ROAR

♿️ Being disabled should never mean being forced into poverty.

🏡 When a system reduces disabled people’s benefits for earning a little money while billionaires use tax loopholes to protect their wealth, its priorities are broken.

Disabled people deserve the freedom to work, save for emergencies, and marry the person they love without putting their financial stability at risk.

Raise SSI above the poverty line. End marriage penalties. End savings penalties. Reform rules that punish people for working toward stability.

Poverty should never be the price of receiving disability support. Independence should be encouraged. Love should be celebrated. Saving for tomorrow should be possible.

Disability rights include economic dignity. It’s time our policies reflected that.

. . Challenged Athletes Foundation. Mike Hudson. ROAR. Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. Shepherd Center. United Spinal Association. Jay Youngblood. Jeremy Kerr. Paralyzed Veterans of America. Coy Varnum. Accessible Hunter Podcast. Chastity Gambrell Miller. United Spinal Association Advocacy Network

PRESSURE INJURIES STEAL MORE THAN SKIN. THEY CAN STEAL INDEPENDENCE.

A pressure injury can mean time away from work, family, recreation, and community. Protecting someone’s skin helps protect their ability to participate in life and the way we access it.

I believe access to appropriate beds, wheelchair cushions, education, and timely care belongs in the disability advocacy conversation.

Pressure protection is a health need of epic proportion. Access should reflect that.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED?

CDC reports that approximately 70 million U.S. adults—28.7%—had a disability, based on 2022 survey data. That includes several disability types; it is not a count exclusively of physical disabilities. CDC’s infographic updated in May 2026 reports 12.2% of U.S. adults have a mobility disability, involving serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs. These are earlier survey findings, not a new 2026 population count. (cdc.gov⁠, cdc.gov⁠)

AHRQ states that more than 2.5 million people in the United States develop pressure ulcers each year. This is an established estimate, not a measured 2026 total. (ahrq.gov⁠)

For people with spinal cord injuries, a 2020 international research review estimated pressure ulcer prevalence at 32.36%—about one in three across the included studies. A separate 2025 review found 28.8% pooled incidence, meaning new injuries over the studies’ differing observation periods. Neither number represents all people with physical disabilities or the percentage affected in 2026. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov⁠, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov⁠)

WHAT ARE THE STAGES OF PRESSURE INJURIES?

Often called pressure sores or bedsores, these injuries involve damage from pressure, sometimes combined with shear—the forces that distort tissue when the body slides.

• Stage 1: Skin remains intact, but a localized color change does not fade with pressure. On darker skin, changes in warmth, firmness, or sensation may help identify damage.

• Stage 2: Partial skin loss creates a shallow wound or a fluid-filled blister.

• Stage 3: Full skin loss extends into deeper tissue; fat may be visible, but muscle, tendon, and bone are not exposed.

• Stage 4: Deep tissue loss exposes or allows direct feeling of structures such as muscle, tendon, or bone.

• Unstageable: Dead tissue covers the wound, preventing assessment of its full depth.

• Deep tissue pressure injury: Persistent deep red, maroon, or purple discoloration—or a blood-filled blister—may indicate damage beneath the surface.

These categories describe damage; an injury does not have to move through every stage in order. (cdn.ymaws.com⁠)

WHAT IS AN ETHOS BED?

Ethos Therapy Solutions offers several therapeutic support surfaces. The specific system matters.

Its air fluidized therapy bed, sometimes called a “sand bed” or “bead bed,” uses warm airflow through silicone-coated microspheres to create a fluid-like surface. The body sinks into and is surrounded by that surface, spreading its load and reducing friction and shear.

Ethos describes home assessment, delivery, wound consultations, and coordination with the care team as part of its service. These beds require assessment for the person’s clinical and home needs. (ethosoutcomes.com⁠)

Ethos also offers Emerg immersion therapy mattresses, which automatically sense and adjust the pressure environment. These are different from air fluidized bead beds. Ethos additionally supplies mattress replacements and overlays. (ethosoutcomes.com⁠, ethosoutcomes.com⁠)

OTHER EQUIPMENT WORTH DISCUSSING WITH YOUR CARE TEAM

• Pressure redistribution cushions: Contoured foam, air, gel, or combination cushions can support seating needs. Proper selection, fit, inflation, and maintenance matter. A seating specialist can help assess the person and wheelchair together. Avoid donut-shaped cushions, which can concentrate pressure around their edges. (internationalguideline.com⁠)

• Low air loss mattresses: Use airflow to assist pressure redistribution and may help manage heat and moisture at the skin.

• Alternating pressure mattresses: Use changing air-cell pressures to vary where the body is supported.

• Pressure redistribution foam mattresses: Spread the body’s load across a larger area. A therapeutic foam surface is different from simply choosing a soft mattress. (internationalguideline.com⁠)

• Positioning and transfer equipment: Appropriate supports, lifts, and transfer sheets can help offload vulnerable areas and reduce friction and shear during movement.

No mattress or cushion entirely replaces repositioning. The plan should be individualized around skin tolerance, mobility, health, equipment, and available assistance. (internationalguideline.com⁠)

HERE IS THE ADVOCACY ISSUE:

Telling someone to reposition is incomplete if they cannot move independently and lack assistance.

Recommending a cushion is incomplete if they cannot obtain a properly fitted one.

Prescribing a therapeutic bed is incomplete if delivery, training, maintenance, and support never follow.

We need timely assessments, affordable access, dependable repairs, caregiver training, and care plans built with the person who will live with them.

Prevention must come with the resources to make it possible.

LET’S HEAR FROM YOU:

1. Have you dealt with a pressure injury? How did it affect your independence?
2. Have you used an Ethos bed, low air loss mattress, or another therapeutic surface?
3. Which cushion or seating adjustment helped you—and what assessment guided that choice?
4. Have cost, insurance, delivery delays, or repairs prevented you from getting needed equipment?
5. What do you wish healthcare providers understood about protecting your skin?

Share only what you feel comfortable sharing. Experiences can guide better questions, but equipment needs vary from person to person. Have new discoloration, blisters, or skin breakdown assessed promptly by a healthcare professional.

Protecting participation includes protecting the skin that makes participation possible. Check over your body daily, and fight hard to stay healthy. Developing pressure issues can occur rapidly, yet healing super delayed! Be your own advocate, and strive for longevity. As always, find new ways to .

.
Challenged Athletes Foundation. Mike Hudson. ROAR. Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. Shepherd Center. United Spinal Association. Paralyzed Veterans of America. Accessible Hunter Podcast

✈️ The Broken System of Air Travel for Passengers with Physical Disabilities.

For many passengers with physical disabilities, flying means confronting a painful gap between the promise of accessibility and the reality of damaged Mobility.

We purchase tickets like everyone else, yet we are treated like luggage. We board first, leave last, and spend the flight worrying about whether our independence will be waiting when we land.

♿ Our wheelchairs are our mobility, our security, our freedom, and—for many of us—our legs.

Many wheelchair users must transfer into an aircraft seat and entrust their wheelchair to cargo handling. For someone who depends on customized seating, positioning, and controls, damage can disrupt far more than a vacation. It can affect work, personal care, family responsibilities, and everyday independence.

Cure SMA’s 2023 report collected more than 150 firsthand accounts from adults with spinal muscular atrophy and families of children with SMA. Participants described damaged wheelchairs, injuries during transfers, inaccessible restrooms, and experiences that left them feeling humiliated or reluctant to fly again. These accounts represent a specific community, but they document serious barriers that deserve national attention. (curesma.org⁠)

🚻 Restroom access remains a fundamental concern.

Many single-aisle aircraft still lack a restroom that wheelchair users can safely enter and use with the assistance they need. Some passengers restrict food and fluids or avoid flying altogether because they cannot reliably access the restroom. The Department of Transportation has acknowledged this problem and adopted requirements for larger, accessible lavatories on certain new single-aisle aircraft. That progress does not make the existing fleet universally accessible. (transportation.gov⁠, transportation.gov⁠)

Being able to board an aircraft is only one part of accessibility. Passengers also need safe transfers, appropriate seating support, restroom access, and the reliable return of their mobility equipment.

⚖️ Accessibility is a civil rights issue.

The Americans with Disabilities Act helped reshape access on the ground. Airline disability protections are principally governed by the Air Carrier Access Act, which prohibits disability discrimination in air travel. Federal rules also require assistance to be provided safely and with dignity. Those protections must translate into dependable experiences for passengers. (transportation.gov⁠)

Meaningful progress requires:

🔹 Staff trained to handle mobility equipment and assist with transfers safely.
🔹 Wheelchair protection that reflects the equipment’s essential role in a person’s life.
🔹 Prompt, effective repairs and replacements when damage occurs.
🔹 Restrooms passengers can actually access and use.
🔹 Aircraft design and service decisions shaped by people with disabilities.
🔹 Accountability when passengers’ rights are violated.

A damaged wheelchair can mean lost independence long after the flight ends. An inaccessible restroom can turn an ordinary journey into hours of anxiety. A rushed transfer can place someone’s safety at risk.

These are failures with human consequences.

🌎We believe access creates opportunity—to explore, connect, participate, and make memories with the people we love. That principle belongs in the sky as much as it belongs on the ground.

Passengers with disabilities deserve to arrive with their mobility, safety, and dignity intact.

Equal ticket. Equal access. Equal dignity. ♿✈️

💬 What needs to change first to make air travel safer and more accessible? Share your experience or the improvement that would make the greatest difference.

♿️ While this might not be the reality for every wheeler, this has been part of my research and my lived experience as a quadriplegic. It’s past time for a change, continue to advocate and reach out to those people in a position to affect and enforce inclusionary endeavors.

.
Challenged Athletes Foundation. Mike Hudson. Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. ROAR. United Spinal Association. Shepherd Center. Jay Youngblood. Paralyzed Veterans of America. Jeremy Kerr. Accessible Hunter Podcast. Chastity Gambrell Miller. Greg Traynor. Coy Varnum. Semper Fi & America's Fund. DAV. Spinal Cord Injury. Lasha Barbosa. Invisible Disabilities Association

Here I am at the beach, going for that rugged, “manly” photo… camouflage on the wheelchair, shades on, enjoying the outdoors.

Then I notice the bright green purse stealing the show. 😂👜

Apparently, camouflage can’t hide everything!

Finding new ways to Rediscover Outdoor Activities & Recreation is always at the heart of our mission. Finding ways to advocate, get back outside, and build a new normal is part of that journey.

After a disability or life-changing injury, familiar activities can take more planning, different equipment, and a little creativity. That adjustment can be frustrating. Sometimes you miss how easily you used to go somewhere. Sometimes you’re still figuring out what works.

You deserve to enjoy those places again—with your family, your friends, and your sense of humor right there with you.

The beach mat beneath my wheels matters. It gives me a way across terrain that would otherwise be a barrier. That’s why we advocate, access creates opportunities to participate, make memories, and simply enjoy the day. Inclusion in full swing.

Not to mention, apparently being outdoors also means occasionally becoming the official purse transporter. Somebody has to carry the essentials! 😂

📸 Your turn: Ever taken a picture you thought looked pretty cool, only to discover something hilarious in the background—or hanging from your chair?

🌊 What outdoor activity would you love to get back to, and what would help make it possible?

Share your story or a photo below. Your experience could give someone else an idea, help us recognize a barrier, or remind them they have company while finding their own way forward.

Building Access. Restoring Adventure. Strengthening Families.

. Challenged Athletes Foundation. Mike Hudson. ROAR. Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. Shepherd Center. United Spinal Association. Paralyzed Veterans of America. Accessible Hunter Podcast. Semper Fi & America's Fund. DAV

🌲 MY EVERYDAY WHEELCHAIR IS MY TENNIS SHOES. MY TRACKS ARE MY WORK BOOTS.

After a traumatic accident or injury, getting back outdoors can feel overwhelming. Finding adaptive equipment that supports the life you want to live can be another barrier altogether.

Over the years, I’ve tried numerous adaptive devices. Some worked well in certain settings, but few could keep up with the activities I wanted to pursue. I needed equipment that could take me beyond the pavement and allow me to participate with greater independence.

In 2013, during a wounded warrior hunt, I tried my first track chair. I applied for assistance through The Independence Fund, and within a couple of weeks, an ActionTrackchair was sitting in my driveway.

🏖️ Then came a moment I will never forget: holding my wife’s hand while independently traveling along the beach.

Instead of watching my family enjoy the sand from the sidelines, I was beside them—participating, exploring, and making memories.

That experience gave me freedom, connection, and a renewed sense of possibility. Those tracks opened the door to adventures I had wondered whether I would ever experience again.

Since then, I’ve owned a TracFab, a TrackMaster, and another ActionTrackchair, and I’ve tried several other models. Each has taught me something about comfort, capability, maintenance, and the importance of matching equipment to the individual.

🧭 THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT STARTS WITH THE PERSON.

My experience reflects a principle emphasized in the World Health Organization’s wheelchair provision guidelines: appropriate equipment requires individualized assessment, fitting, training, and follow-up. A chair’s specifications are only part of the picture. How it fits the person and functions in daily life matters just as much. (who.int⁠)

For me, that means considering my body, positioning, hand function, terrain, activities, and transportation needs together.

Track chairs are not the right choice for everyone. Some terrain produces a rough ride. Speed can be limited. Transportation and storage require planning, and the financial commitment can be substantial.

In my experience, however, they open far more opportunities than they close.

Other options, including four-wheel-drive chairs such as the Extreme X8, deserve consideration. In my own use, turning radius and ground clearance have been concerns. Another person may find that same chair an excellent fit.

My experience can inform someone else’s decision, but it cannot replace their own assessment.

Before committing to equipment, I encourage people to ask:

✅ Can I operate the controls comfortably and reliably?
✅ Does the seating support my posture, comfort, and pressure-management needs?
✅ How does it perform on the terrain I actually intend to explore?
✅ Can I transfer into and out of it with the support I need?
✅ Will it fit through my doorways, gates, and intended routes?
✅ How will I transport, charge, store, and maintain it?
✅ Are service, replacement parts, and user training available?

I want equipment that helps me reach an activity, participate meaningfully, and return safely.

🔋 OWNERSHIP INVOLVES MORE THAN THE PURCHASE.

I’ve learned to think about the complete cost of ownership: batteries, charging, track wear, bearings, repairs, transportation, and storage.

Weight is a major consideration. The manufacturer lists the Trackchair ST at an estimated 400 pounds. Models and configurations differ, so I would confirm the actual weight before choosing a trailer, carrier, or lift—and account for accessories and the complete transported load. (thetrackchair.com⁠)

Our chairs range from approximately 29 to 36 inches wide. Those inches matter when traveling. A chair that handles the beach beautifully may not fit through a vacation rental’s doorway to reach a charging location.

I follow the charging and maintenance instructions for the specific chair. Generator arrangements also require planning for weight, fuel, noise, and compatibility with the manufacturer’s charging requirements.

🎣 OUTDOOR ACCESS REACHES FAR BEYOND HUNTING AND FISHING.

We use these devices for disc golf, hiking, beach outings, outdoor events, property work, hunting, fishing, and the occasional snow day. They help us navigate sandy beaches, muddy backwoods, and terrain that can stop an everyday wheelchair.

We also use them on confidence courses and in leadership development activities, including learning experiences with physical therapy and occupational therapy students.

These experiences give students an opportunity to see how seating, controls, terrain, and adaptive equipment affect participation outside a classroom or clinic. They can listen directly to the people using the equipment and see whether a proposed solution works in practice.

At ROAR, I want lived experience to help shape both equipment decisions and professional education.

Depending on the model and manufacturer-approved configuration, attachments may expand a chair’s uses. Every addition needs to be evaluated for compatibility, weight limits, stability, and operating requirements.

🤝 TRY BEFORE YOU COMMIT.

At ROAR—Rediscovering Outdoor Activities & Recreation—our goal is to have at least one chair from each major manufacturer available for demonstration days.

I want people to compare controls, seating, ride quality, and terrain performance before making a major financial commitment. I want families and caregivers involved in those conversations, too.

A brochure can describe a device. Hands-on experience can help reveal whether it fits your life.

Demo days should complement individualized assessment and training, giving people practical experience and better questions to bring to their equipment providers.

💰 ACCESS SHOULD NOT DEPEND SOLELY ON THE ABILITY TO PAY.

I benefited from assistance, and I want others to know that potential resources exist:

🇺🇸 The Independence Fund: Its Mobility Program provides all-terrain track chairs to qualifying severely wounded, ill, and injured veterans. (independencefund.org⁠)

🎖️ Semper Fi & America’s Fund: Its specialized and adaptive equipment program supports eligible service members, veterans, and military families with equipment needs, including customized wheelchairs. (thefund.org⁠)

🚒 Freedom Mobility Foundation: Its mission includes restoring mobility for active military members, veterans, first responders, and people with physical impairments. I encourage interested individuals to contact the organization about its application process and available assistance. (freedommobilityfoundation.org⁠)

🛠️ Vocational rehabilitation: When equipment addresses a barrier to employment, this may be an avenue to explore. South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation offers assistive technology, mobility aids, and other accommodations tied to establishing or maintaining employment. (scvrd.net⁠)

🏦 Assistive technology financing: Programs offered by lenders such as Self-Help Credit Union and SECU may help eligible applicants finance adaptive equipment. Geographic eligibility, membership requirements, covered equipment, and repayment terms vary. I would include transportation and maintenance costs when evaluating any loan. (self-help.org⁠, secumd.org⁠)

Availability and eligibility must be confirmed directly with each organization. These are possible avenues to investigate, not guarantees of funding.

📣 THE FUNDING GAP STILL DEMANDS ADVOCACY.

Too many civilians—including blue-collar workers whose lives change after an injury—struggle to find an affordable path to appropriate equipment.

I believe funding decisions should consider the full life a person is trying to lead: family participation, outdoor recreation, education, employment, and community involvement.

Through Roll on Capitol Hill and other governmental forums, we continue advocating for broader access and meaningful funding options. I want policymakers to hear directly from people whose opportunities depend on this equipment.

I also want manufacturers, rehabilitation professionals, educators, and community partners to help build practical pathways to ownership: demonstrations, individualized assessment, training, service, and financial assistance.

🥾 My everyday wheelchair is my pair of tennis shoes.

It carries me through much of daily life.

But when I head into the woods, cross the sand beside my family, or get back to outdoor work, my tracks are my work boots.

They help me participate in the life I choose.

💬 What activity do you want to get back to—and what equipment or funding barrier is standing in your way?

Share your experience. Your feedback may help someone else find a path outdoors, help a student understand a real-world barrier, or help a manufacturer improve a device.

Building Access. Restoring Adventure. Strengthening Families.

As always, keep chasing your dreams and finding new ways to .

.
Challenged Athletes Foundation. Mike Hudson. ROAR. Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. United Spinal Association. Shepherd Center. Jay Youngblood. Paralyzed Veterans of America. Accessible Hunter Podcast. Chastity Gambrell Miller. Greg Traynor. Coy Varnum. Jeremy Kerr. Semper Fi & America's Fund. Wounded Heroes Hunting Camp. DAV. Spinal Cord Injury.

♿ Day 30 — Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month.

The Pain You Can’t See.

From below my chest to my feet, it can feel like I’m sitting in fire ants while red-hot pokers press against me, while I hold a cattle prod. I may be smiling, talking with friends, or enjoying the outdoors while living with intense neurogenic pain.

I’m far from alone. In a recent U.S. survey of 391 adults living with chronic traumatic spinal cord injuries, 80% reported at least one pain problem, and 56% had probable neuropathic pain. Those numbers describe the people surveyed, but they help show how common this unseen struggle can be. I’m not trying to say that this life is miserable, but it definitely comes with excess baggage. Finding a routine or exercises that help offset some of the pain along with a low-dose of Lyrica helps me put my focus elsewhere.(pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov⁠)

Pain is but one part of life after SCI that can be extremely difficult to adjust to. Secondary health issues can also include:

🦠 Urinary tract infections: In a study of 5,106 people within five years of injury, 53.2% reported a UTI treated with antibiotics in the previous year. Finding a routine and supplements that work is vital to longevity and a healthy urinary tract. I use D Mannose, NAC, and AZO Cranberry, and if I feel like I may be getting symptomatic with a UTI, I will have my doctor run a culture before I ever start any kind of antibiotic. Unfortunately, many people with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities may have colonized bladders making treatment options difficult. It’s a good idea to the symptoms only as needed so that you do not become resistant to oral antibiotics.(pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov⁠)

💙 Depression: Estimates range from 12% to 40% of people become depressed in the first year after injury. Depression is treatable; it is not an inevitable part of SCI. Everyone excepts or mourns injury and loss differently, give yourself a break if you’re having a bad day, week, or even year….Better days are yet to come. (msktc.org⁠)

🩹 Pressure injuries, along with bowel and bladder difficulties, spasticity, respiratory complications, and other conditions, can require ongoing attention and care. Pressure issues are one of those things you have to be very mindful of with paralysis. Pressure issues can get bad really quick. Over my 31 years, I’ve had a couple of bouts with pressure, but I can honestly say the two times that I had my biggest issues with pressure came from a hospital stay where the bed wasn’t what I needed. Get to know your body, do lots of pressure shifting, get a good quality seat cushion, keep your bottom dry, and your skin intact. Ulcers can come on quick, but can take forever to heal up. Remember that protein and time are your friends….
(who.int⁠)

These figures come from different groups of researchers and a span of time periods, but the advice is the same. No statistic can tell you what one person is experiencing simply by looking at them.

Being outside doesn’t make my pain disappear. It gives me something I refuse to give up because of pain. If someone tells you they’re hurting, believe them. You don’t have to see the battle to stand beside the person fighting it.

No, I’m not suggesting that everyone has these issues, there is no one size it’s all with disability or advocacy, this is just a sample of research and a little insight on my lived experiences. Your journey may look completely different. Please share that journey with those around you and us.

What has been some of the secondary issues that you have had to battle through?

.
Challenged Athletes Foundation. Mike Hudson. Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. ROAR. Shepherd Center. United Spinal Association. Paralyzed Veterans of America. Accessible Hunter Podcast. Coy Varnum. Chastity Gambrell Miller. Spinal Cord Injury. Jay Youngblood. Invisible Disabilities Association. SPINALpedia