BUTLER TWP — A Lyndora man has invented a product that he believes disabled people around the world can use.

Jan Fisher, the CEO of Omni One Group of Pennsylvania, created the Wheelchair Buddy, a waterproof cover for the armrest controls on electronic wheelchairs.

The cover is made of nylon, plastic and elastic and protects the programmable PG controller device from water while also allowing visibility and access to the controls.

The only other product on the market for this purpose is a waterproof bag that covers the armrest, but operators must put their hand inside the bag which limits their mobility and comfort.

Other solutions some wheelchair users have employed include an umbrella or a shopping bag with a hole cut out for the joystick.

Fisher is not bound to a wheelchair, but walks with a cane and has back problems that date back to a car accident he was in 40 years ago.

“Just because you are hurt, doesn’t mean you can’t be useful,” he said.

He had the idea for the Wheelchair Buddy while recovering from a back surgery at UPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh last year.

He befriended a woman at the hospital, Dawn Grady of Pittsburgh, who has been in an electronic wheelchair for seven years.

Grady’s wheelchair was damaged and had to be sent for repairs after she was outside one day and got caught in the rained unexpectedly.

In an attempt to help her, Fisher wrapped her chair’s controls with Saran Wrap and secured it with tape.

Seeing a business opportunity, he began to work on several prototypes for the Wheelchair Buddy.

“Seeing me getting in trouble with my chair, he thought of this for me. We didn’t know the vision would be for all people, but that is what happened,” Grady said.

The first couple incarnations were made by hand, but he later employed a seamstress who could put one together in a more professional manner.

Grady has stayed involved with the emerging business by testing Fisher’s different designs for durability and effectiveness.

With a Wheelchair Buddy, people in an electric wheelchair would no longer have to worry about the weather forecast or sudden rain leaving them stranded and with a damaged chair, she said.

“The insurance company should pay for it for safety. Think of how much money we’re saving from keeping the controls from getting wet,” she said.

He has a small inventory now and is selling them through his website.

Fisher said he is talking with several companies that are interested in investing in the product. He hopes to rent a space somewhere in the Butler area where he can hire several employees and start manufacturing more.

He said that he wants to help out wheelchair owners with his product and also is looking forward to creating jobs for the Butler area.

“I think this is something that could shine a positive light on Butler,” he said.

Lawyer Henry Bartoni of Butler said he was hired by Fisher to apply for patent protection for the Wheelchair Buddy.

Once an application is filed, the process typically takes 18 to 36 months. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office must conduct a search and review other products to make sure that the application is unique enough to qualify for its own protection, he said.

Fisher is originally from Pittsburgh and studied fine arts and design engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

Over the years he worked as a plumber, electrician and used to own his own handyman business in Warren, Ohio.