by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Damon Rozier

“Laughter is the key to life” is a quote Damon Rozier, a C7 quadriplegic and standup comedian, lives by. After his spinal cord injury, filled with anger and frustration, he worked hard to not let those emotions take over, and so far he is on the winning end of the stick. Also a single-dad and an aerobics instructor, Damon is truly non-stop.

In fact, Damon has been excelling at it quite impressively. Since his injury he’s done comedy work with BET, motivational speaking all around the country, as well as tried out several adapted sports, from quad rugby to wheelchair racing. Damon is driven to show others anything is possible.

Energetic, funny, positive – there is not one negative adjective you can use to describe this unforgettable man. Read on to learn more about Damon Rozier, one of the funniest wheelchair comedians in the world. Read this entry

by Tiff -

IZ Adaptive Designs to be Showcased in Museum Exhibit

Now this is something I can guarantee you’ve never seen at any museum before. Debuting this Saturday at the Royal Ontario Museum,  also known as the ROM, Canada’s largest natural history museum, is a textile exhibit sure to impress any wheelchair-user, or anyone interested in fashion created for the seated form.

Called Fashion Follows Form: Designs for Sitting, this exhibit showcases the brilliant designs of Izzy Camilleri and her line IZ Adaptive, which were all created with wheelchair-users in mind. But it’s not just showcasing her designs and no one else’s. The exhibit also will be showcasing designs from the 18th and 19th century that were also created for the seated form.

This part is pretty cool considering how difficult it is to preserve textiles from even 100 years ago. I absolutely love antique clothing for this very reason. To get into specifics on the new garment side, Izzy will be showing 12 of her looks, including her leather jacket that splits into two with a vertical zipper for easy access, a trench coat with the shorter back (my all-time fave) and her gorgeous wheelchair-friendly wedding dress.

And there will be 6 antique textile pieces shown alongside IZ’s garments. A few of these include a dolman created to accommodate a large bustle, 18th century breeches and a 19th century side-saddle riding habit. All of IZ’s garments will also be shown on standing mannequins to demonstrate why the designs work so well for sitting.

Also, 12 of Izzy’s iconic designs, garments she’s made for film, will also be on display, including her silver fox coat worn by Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada.

Fashion Follows Form debuts this Saturday, June 21, 2014 at the ROM and will run through January 25th, 2015. And even cooler – if you can’t make it in person, the exhibit will also be online. I’m so glad an exhibit like this is happening. It will give a huge slice of the population insight into a world, a textile issue, they’ve never thought of before.

And if you’ve never gone to the ROM, definitely consider going in you’re in the Toronto area. It has won several accessibility awards and has dozens of fascinating exhibits. You won’t regret it.

Will you go to Fashion Follows Form: Designs for Sitting?

– Learn more: Fashion Follows Form: Designs for Sitting

– Izzy Camilleri’s online clothing store: IZ Adaptive

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Mark E. Felling

The “mad scientist” of adapted technology, Mark Felling, Engineer, Patented Inventor and Founder of adapted gear profferer Broadened Horizons, is a quadriplegic on a mission.

Ever since crashing his experimental plane a decade ago, he’s been determined to use his engineering skills to make his life, and other’s like his, easier.

Several life-changing technologies for people with disabilities have been invented by Mark, and he continues to create more each year, all to empower people with disabilities.

From a powered tenodesis hand splint he calls the “Power Grip” to some of the best adapted video game equipment ever made, this is the story of Mark Felling, the man who never stops dreaming. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Excited to Share IZ Adaptive’s Revamped Site & Inventory

IZ Adaptive has been an award-winning adaptive clothing line for the seated body since 2009, spearheaded by renowned Canadian fashion designer Izzy Camilleri. Izzy intimately knows the world of fashion, and know that change is always a good thing, which is why she’s revamped her website & inventory.

I couldn’t be more excited either. Prints are one of the biggest changes you’ll notice in her collection, with leopard print and floral prints now available with their adorable Capri pants and Women’s blazers. They’ve also added a “Dressing Easy” category that exclusively contains some really cool items to help you dress easier.

The items they’ve included will delight anyone interested in clothing construction. You’ll find their super smart Open Back Sweater, that has an open back with snaps, their Solid Magnet Shirt with easy magnet closures and their Tear Away Pant, which has snap closures on the outside of each leg.

IZ Adptive’s Men’s area has also been given a refresher. Not only will you find a bigger selection of everything from shirts and jackets (these are also available in new prints like camouflage) to increased athletic wear options, they now have male models modeling their clothing.

They’ve hired several new female models too, all real-life IZ users, who you will see throughout their online catalog, and each representing an unique ability. IZ is showing real-life users in real-life situations in their images and it couldn’t be more awesome.

Above all, IZ Adaptive clothes are meant to help you feel better about yourself. From their shop in downtown Toronto, they’re always thinking of the next great garment for people who use wheelchairs and they eagerly and gladly welcome any garment ideas and suggestions, which is so great.

So if you have any kind of light bulb of inspiration, even an inkling, make sure to email it to info@izadaptive.com. They are open to as many suggestions as they can get.

– Visit the site: IZ Adaptive

– Be sure to check out IZ’s new Vimeo Channel, with interviews of real-life clients: IZ Adaptive on Vimeo

by Tiff -

Dealing with the Dreaded SCI Anniversary

Anniversaries can be either super fabulous or super depressing, depending on what’s being commemorated. In the world of spinal cord injuries, it’s a 50/50 thing, but most look at their SCI anniversary as a sad thing they’d rather not remember.

“Yup, one more year in a wheelchair,” is the thought process, and then there are the others who wildly celebrate the anniversary of their injury, looking at it as they have an amazing survival ability. We all can be vastly different with our coping methods.

From a 40 year old Australian talking about what he misses most to a quadriplegic embracing dozens of adapted sports the first year of his injury, here are three people with spinal cord injuries showing how they manage their anniversaries. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Hilary Lister

On paper, Hilary Lister could very well be one of the most interesting women in the world. From being an accomplished clarinet player and biochemist in her early years to becoming a world-renowned sailor, this woman is no average lady at the coffee shop. Hillary is in fact quite extraordinary.

But her journey into these exciting areas of life were all because of one thing and one of the only – her disability – and not some able-bodied dream she had before becoming paralyzed from the neck down.

Hilary has done more in her life than most able-bodied people, and she has no intention of stopping anytime soon.

Read on for Hillary’s rockin’ story, as well as her most recent sailing accomplishment (she really has no intention of stopping) – crossing the Indian Ocean. Read this entry

by Tiff -

No Free Rides Episode #105 – Josh Winkler’s Epic Fight Against the System

josh2In podcast #105, Tiffiny is joined by Josh Winkler, a C6 quad, engineer and accidental advocate. A resident of Colorado since being discharged from Craig Hospital, Josh has been determined since Day One to be as independent as possible, but this isn’t easy when the system is broken, which Josh contends.

They discuss Josh’s injury story in his teens to his days working for NASCAR as an engineer. They also discuss the various opinions PWD have regarding the word “cripple,” whether they think it’s offensive or just plain practical. But more than anything, tune in to hear one of the most passionate disability advocates in the US right now.

– Visit his site: Cripple Concepts

– Visit his YouTube channel: Crippie Boy

No Free Rides is sponsored by Easystand.com

Show run time is 70 minutes. Listen via the player below!
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by Tiff -

Sweet Wheelchair Summer Camp Skillz

After my injury, my mother forced me to go to a wheelchair summer camp, and it was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done, well the first day or two at least, and then by the third and fourth days I completely forgot about home and had the time of my life.

That’s the uncanny thing about summer camp as a wheelchair-user – even if at first you don’t think you want to be there, before you know it you’re having so much fun you completely forgotten about all of your outside cares and worries. It’s an escape into a world I wish I could stay in permanently.

Do you feel the same way, or want to know why I do? Watch our three videos below showing some of the best elements of summer camp as an adult with a disability. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Dror Cohen

This former F-16 Israeli fighter pilot lived and breathed the real version of Top Gun, but instead of shunning the world for what he lost after his injury, he decided to prove to the world what he could still do instead.

From becoming the best Paralympian sailor in the world to a highly decorated motorsport driver, Dror has transformed the idea of disability in Israel.

And he’s reaching out to help others too. He helped found a charity helping Israelis access adaptive motorsports and is a motivational speaker. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Wheelchair-User’s GoPro Extreme Adventures

In a sea of cameras, the GoPro camera is definitely the Sucker fish; the camera that very stealth-like attaches itself to anything it can. This is why this camera has become a favorite of extreme athletes, and adapted athletes, wanting to share their first person experience with the world.

Mount it, wear it, the options are endless. The camera/company itself, own by Nick Woodman, a surfer from California, has been around since 2004, and it’s become quite the phenomenon. Thousands of amazing wheelchair-perspective videos have been made over the years too, from simple stuff like “ride-alongs” to giving an in-your-face view of a hardcore adaptive sport.

Check out 3 videos below that feature some of the best GoPro footage ever taken from a wheelchair user’s perspective. When you have a rugged, HD camera like this, the options truly are are endless. Read this entry