Paralinks Archives
features every
conceivable bit and byte of information, memoirs,
books, inspirational articles, videos and other publications
pertaining to spinal cord injuries.
Alpenglow Adventures
(Jim Ebert-Leader) will be offering the very first trips during March, 2009,
that will take individuals, who cannot walk, to the bottom of the Grand
Canyon National Park by trail and back out. These trips will provide the
very first opportunities in Grand Canyon National Park history for
individuals who cannot walk to descend by the Bright Angel trail to the
bottom of the Grand Canyon National Park.
American Association of Adapted
Sports Programs
- AAASP envisions a society where
sports for youth with physical disabilities or visual impairments are a
common and vital part of America’s education system.
Almost every person who has a spinal cord injury (SCI) suffers from some
form of chronic pain. Nerve pain is one of the most common types of chronic
pain after a SCI. It can greatly interfere with every day living, persist
for long periods of time and frequently does not respond well to treatments.
You may qualify for a clinical research study.
spineinjurypain.com
National Arts Disability Center
- Join our network of artists with disabilities! Since 1994 the National
Arts and Disability Center (NADC) has been providing FREE services to
advance the careers of artists with disabilities.
Songs for the Cell
- Created by Mitch Longley an actor with SCI, Songs for the Cell is
a CD project that will raise funds and awareness about the stem cell issue
through music.
Christian's Story
-
Christian is currently paralyzed from the waist down, and is undergoing
intensive rehabilitative therapies. To
help offset such expenses, Christian’s family and friends have come together
to establish a fundraising campaign in his honor through the Catastrophic
Injury Program of NTAF.
The Paralyzed Veterans of America Vocational Rehabilitation Center will open
Jan. 27, 2009. The center will be based at the Spinal Cord Unit of the
Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital
in the South Texas Medical Center and will provide veterans with resources
and skills to find jobs in the San Antonio area.
Signatures for Spinal Cord Research
We need you to urge your President,
your Government leaders and their respective health legislators to fund
spinal cord research and make paralysis a curable condition. Please sign
our petition!
Sailors with DisabilitiesLearn about the world of
disabled sailing through stories and links on this page.
Facts
about the Shriners
Hospitals for Children. Shriners Hospitals established the first
spinal cord injury rehabilitation program for children. These programs, at
the Chicago, Northern California and Philadelphia hospitals, are among the
few in the United States specifically designed to treat children and
teenagers with spinal cord injuries.
Thirty years ago, Richard
Wooten, motivated by his own physical challenges, dreamed of an event that
would help to forge a better life for others with disabilities.
Abilities Expo:
One Man’s Vision of Progress Becomes a Community’s Reality.
Paralysis Resource Guide is a FREE 336-page
book, a comprehensive information tool for people affected by paralysis
and for those who care for them.
U.S. Ski Team
- One of the longest
standing teams in the Paralympics is changing its name to better reflect the
high level of athleticism of its members to become the U.S. Adaptive Ski
Team. Formerly known as the disabled team, the new Adaptive Team includes
both alpine and cross country skiing in a program managed under the U.S. Ski
and Snowboard Association (USSA), the parent organization of the U.S. Ski
Team.
Progress in medical science now enables people with severe
paralysis to live for many years. Many of these individuals have great
difficulty communicating. Some may even be entirely "locked in" to their bodies:
their minds are functioning perfectly, but they cannot move a single muscle to
communicate in any way. The capacity for simple communication could greatly
improve the quality of their lives.
The Wadsworth Center Brain-Computer Interface
System
Chairdex - Wheelchair Resources -
Info on types of chairs, accessories,
wheelchair history and development of new types of chairs.
GiveTech.org
- GiveTech does not give away computers; rather they give away input devices
that allow people with quadriplegia to use computers.
Golden Horseshoe Marathon
Since the year 1999, the Golden Horseshoe Marathon has raised funds to support
various organizations such as McMaster University, the Canadian Paraplegic
Association and the Hamilton Resource Centre.
This year's goal is to raise $500,000 for spinal cord regeneration research at
McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences.
Endeavor Freedom, Inc. Bringing awareness and
attention to the plight of people with disabilities through media formats such
as print, photography, film, art, etc.
Ouch!... it's a disability thingA great sort of a real grassroots newspaper, lots of information people
editorials dis-Abled writers music cartoons and more
At Triple Knot Productions we embark
on a journey to capture stories of true inspiration. Faced with adversity,
pain, self-doubt and incomprehensible physical and mental struggles, these extraordinary
people drive with fierce ambition and perseverance to accomplish unbelievable
results.
People using intermittent catheters no
longer need to reuse their catheters due to a
new Medicare coverage policy effective April 1, 2008.
Last year, June 2007 Aaron Baker and a
team of dedicated, like-minded individuals set off on a journey of epic
proportion. The 3,182-mile bicycling tour crossed the United States from San
Diego California to St. Augustine Florida raising awareness and funds for
Spinal Cord injury research and more importantly rehabilitation.
Rise Above
US Bicycle Tour
Martin Conquest - The Conquest is the world's first
series-manufactured high performance motorcycle that can be driven from a
wheelchair. The vehicle provides a level of performance and independence
previously unattainable.
A Dream - Paraplegic Marc Merger knows his dream of strolling
through the countryside on a sunny day will remain just that....
Accessible Air Travel (PDF)- Although air travel today is available to most people, barriers to
access still exist. A passenger with a disability may encounter obstacles just
to reach an airplane seat. It is vitally important for travelers with
disabilities and their companions, travel agents, and others involved in air
travel to know what to expect from the time an airline reservation is booked to
the moment the flight touches down.
Accessing Local Government (PDF) -
Participatory government is at the foundation of the social and political
structure of the US, but many Americans with disabilities are denied the
opportunity to share in their state and local governments. Discriminatory hiring
practices and inaccessible public buildings prevent persons with disabilities
from participating in their government. Learn how to access state and local
government to initiate change.
Aging with Spinal Cord Injury
Until very recently, there has been little research particularly designed
to study aging in people with spinal cord injuries.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (PDF) -
Many regard the ADA as the most sweeping piece of civil rights legislation since
the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Others believe that because of the many structural
and communications barriers the ADA will remove, it is the farthest-reaching
civil rights law ever enacted.
Angelo Suriano ignores the
penetrating cold as he sits on his plastic sled, using his arms to shuttle among
his 18 dogs. He rubs their noses and ears and soothes their excitement with a
calming voice, individually showing them his devotion.
Barry McKeown - From his wheelchair, has connected IV bags for accident
victims, monitored heart rates in the intensive care unit, counseled geriatric
patients — saving the life of one with emergency CPR...
Born Lucky - It was said that he was born lucky, or it may have been fate,
whatever, this account of a period of time in a mans life lets us know that it
can happen, there is always a chance, no matter how slight, that a prognosis of
being 'completely paralyzed for life', could be incorrect.
BrainGate - If people with physical handicaps could control a computer by
just thinking, they could also operate light switches, television, even a
robotic arm -- something the 160,000 people in the United States who can't move
their arms and legs would surely welcome. From Wired!
Chava Willig Levy - Wheel of Misfortune? As a person who gets around in a
motorized wheelchair, I've always considered television my friend. After all, it
kept me company during many long and lonely stints in bed, both at home and in
the hospital. Maybe it has something to do with getting married seven years ago,
but now that my stints in bed are no longer lonely, I've become more critical of
my old friend. In fact, there are times when I view television as my enemy.
Dancing Wheels based in Cleveland, will train eager, athletic men or women
wheelchair users to work as apprentices with the company.
Disability Etiquette (PDF) - You don’t have
to feel awkward when interacting with, or when you meet, a person who has a
disability. This booklet provides some basic tips for you to follow. And if you
are ever unsure about what to do or say with a person who has a disability, just
ask!
Dreamfit: the motorcycle for paraplegics
- Started as a university project, the Dreamfit CBR250RR has been modified to
suit riders paralyzed from the chest down, with thumb-activated pneumatic rams
for foot-free gear shifting, a combined braking system, custom-moulded
ergonomic cups to hold the rider in place without any lower body strength, and
a set of steel-braced "landing gear" wheels that drop to provide stability at
very low speeds.
e mails from the edge
- Sixteen years ago, Australian journalist Ken Haley was working at a local
newspaper in Bahrain when his own world caved in....he survived, even though the
cost of jumping out a window was that he is now a paraplegic. Page up-dated
02.22.07
The Fair Housing Amendment Acts (PDF)- This
law is intended to increase housing opportunities for people with disabilities.
However, individual citizens must come forward with concerns, file complaints or
sue if they believe their rights have been violated. The government has no other
way of detecting discrimination as it occurs. As a result, it is important to
understand this legislation and how to make it work for you
God's Grace and Protection - Peter van Kan Even though there
have been no grand, divine visions in my life, no moments in which a resounding
inner voice told me, "Go, do this Peter," there have been many, many ways in
which God and Guru have let me feel their presence and protection.
God's perfect will
-
Mysteriously, there seems to be a transforming effect on being afflicted. Such
experiences are life-changing and soul-altering in the deepest of senses.
Grace of My Heart has written articles for the Paralinks Sexuality & Spinal
Cord Injury page over the past five years.
Growing Village Pavilion
-
Tree Climbing Japan was founded by John Gathright with the dream of helping a
very special paraplegic woman leave her electric wheelchair and climb the
biggest tree in the world. WOW!
The Happiness Threshold or Quotient by Ian Boyne; Phillip Brickman interviewed accident victims, who had become
quadriplegic or paraplegic and found that they did not experience any
significant difference in their happiness quotient after their tragedy. What is
your take on this?
Heather Proud - Dis?Ability on the Internet Over the past twelve years I
have learned much by working, counseling, socializing, studying, advocating,
observing, playing, and interacting with individuals with disabilities (IWD). It
is still amazing to me that I have adjusted to being paralyzed for over half of
my young life, and yet I feel so fortunate to have a good quality of life.
High School Junior Nicole Deegan
By Brian Ojanpa: Nicole holds a unique distinction as a high school danceline
member: She's paralyzed from the waist down.
Hire Heroes ATLANTA – June 1,
2007 – a program designed to help veterans with disabilities find careers in
the healthcare industry, officially starts operation today.
Human Engineering Research Laboratories - interested in wheelchair design
or the effects of long term use of wheelchairs on the human body, the use of
Dogs to Increase Function and Psychological Well-Being Among Wheelchair Users,
or Dynamic Force Distribution at the Body-Seat Interface During Wheelchair
Propulsion; this site is for you! See our Introduction to HERL peek into what
the Human Engineering Research Laboratories is all about.
If You Believed In
God You'd Still Be Walking by
Mark Hanaway
I'm an L-1 Paraplegic and
have been one for almost 30 years. As this body aged, the buttocks lost their
meat & muscle and eventually I was sitting on bones and nerves every time I
sat on the toilet. Needless to say this caused pain. I tried many types, brand
names, and various styles both store bought and hand made by myself using
assorted foams duct tape and glue. That perfect toilet seat was in serious
hiding.
Up Until Now!
Implanted electrodes - Scientists have helped a 'partially' paralyzed man
walk the length of three football fields by implanting electrodes in his spine.
Jeff Haworth, Visionary Artist, founder of Reality-Ize and brother
paraplegic. I met Jeff several years ago while my spouse and I were visiting
Sedona Arizona. Our meeting was brief, but we were impressed with Jeff's
maturity, sincerity, and vision for such a young man.
Jen Longshaw - Where Did Our Love Go? The Sexual Politics of the
“Differently-Abled”
Jen Longshaw - Zen and the Art of Wheelchair Maintenance A civilized
society can be judged by the way it treats its weakest citizens and when it's
most vulnerable members are the disabled then even more so. So why is it that
the very people put in charge of supplying care to that sector of the community
are often the worst possible choices?
John Hockenberry - The story of the most fearless entrepreneur ever: The
human brain. When you think disability, think zeitgeist. I'm serious. We live at
a time when the disabled are on the leading edge of a broader societal trend
toward the use of assistive technology.
Judie Moffett - Paraplegic on a
mission to help others in similar situations
Keegan Reilly - A man who lost the use of his legs in a car accident seven
years ago refuses to see limits in life; had one unexpectedly plunked down in
front of him last week as he was attempting to become the first paraplegic to
climb Mount Fuji under his own strength. -By Yumi Wijers-Hasegawa
Letters from the Edge
- J.
Michael Kanouff's Web Site is now offering his new book. A must read.
Matt Bell - Ski Patroller - Paraplegic; by Heather Burke
Mark Hanaway - The Sex and Dating Scene My Personal Thoughts on the
Sex and Dating scene
Michael Brady - Trapped paraplegic drags himself through Prairie snow 02
Jan 2003
Miracles on a Mountainside: More than 400 disabled military veterans from
across the country are scheduled to attend the 21st National Disabled Veterans
Winter Sports Clinic (WSC) April 1-6 in Snowmass Village, Colo. (near Aspen).
This is truly a unique and incredible event (with amazing visuals). With
veterans coming back with disabilities from Iraq and Afghanistan, highlighting
their abilities in this national rehabilitative event (adaptive skiing, sled
hockey, scuba, shooting and more) is a very timely and relevant story.
My Second Lifeby Foster Andersen: Life is a constant transmutation between positive and
negative polarities such as success-failure, ugliness-beauty, pain-pleasure, and
mobility-immobility. If we continue to challenge ourselves throughout our lives,
consciously expanding our personal world, all changes can inspire our creativity
and transformation.
NoPityShirts Ricky
Buchanan sells disability-related and motivational gear, primarily T-shirts... a
powerchair user, disabled with a genetic condition known as EDS and also with
severe ME and Fibromyalgia.
Opening doors in parks by
Austin Fenner; Victor Calise takes a direct approach to tackling life's hurdles;
"Just because you are in a wheelchair, it doesn't mean your life stops..."
Paper:
A university student
writes about Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) - how does it aid the
rehabilitation of spinal cord injury.
Parking
Pads (PDF) -
Have you ever discovered someone illegally parked in a handicapped zone and
wished you could say or do something? Now you can! Take action with our handy
“Just a Minute…” is 60 Seconds too long parking pad. Simply slip one of these
informative reminders under the offender’s windshield wiper and you’ve made your
point.
Peter van Kan is a yoga teacher, musician, writer and paraplegic
Planning Your Will (PDF)
- By using this
step-by-step guide, you will see how planning your will can save money for both
you and your heirs. You will also find out how meaningful and rewarding a
process it can be for you.
Power Paws - Now is the time to apply for an Assistance Dog!
Rex Donald - Disabled or Not “Find That Hidden Job!” No matter who you
are, finding employment in today’s job market is difficult. The competition for
jobs are fierce. For each advertised job opening there are dozens or even
hundreds of applicants.
Scouring the Globe for a Cure:
A Disabled Man's Experiences with Stem Cell Treatment. We can say with certainty
that if your or a loved one is thinking about or planning a trip to other
countries for a cure; you must read this book
Sean Scott: The Story of A Paraplegic flying a weight-shift Trike.
Sexuality of One Paralyzed Man: Sex does exist after paralysis Gordon has
written this accounting of the early years of his paralysis and his maturing
sexuality. He told us here at Paralinks that before he was a paraplegic he was a
macho dude and did not give much thought to how either his wife, when he was
married- or his later girlfriend- felt about their sexuality. Note: Gordon's
letter is graphic and explicit. If you are embarrassed by sexual frankness--
perhaps pass this letter by. -ed
Shared Adventures - "Our bodies
might be broken, but we’re still out here doing stuff." -Marv Tuttle
Stay Safe: Preventing Spinal Cord Injury (PDF)
- Not many people believe they can become a statistic of spinal cord injury;
however, it happens every day. It is important to know that spinal cord injury
can happen to anyone at any time. There are some protective measures you can
take to avoid getting a spinal cord injury.
Still Me Voyage - Paraplegic
canoes 1,000 miles of MacKenzie River solo
Taking Action (PDF) - The information
contained in this pamphlet is designed to enable you to become an effective
self-advocate. A self-advocate is someone who is actively involved in getting
what they want. As advocates for organizations can attest, advocacy is a
process.
Trikes or Trykes? - Two Paralyzed Veterans, Terry McGovern & Louis DuPilka,
put their mark on the world of motorbikes. By Dianne Renzulli the public affairs
assistant for the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association. Enough information and
resources to build your own!
Video: Molly and Jeramy
"Relationships, Sexuality and Spinal Cord Injury." This new video is an
excellent resource for rehab centers, patient education, nursing and medical
schools. This is what the label says. We viewed it last night and highly
recommend it for married couples who have had the unfortunate fate of one of
them suffering a spinal cord injury. The film takes an intimate and honest look
into one couples life after the woman is paralyzed as the result of an auto
accident. This film shows that there is married life after SCI! There really is
hope. If you know of a couple in this situation please get this video from
Aquarius Health Care Videos (or
http://www.aquariusproductions.com)
Vinny Lauwers a 32-year-old paraplegic, sailed into his home port of
Melbourne last Saturday, ending an eight-month epic journey that saw him become
the first paraplegic to sail non-stop, solo and unassisted around the world.
What
is SCI/D? (PDF) - This brochure is a general
introduction to SCI/D. Understanding what a spinal cord injury is and what
diseases affect the spinal cord is not only the first stage of rehabilitation,
it is also an important key to prevention.
Wheelchair Stunt-Man - Gary Schooley from Paralinks recently caught
Trevair Snowdog during a break in his wild life. Catching him while he was on
the ground, Gary took this opportunity to interview the 'Wheelchair Stunt-man'.
If you have not heard of Trevair yet, I am sure that you will.
Who is Wise Young? - Wise Young
is recognized as one of the world's outstanding neuroscientists.
Winfield Clark - The
experiences of a long-term paraplegic with long-term Buddhist practice. Brief
personal history. Overview of Buddhist philosophy. The practice of sitting
meditation. Meditation practice and the disabled.
For many women with spinal cord injuries or disorders (SCI/D) knowledgeable
physicians and the right facilities are often hard to find. Use this checklist,
not only for your own personal information, but also for educating your primary
health care provider on what he or she needs to know about the unique needs and
concerns of women with SCI/D.
Working it out - Voc Rehab
program gets people back into employment arena. By Melanie M. Sidwell
Why drive a mini van when
you can have the same functionality but with the hauling and towing capacity of
a truck?
