For Content Creators

New Mobility magazine is passionate about harnessing the power of peer support and shared experiences to change the lives of people living with spinal cord injuries and disorders for the better. We accomplish this by publishing the authentic stories and experiences of people with SCI/D, utilizing the written word, photography, illustrations and videos. Over 90% of our contributors are people with SCI/D and they represent the diversity within our demographic, from types of mobility disabilities to regions within the United States to race, ethnicity and gender expression. 
We pride ourselves on authenticity and tell our stories directly and honestly, without sentimentality.
Although we are open to unusual, quirky and humorous angles, we especially need well-reported service articles that present our readers with practical information. These include pieces on SCI/D-related health, technology that improves the everyday experience of wheelchair users, and accessible travel. We are also looking for profiles and trend stories. To learn who we are and what our readers expect, we encourage you to spend time familiarizing yourself with our content before you submit a pitch. 

For Writers

• Avoid presenting wheelchair users as courageous, inspiring or overcoming their disability — or similar disability tropes.

• Describe interesting wheelchair users and scenes. Show, don’t tell.

• Build dimension into your story. Interview wheelchair users who have different perspectives on your subject. If you are profiling someone, find sources with different relationships to that person — not all friends or all business associates. If you are covering an issue, be sure you explore several points of view from the disability perspective.

• Pick your quotations wisely. Quote people when they say something original or say it in a unique way. Paraphrase basic background information instead of presenting it as a quote.

• Organize your thoughts. After you hook readers with a compelling lead, proceed through the story in a coherent manner. Explain complicated ideas in lay terms.

• If you are writing a service article, compile a list of practical resources for readers. For each listing, describe in one phrase the kind of information or service provided and include the website, email and phone number.

• If a copy of the article should go to people or organizations mentioned editorially, please include addresses.

For Photographers

New Mobility is a lifestyle magazine for active wheelchair users. Our photos reflect our mission with upbeat images that demonstrate participation in all facets of life, including work, relationships, recreation, travel, parenting, home ownership and much more.

• Strive for dynamic, original images of active wheelchair users. The fresher the better — break stereotypes.

• As a general rule, shoot at the eye level of your subject. Too high an angle gives the impression of “looking down” on someone. Too low an angle can make feet and legs appear disproportionately large.

• Unless you are submitting product photos, choose angles that emphasize the person more than the wheelchair (but we still want to see the wheelchair). Instead of shooting someone straight on, have them angle their chair a bit.

• Pay attention to lighting. If you are shooting outside, try to shoot in the early morning or late afternoon, or on a cloudy day. Mid-day sunlight causes harsh shadows that are not flattering. If shooting inside, make sure that there is ample light from windows, lamps, your camera’s flash, etc. Using more than one light source will help fill in the shadows caused by on-camera flashes. Don’t rely on overhead lights, as they cast shadows under the eyes. Of course, professional lighting is welcome.

• Submit high-resolution images. These are the original size from your smartphone or digital camera — not images resized by websites or social media platforms. If you are looking at pixels, they should be around 3000 pixels x 4000 pixels or larger. If you are looking at file size, they should be 1 megabyte (MB) or larger in a jpeg format. You may submit significantly larger photos upon acceptance, as higher res images will always print better.

• Include caption information: Who, what, when, where.

Photography Don’ts

• Avoid images of wheelchair users being pushed by someone else.

• Never submit an image of a nondisabled person using a wheelchair.

For Illustrators

New Mobility is actively seeking new illustrators with a variety of styles. The best way to break into our publication is to introduce yourself with an online portfolio or social media page. We generally assign a first illustration “on spec” to see how we work together. If the final image is accepted, we will pay the negotiated rate. Some tips:

• Learn to draw contemporary wheelchairs from various angles and perspectives. One of the biggest mistakes new illustrators make is drawing stereotypical wheelchairs from memory instead of the ones that our readers actually use. 

• Familiarize yourself with our magazine. If you are not already a reader, orient yourself to our point of view and think about how you could use your skills to enhance our storytelling. To take it further, pick a story that we illustrated in the past and show us how you’d do it differently.

For Video Content Creators

New Mobility is interested in publishing fresh posts that are centered around videos. The submitted posts can be product reviews/tryouts or how-tos on any aspect of life as a wheelchair user. Videos can be original, or you may refer us to something you’ve seen online that you think we might want to republish or share. Some tips:

• The video must be interesting from a wheelchair user’s perspective. Our readers want to see themselves reflected on screen, not their caregivers or health professionals. Ben Clark’s adaptive fitness channel is a good example of wheelchair-user-as-expert.

• Videos could be about something quirky, such as this “accessible” taxi with legs that John Morris captured in his blog on wheelchairtravel.org.

• Sometimes the most useful video demonstrates a how-to that is specific to a demographic within our readership, such as this one by Tyler Schrenk demonstrating a machine he invented so he could cough independently.

• Of course, if you have a great video to support a print feature article you’d like to submit, share it with our editorial team so we can embed it when the article is published online. 


Support New Mobility

Wait! Before you wander off to other parts of the internet, please consider supporting New Mobility. For more than three decades, New Mobility has published groundbreaking content for active wheelchair users. We share practical advice from wheelchair users across the country, review life-changing technology and demand equity in healthcare, travel and all facets of life. But none of this is cheap, easy or profitable. Your support helps us give wheelchair users the resources to build a fulfilling life.

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