UNITED SPINAL ASSOCIATION’S Access Advocacy Surfing Home/Work Balance life beyond wheels Camping & Glamping newmobility.com APR 2021 $4 a special thanks to those who support PLATINUM GOLD SILVER full color black BRONZE w hite EXECUTIVE 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. If You Have Pressure Sores SofTech Cushion NOW FEATURING Bluetooth Wireless Technology Shown without cover HCPCS code E2609 AquilaCorp.com 8667829658 SERVICE DOG PHOTO CONTEST life beyond wheels ENTER GREAT PICS OF YOU AND YOUR SERVICE DOG BY APRIL 30 Finalists will be featured in New Mobility print and digital platforms. Winner will receive $500 and be announced in an upcoming issue! Send high-resolution digital images to [email protected] The Fine Print: Include your name and contact info. Include photographer’s name and contact info. If you are pictured in the photo, make sure you have the photographer’s permission to enter. If you are the photographer, make sure you have the subject’s permission to enter. We will provide release forms to entrants; entries will not be considered without signed release forms. It is up to the person submitting the photo to distribute prize money to other relevant parties, such as the photographer or subject. United Spinal Association retains the right to use any entered images in future editorial, marketing and fundraising materials. CONTENTSIssue 330 - April 2021 life beyond wheels COVER STORY TAKE BACK THE OUTDOORS 22 There’s more than one way to enjoy nature, and our writers have you covered no matter your preferences. MATT TILFORD offers a number of accessible alternatives for the more adventurous, while ASHLEY LYN OLSON and BROOK MCCALL check out two new glamping destinations perfect for those who want to enjoy the beauty and relaxation of spending a night in nature without the hassle. Cover and Contents Photos by Matt Wong FEATURES DEPARTMENTS 4 BULLY PULPIT 14 ADAPTIVE SURFING BOB VOGEL delves into the joys of adaptive surfing with stories from recreational 5 BEHIND THE STORIES surfers and elite athletes with various levels of function. 6 SHARE 7 UNITED NEWS Many wheel- 19 HOME/WORK BALANCE 8 POSTS chair users finally have the opportunity to work from home because of COVID-19. How are we balancing personal and 10 TECHNOLOGY professional lives? Are there unique obstacles — or benefits — 12 HOW WE ROLL for our community? CORY LEE reports. 40 JOSH ON JOBS 43 CLASSIFIEDS United 36 OPENING UP OUR WORLD 44 LAST WORD Spinal’s Accessibility Services division helps make the built environment more accessible to wheelchair users. KRISTEN PARISI looks at some of its most exciting projects. life beyond wheels BULLYBy Ian PULPITRuder NEW MOBILITY IS THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF UNITED SPINAL ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT & CEO: VINCENZO PISCOPO VP OF PUBLICATIONS: JEAN DOBBS PANDEMIC HABITS Driving to the cover shoot for this issue, it friends and going places, a number of my EDITORIAL struck me that the relatively-short, 45-min- pandemic habits have insidiously worked PUBLISHER: JEAN DOBBS ute drive to the location was the farthest their way into my routines. On top of that, EXECUTIVE EDITOR: JOSIE BYZEK I’d been from home since the start of the there still are no clear guidelines on how EDITOR: IAN RUDER pandemic. In 12 months, I hadn’t ventured COVID-19 works and how we’re supposed more than 50 miles. ASSOCIATE EDITOR: SETH MCBRIDE to interact in our new sorta-post-vaccine re- This shouldn’t have been, and wasn’t, ality: Can you still transmit the virus if you’ve EDITOR EMERITUS: TIM GILMER surprising. I made the choice to quaran- been vaccinated? Do you still need masks? SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: BOB VOGEL tine, cancel travel plans and isolate from There’s a lot to think about, and some- CORRESPONDENT: AARON BROVERMAN friends in hopes of curtailing the impact of times I find myself defaulting to my new COVID-19. It didn’t take a genius to figure COVID habits simply because it’s easier. In- CUSTOMER SERVICE out one of the outcomes of those choices stead of plotting out a fun trip or hitting up Toll-free 800/404-2898, ext. 7203 would be a lack of exciting adventures. one of the recently re-opened restaurants Still, as I watched the cars go by on the I’ve been wanting to try, I end up at home, freeway, I felt like I’d followed all the road reading or working and wondering when ADVERTISING SALES signs to go somewhere I was excited about things will change. 718/803-3782 only to end up somewhere else. Instead MANAGER, CORPORATE RELATIONS: of being overjoyed about at least a par- MEGAN LEE, EXT. 7253 tial return to normalcy with vaccines and “Pre-pandemic Ian rocked AD MATERIALS: DEANNA FIKE, EXT. 7250 declining infection rates, my new looming fresh kicks and a clean haircut. freedom left me confused. PRODUCTION I realized that 12 months of staying Pandemic Ian has worn out PRODUCTION MANAGER: DEANNA FIKE mostly at home, avoiding friends like the two beanies and is currently plague and worshipping at the altar of CIRCULATION Zoom had changed me in ways I hadn’t on his second groutfit. ” expected. CIRCULATION MANAGER: BEVERLY SMITH Pre-pandemic Ian kept a busy social I’d be happy to think I’m the only one schedule of meals out and time with friends. who has grown somewhat complacent in Pandemic Ian doesn’t eat after 7 p.m. and the pandemic lifestyle over the last year, POSTMASTER: Send address changes to New votes for take-out over dine-in 10/10 times. but I’ve seen the same trends in friends Mobility, 120-34 Queens Blvd, #320, Kew Gardens NY 11415. Subscription rates: $27.95/year; $35.95/ Pre-pandemic Ian rocked fresh kicks and I’ve got to believe it’s more common year in Canada; $67.95/year international via and a clean haircut. Pandemic Ian has than I’d like. airmail. New Mobility (ISSN 1086-4741), Volume worn out two beanies and is currently on When will things change? When we 32, Issue 330, is published monthly by United Spinal Association, 120-34 Queens Blvd, #320, his second groutfit. For those not in the decide to change them. That trip isn’t going Kew Gardens NY 11415. Copyright 2021, all rights know, a groutfit is a grey outfit, usually to book itself. The social gathering you’ve reserved. Reproduction without permission of any made up of sweats. been dreaming about won’t come together material contained herein is strictly prohibited. We welcome comments; we reserve the right to edit I’m kidding, but I’m also serious. To unless you send the invites. submissions. get through 12 of the craziest months on We still need to be smart and consci- Periodicals postage paid at Flushing, NY record, we’ve all adapted. The big changes, entious, but the vaccines have given us and additional mailing offices. like wearing masks and working remotely, an opportunity to get back to living our are obvious, but all the little changes add fullest lives. It’s worth taking some time up, too. Over time they become habits and to examine your day-to-day and see if www.newmobility.com www.unitedspinal.org part of who we are. you’ve developed any COVID-19 habits As much as I want to get back to seeing you want to kick. 4 NEW MOBILITY life beyond wheels BEHIND THEWith Ian Ruder STORIES COLUMNISTS MAT BARTON • JOSH BASILE SHERI DENKENSOHN-TROTT MIKE FRANZ • BROOK MCCALL TEAL SHERER • TODD STABELFELDT REVECA TORRES • KATE WILLETTE life beyond wheels KARY WRIGHT When people ask me what makes a good NEW MOBILITY CONTRIBUTORS story, my answer is authenticity. Matt Tilford, the au- KIM ANDERSON • CHRISTIAAN BAILEY thor of this month’s feature on adventuring in nature, LAWRENCE CARTER-LONG may be the first person to have taken that commitment MICHAEL COLLINS • RORY COOPER too far. While writing the story, Tilford suffered a seri- DEBORAH DAVIS • JENNIFER FRENCH ous crash on his adaptive mountain bike that cracked ALEX GHENIS • RICHARD HOLICKY his helmet and landed him in the hospital with a con- GARY KARP • PAULA LARSON cussion. He’s OK and recovering so he can embark on REGAN LINTON • LILLY LONGSHORE the next outing. “It’s the price you pay when you do the KATE MATELAN • BEN MATTLIN crazy things I do,” he says. ASHLEY LYN OLSON • KENNY SALVINI ERIC STAMPFLI • MITCH TEPPER ANTHONY TUSLER • KIRK WILLIAMS CORY LEE As the founder of wheelchairtraveling.com and a nature LOREN WORTHINGTON lover, Ashley Lyn Olson has spent time outdoors in al- most every way possible: tent camping, car camping, van camping, you name it. But as she writes in this month’s WEB PARTNERS article on glamour camping (glamping), sometimes you BACKBONES just want a really nice accessible bathroom. While Ol- CURB FREE WITH CORY LEE son is working on a couple of books and a screenplay, PARTNERSHIP FOR INCLUSIVE she is also looking to realize a long-held dream and get DISASTER STRATEGIES a camper van to add a new element to her travels. “I’ve ROLLIN’ RNS been wanting to do this for 10 years,” she says. “It would ROOTED IN RIGHTS change everything.” SPINALPEDIA SPIN THE GLOBE WHEELCHAIR TRAVELING Everything is looking up for Kristen Parisi so far in 2021.