New Mobility’s Biweekly Newsletter – July 2, 2019


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NEW ISSUE

Test-Driving the New iBOT

The iBOT is back. Twenty years after Dean Kamen revealed his stair-climbing wonder chair on national TV, an update is set to roll off the assembly lines this fall. Bob Vogel test-drove the long-awaited revamp and talked with the team members behind it to see what they learned from the original’s commercial struggles and how they are working to make iBOT 2.0 a success.

NEWS

CBS and Netflix Highlight an Emerging Trend Toward Inclusion

Though it might not be obvious yet, the entertainment industry is slowly taking steps toward inclusivity for disabled actors. Within the past few weeks, CBS announced that it would be auditioning disabled actors for every new show it produces, while Netflix announced a new series featuring a wheelchair-using actress.

PRO TIPS

Baja or Bust

Photographer Kirk Williams recently set off on a two-month journey through the wilds of Baja, Mexico, with just his essentials packed into an off-road converted Ford Transit van. In this photo essay, he combines stunning photography with practical tips on everything from the most rugged van lift, to line choice when driving off-road and how to prepare for the unexpected. (See the layout as it appears in print here.)

Gear Hacks: Hacking a Home

What’s a DIYer to do when living in the city gets too expensive? Build a house in the country, of course. Follow along and join in the fun as Seth McBride and family build an inexpensive, accessible house (you can leave the stress and splinters to us). Wheelchair users: Have you framed a wall, hung cabinets, installed a vanity or put up drywall? We want to hear about it. Have any questions about costs, methods or my sanity? Email smcbride@unitedspinal.org

TRIBUTE

The Wit and Wisdom of ‘The Wheelchair Junkie’

When Mark Smith, our contributing editor and longtime expert on innovative products, died in November, he left a vacuum that is yet to be filled in either the broader SCI/D community or New Mobility. Here we present a few selections of his most personal and moving pieces from his blog, The Powerchair Diaries.

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