In the vast world of treehouses, only a handful are wheelchair accessible. It’s not easy putting a ramp into a tree, especially if you’re following ADA ramp-grade guidelines, but the good news – it can totally be done.
Whether it’s Treehouse Masters, the reality show that follows Pete Nelson and his treehouse crew, to something a bit more inconspicuous like a park in Illinois, just know that it’s possible. Read this entry
The first female disabled athlete to compete in an Ironman triathlon, meet Trish Downing, a lifelong athlete who transformed into a top-tier adapted athlete post-injury. Now a self-described endurance athlete, Trish has not been afraid to push herself in the face of paraplegia.
Also going on to found an all female disability sports camp, become a published author AND a motivational speaker all after her accident, the last thing Trish wanted to do was sit at home and forget about her once physically active life. She has taken her life by the reins in a big way, and it shows.
For a taste of the sweet Colorado life and how she was able to achieve it, this is the story of Trish Downing. Read this entry
Are you familiar with this similar dreadful scenario? You use a wheelchair but you gotta get somewhere, so you park on the curb patiently waiting for a cab to stop.
But you wait, you wait and you wait some more, realizing no cabs are interested in stopping. And the reason? Your wheelchair.
All cabbies see when they see us? A lot of work. It’s blatant discrimination and it happens all around the globe, even sadly in London where nearly every cab is wheelchair accessible.
Here are three videos highlighting this serious issue. Get ready to be appalled. Read this entry
Hailing from the principality of Andorra is the epic rally driver Albert Llovera. Known for his athletic abilities and his smoldering Spanish good looks, Albert is above all known for his tenacity in the face of some serious lifechangers.
We won’t give it all away, but he went from a star Olympic alpine skier to a paraplegic in the blink of the eye. He knows exactly what it’s like to have everything in the world then have it all taken away.
But his story isn’t about loss, it’s about self-reinvention. Read this entry
We’ve covered all different kinds of situations here on our blog, but what about the scary stuff, like choking? A SPINALpedia fan and wife of a quadriplegic recently wrote us about a scary situation recently that happened to her husband.
While home alone, her husband began to choke and at the worse time possible – there was no one around. Fortunately he was able to drink enough water until help arrived, but what if this happens to you? And how can you help someone in a wheelchair who’s choking?
Here are three videos that show how to save someone in a wheelchair who’s choking both quickly and easily, which in a choking situation is a mighty good thing. Read this entry
When you look at Wendy Crawford, what do you see? A woman in a wheelchair, or something more? A former fashion model turned founder and editor of MOBILEwomen.org, Wendy has been hugely determined to change the way the media sees women with disabilities since her injury.
Above all, Wendy has refused to accept the status quo and her story is something everyone with a spinal cord injury should know. Read on to see how Wendy Crawford has fashioned herself an incredible journey in spite of a spinal cord injury. Read this entry
Whether you’re an incomplete or a complete, spasms are a fact of life, and the options available for quelling those pesky muscle movements are slim.
We’ve uncovered three videos profiling how two quadriplegics and a paraplegic deal with their own spasms, and you might just learn a thing or two. Read this entry
A born and bred explorer and river rafter who’s even worked in Hollywood, Kelley Kalafatich is one of the world’s most talented female rafters. Having been all over the world exploring rivers, her carefree life was sidelined by something she couldn’t even see.
Kelley has not only managed to move on after a permanently debilitating illness, she’s figured out she has a lot more inner strength than she ever realized; that’s right the “tough river rafter lady” with no fear.
For a peek at this incredibly inspiring woman, here is the story of SPINALpedia’s SCI Superstar this week, Kelley Kalafatich. Read this entry
In the animal kingdom when you stare at a creature for too long, either one of two things happen – you get the crap beat out of you or whatever you’re staring at may think you’re interested. What about when you use a wheelchair?
We get stared at all the time and we’re expected to well, not think anything. Not get mad, and definitely not take it as a come on. Some wheelers hate this double standard, however many don’t care at all if they’re stared at. They are the lighthearted ones.
How do you deal with stares? Check out a few videos we’ve uncovered profiling three people with disabilities who let stares roll right off their backs. Read this entry
