Can We Travel Yet?
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UNITED SPINAL ASSOCIATION’S CAN WE TRAVEL YET? life beyond wheels newmobility.com OCT 2020 $4 a special thanks to those who support PLATINUM GOLD SILVER BRONZE EXECUTIVE full color black w hite PREMIER For more information on how you can support United Spinal and become a corporate member, please contact Megan Lee at [email protected] or 718/803-3782, ext. 7253. Acknowledgements on our website, in NEW MOBILITY, in United Spinal e-news or any other United Spinal publication should not be considered as endorsements of any product or service. Aquila’s SofTech Healing Results Amaze the Medical Community SofTech Cushion Completely Self-Contained with Wireless Remote Shown without cover Medicare HCPCS code E2609 AquilaCorp.com 8667829658 New Mobilityt OCT 2014 6000TRS_mm_346.qxd 9/26/2014 9:44 AM Page 1 DON’T REMODEL YOUR MULTICHAIR Slider Systems BATHROOM, “NUPRODX IT!” MULTICHAIR 6000RS ALL NEW! Is the threshold of your stall shower preventing you from rolling in? 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Tub, Toilet and Shower Access Systems Visit our web site for complete information about our products. www.nuprodx.com (855) 220-5171 “light, strong, and portable” C-Me_Ads.qxp_Elevate 9/16/20 12:49 PM Page 1 José NYC Advocacy Coordinator President of the New York City chapter 2 NEW MOBILITY CONTENTSIssue 325 - October 2020 life beyond wheels COVER STORY RETURN TO TRAVEL 33 What does travel look like in a COVID-19 world for people with disabilities? CAROLE ZOOM talks with wheelchair users and travel experts to make some sense out of the new hurdles and realities of traveling. LILLY LONGSHORE and SETH MCBRIDE write about the pre- cautions they took before traveling and what their experiences on the road taught them. Cover/Contents Illustration by Doug Davis FEATURES DEPARTMENTS 4 BULLY PULPIT 16 STUDY ABROAD Studying abroad is an exciting option that is more viable than ever for wheelchair users, thanks 5 BEHIND THE STORIES to an array of scholarships and programs. By JUSTIN HARFORD. 6 SHARE 8 POSTS Switching from a manual 42 EMBRACING POWER 10 UNITED NEWS to a power wheelchair is a nonstarter for many wheelers, but as GARY KARP finds, it can be the best — or the only — move. 12 TECHNOLOGY 14 HOW WE ROLL 21 45 A YEAR TO EMPLOYMENT Tired of sitting SPONSORED SECTION around all day, one wheeler connected with a nonprofit that helps 48 RESEARCH MATTERS underserved communities find meaningful employment. A year 51 CLASSIFIEDS later he graduated at the top of his class with a good job waiting. By AARON BROVERMAN. 52 LAST WORD life beyond wheels BULLYBy Ian PULPITRuder NEW MOBILITY IS THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF UNITED SPINAL ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT & CEO: JAMES WEISMAN VP OF PUBLICATIONS: JEAN DOBBS FIRES TO THE EAST AND WEST Since joining the NEW MOBILITY team almost I realized that despite writing about go EDITORIAL 10 years ago, I’ve written, edited and as- bags and evacuations, I’d never even really PUBLISHER: JEAN DOBBS signed numerous stories about emergency considered what I’d take or where I’d go if the EXECUTIVE EDITOR: JOSIE BYZEK preparedness and dealing with disasters. But flames somehow reached me. I quickly went EDITOR: IAN RUDER none of that prepared me for rolling around from nervous to depressed to scared and my street and seeing the valley to the south- overwhelmed. ASSOCIATE EDITOR: SETH MCBRIDE west of my house glowing with flame. I watched the red “go now” zone on the EDITOR EMERITUS: TIM GILMER I’ve looked out over that same western evacuation map slowly creep toward me. I SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: BOB VOGEL Oregon horizon thousands of times on my wondered about the thousands of people for CORRESPONDENT: AARON BROVERMAN daily rolls around my neighborhood. I’ve seen whom it was already too late. stunning sunsets, meteor showers, smog, CUSTOMER SERVICE snow and even countless small fires, but this “We cope because we have Toll-free 800/404-2898, ext. 7203 was different. This wasn’t a wisp of smoke or a house fire burning in the distance; it was a no other choice. It’s not massive fire — the kind of glowing hot spot unlike how we respond after ADVERTISING SALES you see on the news or CGI-ed into Holly- 718/803-3782 wood blockbusters. sustaining a life-altering MANAGER, CORPORATE RELATIONS: I’d been following the news all day, spinal cord injury.” MEGAN LEE, EXT. 7253 tracking fires as a historic east wind pushed AD MATERIALS: DEANNA FIKE, EXT. 7250 them closer and closer to metropolitan areas. Those fires remained far from my As of writing this, over 1 million acres and PRODUCTION home, and I didn’t freak out about the thick- 1,100 homes have burned in the last nine PRODUCTION MANAGER: DEANNA FIKE ening smoke because I knew its origin. But days. And that’s just in Oregon. Up and down I hadn’t read anything about a fire to the the west coast, unprecedented fires have CIRCULATION west. That told me it was new, and a new destroyed lives, communities and some of fire that big and that close affected me in a our most treasured natural habitats. CIRCULATION MANAGER: I wish I had some big takeaway or brilliant BEVERLY SMITH way I hadn’t expected. My mind immediately started racing. How insight that would make coping with these far away is the fire? How much is burning? harsh realities easier, but I don’t. I’m not sure POSTMASTER: Send address changes to New And then a question I had never asked myself there is one. Mobility, 120-34 Queens Blvd, #320, Kew Gardens NY 11415. Subscription rates: $27.95/year; $35.95/ in almost a quarter-century of living in the We cope because we have no other year in Canada; $67.95/year international via same house implanted itself in my head: choice. It’s not unlike how we respond after airmail. New Mobility (ISSN 1086-4741), Volume Could my house be in jeopardy? sustaining a life-altering spinal cord injury. 31, Issue 325, is published monthly by United Spinal Association, 120-34 Queens Blvd, #320, It would take a once-in-a-generation blaze You deal because you have to. (Don’t miss Kew Gardens NY 11415. Copyright 2020, all rights to burn across the miles of city still separating Kate Willette’s beautifully written column on reserved. Reproduction without permission of any me from the flames, but wasn’t that exactly a similar topic, page 48.) material contained herein is strictly prohibited. We welcome comments; we reserve the right to edit what was happening? Entire towns were Thankfully, my house is safe, and the fires, submissions. being evacuated and hundreds of square while far from contained, have slowed. An Periodicals postage paid at Flushing, NY miles were burning out of control. Anything accounting of their true toll awaits. and additional mailing offices. seemed possible. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s to Suddenly, the threat of COVID-19, a never take what you have for granted. summer of social unrest and the prospect Live your life, be ready for whatever may www.newmobility.com of a turbulent fall election all temporarily come, and find the time to appreciate www.unitedspinal.org disappeared. what you have. 4 NEW MOBILITY life beyond wheels BEHIND THEWith Ian Ruder STORIES COLUMNISTS MAT BARTON • JOSH BASILE SHERI DENKENSOHN • MIKE ERVIN MIKE FRANZ • BROOK MCCALL TEAL SHERER • TODD STABELFELDT REVECA TORRES • KATE WILLETTE life beyond wheels KARY WRIGHT I was thrilled to recruit Carole Zoom to dig into the post- pandemic future of accessible travel for this month’s cover CONTRIBUTORS feature. A passionate traveler with good connections in the KIM ANDERSON • CHRISTIAAN BAILEY industry and an insightful mind, Zoom embodies the NEW LAWRENCE CARTER-LONG MOBILIty active wheelchair life. In fact, the week before CO- MICHAEL COLLINS • RORY COOPER VID-19 hit in March, she moved from Hawaii to the main- DEBORAH DAVIS • JENNIFER FRENCH land, in large part to facilitate a more adventurous travel ALEX GHENIS • RICHARD HOLICKY agenda. But as we’ve all experienced, the best laid plans GARY KARP • PAULA LARSON are no match for the novel coronavirus. Instead of traveling REGAN LINTON • LILLY LONGSHORE more, Zoom has been quarantined in her home. After re- Photo by Kimberli Ransom KATE MATELAN • BEN MATTLIN porting this story and much deep thought, she has decided ASHLEY LYN OLSON • KENNY SALVINI to return to Hawaii.