When you work at a magazine every day, it’s easy to forget that readers are curious about the process: how we choose story ideas, what’s involved in putting together a piece, how it goes from our minds to the printed page. Sometimes a story idea bubbles up through several … [Read more...]
Insider Blog
A mixed bag of posts from NSCIA and United Spinal insiders.
Excuse Me, Does A Ladder Come With That Bed?
By Jacquie Tellalian Ah, sunshine, warm temps and blue skies--finally it’s summertime! And nothing says summer like getting away for a little r & r. Being disabled, you get pretty used to hassles you encounter when you’re on unfamiliar turf, but if your vacation plans … [Read more...]
Why I Like Push Girls
I’m 61. I’ve been a disability rights lawyer since I graduated law school 35 years ago. I have watched only minimal amounts of reality television. Why do I watch and like “Push Girls”? First, I must confess that if I have good seats to any Broadway show I love it. … [Read more...]
Is NYC’s Taxi of Tomorrow Really the Taxi of Yesterday?
Why not have some fun with the widely-debated NYC accessible taxi story? United Spinal offers a witty comparison of the two vehicles that have been getting lots of attention of late as prospects for NYC's next standard taxi--the 'Taxi of Tomorrow' winner Nissan's NV200 and … [Read more...]
Any Old Wheelchair Doesn’t Work for Me
Hello fellow rollers and advocates! My name is Jennifer Wolff. I'm an occupational therapist and survivor of an ependymoma (tumor inside the spinal cord from T7-L2). My injury is around T10. After the first surgery in 2003, I had an incomplete injury and with lots of physical … [Read more...]
Putting People First
Have you ever heard this?…“I’m afraid I’ll make a mistake or say the wrong thing, so I just avoid the handicapped.” “I heard he has ‘mental problems’.” “Why does she need a Handicapped Parking space? She’s walking just fine to me!” Nobody likes to … [Read more...]
A 40-Year Love Affair with Assistive Technology
It’s amazing how time flies! Forty years since a young streetwise punk strolled into an assistive technology center and had his first encounter with people with spinal cord injuries (SCI). Hell, I had seen and met SCI before then but didn’t know it. On the streets of NYC … [Read more...]
Paying It Forward
I lived through an absolutely incredible week recently. Late in the day on Tuesday, December 20th, I received a phone call from my friend and work colleague of more than 31 years, United Spinal Association Senior Vice-President Jim Weisman. He was close to home on his return … [Read more...]
Q&A with Lex Frieden
Lex Frieden, United Spinal Association's Chairman of the Board, is one of America’s pre-eminent disability activists and leaders of the Independent Living Movement. He is currently the Professor of Health Informatics and of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the … [Read more...]
A Unique Conference for Women with Disabilities
For the past two years, United Spinal Association has teamed up with Independence Care System to host a unique conference in New York titled “From Within” that promotes self-esteem, self-awareness, and self-empowerment for women living with disabilities. Although still … [Read more...]
