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PRODUCTS

Testing the AirGrips Pushrim

If you have limited grip strength and push a manual wheelchair, chances are you’ve been underwhelmed by the typical, quad-friendly pushrim options. The AirGrips from Motion Composites came out a few years ago promising a super-grippy, durable and lightweight design. Seth McBride put them to a year-long test and was pleasantly surprised to find they lived up to (most of) the hype. Read the full report here.

NEWS

The Paralympics Finally Has a Video Game

What do you get when Final Fantasy XV’s video game director applies his formidable talents to boccia and wheelchair basketball? The Pegasus Dream Tour, a role-playing game where players can equip their avatars with the wheelchair or prosthetics of their choice and then train in various Paralympic sports, all while roaming around the gorgeously-rendered open world of Pegasus City. Click the link for more details and a trailer. The game is set to release June 24 on Google Play and the App Store.

TRENDING

How to Draw Manual Wheelchairs Properly

Most depictions of wheelchair users tend to have folks pushing clunky hospital chairs. Comic artist and wheelchair user Calvin Arium decided to help the authentic representation cause with his “Guide for two-legged people who don’t know how to draw wheelchairs.” Check out his stylish, info-packed explainer at the link above, and for more of his work visit his Tumblr and Patreon pages.

NEWS ANALYSIS

Faulty Bootstraps in Texas

In February, when a massive winter storm hit Texas, Emily Wolinsky was one of countless disabled Texans who were left to fend for themselves as the state’s power grid shut down. Read her harrowing story of trying to survive as a power chair and vent user without heat or power, and what she learned from the experience. “It just confirmed my fears that I would be completely left for dead. I’d always assumed that before, but now I can actually say, ‘Yeah, that’s true. That’s what happens,’” she says.

PRO TIPS

Avoiding the Pitfalls of Caregiver Comparison

When you find a long-term caregiver you really click with, it can be hard not to judge your supplementary helpers by the same, lofty standard. In her latest Daily Dilemmas column, Sheri Denkensohn-Trott gives some helpful advice on how to keep your whole team happy. “Any good employer must recognize that employees’ skill sets differ. Each attendant has strengths and weaknesses, and you will want to assign duties accordingly, whenever possible,” she writes.

Is Telemedicine for You?

Tim Gilmer spent a lot of the past year dealing with medical issues unrelated to COVID-19, and in the process got a first-hand look at telemedicine. In this primer, he talks with other wheelchair users about the upsides and downsides of virtual healthcare. Many found it great for managing chronic conditions but say there are definitely times, such as when meeting a new doctor, when you should still push for an in-person appointment.

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