limited transportation options, and long or unreliable shipping times, can make the feel-good push to buy Canadian start to feel pretty far away.
The point is: it’s not all or nothing. You don’t need to buy 100% Canadian to make a difference. You also don’t owe anyone an explanation for choosing the cheaper catheter or the imported chair that actually works for your body, even if it ships from the U.S.
With that in mind, we’ve gathered a list of disability-related products made in Canada or sold by Canadian-owned companies (some are owned by SCI BC members). It’s not a complete list, but it’s a start.
Note: All businesses and brands listed below are Canadian owned and operated (to the best of our knowledge). Businesses and brands marked with an *asterisk also manufacture some or all of their products in Canada.
- Equipment & Medical Supplies
- Recreation & Fitness
- Technology
- Clothing & Accessories
- Transportation
- Entertainment
Equipment & Medical Supplies
49 Bespoke, in Concord, Ontario, specializes in marketing and distributing custom-made, ultra-light wheelchairs and related accessories across North America. Originally founded to promote RGK Wheelchairs, the company has expanded its offerings to include VARILITE® seating systems, Spinergy wheels, Batec Mobility handbikes, and Loopwheels. By collaborating with leading manufacturers, 49 Bespoke provides tailored mobility solutions designed to enhance user comfort and independence.
Owned and operated in Canada. Chair Stuff sells a range of medical supplies and products, and information about manufacturers is available on their website.
Chair Stuff is not just another provider of Medical Supplies, their personal experience and customer service are what makes this company different from other medical suppliers. They carry a variety of Intermittent, Foley and External Condom catheters, drainage bags, as well as, bowel and ostomy products. Their Featured items include, Sigvaris compression socks, TENS/NMES (+ electrodes), Sheepskin products, PikStik, and Active Hands Gripping Aids.
*Note: Chair Stuff is one of SCI BC’s Provincial Sponsors.
City Wide Scooter offers a variety of medical equipment. Services include wheelchair repairs and mobility scooter sales and repair. They also carry a huge range of mobility aids, including bathroom safety products, hospital beds, stair lifts, and lift chairs.
Based in Winnipeg, Diamond Athletic is a physiotherapy and rehab supply store, offering a variety of products. You can make a “wish list” and pay over the phone or online.
Founded by an SCI peer and now run by parents of a child with cerebral palsy, Discount MediQuip helps people obtain appropriate equipment at affordable prices. This Chilliwack-based business sells products such as wheelchairs, stairlifts, hospital beds, transfer aids, and more!
Based in Toronto, Emer Depot is a one-stop shop for medical supplies in Canada, offering a broad range of mobility aids and other medical equipment.
Based in Delta, Essential Medical Products Ltd. is 100% Canadian owned and operated. Their mission is to bring new, innovative, foam and gel products to market that enhance the lives of both patients and healthcare practitioners. They offer a full range of standard and custom medical products for bedding, rehabilitation therapy and wheelchair applications.
Discover a world of comfort and wellness at Factory Direct Medical. Located in Concord Ontario, their physical and online shops provide a range of medical supplies and equipment, including wheelchairs and accessories, ramps, compression socks, and more!
Freedom Showers in Barrie, Ontario sells a range of wheel-in showers, bath seats, etc. and can advise you on the best options for your bathroom space and care needs. They provide accessible, walk-in or ADA showers, as well as shower pans, seats, accessories and walk-in tubs.
HealthCraft Group is a leading Canadian based designer and manufacturer of fall prevention safety solutions for loved ones at risk of a fall in their living space. Based in Ottawa, HealthCraft sells home safety products such as grab bars and safety rails.
Canadian owned and operated since 2012, HME Home Health has 7 showrooms in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and the Okanagan. With in-stock and ready to ship medical equipment, installation services, they offer wheelchairs, ramps, beds, lifts and slings, safety and pediatric products. They also have a weekly list of clearance sale items.
Home Healthcare Supply provides medical supplies, safety installations, adaptive clothing, and compression garments to Vancouver Island. There is no storefront location; all orders must be made by email or phone. They offer free home delivery within Victoria, and will deliver elsewhere for a fee.
Island Mediquip is an independent business and has been providing quality home medical & mobility equipment in the Greater Victoria area for many years. They also have locations in Nanaimo, Duncan, and Courtenay.
Kanuk Sheepskin Products is a BC company that sells many sheepskin products, including slippers, bed pads, seat covers, and more!
Based in Coquitlam, Lifecare Medical is a locally owned and operated store with medical and home care supplies. They have urological, ostomy, compression therapy, skin, and wound care products in stock. They also carry bathroom safety equipment, beds, walkers, wheelchairs, seating, and many other products.
LifeSupply is one of Canada’s largest online retailers of home medical and health products. They offer a wide range of items from wheelchairs, walkers, and scooters to bath safety gear and wound care supplies at competitive prices. With warehouses across the country and an easy-to-navigate website, LifeSupply provides fast, accessible shopping for individuals, caregivers, and health professionals. Products can be ordered online 24/7 and shipped directly to your door.
Macdonald’s Home Health Care Vancouver is your leading source of products focusing on personal health and mobility. Their team is dedicated to bringing you quality products combined with traditional values and down-to-earth service. Since their humble beginnings in 1926, they have been providing the lower mainland with first-rate products and quality services. They take pride in being one of the leading providers of everything from pharmaceutical products to home health care supplies in Vancouver.
The selection of products includes wheelchairs, lifts and slings, bathroom safety, beds, seating, incontinence supplies, and other mobility aides. They also sell home lifts, ramps and evacuation chairs. Many of their products are available for rent or as rent to own.
Note: Macdonald’s is one of SCI BC’s provincial sponsors.
Everything Maple Leaf Wheelchair makes is proudly Canadian, from raw steel to finished product. Founded in 1993, this family-owned business makes everything from manual and tilt chairs to commodes and custom seating. They handle every step in-house at their Ontario facility.
Medline is one of Canada’s largest manufacturers and distributors of medical supplies, offering a wide range of products including mobility aids, bath safety equipment, wound care items, and incontinence products. While they manufacture their MedLine brand items in Canada, they also distribute products from other health brands. Medline serves both healthcare providers and individuals, with products available through home healthcare dealers and major retailers like Shoppers Drug Mart, Amazon, and Walmart.
Motion sells accessibility and mobility solutions with a full range of medical equipment (wheelchairs, bath chairs, etc.) and products for the home, such as lifts and ramp systems. They have lcoations across Canada.
Based in Quebec, Motion Composites sells ultra-lightweight carbon fibre wheelchairs, designed with input from wheelchair users. Made in Canada, they offer rigid and folding wheelchairs.
Next Level Mobility Lift started out of a simple need for high quality products for less. They understand that life is expensive, with rising costs and no end in site. These previously owned products are all top quality lifts that have been cleaned and reconditioned to operate as if they were new, allowing you to save money. Products are backed by their lifetime installation warranty. They are located in Burnaby but operate across the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
National Seating and Mobility offers a variety of supplies and equipment for rent or for sale, including a list of funding options. They also sell and rent home accessibility products, such as lifts and slings, ramps, home lifts, and vehicle lifts.
Nightingale Medical Supplies Ltd., opened in Vernon in 1980, sells pre- and post-surgical and everyday supplies and services, together with home health products with free shipping over a certain amount. With 8 locations across the Lower Mainland, Victoria, Kamloops, and Kelowna, they are a leading provider of ostomy, hernia belts, ostomy undergarments, compression, breast care, continence, wound care, scar therapy, lymphedema, bracing, and home health care products.
Orca Health Care provides barrier free bathroom design, equipment and installation, including wheel-in showers, bath benches, bath lifts, grab bars, and bathtubs with doors. They have their own contractors in the Lower Mainland and you can visit their showroom by appointment. They ship their products across Canada and have a network of contractors you can work with.
Parsons ADL is a Canadian designer, manufacturer and distributor of over 1,100 innovative home health care products. Because many of their products are designed, manufactured and assembled on-site at their facility north of Toronto, their delivery times are one of the best in the industry. Their products are carried by many medical equipment dealers in BC.
Founded in 2002, Power Plus Mobility designs and manufactures wheelchairs, commodes, and seating systems in Canada. Their product line includes both manual and power chairs, all built with comfort, durability, and user needs in mind. Every item is assembled locally, supporting Canadian jobs and meeting international standards for export. With a focus on innovation and customization, Power Plus continues to evolve its designs to meet the changing needs of clients at home and around the world.
Based in Toronto, Raz Design offers high-quality mobile shower commode chairs with stainless-steel frames, adjustable backrests, flip-up armrests, and a unique Ischial & Pelvic Alignment System (IPAS). Designed for comfort and accessibility, Raz chairs can be customized with a wide range of options, or even fully custom-built. Their new Trakz tub slider system lets users shower over a standard bathtub when a roll-in shower isn’t available.
Regency Medical offers equipment and supplies such as: lifts and slings, bathroom safety products, ostomy care, rehabilitation products, and daily living aids. They also provide rental, delivery, and repair services in Burnaby.
With distribution centres in Barrie, Ontario and Airdrie, Alberta, SCI Supply is a Canadian company that offers free delivery (over a certain limit) and direct billing to insurance companies. The founder has SCI and understands the need for reliable and timely services. They offer urological, incontinence, ostomy, skin care, and wound supplies.
This Ontario store sells and ships a wide range of items to maximize independence and comfort in the home. Equipment includes: toilet seats, household gadgets, cooking and eating utensils, adapted cutting boards, therapy aids, personal grooming items, and many more!
SideStix Ventures, based in Sechelt, has developed the first and only damper shock absorbent crutches with attachable tips for a variety of terrains from neighbourhood streets to snow covered mountains. Researched, designed and tested “by users for users” for over eight years, their design provides joint protection, minimizes vibration to hands, arms & shoulders and maximizes comfort and safety for the user over the long distance.
Spark Adaptive is a BC company that carries the Hippocampe all-terrain wheelchairs, Josi adaptive strollers, TrailRider, and Soundbeam electronic music device. Many of their products can be customized.
With stores in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta, Wellwise is a national chain servicing the needs of Canadians aging or living with a disability. Whether it’s modifying your home, enabling your lifestyle, or promoting everyday wellness, their helpful staff have the knowledge and expertise to help you find the products and services you’re looking for, and even the ones you may not have considered yet. They sell a variety of products, including mobility aids and assistive devices.
Recreation & Fitness
Bowhead Corp designs innovative bikes, wheelchairs, and adaptive solutions for persons with mobility disabilities. The Bowhead Reach adaptive mountain bike is popular among peers and they recently released the Bowhead Era wheelchair. Learn more about Bowhead in Reach the Beach in the Spring 2022 issue of The Spin.
Tara Llanes Industries is a BC-based organization that specializes in adaptive equipment. One product is the Sport-On Explorer, an adaptive mountain bike for people with a range of different abilities. The owner, Tara Llanes, uses a wheelchair and understands the importance of adaptive equipment to live a full and active life.
This BC company sells a variety of handcycles, trikes, and related equipment with personalized service. Varna manufactures the only existing handcycle with front-end pedal wheel assembly that can be attached to a wheelchair.
Need accessible exercise gear that actually fits your space? Meet the Wallgym (which we previously covered in the Spring 2019 issue of The Spin). Designed by SCI peer Antonio Ramunno and made in Kamloops, it’s a wall-mounted workout system built for wheelchair users, offering a space-saving, strength-building solution for staying fit at home.
Technology
Kinova assistive technologies are designed to empower individuals with disabilities to live more independently. From daily tasks to enhanced mobility, their innovative products craftedin Canada include wheelchair mounted robotic arms, arm supports, and eating devices.
Run by the Neil Squire Society, Makers Making Change is a collaborative project that brings people with disabilities together with volunteer makers across Canada. Users can browse an online library of 200+ open-source designs and have devices 3D-printed by volunteers. Examples of designs include a key turner, blister pack opener, and even a wheelchair mounted dog treat dispenser! All you pay for is the cost of materials.
Tecla makes and sells products that make it possible for people of all abilities to control mobile and smart home technology. The tecla-e is an assistive device that gives people with upper body mobility impairments the ability to fully access smart devices and mainstream technology. Tecla is designed and assembled in Toronto, Canada by Komodo OpenLab Inc.
Clothing & Accessories
Adaptive Comfort Clothing is family-owned and based in Vancouver. They design and manufacture all of their clothing locally. Their adaptive clothing products include velcro slippers, shirts with discreet snaps at the shoulders, back opening pants, and more!
Founded by a peer living with MS, Advanced Freedom is an Ontario-based company selling working to change the way wheelchair bags are designed, to make them more functional, and let the user have the ability to be more independent. The HandiPac is a front-facing, two-part, secured and accessible wheelchair bag that’s large enough to carry a variety of goods and designed so that you can keep a close eye on whatever you need to carry. The AccessiStrap uses a magnetic buckle closure to help wheelchair users hold their legs together without losing strength over time.
Peer Chloë Angus’ design company is devoted to excellence and innovation in art, design and fashion through collaboration with Indigenous artists and designers. 100% of their products are Made in Canada and have been manufactured within their own community.
Many peers like The Lap Jacket for staying dry and stylish in your wheelchair. Lightweight, waterproof, and thoughtfully designed, this jacket is a game-changer for rainy days.
Debra Lynn Creations provides a line of adaptive clothing in the Greater Vancouver and Lower Mainland area for seniors and people with disabilities, including women’s and men’s open back tops, pants, nighties, and undershirts, as well as comfortable footwear They will also alter your personal clothes to become adaptive.
Geri Fashions is a Canadian retailer based in Oakville, Ontario that offers Canadian-made adaptive clothing for seniors and people with disabilities. They are focused on providing Canadian-made adaptive clothing to Canadian shoppers. Not only are the majority of their clothes made in Canada, but they also ensure that the clothes are made of quality materials that can withstand repeated laundry cycles.
Established in 2009 by designer Izzy Camilleri, IZ Adaptive was born from a mission to address clothing challenges faced by individuals with physical disabilities. Pioneering the adaptive clothing category, IZ offers stylish, functional pieces inspired by real experiences and insights. From modern basics to groundbreaking innovations like the ‘Seamless Back Pant,’ IZ Adaptive continues to lead with global impact, earning recognition from media, museums, and educational institutions. Embracing growth and innovation, IZ Adaptive remains at the forefront of accessible fashion.
June Adaptive is a one-stop-shop of contemporary fashion for people who live with mobility challenges. Drawing her aunt’s experience living with a physical disability, June Adaptive aims to offer well-designed products that make life easier. Their styles include seamlessly integrated and innovative features, like magnetic buttons and easy access closures, to make getting dressed a breeze.
Koolway Sports is dedicated to revolutionizing outerwear for individuals with disabilities, crafting cutting-edge designs that seamlessly merge style and functionality. They sell Canadian-made customized clothing for wheelchair users, including winter coats, capes, boots, and more!
Silvert’s Adaptive Clothing & Footwear
Founded in 1930 as a small town department store in Ingersoll, Ontario, Silverts designs and distributes adaptive clothing and footwear for men and women, creating easy dressing solutions for people with lowered mobility. Their products include wheelchair pants, open-back tops, dresses, nightwear, sportswear,adaptive footwear, and more!
Transportation
With locations in Richmond, Kelowna, and Victoria, Alliance Mobility Solutions offers a wide variety of conversion accessories necessary to complete your vehicle. They make sure your vehicle is outfitted with the options you need to make your conversion enjoyable, from hand controls and tie downs to foot controls and lifts. Different types of optional equipment allow passengers to fully enjoy the experience. They also offer van rentals.
Sidewinder Conversions can make your van wheelchair accessible. They can add lifts and perform hand control conversions and also have vehicles for sale. Located in Chilliwack, Sidewinder works with the customer to create personalized vehicles that will meet your mobility needs. They also have accessible rental vehicles.
Find wheelchair-adapted vans for sale and for rent (short- and long-term leases) at this peer-owned business in North Delta. Vans have side entry and optional swivel seats for driver or passenger side. Reduced rates for long-term rentals. Winter tires included in winter months. Vehicle delivery available upon request.
Entertainment
AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through the offering of relevant original content.
Stream AMI’s one-of-a-kind original award-winning content anytime, for free on the AMI+ Streaming Platform.
CBC Gem is the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s (CBC) streaming service, offering a wide array of television shows, movies, documentaries, and live TV channels. CBC Gem allows users to stream a substantial portion of their content library for free, supported by advertisements.
Explore the Living With a Disability collection on Gem offering an extensive selection of over 30 films, series, and documentaries centred on disability and accessibility.
Books
The following books are written by SCI BC members, but not necessarily published or printed in Canada. We encourage you to buy from local booksellers whenever possible.
- Broken: A Memoir – Emma White
- Cooking with Cory – Cory Parsons
- Disability in the Workplace: The Politics of Difference – Jon Breen
- Fallen: A Trauma, a Marriage, and the Transformative Power of Music – Kara Stanley
- The Inventive Adventures of Oonga Frank (children’s book) – Jon Breen
- Las Animas de Don Fidelio (written in Spanish) – Jose Luis Esquivel
- The Pain Project – Kara Stanley, Simon Paradis
- Travelling the World with MS… …in a Wheelchair – Linda McGowan
- Where Science Meets Spirit: The Autobiography of a Paralyzed Yogi – Mary-Jo Fetterly
Looking for more general products, like food, cleaning supplies, or home goods? Try apps like Shop Canadian, BuyBeaver, O SCANada, or MapleScan, where Canadian consumers share product info and reviews.
Planning an accessible adventure in BC? Our Access BC team works with tourism associations and businesses across the province to improve access. You can find accessibility info for destinations throughout BC at HelloBC.com. And check the Outdoor and Adventure section on our SCI Info Database.
We want to hear from you: Have a favourite Canadian-made disability product or business? Tell us! Email info@sci-bc.ca and we’ll keep growing the list.
Supporting local shouldn’t be about guilt, it should be about choice. And when you want to choose Canadian, it helps to know what’s available.
