The 2016 Paralympic Games officially kicked off in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This is the moment that we have been waiting for. From now until September 18th, we will all get to see the world’s best athletes represent their countries in a variety of paralympic events. The Big Opening The games officially kicked off on Read more…
Category: Lifestyle
September is National Spinal Cord Awareness Month
September is a month known for many things: back to school month, the end of summer, the start of the NFL regular season. But for the approximately 300,000 people who suffer from spinal cord injuries (SCI), September is also a month that brings awareness to their lives, their injuries and their quest for better treatment. Read more…
The Man Who Made it Possible for Wheelchair Users to Play the Drums
Being a part of the wheelchair-using community is about adapting to your strengths. It’s also about helping one another find new ways to do what you love. At 23 years old, Jason Gerling loved drumming, and he was quickly on his way to becoming a career professional when his life abruptly changed. Driving home one Read more…
Ms. Wheelchair Utah Wins Ms. Wheelchair America Crown
Over the weekend, the title of Ms. Wheelchair America was passed on to a new lady. Last year’s winner, Alette Coble passed the title and crown onto the winner of the 2017 Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant, Eliza McIntosh, who is also the reigning Ms. Wheelchair Utah. The contest was held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Read more…
Uber’s Portland Wheelchair Van Service is More Limited Than Expected
Almost two years ago, Uber introduced a new feature in its ridesharing app called UberWAV, which we applauded as a great step forward for the company. Accessibility for wheelchair users is an important step for companies like Uber to take, as wheelchair users have experienced nothing but problems in the rideshare industry since it first Read more…
Road to Rio: Paralympic Table Tennis
We are officially less than one month away from the 2016 Paralympics in Rio! As the clock winds down to the opener, we will continue our “Road to Rio Series”, where we highlight the many sports that people from the wheelchair-using community can watch and get involved in. While sports such as wheelchair tennis and Read more…
The World’s First Cyborg Olympics will Soon Take Place
As the world prepares for the 2016 Paralympics, another, less well-known event is about to take place for the first time in history: The Cybathlon, also known as the cyborg Olympics. The event will be held in a stadium in Zurich, Switzerland this October. How Do They Differ from the Paralympics? Yes, the disability community Read more…
Ice Bucket Challenge Helps Scientists in ALS Discovery
Almost two years ago, some members from our team here at Rollx Vans gathered outside of our building to pour buckets of ice water over their heads. They had accepted and participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and in doing so they had joined a movement that swept across the nation, turning heads and Read more…
Developers Create Emojis Depicting People with Disabilities
Whether you love emojis or roll your eyes at them, they are here to stay. And since they are going to be around for the foreseeable future, shouldn’t they be inclusive of people with disabilities? At least one disability advocacy group certainly thinks so. The Start of a New Trend Scope, a London based group Read more…
Wheelchair Paralympian Trying Out for New Sport
With the Rio Paralympic games just two months away, we’ve been following all the latest sporting news. And, if you’ve been following our blog, you’ve likely already read a little bit about the upcoming games, particularly the sports of sitting volleyball and wheelchair fencing. This time we want to share the story of a U.S. Read more…