INDEPENDENCE, NEW MOBILITY STYLE |
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| Independence Day was a couple of weeks ago, and while New Mobility isn’t usually prone to holiday celebrations, the occasion did get us thinking. While everything in America feels political these days, at its core, America’s conception of independence is a personal one: the freedom to live your life as you choose. And that’s been the defining ethos of New Mobility since our inception. So in honor of you, and everyone else who’s been doing the difficult, frustrating, joyful work of thriving with disability, we’re taking a look back through the New Mobility archives to find stories that exemplify our community’s spirit of independence. What’s clear reading these stories is that independence has a slightly different meaning for everyone, and people go about finding it in different ways, which is exactly as it should be. |
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An All-American Fourth of July
For Barry Corbet, a Fourth of July party on the rooftop of Craig Hospital’s parking garage in 1997 proved the perfect opportunity to reflect on all that the disability community has to celebrate. “We’re wallowing in nostalgia, even patriotism,” Corbet writes. “Why not? However slow our country has been to cough up equal opportunity, we’re grateful it’s given us some. We’re grateful that medicine has kept us alive. In spite of all the outrage and the tribulation, all the advocacy that shouldn’t have been necessary, we’re grateful to be here.”
Escaping the Nursing Home
Speaking of advocacy that shouldn’t have been necessary … with over a trillion dollars in federal cuts to Medicaid on the horizon, many disability-rights advocates are rallying to ensure states don’t cut the Home and Community-Based Service benefits that many people with disabilities rely on to fund personal care attendants. Amidst that uncertainty, this 2008 story from the late Richard Holicky is a searing reminder that not long ago, getting young people with disabilities out of nursing homes and living independently in the community was the defining issue of our community. “It was pretty much like jail, and I kept praying for someone to help me get out,” said James Chapman, a then 39-year-old para who spent nine months stuck in a nursing home. |
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Built for Rehab. Loved for Fitness.
The VitaGlide empowers you to rebuild strength, boost your cardio, and push your limits — all from a seated position. Its smooth push–pull motion targets more muscles with less strain, helping you move better, feel stronger, and stay in control. With smart tracking and customizable resistance, every session brings measurable results. It’s not just a workout — it’s your freedom in motion. Let’s go!
LoFric Origo Makes Catheterization Easy for Men with SCI
Bladder management can be challenging for men with SCI. LoFric catheters are proven to reduce the risk of complications and proven safe for long-term use. Smooth at insertion and withdrawal, LoFric Origo is also foldable, eco-friendly, and easy to use. |
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Redefining Independence When You Need Assistance
Our editor-in-chief, Ian Ruder, relies on caregivers to get through the day. In this 2017 article, he talks with other wheelchair users about how they’ve reframed their ideas on independence away from physical autonomy and toward control over their lives. “Now, independence is dictating life rather than life dictating to me. It’s more about doing what I want to do when I want to do it with whatever help I need — and knowing I am able to get that help,” explained Dave Pierson, a C6-7 quad. Read how this shift has helped Pierson, Ruder and others live their lives to the fullest.
Pushing the Edge of SCI Function
For some with limited function, independence means maximizing the number of things you’re able to do without assistance. In 2019, Seth McBride chronicled the stubborn independence of C5 quad Eddie Crouch, who has learned how to independently transfer into a vehicle and break down his wheelchair, tie a pair of shoes and shower on the road, plus a host of other infuriatingly complex everyday tasks. “What makes Crouch unique is his ability to work through problems over and over again, stacking marginal gains atop each other, without getting so frustrated that he says, screw it, not worth the effort,” writes McBride. |
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