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NEWS

“Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot” to Hit Theaters this Spring

A film based on the memoir of cartoonist, troublemaker, and disability icon John Callahan recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and will hit theaters nationwide in May. In a move that’s sure generate controversy, Callahan, who had C5-6 quadriplegia, is being played by the very famous, and very nondisabled Joaquin Phoenix. Read more about movie and watch the trailer by clicking the link above — we’d love to hear your comments.

NYC’s Accessible Dispatch Program Expands Citywide

Eighty percent of New Yorkers with disabilities live in the outer boroughs and, until now, there was no easy way to get a wheelchair-accessible taxi outside of Manhattan. On Jan. 24, however, the NYC Taxi and Limousine commission announced the city-wide expansion of its Accessible Dispatch Program, which connects New Yorkers with wheelchair accessible taxis. It’s the latest in a multi-decade battle to improve the accessibility of NYC’s taxi industry, and if we keep making progress like this, we might actually get somewhere.

TRENDING

Toyota Flashes Next-gen iBot Preview in Olympic Advertising

It’s Olympic time! And while a few thousand Paralympic athletes are waiting for the nondisabled skiers, curlers and skaters to do what they do before they hit the international stage, the Winter Olympic advertising space has already featured a bevy of folks with physical disabilities. A great example is this Toyota ad that proclaims, “When we’re free to move, anything is possible,” while flashing teasers of the next-gen iBot and featuring people with a variety of disabilities within a whole world of different body types. So far so good. Now let’s see some actual coverage of the Paralympics.

PRO TIPS

My Unintended Journey Into the World of Flap Surgery

“I’ve been sentenced to a six-month journey with a stage IV ischial pressure sore, but I don’t want to do the time,” writes New Mobility editor Tim Gilmer in the first installment of his blog series, Journey to the Far Side of Tomorrow. “I’d rather blast off from this black hole and return to the land of light ASAP. Realistically, though, to get there I’ll need the combined expertise of a team of medical professionals, a healthy dose of hope, and the support of family, friends and colleagues. In the face of possible complications and setbacks, I’ll need to stay positive and persevere.” Read more and leave Tim well-wishes here.

Extended Elevator Breakdowns

Elevators, as with anything mechanical, are prone to breaking down. And if you use a wheelchair, any time is a bad time for an elevator to not be working — which is why the Fair Housing Act mandates that accessibility features such as elevators stay operational. So what do you do when an elevator you rely on stays broken for an extended period of time?

Sexual Sustainability After Spinal Cord Injury

Dr. Marcalee Sipski Alexander wrote the e-book on sexuality and SCI — literally. It’s called Sexual Sustainability: A guide to having a great sex life with a spinal cord disorder. On February 22 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST, she’s hosting a free webinar on the subject for United Spinal Association. Click the above link to register.

Wanted: Wheelchair Footplate Height Hack

Have you hacked your wheelchair’s footplate height to easily accommodate a variety of shoe styles? If so, we’d like to hear your brilliant ideas and solutions. The world of fashion-forward wheelers thanks you.

FUN READ

How Learning to Shred is Actually a Life Skill

What do you get when you combine big quarter-pipes, gnarly waves, and a whole lot of international humanitarian work? One well-traveled Otter. Christiaan “Otter” Bailey has lived like life is one big adventure since he was a kid, and now, more than a decade into a career as an adaptive surfer and WCMX rider, he’s on a mission to help a new generation wheelchair users develop the skills and confidence to shred their way through the world.

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