Disability News
Paraplegic hopes for new wheelchair (Click to Read)
THURSDAY, September 25 -- William Johnson searches for a tractor part online using a mouse stick. A paraplegic since he was 16 years old, Johnson has learned how to get around and function without the use of his arms and legs.
'Milestone' Paralympics helps change perceptions of disabled (Click to Read)
WEDNESDAY, September 17 -- It was the biggest Paralympics in the 60-year history of sport for disabled athletes. As with the summer Games, Beijing has set a new benchmark which the London organisers in 2012 will find difficult to beat.
Quadriplegic Burger King fan wants to have it his way (Click to Read)
MONDAY, September 15 -- Not just any burger can satisfy Miguel Castaneda. Before he became a Whopper man, he was a Whopper boy. “I like the charbroiled flavor,” he says, “just like anybody else.” But the Pittsburg man, a quadriplegic with limited use of his arms and upper body, claims fast food giant Burger King makes it a chore to get it his way, from rolling his wheelchair through the drive-through lane at the chain’s Pleasant Hill restaurant, to narrowly steering it between bushes and garbage bins along the entryway, to struggling with heavy doors he can’t open.
New homes focus on senior-friendly features (Click to Read)
WEDNESDAY, September 10 -- States and cities worried about where the growing number of senior citizens will live when they're older are starting to ask that all new homes be built to accommodate the elderly.
Almost 60 state and local governments have passed initiatives — some mandatory but most voluntary — asking all builders to include at least three features in new houses to help seniors and the disabled: no steps at the entrance, a bathroom on the ground floor and wider doorways.
Caro's Scot Severn will go for gold in Paralympic Games in China (Click to Read)
TUESDAY, September 2 -- It arrives in mid-August, a month after his actual birth date. But for Scot Severn of Caro, the card underscores more than just his physical rebirth. On Aug. 14, 1989, Severn was a radio mechanic serving as a gate guard with the U.S. Army Reserves at Camp Grayling when he was struck by lightning. The hit threw him 40 feet and sent him into immediate cardiac and respiratory arrest. The bolt also caused external and internal burns that left him as an incomplete quadriplegic.
Universal Sports Brings First Ever Multiplatform Broadcast of Paralympic Games to U.S. (Click to Read)
MONDAY, August 25 -- Universal Sports, a multiplatform destination for amateur sports programming throughout the year which is co-owned by NBC Universal and InterMedia Partners, the Beijing 2008 Organizing Committee (BOCOG) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced today an agreement to provide the first-ever multiplatform broadcast coverage of the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, presented by GE in the U.S. The groundbreaking broadcast will premiere on September 6 on UniversalSports.com and October 8 on Universal Sports TV, followed by a special presentation of the events on NBC October 18.
Drive-through rules vex Modestan in wheelchair (Click to Read)
SUNDAY, August 24 -- Don Talley said he just wants to be treated like any other customer. The 62-year-old Modestan suffered a stroke in 1993 and relies on a motorized wheelchair to get around.
He is frustrated because the folks at McDonald's and Jack in the Box restaurants, both on Oakdale Road, won't let him use his chair in their drive-through lanes.
Double shot of gold good for Dondlinger (Click to Read)
TUESDAY, August 19 -- As thousands of athletes from around the world converged on Beijing, China for the XXIX Olympiad, Leo Dondlinger kept looking at his calendar, waiting for his own chance at gold.
Vancouver's quadriplegic mayor to carry torch in Beijing Paralympic Games (Click to Read)
TUESDAY, August 19 -- In a bittersweet bookend to his single term as Vancouver's mayor, quadriplegic Sam Sullivan will participate in the torch relay at next month's Paralympics in Beijing.
Disaboom to Raise the Volume of the "Unheard Voice" of Disability Community at the Democratic National Convention (Click to Read)
THURSDAY, August 14 -- Disaboom, the premier online community for people touched by disability, today announced that it will help the voice of the disability community to be heard at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver through the "Unheard Voice," a series of disability-focused events and activities.
Court rules in favor of quadriplegic Highland NASCAR fan (Click to Read)
FRIDAY, August 8 -- Wheelchair-using spectators at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana have a right to clear sightlines unblocked by standing fans, appellate judges ruled Friday in a lawsuit filed by a quadriplegic Highland man who said he attends every NASCAR event at the track.
MASSARO: Service dog forming special bond with his owner (Click to Read)
TUESDAY, August 5 -- Nicole Miller still has a way to go before she finishes her master's degree. But she and her partner, Jack, have already passed the finals in one course. Jack is a golden retriever, trained by Canine Partners of the Rockies, which provides service dogs to people with disabilities.
Florida home is a model for accessibility (Click to Read)
SUNDAY, July 27 -- Inspired by veterans with disabilities, builder designed 'Freedom Home' for homeowners in wheelchairs or who want to 'age in place.'
Disaboom Offers Five Tips to Live Forward With Disabilities (Click to Read)
TUESDAY, July 22 -- More than half of Americans would rather die than live with a severe disability, according to a recent nationwide study by Disaboom (OTC BB:DSBO.OB - News) (http://www.disaboom.com/), the premier online community for people touched by disability. The Disaboom community wants to quash this tragic viewpoint and instead, offer tools to live forward.
Opening doors for the disabled (Click to Read)
SUNDAY, July 20 -- From his San Pedro apartment balcony, Joe Martinez can see the Cabrillo Beach breakwater where a surfing accident three decades ago left him a quadriplegic. Martinez was only 16 when he lost most of the use of his arms and legs. Yet he was able to overcome many aspects of his disability. He is married with a biological daughter and two stepchildren.
Martinez, 47, has invested in real estate over the years. But a decade ago, he began to work with businesses to advise them on how to comply with government regulations regarding disabled people. Today, Martinez runs his home-based consulting business under the name Accessible Merchants USA.
Disabled climber grows through loss (Click to Read)
THURSDAY, July 17 -- Relying on cool engineering and upper-body strength, Darol Kubacz will pedal, pull and drag himself up Mount Kilimanjaro. In 1995, while in the Army, Kubacz, 33, broke his back in a training accident at Fort Knox, Ky., and lost the use of his legs. He said climbing "Kili" became a goal after he broke his neck in a free-style-skiing accident in 2003 in Breckenridge, Colo. He wore a Halo brace for 14 weeks, feeling weaker and weaker every day.
"I didn't choose the spinal-cord injury. I didn't choose the neck injury," said Kubacz, who hopes to inspire people with disabilities to do outdoor activities and adventure sports. "If I can choose consciously to climb a mountain and know only positive can come from it, then why wouldn't I do it?"
Engineering students reinvent the wheelchair (Click to Read)
THURSDAY, June 19 -- An engineering professor and his students have solved some of the problems wheelchair users face, like moving side-to-side or traveling on a beach.
Wheelchair-bound racers go the distance (Click to Read)
MONDAY, June 16 -- When Navy veteran Scott MacDonald charged out before the pack of runners in his new racing wheelchair Sunday, the sea of racers erupted in cheers.
Disabled woman set for solo voyage (Click to Read)
MONDAY, June 16 -- A record-breaking quadriplegic sailor is set to sail solo round the British Isles using controls powered by her breath after technical problems forced her to postpone her challenge.
Hilary Lister, 36, from Canterbury, Kent, will embark on her journey sailing clockwise around the British coast from Dover, seven days after initially hoping to begin her voyage.
U.S. women out to defend gold medal in wheelchair basketball (Click to Read)
MONDAY, June 9 -- A typical day for Patty Cisneros and the U.S. wheelchair basketball team includes up to eight hours of formal practice, weightlifting, cardiovascular workouts and pickup games.
Longer Life For Paraplegic Patients With Superman Bicycle (Click to Read)
MONDAY, June 9 -- A new type of exercise equipment can prevent serious lifestyle illnesses in paraplegic patients. The equipment, which was partly developed at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, was first designed for the American actor Christopher Reeve.
Beijing Paralympics: Josie Pearson breaking new ground for Britain in wheelchair rugby (Click to Read)
WEDNESDAY, June 4 -- Push forward Josie Pearson, 22, from Hereford, with the face of an angel but the tackling skills of a Dallaglio, who will become the first woman ever to compete for at wheelchair rugby at the Paralympic Games after being named yesterday in the 12-strong GB squad for Beijing.
Quadriplegic Gives Birth After Years of Lost Hope (Click to Read)
TUESDAY, May 20 -- In 1999, at the age of 16, Angie became a quadriplegic after being in a car accident. She thought her hopes and dreams of having a family were destroyed. But, with special assistance, they were able to have a healthy baby.
Wheelchair Softball Team Finally Has A Home Base (Click to Read)
FRIDAY, May 16 -- They started by practicing in parking lots. First they used a business's parking lot, then moved to a church. They were grateful for the space, but their wheelchairs couldn't maneuver the potholes. Also, the shards of glass on the pavement were dangerous, and the cars in the way didn't help matters.
Wheelchair Racing’s Rising Star (Click to Read)
MONDAY, May 12 -- Josh George, 24, is the United States’ top Paralympic medal contender in races from 100 meters up through the marathon. Here is a look at George’s wheelchair and at his technique, which can propel him to speeds in excess of 20 m.p.h.
Veterans Journal: Spinal group offers self-help guide (Click to Read)
MONDAY, April 28 -- A veterans’ self-help guide from the United Spinal Association advises all veterans with disabilities how to establish that a current disability or condition is related to military service or existed before military service and was aggravated by such service.
Paraplegic's Cross-Country Trip (Click to Read)
SATURDAY, April 26 -- Longtime racetrack worker and paraplegic Rodney Burnett will begin a planned 2,500-mile cross-country trip from Williston, Fla., to the West Coast in a specially-built covered wagon April 28. Pulled by a team of Morgan horses, Burnett, paralyzed from the chest down since a 1992 motorcycle accident, estimates the trip will require six months. He plans to stop at racetracks and rehabilitation centers along the way and dreams that he will be met in California by at least 1,000 other paraplegics in wheelchairs.
Paraplegic gets hole-in-one (Click to Read)
FRIDAY, April 25 -- While relatively new to the game, Frank Peter has become a familiar presence at city golf courses. One aspect of the game that has eluded him, however, was the coveted hole-in-one.
Dreams of a place to call home are finally a reality (Click to Read)
FRIDAY, April 25 -- Like most young adults, Ashly Gambino dreamed of being on her own. She wanted to get out of bed at her convenience, shop for her own groceries, live in her own place.
Van Dyk, Tsuchida win wheelchair races at Boston Marathon (Click to Read)
MONDAY, April 21 -- The Boston Marathon's wheelchair division had two wire-to-wire winners Monday, with both the men's and women's champions finishing without a competitor in sight.
Wheelchair Warriors (Click to Read)
SUNDAY, April 20 -- Eleven paraplegics tested their wheels Saturday in seven track and field events at the East Texas Wheelchair Games at Rose Stadium, an annual competition that promotes full living and fellowship for disabled area residents.
Promising new drug for spinal cord injuries (Click to Read)
TUESDAY, April 8 -- Each year in the United States, about 11,000 people suffer a spinal cord injury. Recent research shows what happens in the first days after an injury has a big impact on how well patients recover.
11 Seconds: A story of hope (Click to Read)
THURSDAY, April 3 -- He lived his lifelong dream for only 11 seconds. Travis Roy, quadriplegic, motivational speaker, and former Boston University hockey player, spoke to hundreds of Boston College students on Tuesday.
A spastic paraplegic, mother of two, she heads for the Paralympics (Click to Read)
MONDAY, March 31 -- Faster, higher, stronger - in the collective mourning for the Indian hockey team's failure to qualify for the Olympics, no one's heard of one gutsy woman from Ahmednagar near Pune who perhaps best symbolises what the Games stand for. She's Deepa Mallick, 39, mother of two, a spastic paraplegic, with no movement in her body the third shirt button down, who is set to become the first woman to represent India in the Paralympic Games to be held in Beijing.
Disaboom's Expanded Entertainment Section Focuses on People with Disabilities in Mainstream Media (Click to Read)
SATURDAY, March 29 -- Disaboom, the leading online community designed for people touched by disabilities, has begun to highlight the achievements and interesting stories of actors, as well as fictional characters, with disabilities.
Disabled sled hockey players head to nationals (Click to Read)
FRIDAY, March 28 -- There are only so many disabled hockey players. So when the Hornets Youth Sled Hockey team takes to the ice, it's usually to compete against able-bodied players who have been given lightweight, maneuverable sleds of their own to even the terms.
Homes without barriers (Click to Read)
THURSDAY, March 27 -- With the population aging rapidly, more builders are paying attention to making houses accessible to people of all abilities by incorporating universal design concepts.
Crippled in a second: How one man went from being a fit father-to-be to a life in a wheelchair (Click to Read)
TUESDAY, March 25 -- Where to begin? Well, that's easy. I am lying on the roof of an old garage at the bottom of a client's garden. I am under a tree, looking up at the branches and I am confused at to what has just happened.
A few moments ago, I was working in the tree, six metres up and attached by rope and harness, preparing to come down after 45 minutes of pruning. Now I am on my back and I can't feel my legs.
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