Formed in 2009, the Archive Team (not to be confused with the archive.org Archive-It Team) is a rogue archivist collective dedicated to saving copies of rapidly dying or deleted websites for the sake of history and digital heritage. The group is 100% composed of volunteers and interested parties, and has expanded into a large amount of related projects for saving online and digital history.
December 2014
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS The anchor of our cover package — “EMBEDDED” — was originally published in AARP Magazine, not in NM. Until now. It appeared posthumously in 2007, after its author, Barry Corbet, retired as editor of NM. This masterfully executed narrative is about the challenge of maintaining dignity and independence in a nursing home, written with authority, grace, and humor. Complementing this is “MAKING A DIFFERENCE” — four current reader-contributed stories chosen by our staff as contest winners — especially for this celebratory issue. Plus: BEST COVERS — reader favorites and staff picks.
KING OF THE SKY Jarrett Martin has never stopped loving the excitement of freefalling, even when he became a T3 para.
THE BIG IDEA The Reeve Foundation wants you to support epidural stimulation, which just might change your life.
GLACIER BUGGIES Glaciers are formidable and far from accessible — unless you can catch a ride on a monster-sized Terra Bus.
BLUE MAN DEBATE Is it time to consider redesigning the international symbol of access? Pro and con essays.
November 2014
2015 Consumer Guide
ADAPTIVE TOOLS & TECHNOLOGY Best of Gearcrip: Collected reviews of new products.
HEALTH & HYGIENE Cathing for Women: Finding what works and sticking to it.
FITNESS & SPORTS Handcycling: Not Just For Paras: Power-assist handcycles tame the outdoors.
MOBILITY & SEATING Your Next Power Chair: Now is the time to ask for what you want.
AUTOMOTIVE Affordable Vans and Cars: Tips on how and where to find deals.
DISABILITY SERVICES Grieving a Service Dog: It’s like losing your best friend.
DISABILITY MEDIA Worst of Smart Ass Cripple: Four smart ass offerings from Guess Who.
October 2014
THE EMPLOYMENT GAME The odds and disincentives are stacked against us. But with a thorough understanding of the rules of the game, we can still work part-time while getting benefits. And for those who are prepared, persistent, and lucky, full-time work can offer a way to thrive.
NM: 25-YEAR ANNIVERSARY New Mobility stories from 2010-2014: The journey comes full circle with a lasting sense of personal growth.
RACE OF TRUTH Will Lachenauer tackles the Tour de Nez, a handcycling test of speed and endurance, and finds it’s about more than winning.
QUADS AND FITNESS It isn’t easy finding ways to exercise when you’re a quad. Here are some fitness tips for those with limited arm function.
ARCHAEOLOGY OF A WOMAN Sharon Greytak brings her disability perspective to a film about moms, daughters, mystery and dementia.
PARENTING BY THE NUMBERS Raising five children and 14 grandchildren from a wheelchair? How does Tammy Johnson do it?
September 2014
STORIES OF INVENTION As individuals, our lives are all about inventing ways to deal with not only our disabilities, but also a culture that often considers our needs as an afterthought. So we find ways to go over, under, around and through obstacles. But a few people – authentic inventors – immerse themselves in creative problem solving and come up with products that work for just about all of us. MARK E. SMITH shows us how four wheelers broke through barriers and discovered solutions.
NM: 25-YEAR ANNIVERSARY New Mobility stories from 2007-2009: A look back at what it means to feel “at home.”
LACROSSE, ANYONE? Have you noticed a new sport sweeping the nation? So how do you wheel with those funny stick-baskets in your hands?
SCHOLAR-ACTIVIST When it comes to disability rights, Bill Peace not only thinks, writes and talks about it, he takes action.
NSCIA NEWS In this month’s NSCIA section: Spotlight on the Houston chapter, a recreational camp for wheeler kids, a note from our CEO, and other news and events.
EVERYDAY NEGOTIATING There is a right and wrong approach to every negotiation. The trick is to stay focused on your goal.
August 2014
CHANGES AROUND THE GLOBE Sometimes we become absorbed in our own culture and lose sight of the big picture. Seeking a wider viewpoint, IAN RUDER talks with wheelers from India, Syria, Czech Republic, Brazil and Australia and finds that change is sweeping the globe. The pace and extent of change varies from nation to nation, but one common factor seems to unite us: Attitudes toward disability are the key to progress.
NM: 25 YEARS, STILL KICKING A retrospective look at 2004-2006 through the eyes of New Mobility freelancers — gangbangers redeemed, twins and more.
A TASTE OF SONOMA Accessible wine tastings are just one activity in California’s wine country. Think wildlife trails, hot-air balloon rides and artisan cheeses.
FLYING IS HIS GAME Not only does Dan Buchanan know how to fly, he is an expert at making a dramatic show of it — for fun and profit.
NSCIA NEWS In this month’s NSCIA section: report on New Mexico chapter, 3rd Annual Roll on Capitol Hill, news and more.
AGING WHEELERS Whether we admit it or not, most of us fit in this category regardless of age. So what can we do about it?
July 2014
RAPPING REHAB We’ve got physical therapy and occupational therapy — why not rap therapy? Namel Norris and Ricardo Velasquez, both gunfire-injured paras who grew up in the Bronx, must have asked themselves this question sometime around 1999 when their paths first crossed. JOSIE BYZEK tells the story of how two hip-hop performers are taking their message to young people in hopes of guiding them down the right road.
NM: 25 YEARS AND GROWING New Mobility’s most riveting stories of 2001-2003 redefined who we are and what is most important in our lives.
FROM FLOOR TO FLOOR Have you noticed that single-level homes are hard to find? Here’s how four wheelchair users travel vertically.
FAMILY MAN Joe Delagrave is probably best known as Team USA’s quad rugby captain, but his true passion is being the best dad he can be.
NSCIA NEWS In this month’s NSCIA section: the Boston chapter, filmmaker Jason DaSilva, other notable news and events.
CINEMABILITY Jenni Gold’s superb documentary on the history of disability in film and TV could be a mainstream hit. All that’s lacking is a backer.
June 2014
DISCOVER THE SAN JUANS Unless you live in the northwest United States, you may have never heard of the San Juan Islands. They are the proverbial well-kept secret – beautiful, serene, unspoiled, set apart from the mainland but easy to reach. SUSAN M. LOTEMPIO gives us a guided tour of the best the islands have to offer – sightseeing, hiking, kayaking, whale watching, crabbing – and best of all, relaxing in an unhurried haven of natural wonders.
NM: 25 YEARS AND COUNTING NM travels back in time to 1997-2000 and revisits women’s issues, Jack Kevorkian and Justin Dart.
ELECTRIC CARS Not long ago we had nothing. Now there are three accessible mini-cars gearing up for wheelchair-using drivers.
NSCIA NEWS Spotlight on the San Diego chapter, other events and news from NSCIA.
STRESS AND YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM Researchers find what links autonomic dysreflexia to your immune system — and how we can benefit.
GET HAPPY SCI survivor Mat Barton didn’t miss a beat when he crashed his mountain bike. He picked up a pen and went back to drawing.
May 2014
ACCESSIBLE GAMING Over the past several years, gaming and controllers have become ever-more-sophisticated and complex. For quads and others who lack fine finger dexterity or arm movement, this has posed a problem. But thanks to a dedicated core of disability-friendly designers and gamers, a grass-roots-tested product — the Quadstick — could level the playing field.
NM: 25 YEARS AND COUNTING In our ongoing celebration of New Mobility’s legacy, we revisit timeless issues and writing from 1993-1996.
TRACK CHAIR HEAVEN A decade ago the idea of a mini-tank/wheelchair was a crude dream. Today we have three to choose from.
PARALYMPICS PICTURED Didn’t get enough of the Sochi Paralympics on network TV? Check out commentary and cool photos.
NSCIA NEWS Focus on South Carolina chapter, members, events and more from National Spinal Cord Injury Association, a program of United Spinal.
CLEARWATER: CLEAR VISION The legendary festival of Pete Seeger — always a model of socially responsible music and accessibility — lives on.
April 2014
TAMING OUR FEAR OF FLYING The list of things that can go wrong when a wheelchair user travels by air is as lengthy as a Roman scroll. The good news is we are finally getting organized and demanding the attention of the airline industry.
NM: 25 YEARS, STILL KICKING The seminal years — 1989-1992: the right people, the right time, the right combination of anger and determination.
FULL FORCE, NONSTOP Restaurateur Ashley Lauren Fisher — face of a model, brain of a businesswoman, heart of gold.
WHAT’S UP WITH NSCIA A new NM section features chapter news, members, events, resources and more from the National Spinal Cord Injury Association.
BLACKOUT! A polio survivor faces the truth about her body on the day the Big Apple goes black.
COLOSTOMY PROS AND CONS The word inspires fear, but the practical benefits may be worth it.
March 2014
THE HIGH COSTS OF WALKING Everyone in the SCI community knows that complete paras do not just get up and walk unsupported — ever. But once in a great while the perfect circumstances converge — like stars aligning — and someone busts out of the box. Jessica Harthcock did just that, but only after several years of total commitment, hard work, tremendous support, and a lot of good fortune.
THE MYTH OF WORK What can we expect from a culture that calculates a person’s worth in dollars?
CRUISING ALASKA A place as rugged as Alaska can’t be described as wheelchair friendly. But with smart planning, it can be unforgettable.
ARE WE PREPARED? Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy took their toll, but where do people with disabilities stand with emergency planning now?
IN RARE COMPANY Jason Becker was at the threshold of rock-and-roll fame. Then came ALS. Twenty-five years later he is still making music.
February 2014
SEX, WHEELS & RELATIONSHIPS Kaitlyn and Greg are fond of doing just about everything together — hiking, canoeing, skydiving, even making yogurt as business partners. And that’s not the only thing they enjoy making together. Love is at the top of their list. This high-energy couple creates sparks wherever they go, from the top of a volcano to a redrock canyon.
TWO VIEWS OF A LIFE An obituary is factual and brief, but a sister’s memory of her brother’s passing will live in the hearts of all who were touched by him.
POSTURE 101 Our bodies may be bent, but changing habits and getting the right aids and equipment can make a difference.
SUPER WONDER CRIPSTER WOMAN When the world seems like an unfriendly place for us, Super Wonder Cripster Woman dons her cape.
FROM CHICAGO TO RIO Paralympic athletes from two different hemispheres exchange visits and learn about advocacy and friendship.
January 2014
PERSON OF THE YEAR: DEBORAH DAVIS We call her “A One-Woman Force for Inclusion,” and her brand of advocacy is unique. She is on a mission to demonstrate to the world that wheelchair users are a vital, important part of everyday cultural, travel-related, and economic activity, and she is doing it with a time-tested strategy: Pictures speak louder than words. Deborah Davis is New Mobility’s 2013 Person of the Year.
DEAD TOO SOON? NM staff and readers comment on a life-and-death news story that hits hard and keeps on hitting.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE As a child, rivers were his playground. When he became a quad at age 66, his kayaking days were over. Or so he thought.
A MOVING EXPERIENCE One first-time home buyer’s advice: A realtor is not enough. Today, thankfully, we have the Internet.
SHREDDERS What are those crazy young wheelers doing with their jaw-dropping moves and mid-air flips? Inventing a new sport.
MOUSE TO MEDS New FDA regs speed up the process of moving certain critical meds from the lab to the pharmacy.
