by Tiff -

Ultimate Accessible Apartment Living

Leaving the hospital after a spinal cord injury is one of the most stressful things anyone can endure. Everything is completely different and you must relate to the world in a whole new way. This is especially true with your home.

For many of us, our favorite room or activity in our home is no longer possible, and it can feel pretty lousy on top of everything else we’re already dealing with.

For this post we’re specifically talking about accessible modifications in apartments – they’re some of the most popular forms of housing for many people with SCI, and there are many things you can do to an apartment despite being a renter. There are some great accessible apartments that come by default too.

Check out three of these apartments below, and some great DIY’s (bike handle grips used to hold a toothbrush!) to help take your place to the next level. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Wheelchair Drifting – Turning Lemons Into Awesomeness

Made popular by The Fast and the Furious movies, drifting is the art of your car’s back wheels gliding after gaining momentum. This is done by turning to the side real fast, and it can be pretty awesome to see.

Not surprisingly, wheelchair-users are getting in on the drifting action (it was only a matter of time).

Drifting however is all about surfaces. From blacktop and tile to natural surfaces like ice, how well you drift (and impress everyone around you) is dependent on it. The “vehicle” as well is just as important.

Powerchairs are the  easiest to drift, however I have seen manual chairs drift on ice. Check out our three sweet wheelchair drifting videos below showing how it’s done on all surfaces. Read this entry

by Tiff -

Slip, sliding (and swimming) independently

Float like a rock? I don’t think so. People with paralysis can do some pretty magical things in the water, and the water can do some pretty awesome things to us as well.  But a lot of folks with spinal cord injuries really don’t like the water. And the biggest reason we’re scared – we can’t swim (or we think we can’t rather).

This is why you got to check out our H20 inspired videos below, including an amazing video of a C6 quadriplegic who’s learned how to swim completely on her own (and with none of those silly floaties that always get in the way and always poke you in the face).

Our first video is pretty much the fantasy I have in the dead of winter each year – a tropical paradise where no one gives a sniff about litigation. Meaning – they’ll let quadriplegics go on their waterslides. This is the awesome opportunity that Chris Colwell, a C5-6 quad (and active member of SPINALpedia (who’s made 600 plus videos) took advantage of while living the high life in Dubai.

The world famous Atlantis Resort has a location there, and they have a huge water park called ‘Aquaventure,’ which includes a super fun rapids ride. Read this entry