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Spin 2.0

The YouTube of SCI Videos

Jan 04 07:08

It’s really no fair what newbies have access to these days. When I was injured, all I had were old VHS tapes from my rehab unit’s meager video collection, with titles like, “Yes, Satisfying Sex With a Spinal Cord Injury Is Still Possible” and “Get Out and Live!” If I had had SPINALpedia.com back when I was injured, a site with over two thousand videos on strictly related to spinal cord injury, let’s just say my brain would’ve been a tad more healthier.

There’s a special power in watching someone just like you do something new, or something you thought wasn’t possible. That’s one of the bonuses of living around other humans typically, but when you have a SCI, you rarely get that since folks like us aren't everywhere (good thing). AB-folks get to see, watch and adapt all the time. But us? Not so much. If I had been able to see for example the fabulous Colours Dancers when I was hurt at 14, my gloomy world would have been strobe-light brightened, knowing real hip-hop dancing was still possible in a wheelchair.

This is why sites like SPINALpedia rule. Sure, YouTube has the same thing, but you gotta love deeply-detailed categories for pure time-saving reasons. Some of the categories you’ll find include Adapted Devices, Driving, Exercise/Therapy, General Tasks (my personal favorite), Home/Office Access, Life, Personal Care, Recreation, Sports, State/Federal Aid, Stories, Technology, Transfers and Travel.

You can also add videos that YOU’VE made, or hey, maybe you’ll want to make one after being inspired by the site. They have a How to Make Videos section where you can learn how to record and upload a video.

Remember, the way sites like this thrive is through user-submitted content. Think of the coolest things you’ve invented since you’ve been injured or any tricks you’ve discovered that newbies might appreciate. Share your knowledge, pass it along. Help make the world a better place.

SPINALpedia

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1. Bob V | Jan 05 01:08

Hi Tiff, Wow! Thanks for pointing out Spinalpedia--VERY COOL! I agree with you--I was hurt in '85 and there wasn't much adaptive equipment invented yet, het alone instant internet access to amazing media. This is sure to be of great help and stoke to a whole bunch of folks!

Spin 2.0

By Tiffiny Carlson

Tiffiny Carlson Disability buzz, travel, fashion and dating — fun things to amp up everyday wheeling life.

Tiffiny Carlson is freelance writer and writes the “SCI Life” column for New Mobility. She's also a C6 quad from a diving accident that occurred when she was 14 years old. A lifelong resident of Minneapolis, Tiffiny has been a writer in the disability community for over 10 years and writes for several publications and blogs, as well as her personal blog BeautyAbility. Her work has also appeared in mainstream publications such as Nerve.com and Playgirl.