by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Kebra Moore

There wasn’t ever a time in Kebra Moore’s life when she wasn’t musical. A renowned gospel singer with hits to her name, a motivational speaker and the current Ms. Wheelchair Mississippi, Kebra Moore definitely knows a thing or two about how to move on after a spinal cord injury.

And on top of all that, she knows how to do it with style. She’s even spearheaded a program to help newly injured women realize they’re still beautiful. Read on to learn about this soulful woman with a passion for God, music and beauty. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Must-See Wheelchair Winter Coat Sale

IZ Adaptive, one of my favorite adaptive clothing designers, is having an awesome sale on winter coats for wheelchair-users.  And being that fall just started, it’s the perfect time to buy an amazing winter coat that will keep you toasty warm and last you for years to come.

IZ is offering 25% off any coat or jacket ordered before October 7th.  That is one awesome deal too, considering how beautiful these coats are.  And they sell them for both men and women and in a variety of styles.

Swing coats, capes with with a standalone collar and a faux leather belt, beautiful full length wool coats (with higher backs so they don’t go under your butt), her awesome trench coat, men’s wool blend bomber jackets and a very cool men’s winter cape, the adapted POS you’ll find at IZ Adaptive are unlike anything you’ll find anywhere else.

I have two of her amazing jackets, one of which is the modified trench coat for a wheelchair-user, and I must say it’s one of the most beautiful jackets I’ve never owned, and boy is it flattering.

Check out her site: IZ Adaptive

* When ordering, make sure to enter promo code coats25off at checkout.

by Tiff -

New Law Transforms Cruises Into Wheelchair Accessible Utopia

There are loads of awesome ways to see the world, but one of the best by far is by taking a cruise.  The ability to see multiple cities without having to change hotel rooms is unbeatable when you use a wheelchair.

But there can be a lot of questions before booking that cruise.  How will I get on the ship?  How accessible will my room be? How accessible are the common areas? Wonder no more because we’ve found four awesome videos that show how accessible they really are. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Podcast #99: Jessie Hammond – Fashionista, Author and Depression Blogger

Born with cerebral palsy, but born with the ability to use crutches along with being a wheelchair-user, Jessie talks about existing in both the able-bodied and disabled worlds, and adjusting to her disability as an adult.

They also talk about her first book about to come out, Finding Nikki, an adult fiction novel about a woman bouncing back from a bad relationship.  Jessie also shares why she stated her depression blog, and when she finally told family she was depressed.

They also talk about Jessie’s obsession with fashion, staying classy, and her dream to start an adapted shoe business.  This awesome lady has figured out how to walk in high heels while using crutches. Now that’s talent. You go girl.

No Free Rides is sponsored by Easystand.com

Show runs time is 110 minutes.  Listen via the player below.

Show Links

– Jessie’s blog: Handi-Capable

– Jessie Hamond on Facebook

[powerpess]

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Drew Bates

For Drew Bates, his injury has been all about turning lemons into sweet, sweet lemonade, and it’s looking pretty tasty from here. A trained actor by trade, after his injury Drew created a unique offshoot for his talents, knowing he wouldn’t get as much screen time and roles as a chair-user; a sad but true fact of the industry.

What he ended up specializing in is truly exciting – animation and voice-over acting, and he’s developed a very cool animation series that Cartoon Network and MTV have shown interest in. Read on to learn all about Drew Bates, a hardworking Southern boy who’s an expert at reinventing his talents. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Get Out and Enjoy Autumn with Adapted ATVing

When you think about it, an ATV is not much different than a power wheelchair, except for of course it’s exuberant amount of toughness and the fact that it runs on gasoline. ATVing can be one of the most fun adapted sports you’ll ever try. And the best part, just like a snowmobile, hand controls come standard.

The thing about ATVing though is that it can be quite controversial among people with spinal cord injuries. ATVing has been known to cause spinal cord injuries over the years, however so have cars, and that doesn’t mean we have to stop driving them too. Is done safely, ATVing can be very safe. Read on for three awesome adapted ATVing videos made by people with paralysis. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Tiffany Giddes

It’s not easy being fabulous and paralyzed, yet somehow Tiffany Giddes manages to pull it off.  An actress living in L.A. but a Southern girl at heart, Tiffany knows exactly what it takes to adapt to her surroundings.  She’s an actress, producer and the first person in a wheelchair to be on Sons of Anarchy.

When her injury occurred, she was like a cat too, and landed on both legs and kept moving forward.  From making skydiving a regular habit to producing and starring in her own original film, read on to learn about the amazing Tiffany Giddes, an actress determined to change how people with disabilities are portrayed in the media. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Lose Weight the Fun Way – Wheelchair Zumba

Zumba landed in the United States in 2001, and since then it’s been a hugely popular aerobic exercise.  It also highly adaptable, with many wheelchair-users across the country using it as a way to lose weight.  It’s part dance/part aerobics and it’s one of the most fun ways to burn calories.

And by the way, when we say Zumba is popular with wheelchair-users, it’s really popular, and the videos below explain why.  Dozens of cool adapted Zumba videos exist, and we found a few that really show off this version of adapted dance-Aaerobics to a tee. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Stephen Cluskey

The journey after a spinal cord injury is always uncharted territory. Some of us hole ourselves up at home waiting for a cure to happen, and then there’s Stephen Cluskey, a free spirited Irishmen who’s used his injury as a platform for the change he’d like to see in the world.

It all started one crazy night out on Dublin that left him stranded until 6:00 am.  He began thinking about how people with disabilities can be without accessible transportation all too easily. And to him, this is a great injustice.

Read on to learn about Stephen Cluskey, a quadriplegic determined to not only heal himself, but one the biggest problems facing wheelchair-users in his home country. Read this entry

by Tiff -

FreeWheel Attachment: The Best Wheelchair Add-on Ever?

In the crazy expensive world of adaptive equipment, getting anything under $1000 for a significant piece of mobility equipment is unheard of, and that’s exactly why the FreeWheel Wheelchair attachment is getting so much buzz, and why we here at SPINALpedia have decided to dedicate an entire post to it.

For only $500, you can turn your manual wheelchair into an all-terrain wheelchair. Taking a mere 15 seconds to snap onto a manual wheelchair, the FreeWheel is a singular wheel that sits in front of your chair. It really is a brilliant design.  It lifts up the front casters just enough, and opens up the outdoors to manual wheelchair-users and making it possible to get through previously impossible train – sand, gravel, snow, even curbs.

And not surprisingly, thanks to its low price, thousands of wheelchair-users have been able to get one for their own, with many making videos showing the world what they think of this highly popular piece of equipment. Here are three awesome user-made videos showing what people have thought of the FreeWheel. Read this entry