Relationships

Dating in My 40s as a Wheelchair User

After a divorce, Sylvia Longmire entered the dating scene as a wheelchair user for the first time. “The first challenge is getting past … let’s call them ‘unfortunate’ comments and questions,” she writes. “One man asked me if I could pull him in a wagon behind my chair.” Read how, despite the awkward and sometimes ugly interactions, Longmire has managed to enjoy herself and meet some good people along the way.  

Products

Playstation’s New Adaptive Controller

In January, Sony unveiled Project Leonardo, an adaptive controller in development for PlayStation 5. Designed with input from accessibility experts and organizations dedicated to making gaming accessible, Project Leonardo is a customizable adaptive controller composed of a pair of circular gamepads with buttons around the perimeter and an analog stick that can be adjusted to suit your needs.  

Gloves for Life: Quad-Friendly Gloves Shine

Gloves for Life’s made-to-measure gloves are designed for wheelchair users with limited hand dexterity. Mike Franz, a quad who doesn’t normally use gloves, tried them out and found they significantly improved his pushing efficiency. He also discovered he could even use them to hold utensils.  

Parenting

The Land of Inaccessible Day Care

Seth McBride spent months searching for an accessible day care for his 16-month-old daughter and was ultimately thwarted by … a drainpipe. Read this infuriating look at how trying to access America’s child care system as a parent with a disability can be painful, exhausting and often defeating.  

Newsmakers

Q&A with U.S. Representative James Langevin

When the people of Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District elected James Langevin in 2001, they made him the first power wheelchair user and the first quadriplegic to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Ian Ruder sits down with the recently retired Langevin to discuss his remarkable career and the road ahead for the disability community.