New Mobility

Last updated
New Mobility
EditorIan Ruder
FounderSam Maddox
Founded Boulder, Colorado
First issue1989
Country United States
LanguageEnglish
Website newmobility.com

New Mobility, launched in 1989, is a United States-based magazine for active wheelchair users. This monthly publication covers health, disability rights, adaptive technology and lifestyle topics such as recreation, travel, the arts, relationships, sexuality, parenting, employment and home modification. It also profiles successful wheelchair users, including John Hockenberry, Christopher Voelker, Brooke Ellison, Chantal Petitclerc and the late Christopher Reeve. New Mobility, received an Utne Independent Press Award for Lifestyle Coverage in 2006. [1]

Contents

History

New Mobility was founded in 1989 [2] in Boulder, Colorado, by Sam Maddox to provide information about life after spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, post-polio sequelae and other disabling conditions. Originally titled, Spinal Network Extra, the then-quarterly magazine was a spin-off of the 1987 book Spinal Network: The Total Resource for the Wheelchair Community.

Maddox edited New Mobility until 1991, when Barry Corbet, a paraplegic from a spinal cord injury, took the helm. The title was changed to New Mobility for the Summer 1992 issue. In 1993, the magazine temporarily ceased publication. Miramar Publishing (later Miramar Communications) bought the title and relaunched it in 1994. It became bimonthly in 1995 and monthly in 1996. In 1998, No Limits Communications acquired the magazine. In 2000, Corbet retired, and Gilmer, also paraplegic, took over as editor. In 2010, United Spinal Association bought New Mobility and continues to publish it monthly. In 2018, Gilmer retired and Ian Ruder took over as editor. [3] [4]

The Niche

Early disability titles tended to reflect what is known as the medical model of disability, which emphasized the need for cures and referred to people with disabilities as "patients". New Mobility defined its social model of disability point of view with a lifestyle-oriented approach, inclusion mentality and people-first language. It was also one of the first periodicals to seriously address sexuality and disability, and its provocative role in this area has been recognized by the Los Angeles Times, [5] and subsequently the Associated Press. [6] The magazine sums up its place in the field of disability journalism with the tagline "Life Beyond Wheels".

Related Research Articles

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Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek (παραπληγίη) "half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neural (brain) elements of the spinal canal. The area of the spinal canal that is affected in paraplegia is either the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral regions. If four limbs are affected by paralysis, tetraplegia or quadriplegia is the correct term. If only one limb is affected, the correct term is monoplegia. Spastic paraplegia is a form of paraplegia defined by spasticity of the affected muscles, rather than flaccid paralysis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Hansen</span> Canadian track and field athlete

Richard Marvin Hansen is a Canadian track and field athlete, activist, and philanthropist for people with disabilities. Following a pickup truck crash at the age of 15, Hansen sustained a spinal cord injury and became a paraplegic. Hansen is most famous for his Man in Motion World Tour, in which he circled the globe in a wheelchair to raise funds for charity. He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. He was one of the final torchbearers in the 1988 Winter Olympics and the 2010 Winter Olympics. He was profiled and spoke during the 2010 Winter Paralympics opening ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Standing frame</span> Wheelchair alternative for standing

A standing frame is assistive technology that can be used by a person who relies on a wheelchair for mobility. A standing frame provides alternative positioning to sitting in a wheelchair by supporting the person in the standing position.

WheelPower is the national organisation for wheelchair sports in the United Kingdom, and aims to help people with disabilities improve their quality of life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobility assistance dog</span> Type of service dog

A mobility assistance dog or mobility service dog is a dog trained to assist a physically disabled person who has mobility issues, such as poor balance or being a non-ambulatory wheelchair user. Roles include "providing balance and stability" picking up and carrying objects, pulling wheelchairs, opening and closing doors, and operating light switches. Mobility assistance dogs can have significant positive impacts on the lives of their handlers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheelchair racing</span>

Wheelchair racing is the racing of wheelchairs in track and road races. Wheelchair racing is open to athletes with any qualifying type of disability, including leg amputees, spinal cord injuries, and cerebral palsy. Athletes are classified in accordance with the nature and severity of their disability or combinations of disabilities. Like running, it can take place on a track or as a road race. The main competitions take place at the Summer Paralympics which wheelchair racing and athletics has been a part of since 1960. Competitors compete in specialized wheelchairs which allow the athletes to reach speeds of 30 km/h (18.6 mph) or more. It is one of the most prominent forms of Paralympic athletics.

Spinal Cord Injury BC is a not-for-profit organization that helps people with spinal cord injuries and related injuries adjust, adapt and thrive by providing answers, information and community experiences in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Voelker</span> American photographer (born 1961)

Christopher Voelker was an American photographer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summer Paralympic Games</span> International multi-sport event for disabled athletes

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexuality and disability</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">QuadPara Association of South Africa</span>

The QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA) was established in 1978 as a non-profit organisation which strives to prevent spinal cord injury through high-profile information campaigns, as well as to protect and promote the interests of people with mobility impairments through lobbying and advocacy.

Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, part of Jefferson Health, founded in 1958, is a 96-bed specialty medical rehabilitation hospital providing physical and cognitive rehabilitation services. Magee's flagship facility is located in Center City Philadelphia. In addition to the main campus that offers comprehensive services for spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, orthopaedic replacement, amputation, pain management and work injury, Magee provides an expanding outpatient network serving the surrounding communities. In 1985, Magee's brain injury rehabilitation program became the first in the nation to be accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. Magee partnered with Jefferson Hospital to create one of the nation's 14 federally designated centers for spinal cord injury rehabilitation. Magee has been rated one of America's leading rehabilitation hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. Magee provides treatment to more than 5,000 individuals annually. Magee is authorized to treat wounded military personnel returning from war. Magee is not an Obligated Group Affiliate.

The Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association is the peak body for sport, recreation and fitness for people with a physical disability or vision impairment in the Australian state of Queensland.

Wheelchair fencing classification is the classification system for wheelchair fencing which is governed by the IWAS. People with physical disabilities are eligible to compete included people with physical disabilities. Classification for national competitions is done through the local national Paralympic committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexuality after spinal cord injury</span> Aspect of human sexuality

Although spinal cord injury (SCI) often causes sexual dysfunction, many people with SCI are able to have satisfying sex lives. Physical limitations acquired from SCI affect sexual function and sexuality in broader areas, which in turn has important effects on quality of life. Damage to the spinal cord impairs its ability to transmit messages between the brain and parts of the body below the level of the lesion. This results in lost or reduced sensation and muscle motion, and affects orgasm, erection, ejaculation, and vaginal lubrication. More indirect causes of sexual dysfunction include pain, weakness, and side effects of medications. Psycho-social causes include depression and altered self-image. Many people with SCI have satisfying sex lives, and many experience sexual arousal and orgasm. People with SCI may employ a variety of adaptations to help carry on their sex lives healthily, by focusing on different areas of the body and types of sexual acts. Neural plasticity may account for increases in sensitivity in parts of the body that have not lost sensation, so people often find newly sensitive erotic areas of the skin in erogenous zones or near borders between areas of preserved and lost sensation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony South</span> Australian Paralympic archer and table tennis player

Anthony Eric "Tony" South OAM AM is an Australian Paralympic archer who won a gold medal and two silver medals at the 1968 Summer Paralympics and a bronze medal at the 1972 Summer Paralympics.

F5, also SP5, is a wheelchair sport classification that corresponds to the neurological level T8 - L1. Historically, it was known as Lower 3, or Upper 4. People in this class have some trunk function and good sitting balance. They have problems with hip function, that reduces their ability to rotate their spines.

Wheelchair sport classification is a system designed to allow fair competition between people of different disabilities, and minimize the impact of a person's specific disability on the outcome of a competition. Wheelchair sports is associated with spinal cord injuries, and includes a number of different types of disabilities including paraplegia, quadriplegia, muscular dystrophy, post-polio syndrome and spina bifida. The disability must meet minimal body function impairment requirements. Wheelchair sport and sport for people with spinal cord injuries is often based on the location of lesions on the spinal cord and their association with physical disability and functionality.

Barry Corbet was an American mountaineer, film maker and an author. He was a member of the first U.S. Team to climb Mt. Everest. Corbet produced or co-produced more than 100 films and was editor of New Mobility, a magazine on disability culture and lifestyle. He wrote extensively on disability related issues. His book, Options: Spinal Cord Injury and the Future, was published in 1980.

References

  1. Utne Reader Independent Press Awards 2006
  2. "New Mobility Magazine Identifies 17 Big Ideas That Could Change The World For Wheelchair Users". PR Newswire. 10 September 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  3. "Celebrating Tim". 2 July 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  4. "Meet the team" . Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  5. John Young Lecture by Barry Corbet
  6. Sex and the Disabled: Still a Taboo Topic