Wheelchair User --> U.S. Senator?

 

June 16, 2026 - View in browser

PRODUCTS Bowhead Nano Travel Chair: Reviewed Bowhead’s new ultraportable Nano has the potential to change the way many wheelchair users travel, much like the company’s line of high-end handcycles changed adaptive outdoor recreation. Weighing under 10lbs and quickly folding to fit in your lap, the Nano is compact enough to serve as a lightweight shower chair or an airplane aisle chair. Arielle Rausin, a T11 paraplegic and manual wheelchair user, recently tested the Nano. Click the headline for her full review and watch an Instagram short of her testing it. A Safe, Effective Resuable Catheter System What if you took a handful of the best features from premium catheters and put them into a catheter that came with a small, portable base that allowed you to easily clean, disinfect and reuse the catheter? That’s the idea behind Aurie, a reusable intermittent catheter system that is looking to disrupt and improve the way users get and use intermittent catheters. Earlier this year, Aurie became the first reusable catheter system to receive FDA approval and we talked with the system’s designer to see what users can expect. POLITICS Meet the Wheelchair User Fighting for Iowa's Open Senate Seat On June 2, Josh Turek, a manual wheelchair user with Spina Bifida and Paralympic gold medalist, won the Democratic primary for Iowa’s open U.S. Senate seat. The upcoming Senate race is one of the most high-profile races in the country, with many analysts forecasting that Turek has a real chance to contest the Senate seat in what has been a Republican stronghold. Read more about how Turek is leaning into his disability to connect with working-class voters in Ian Ruder’s recent Q&A with the Senate hopeful. ADVOCACY How Wheelchair Users' Repair Stories Moved a Congresswoman to Act Next week, at the 2026 Roll on Capitol Hill, over 100 wheelchair users from around America will meet virtually with their elected representatives to advocate for policies critical to the disability community. One of those policies is a bill to eliminate the need for prior authorization for wheelchair repairs for all Medicare Advantage recipients. Ian Ruder writes how the bill might never have seen the light of day if not for the efforts of members of SCIboston. DAY IN THE LIFE Jarom Hlebasko, GIS Manager and Wheelchair Cushion Company Co-Owner Jarom Hlebasko already had a job he loved and a family that kept him plenty busy, but that didn’t stop him from adding another major responsibility. When the company that made the wheelchair cushion he depended on went out of business, he bought the company. Hlebasko, a C5 quadriplegic, shares what a typical (busy) day in his life looks like. PRO TIPS Roll Out and Garden Summer officially arrives this week, and what better way is there to enjoy it than spending some hours rolling around your garden soaking up the sun? If you haven’t planted your summer veggies yet or you’re not sure how to plantmaxx as a wheelchair user, Paula Larson’s 2018 feature has you covered.

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