by Tiff -

Just Say No to Curbs

Nothing goes together worse than curbs and wheelchairs. Well maybe square wheels and wheelchairs, but that’s another blog post entirely. The thing about curbs – they’re everywhere.

They’re a beacon of modern-day society, keeping pedestrians and vehicles safe from one another, but they weren’t exactly created with people in wheelchairs in mind. Some wheelchairs, or rather wheelchair-users, can do a bang up job of popping curbs, but for most wheelchair-users, curbs are as limiting as a 2 foot thick steel door.

There are however several tricks wheelchair-users can learn to no longer let curbs hold them back. Some may be tricky, but they all work. Check out our curb-traversing videos below. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Sonja Gaudet

Considered one of Canada’s super athletes and a world champion in the sport of curling, Sonja Gaudet may be one of the most competitive people in a wheelchair you’ll ever meet. A wife, a mother and a Paralympic gold medalist, her injury has only fueled her desire to be active.

But she wasn’t this way right away. After meeting with Rick Hansen, another SCI superstar we’ve profiled who hails from Canada, she was able to fully understand what it meant to still be able to do everything she used to, but just a little bit differently. And that was when this born and bred athlete was ready to take on adaptive sports.

Read on for the awesome story of reclaiming oneself in the eyes of Sonja Gaudet. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Get Your Walk-On with Gait Training

When it comes to recovering from a spinal cord injury, doctors used to say there was no hope at all. But that is no longer the case, and gait training – the therapy treatment that suspends you in the air and helps you walk – surely proves this point.

Nearly every major rehab spinal cord injury facility now either has gait training or is trying hard to get the program going; that is how beneficial this treatment is. Creating new neural connections, preventing osteoporosis, increasing blood flow and more, the benefits are huge. For a quick look at gait training, read our post.

by Tiff -

Wheelchair Accessible Snorkeling: An Awesome View

Aah yes snorkeling, the diving replacement. As a quadriplegic, the entire idea of snorkeling has always been enticing. Diving is so serious. You have to worry about the water pressure, the air tank, how in the heck you’re going to get a wet suit on. All that can ruin the fun.

But with snorkeling, you just lay there on the surface of the water and enjoy the view below. It’s lot more peaceful and a lot less stressful than diving; no wonder so many with disabilities have fallen in love with it. Did I mention it costs a lot less? It’s got winner winner chicken dinner written all over it that’s for sure.

Check out three of our favorite videos showing people of all ability levels going snorkeling, including one of the coolest contraptions you’ll ever see made just for snorkeling. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Angela Irick

It takes a lot of gusto to step out in the world the way Angela Irick has. A C1-2 quadriplegic since 1996, she’s been bound and determined not to let her paralysis hold her back from her dreams. While it’s certainly not easy navigating the world with an injury as high as hers, that hasn’t stopped her.

As the founder of Heels with Wheels, an online fashion store for women with disabilities and a dedicated committee member for Ms. Wheelchair Texas, Angela is staying true to what she loves. Read on for Angela Irick’s awesome story of moving on and doing it with style. Read this entry

by Tiff -

No Free Rides episode #103 – Matthew Celebreto, Founder of WheelStrong Sports

In episode #103 of No Free Rides, we are joined by founder of WheelStrong Sports, Matthew Celebreto, paralyzed nearly 10 years ago in a car accident. Tiffiny asks Matthew to share the story of how his workout site came to be, plus all the goodies you can find on his site, from videos showing wheelchair exercises to blog posts on how to eat the right way as a wheelchair-user.

Tiffiny and Matthew also discuss moving on after an injury and retooling your career, which is never easy, as well as living in the moment and not languishing, waiting for a cure.

– Visit the site: WheelStrong Sports

– WheelStrong Sports on Facebook

Listen via the player below.

No Free Rides is sponsored by Easystand.com

Show run time is 47 minutes.
[powerpress]

by Tiff -

Laundry From Your Wheelchair: Managing the Chore Solo

It can be tricky doing all the chores you did before you were paralyzed. Even if you’re a T12 paraplegic, there’s tough things you’ll encounter – dusting ceiling fans, wiping bathroom mirrors, vacuuming stairs; boring chores no one wants to do but must be done. And one of the toughest, doing the laundry.

People with disabilities however tend to make rather mundane things more interesting, and these videos showing some of their best laundry tricks prove.

There are loads of issues you can run into doing laundry sitting down – reaching into the washer/dryer, using stackable machines and so much more. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Scott Rains

Dr. Scott Rains may not hold a doctorate in magic, but he might as well, considering how he was able to transform his career post-injury. His doctorate is in ministry, but after some wise pondering post-injury he realized an opportunity presented itself to meld two worlds he loved – travel and the world disability community.

A true traveler in his soul, Scott has had the travel bug since his teens despite a spinal cord injury that could have easily waylaid him. And the career he’s been able to forge for himself – an international accessibility consultant – has helped millions of people worldwide. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Amazing Wheelchair Accessible Homes

Wheelchair or walking, we all want that “dream” house. Maybe it’s not pink with turrets or a giant brick castle like the homes we dreamt of having one day as kids, but they’re still there; a twinkle in our mind’s eye, a bit modified of course now that you gotta use a wheelchair.

No longer do we want a bowling alley or a house with multi-levels. Or maybe you do, and you just want an elevator (or a bunch of really cool artfully placed ramps). But the point is – the ‘dream’ house is certainly a bit different when you use a wheelchair. There’s no question about it.

But oh my can wheelchair accessible homes still be quite beautiful. Read on for three cool videos that show how gorgeous these homes can be, from a draft of a sweet contemporary studio that’s totally accessible to a lake home renovation that’ll make you drool. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Tatyana McFadden

They say our early years have a strong effect on who we become, and this is certainly the case for US Paralympian Tatyana McFadden. Until the age of 6, Tatyana was living in a Russian orphanage walking on her hands because there were no wheelchairs available and was known by the orphanage’s staff for her stubborn “I can do it on my own” personality.

A grim future no doubt, but her entire life changed in 1995 when her future adoptive mother Deborah McFadden, who was working for the United States government and was in Russia to disburse aid, met Tatyana while visiting her orphanage. She fell in love with her spirit, and even though she wasn’t thinking about adopting, she adopted Tatyana in hopes of giving her a true future.

Deborah was temporarily paralyzed for a year with Guillaine Barre Syndrome, so she personally understands the life of someone with a mobility disability, hence her desire to help Tatyana. To find out how Tatyana went on to become one of the most decorated wheelchair racers in the world after settling the United States, check out our post below. Read this post