■ Meet the Women Behind SupportBelt: Emily Obert and Lynn Simoncini!

By: Jennifer Blackledge and Kait Leo

As the manager of in-vehicle accessibility in digital product design, Emily Obert says her sense of purpose and career path aligns perfectly with Ford’s mission: to give people the freedom to move and pursue their dreams. The MIT alum is always thinking about ways to make Ford products accessible for everyone, so when Lynn Simoncini brought an idea for a life-changing device to her last year, it was a perfect match.

Simoncini had traveled a tough road to get to that point. In 2022, she was playing many roles: a mom, a wife, a volunteer, and a businesswoman. But a routine check-up added another role to that list: breast cancer patient.

“To say I was shocked is an understatement,” Simoncini said. Between parenting a teen and her job as a creative director at VML supporting the Ford account, her schedule was packed. She suddenly found herself navigating cancer treatment on top of all that.

Simoncini underwent chemotherapy for six months before her doctor scheduled her for a mastectomy, a surgery that removes breast tissue. “I didn’t look at photos ahead of time or do much digging into what to expect. I knew the surgery was intense, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to endure,” she said.

Nearly 100,000 women in the U.S. undergo a mastectomy as part of their breast cancer treatment plan every year. “The scar, for most people, goes from one side to another. The recovery is brutal, and I had a high-school-aged son who needed to get to all of his extracurricular activities and didn’t have a license,” Simoncini said. “In addition to getting to my ongoing chemotherapy appointments, I had to drive him to his events, and that is when I realized how challenging and painful it was to wear my seatbelt.”

Due to the residual pain and sensitivities from surgery, the seatbelt shoulder strap rubbing against her surgical wounds was unbearable. “I would have to put the seatbelt behind my back or hold my seatbelt away from me with one hand while driving,” she said.

Upon investigating, Simoncini couldn’t find any suitable options that solved the pain problem and – as a self-proclaimed “car girl” – fit the aesthetic of her vehicle. “It was a common problem, but people suggested using pillows, towels, or stuffed animals as a solution,” she said. “I couldn’t believe that there wasn’t something that already existed…a product made by an OEM that matches your car, looks good, and keeps you safe.”

She was determined to solve the problem and began brainstorming with the help of her work partner, Chad Woolums. Sue Mersch, her manager at VML, was excited about the idea and connected Simoncini and her proposal with Emily Obert, who was working in human-centered design at Ford, and the project was off and running.

“Once Lynn told me about this problem and that there were a group of women who were uncomfortable in their car, I knew that this was something we could solve with thoughtful design,” Obert said.

Obert and her industrial design intern Rima Shkoukani pored over research, interviewed breast cancer survivors, worked with restraint engineers and crafted prototypes. The result is SupportBelt, a device for mastectomy patients designed and validated by Ford to provide extra cushioning that alleviates pressure caused by contact with the seatbelt.

The SupportBelt is one of the latest projects for Obert in a career dedicated to working toward mobility for all. Her current team is focused on making our vehicles' digital experience more accessible to customers with disabilities. She says that as designers, “I think we have a strong responsibility to stay true to what we hear from people, and really honor the things they share with us about their lives by creating products that meet their needs.”

“In automotive, we don't necessarily get the luxury of having the same people along the whole journey with us. It takes a long time to design a full vehicle, but for this project it was a little bit smaller, and so I felt it was really special that we got to collaborate with Lynn all the way.”

Simoncini still uses her SupportBelt and finds it helps with the long-term effects like shoulder pain. “It feels really good on your shoulder, and it's like a mental thing too – I love to drive and I finally feel comfortable in my car.”

The two women look forward to SupportBelt being available for everyone who needs it, free of charge, during one of the hardest journeys of their lives. Obert says, “My hope is when they look at it, they feel like we had them in mind and someone was thinking of them. I hope that it brings them a little bit of comfort in an uncomfortable situation.”

Do you know someone who could benefit from SupportBelt while recovering from a mastectomy? Visit www.Ford.com/SupportBelt to order. Ford is providing these to U.S. residents in need for the cost of shipping only.

Learn more about the development of SupportBelt.

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