You’re Invited: Stream United Spinal’s 80th Anniversary & History-Making Exoskeleton Demo

 

JOIN US LIVE: CELEBRATING 80 YEARS OF UNITED SPINAL + THE DEBUT OF EVE

Stream United Spinal’s 80th Anniversary & Wandercraft's Exoskeleton Demo On Thursday, Sept. 17, we're throwing an 80th anniversary party in Manhattan, and streaming the whole thing, so you can be part of it from wherever you are. Register to receive the livestream link.  September 2026 17 REGISTER

Here's the program, starting at 6 p.m. ET:  United Spinal CEO Matt Castelluccio and Wandercraft CEO Matthieu Masselin on why our two organizations joined forces The story of United Spinal, told by the members and advocates who lived it, plus a look at where the association is headed next The first public stand-up of Eve, Wandercraft's newly FDA-cleared personal exoskeleton Closing remarks and a live Q&A Can’t Make the Livestream? You Can Still Make an Impact. Even if you can’t tune in on Sept. 17, you can help us launch our next 80 years of advocacy, independence, and community. Support our mission by making a donation today. A little about your hosts:   United Spinal is the largest disability-led membership organization in the country. Eighty years in, membership is still free and still open to all wheelchair users, families and allies. If you're reading this, you're already part of the story we'll be telling on stage.  Wandercraft is the company behind Eve, the first self-balancing exoskeleton designed for everyday life at home. It just earned FDA clearance, and Sept. 17 is its coming-out party.  See you on the 17th!

Attending the 2026 NADD Conference? Register now before rates increase

 

Everything You Need Before NADD 2026

We're just a few weeks away from the 2026 NADD Annual Conference, and we can't wait to welcome you to Pittsburgh! Here's everything you need to know before you arrive. 📍 EVENT DETAILS Dates: October 7–9, 2026 Venue: Omni William Penn Hotel, 530 William Penn Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 If you haven't finalized your hotel arrangements, we recommend doing so as soon as possible, as room availability is extremely limited. LOCK IN YOUR REGISTRATION   🎓 CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS NADD and our partner, CE Learning Systems, are currently seeking approval for up to 14 CE Credit Hours from 12 accrediting organizations. Learn more about the full CE process HERE. A few important reminders if you're pursuing CE credit: - You must attend sessions "live" (in real-time) for the full duration to earn credit — partial attendance does not qualify. - Before the conference, you'll receive a personalized "attendee dashboard" link (sent to the email you used to register) hosted on the CE-Go website. Save this link somewhere handy — you'll use it throughout the event. - At the end of each eligible session, the moderator will share a verification code. You'll enter this code in your dashboard to confirm attendance. - After the conference, once you've successfully completed the required steps, you'll be able to immediately download your own CE certificate(s). Organizers will send important instructions before the conference that you must complete to receive your credits, so be on the lookout! Questions about CE credit? Reach out to conferences@thenadd.org, or for technical support with CE-Go: support@ce-go.com / 888-498-5578. (Emails from CE-Go will come from support@ce-go.com — please add this to your safe senders list so nothing lands in spam.) 🗓️ AGENDA AT A GLANCE View the full agenda HERE 🎤 FEATURED SPEAKERS See the full speaker lineup HERE ✅ BEFORE YOU ARRIVE — QUICK CHECKLIST Confirm your hotel reservation and how you'll get there. Review the agenda and plan which sessions you'll attend. NADD plans to open access to Whova early this year, and we highly encourage you to build your personalized agenda once you get access. Pack for Pittsburgh in October — layers recommended; check the forecast closer to the date 📞 NEED HELP? Registration questions: info@delaneymeetingevent.com or 802-865-5202 CE credit questions: conferences@thenadd.org CE-Go technical support: support@ce-go.com or 888-498-5578 We're looking forward to a great few days of learning, connection, and community. See you in Pittsburgh!   Room Block Update: Book Now — Rooms Are Almost Gone A limited number of rooms at the Omni William Penn are available to NADD conference participants at a discounted rate starting at $235 plus tax. The conference hotel block is nearing or may be sold out across some nights of the conference. You may continue to check for availability within the conference block until September 14th, at which time the special rate will end. You may also continue to check for availability at the Omni’s standard hotel rates. Alternatively, there are multiple other hotels within a less than 2 block radius of the conference hotel. Only 1 Week Left of Regular Registration Rate Regular registration pricing ends September 16th. Register now to lock in the current rate before it increases. We look forward to seeing you in Pittsburgh!

BOOK YOUR ROOM

About Us

NADD is now considered the leader in education, consultation, and training related to intellectual/developmental disabilities and co-occurring mental health conditions. NADD influences policies at the national, state, and local levels leading to more community-based, whole-person treatment for the mental health needs of those with IDD. NADD continues to host annual conferences, publish the most up-to-date research, and hold professionals to the highest quality of supports.   With the support of our members, partners and volunteers, NADD is able to provide a network for continued advancement of research and quality supports for people experiencing intellectual/developmental disabilities and co-occurring mental health conditions. To become a member of this network and community, join us via the link below. Join NADD

Tuesday 9/15: Air Travel While Disabled

 

Join us on September 15, 2026 from 7-8 PM ET for “Air Travel While Disabled," a FREE virtual discussion of the challenges, tips, and tricks to airplane adventures. This webinar will feature disabled travelers Elizabeth Dicker, Emily Ladau, Brittanie Wilson-Hernandez, and moderated by Rosemary McDonnell-Horita. All of our webinars are live captioned and include ASL interpretation. A recording will be sent out to all who register.  REGISTER TODAY

These webinars are part of our educational series titled OUR RIDE AHEAD, from the team behind the Emmy® Award-winning feature documentary, The Ride Ahead. Made possible through a grant from Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation. Spread the word on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X!

IS NOW STREAMING ON

JOIN THE RIDE! Host an in-person screening: Purchase the Education Kit and screening license from our online store. Host a virtual screening: Purchase through Kinema.

Invite Emmy-winning filmmakers and nationally known disability justice advocates Dan and Samuel Habib to discuss the film's topics of inclusion, transition, accessibility, and ableism. Presentations for schools, colleges, businesses, conferences, and places of worship available. Contact us for information.

BOOK DAN AND SAMUEL

Thank you to our supporters and partners

Follow the latest news on our social media channels

SCHV Aug/Sept 2026 Newsletter

 

SC Hands & Voices

The Climb of a Lifetime

 

Matt Takes Mount Kilimanjaro Matt Castelluccio holds United Spinal’s flag near the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. Matt Castelluccio, a wheelchair user and CEO of United Spinal Association, flew to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with a team led by Accessibility Accelerator to show that “impossible” usually just means “unsupported.” He made it to 19,000 feet! Altitude exposure forced the team to turn around a few hundred feet shy of the summit sign, but Castelluccio says the trip was never really about reaching the summit. What got him through seven days of eight-hour hikes on rocky trails, freezing nights, inaccessible camps, a commode over a bucket and catheterizing on the side of the trail was a combination of perseverance, adaptability, resourcefulness and community. Together, they allowed him to break the mountain into one challenge at a time. The challenges continued on the way home when the airline broke his wheelchair's front caster. A makeshift repair got him to JFK. At United Spinal, we understand that unforeseen challenges are a reality for wheelchair users wherever they live, whether they're on a mountain, in the airport, at work or at home. That's why we're here. Your support makes our work possible. Chapter Network to Collaborate with Meta Arielle Rausin, United Spinal's Director of Chapter and Hospital Networks Thanks to a grant from Meta, United Spinal members will use AI-powered glasses to document accessibility barriers in parks, trails, playgrounds and other recreational spaces. Hands-free technology allows wheelchair users to capture photos and videos easily and safely. Documented barriers and personal stories will be collected and shared with local parks departments and public officials to support ADA compliance. Five United Spinal chapters — Nebraska, El Paso, Michigan, Boston and Minnesota — will participate in this initiative. Follow us on social media to hear about their experiences. Give a Gift, Get Our 2027 Calendar. As we celebrate our 80th anniversary, we're honoring our past while looking ahead: expanding programs and accessibility for wheelchair users. Gifts of $30 or more qualify you to receive our 2027 United Spinal wall calendar, mailed later this year as our special thank you. Support our mission. Coming Soon: Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month is recognized each September. We want to hear about your experience living with or supporting someone with a SCI/D. We encourage you to respond to this email reflecting on the following questions: What do you wish you knew when you were first injured? What is the biggest change you want to see for the disability community? What do you wish non-disabled people understood about having a SCI? Also, join our next Newly Injured Spinal Cord Injury Support Group on September 21 at 6 pm ET. Register here. Social Media Spotlight During the summer months, wheelchair users have taken to social media to share products and hacks that help them access the water. One popular video showcased a waterproof electric chair lift that can make transferring into a kayak a little easier. Check out two more cool ways to get in and out of the water in the latest New Mobility article. Celebrating our Accessibility Services Team After four years of planning and construction, the Buffalo Bills unveiled their state-of-the-art Highmark Stadium. United Spinal's Accessibility Services program was instrumental in coordinating the accessibility features and ensuring it is built up to code. Highmark is already being acclaimed for being the most accessible NFL stadium in the nation and it far surpasses the standards set by the American with Disabilities Act. United Spinal board member, David Capozzi, joined members of the disability community on August 24th to tour the facility and test out the accessibility features. United Spinal board member, David Capozzi, center, pictured with his wife, Patti Capozzi and father, Richard Capozzi. Sponsored Content Save the date for the 2026 Disability-Owned Business Convening, happening October 21-22. This is the national gathering for disabled business owners, advocates and allies. Expect two days of focused sessions, strategic networking and resources built around economic inclusion. Sponsored by Verizon. Learn more and register. Wandercraft's self-balancing personal exoskeleton Eve is FDA-cleared for adults living with SCI at any level, so you can stand up and walk hands-free, no crutches or walker, in the presence of a trained companion. Eve officially launches September 17 at 6 pm ET — watch live and request a demo. Timing matters for adaptive recreation. People are far more likely to get into adaptive sports when the opportunity shows up at the right moment — but nobody has good data on when that moment is or what makes it possible. The Kelly Brush Foundation is running a research study to find out, and the more responses it gets, the stronger the findings. If you have an acquired physical disability or mobility impairment, please take the survey. Events Get connected with our free virtual events! Join the conversation — there's something for everyone. Click for more information and to register: • Active Project Live • Advocacy Live • Empowering Parental Caregivers • Resource Center Live • Aging with a Disability • Newly Injured Spinal Cord Injury Support Group • Rolling With Pride • Social Hour • Walking Rollers • Work Readiness Program • Women with MS Connect  View All Events