New Mobility Magazine
See the latest articles on topics related to someone using a wheelchair.
July 2020
Features
The ADA at 30
We're celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act by looking back, looking forward and seeing where we sit today.
News
Better Batteries Better Wheeling
How new and improved battery technology is helping users get the most out of their devices.
Kyle Cozad: A Profile in Tenacity
Rear Admiral Kyle Cozad didn’t let a a 2018 SCI keep him from serving our country.
How to Find, Train and Work With a Primary Care Physician
A PCP is supposed to help manage your complex care needs, but finding one who understands SCI/D can be surprisingly difficult.
Columns
Epidural Stimulation Advocate Keith Smith
Besieged by medical problems, Keith Smith couldn’t picture a positive future for himself. A fortuitous phone call and an epidural stimulator changed everything.
Mind Over Machine
One of the end goals of brain computer interface research is to figure out how to make the robot feel like an extension of the body.
Big Ideas In Travel And Tourism
It’s Time To Move Beyond Access To Inclusion
Connecticut Hospitals Not Allowed to Prohibit Visitors for Disabled
A Connecticut state policy that prohibited disabled hospital patients from having visitors has been found
Assessing the Impact Of COVID-19
We sent out our own coronavirus survey to get a better feel for how the pandemic has affected our community.
Helping People Survive the Nightmare
Gabrielle Broder is one of roughly 300 people across the United States who received COVID-19 relief grants from United Spinal this spring.
Blogs
Photograph Life as a Wheelchair User in 2020 and Win $500
Share a great photo that captures your 2020 experience and be part of our first-ever Photo Issue.
Growing
Thinking if I wanted plants, it would be just one more thing I would need to ask a caregiver to assist me with. Surely, gardening was not for quadriplegics.
The Black Experience Versus the White Experience
White America doesn't always get Black America, just like nondisabled people can't always get ableism.
Other Recent Articles
An Oral History of the Capitol Crawl
Mike Ervin talks with the activists who crawled up the Capitol steps and shook it loose.
The ADA Enforcers
Steve Wright introduces us to people whose job it is to ensure the ADA works for everyone with a disability, whether they live in the country, our biggest city or somewhere in between.
Taking the ADA on the Chin
It would be great if the governor or president would send in troops to confiscate the chin-high tables, take them out in the alley and chop them into pieces, like how they used to smash barrels of beer during prohibition.
An Ugly But Positive Legacy
On the list of “terrible things about flying as a wheelchair user,” being referred to as “an ADA” by inconsiderate airline staff probably ranks somewhere between having your wheelchair damaged ...
Great (but Realistic) Expectations: The ADA at 30
Josie Byzek interviews advocates about how our civil rights law has performed since it passed, and where it needs to go next.
Real Life ADA: We’ve Come So Far to Have So Far to Go
Perspectives on the ADA at 30 from leaders and New Mobility readers.
Bluetooth – A Technology With Bite
For people with disabilities, Bluetooth has opened the doors to levels of independence that wouldn’t have been possible 10 years ago.
Wheelchair Confidential: Fettuccine Afraido
Echo was my second service dog, a black-and-tan Doberman with a calm nature and a “diva” attitude. She went everywhere with me, and one evening joined me and ...
New Mobility’s Biweekly Newsletter Updates – March 18, 2020
By Seth McBride|March 18th, 2020
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Welcome to New Mobility’s biweekly newsletter. To receive via email (mobile-friendly), subscribe here.
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DISABILITY-SPECIFIC COVID-19 COVERAGE
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SCI/D Recommendations
The media is blanketed with coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak, but relevant, disability-specific information is a lot more difficult to come by. Here’s a primer, updated as new info comes in, including what secondary complications put people with SCI/D at higher-risk, how to prevent infection and transmission, and how to find information you can trust.
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Cancellations and Consequences
United Spinal Association recommends that its chapters suspend any social events, in-person peer visits and group activities. Many hospitals and rehabilitation centers, which frequently host United Spinal gatherings, are limiting or banning visitors at this time. The United team is also concerned about the risks posed to its members and all others who use homecare services since protective measures and virus-related illness may make it difficult for service to continue uninterrupted. The organization is asking anyone whose homecare services have been affected due to COVID-19 to contact United’s Resource Center.
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Editor Ian Ruder: COVID-19 is No Laughing Matter
A few weeks ago, chuckling at the binge-buying of toilet paper (or kale, if you live in Portland) seemed like a reasonable response to COVID-19. It’s now clear that this pandemic is no laughing matter. “I think about all my friends and all the people like me who don’t fit neatly into the solutions currently on the table,” writes Ian Ruder. “If COVID-19 has shown us anything, it’s that we need better plans and a larger discussion about how we propose to take care of all of our people.”
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Your Questions Answered
New Mobility invites you to submit your disability-related questions about the COVID-19 pandemic. You can submit your question here, and it will be logged by our staff. We will research selected questions by speaking with relevant experts, and within the next few days, we’ll begin posting answers on newmobility.com. Check back often for updates.