Tech
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Taking on the shower
I look forward to my shower almost as much as my first cup of coffee, but when I was first paralyzed this was so not the case.
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Wheelchairs climbing stairs
Stairs? Pffft…no problemo. Watch wheelchair-users hoist themselves up and down stairs using the Railing Side Wheel Control method and an overhead bar installed in the home (strong arms and a lightweight wheelchair required). And check out the RUSSIAN-made power stair-climbing wheelchair, the Observer Maximus! Read this entry
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SCI Superstar: Sophie Morgan
Artist, TV presenter, REX walking suit ambassador, learn all about Sophie Morgan. She’s a 27 yr old paraplegic from the UK who’s been on two reality shows since her injury (Beyond Boundaries, Britain’s Missing Top Model) and is an up-and-coming BBC TV personality. Read this entry
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The ultimate forest riders
How do you like your forest experience? Smooth and easy or rough and dirty? If you use a wheelchair, there are dozens of mobility devices get that get us out in the woods. All it takes is some money (definitely some money) and patience while you wait for your order (it’ll be like Christmas when it arrives!). And don’t think these devices all run on batteries. No siree. If you’re a paraplegic and love doing as much of the work as you can, just wait till you see the MKII, a super fast off-road mountain trike wheelchair A double amputee invented the device in the first video, a modification for…
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SCI Superstar: Marilyn Hamilton
When you were injured, what kind of wheelchair did you get? A lightweight manual or a powerchair? Either way, it sure wasn’t a 60 pound steel wheelchair. Times have changed a lot since ancient wheelchairs were made (praise God!), and we have Marilyn Hamilton thank for it, the co-founder of Quickie Wheelchairs. A driven businesswoman, Marilyn, 63, is without question one of the most successful people with spinal cord injuries in the corporate world. Her insatiable desire for success is what catapulted her to where she is today, and where she is, is pretty dang exciting. Read this entry
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Amazing paralyzed crotch rocket rider
It’s true, Brian Kinney, a T1 paraplegic from Ohio, broke his back riding his motorcycle. Call it sad, tragic, no question it was all of those things. But Brian still loved to ride. So after coming home from the hospital, he decided to get back on the road – out on the same bike (a Kawasaki Ninja 650R) – only with few modifications this time around. And he recorded it for your viewing pleasure. I was pretty amazed when I first saw his video. I honestly never thought it was possible for someone paralyzed to ride a motorcycle with only two wheels. Never, never, never (does that make me naive?…
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Locomotor a waste of time?
Maybe I’ve been paralyzed too long, but there are a bunch of new therapy programs out there that I question. Let me preemptively say that locomotor training has a lot of great benefits (it’s good for weight-bearing, making your muscles move, organ-hanging party time). It’s a pretty intense therapy where they strap you into a harness (that’s attached to a bar above your head) and hang you above a treadmill. Read this entry
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Quadriplegic moves robotic arm via thought, touches girlfriend’s hand
This has got me so excited I don’t know where to even begin. Researchers have finally figured out how to hook up our minds to robotics after successfully implanting electrodes into the sexy red-headed brain of Tim Hemmes (a C2 quadriplegic injured in a motorcycle wreck 7 years ago). Will this be the eventual spinal cord injury cure? Read this entry
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You know you want this: Wheelchair bling
Want people to stare for the right reason? The wUnderGlow Wheelchair Light is just what you need. This snazzy LED light is clipped underneath the seat of a wheelchair and flashes colored lights on the floor underneath, making for some very very cool ground effects. Read this post
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My dream kitchen has landed
I’ve seen some gorgeous accessible kitchens in my day. Beautiful, custom kitchens to lust after with cut-outs under the counter tops for plenty of knee space, huge slabs of granite cut-out to fit the countertops perfectly, stainless steel appliances with bottom loading freezers and pull-out shelves to reach things easier. But going from point A, a completely inaccessible kitchen to point B, a fully accessible kitchen where everything is thought of from top to bottom, usually takes a qualified ADA building expert or some kind of universal accessible consultant. And if you don’t hire one of these people, the likelihood of forgetting an accessible feature is almost guaranteed. This is why I am…
