
Our mission is to provide active-lifestyle information, peer support and advocacy that empowers people living with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D) to achieve their highest potential.
Iowa Rec Clinic Going Strong
When was the last time you went skiing, hunting, golfing, bowling and off-roading in the same day?
If you answered never, you’ll have a chance to rectify that glaring bucket list omission at this year’s 7th Annual Adaptive Sports
Life in Action Editor’s Note: What’s your gadget?

Ian Ruder, Editor, Life in Action
A much wiser man than I once dubbed disability the grandmother of invention. If you live with a disability, or know someone who does, you know how true this is. And though no one knows for sure who invented the first wheelchair, I suspect it was a creative soul who was frustrated by his own lack of mobility. His innovative solution opened up a world of possibilities for other individuals in similar situations.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of years later, we can look back on a long history of revolutionary innovations that have not only improved the lives of people with disabilities, but have actually made many people’s lives possible. From simple inventions like appliance-holding cuffs, to the most complex ones, like the medical techniques that allow many people who sustain spinal cord injuries to survive, the promise of innovation is all around us.
I hope that this issue removes some of the mystery around innovating and inventing and gets you to realize that you have everything required to create the next life-changing gadget
or gizmo. No one knows the needs of people with spinal cord injuries better than people with spinal cord injuries. As one paraplegic I interviewed said, “Things that work for me work for a lot of people.” Indeed. If you have a problem, someone else likely does too, and if you have a solution, you can be sure they will be glad to know. Get your idea out there, and see what people think. Maybe it’s a hit, and you have the next iPad. Maybe you have the next iBot. Either way, you’re contributing to the rich history that has given so many options to the disability community. And who knows, you might get rich, too.
United Spinal Continues to Push for Policy Change
United Spinal recently met with Marilyn Tavenner, Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to discuss the importance of people with disabilities having access to the proper mobility devices [...]
Vote Yes by Friday, February 3rd for Accessible Taxis in Philadelphia
Want to help make taxis wheelchair-accessible to residents of, and visitors to, the “City of Brotherly Love”—Philadelphia? Recently, the Philadelphia Parking Authority has announced that it is considering new re[...]
New Video Highlights Benefits of Complex Rehab Technology
The real world benefits of matching people with mobility equipment that meets their unique needs. So what exactly is complex rehab technology? Basically, it includes mobility devices such as manual and power wheelc[...]
Join the Fight to Stop Oklahoma Medicaid from Cutting Catheters
Time is running out to fight back against Oklahoma Medicaid, which has proposed to drastically cut the amount of hydrophilic catheters and closed system catheter kits its recipients can obtain per month. Currently, Ok[...]
Survey on Physical Activity and Exercise
The Rehabilitation Research Training Center (RRTC) on Secondary Conditions in the Rehbilitation of Individuals with SCI is conducting a brief 9-question survey on physical activity and exercise. We kindly ask that yo[...]
A True Taxi Tale
On June 19, 2007, my spouse and I boarded an Air Canada flight at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport for what we thought was a day trip to Montreal. I’m a quadriplegic and my injury is at the sixth cervical vertebrae.[...]
TSA Creates Helpline for Travelers with Disabilities
Airline travel for people with disabilities, whether you're a wheelchair user or living with multiple sclerosis (MS) or other medical conditions, can sometimes be a big hassle. Ok, ok--it's always a big hassle. For mo[...]
A Chapter Rises in Houston
Four months ago the idea of a Houston-area chapter of NSCIA was just an idea in a few people’s heads. Today the Texas Gulf Coast Chapter is up and running, thanks to an intensive effort by Rafferty Laredo, the chapter[...]


