When the sun comes out and the snow has all melted away, Pittsburgh wheelchair users know it must almost be time for the annual Wheelchair Wash & Tune-Up. What began five years ago as an offshoot of a peer mentoring group, with five to 10 people attending, has grown into one of the centerpiece events of the Pittsburgh chapter of United Spinal. This year’s event is scheduled for June 4 at UPMC Mercy and promises to be the best yet.

“The wheelchair wash and tune-up is a place where people can come and get their chairs washed and you can also get a consultation with a wheelchair provider to see if there’s anything that needs to be fixed right now – simple things like tightening up brakes and bolts and casters and things along those lines – and if they can’t do a quick fix on site, they can let you know what’s going on, what it would take to repair and if they can repair it or if they can just relay that information to their wheelchair provider,” says Bryan McCormick, the chapter president.

Over the years the event has evolved into more than just a service day, with live music, food and special speakers and guests. “Last year we had an archer, the year before we had an Indy car driver,” says McCormick. “It’s all about getting everybody together and having some fun. The more people that come to the wash, the more people that learn about our organization and what we do and so it’s just helping us move forward.”

The chapter has been doing just that since affiliating with United Spinal two years ago. “Being affiliated has definitely helped us improve upon some of the things that we’re doing by having a little bit of funding available,” he says. McCormick, a para who works as a vocational rehab counselor, added that funding would help improve the Wheelchair Wash and handcycling clinic the chapter organizes, in addition to other events, like a recent screening of Endless Abilities. The movie documents four best friends’ cross-country odyssey in search of adaptive sports. The April 12 screening was the first time the chapter had hosted such an event and also the local premier of the acclaimed film. “Having an official organization that we can use to support that and back that and organizes everything, it definitely helps.”

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Spotlight: Pittsburgh

by Bryan McCormick

Skinny on the City

Pittsburgh is a blossoming city with opportunities and activities for people of all abilities. It’s no longer “hell with the lid off,” as it was called during the peak of the steel industry. Today, Pittsburgh is a clean city built on technology, education and health care. With a number of parks, river trails, restaurants, and museums, there is always something to do.

My Take

Many people know Pittsburgh for its professional sports teams, but most aren’t aware of its exploding adaptive sports scene. Whether you want to be on a nationally ranked, competitive team, train for the Paralympics, or just enjoy leisure time, we have something to offer. One of the unique aspects of our city is that it is centered around three rivers, which provide no shortage of opportunities for outdoor activities.

With the recent completion of the Greater Allegheny Passage, a 150-mile multi-use trail connecting Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., we now have a burgeoning handcyling community. Whether training for a marathon with Achilles International or the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers or taking a meandering stroll with Three Rivers Adaptive Sports, there is no shortage of handcycles to ride in this town. We also have great water sports. Three Rivers Rowing Association was ranked the best rowing club three times by U.S. Rowing, and it is also a Paralympic training center. If competitive rowing isn’t your thing, Dynamic Paddlers and Three Rivers Adaptive Sports can take you out for a leisurely float on the rivers.

Places to Go

Pittsburgh is a gastronomic goldmine. It seems like there is a new restaurant popping up every day. I can’t talk about food without mentioning Primanti Brother’s — a sandwich shop dishing out traditional deli sandwiches, piled high with French fries and coleslaw. The original shop is accessible, but a bit tight if packed. Some of the newer shops are much more spacious.

There are plenty of performing arts venues in the area, too, but the Byham Theater has excellent sound quality and accessible seating — a group of private boxes lining the back of the theater. One drawback is the steep incline of the ramp inside the doors, but it’s worth the effort.

We have great museums as well. The natural history museum, recently renovated, has one of the largest collections of dinosaur bones in the world. We now have a set of tyrannosaurs and diplodocuses, among many other prehistoric creatures. The natural history museum is connected to the museum of art — with legendary greats like Monet and Picasso. Both museums are fully accessible and have a parking lot as well as a covered garage.

Getting Around

If you don’t live in the city limits, getting around via public transportation can be a bit tricky because of limited bus routes and light rail. Our network of bridges and tunnels can gum up traffic in two shakes of a lamb’s tail, so if you have a personal vehicle, you need to be prepared when navigating the city. We do have a great rail system called the “T”, which runs from our South Hills region to the downtown business district. From there, it travels under the Allegheny River to the North Shore, where our two stadiums are located. And if you take the T from downtown to the North Shore, it’s free. Some T stations have steep ramps and can be difficult to access, but there are elevators at each station downtown. We also have an express busway that runs from the business district to Oakland, the university and hospital hub. Many stops are covered, and all our buses are wheelchair accessible.

Must See, Must Do

Restaurant: My personal favorite is Butcher and the Rye. It has over 300 bottles of whiskey and a unique menu, with everything from pig candy to roasted Brussels sprouts.

River Trails: These paved, relatively flat, and picturesque trails are a great way to navigate and see the city. You can even bike all the way to Washington, D.C.

Cathedral of Learning: The third tallest educational building in the world has vaulted ceilings and internationally themed rooms — quite beautiful to behold.

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