Sue Austin: Deep sea diving … in a wheelchair

See the TED post HERE.

Wheelchair tennis star Randy Snow to be inducted to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012

Snow will be honored posthumously for his remarkable wheelchair tennis career during which he achieved the world No. 1 ranking in singles and doubles and won 22 major titles, as well as for his immense contributions to growing the sport worldwide.

- Snow is the second of the Class of 2012 Inductees to be announced. The remainder of the Class of 2012 will be announced within the month ahead. The Induction Ceremony will be July 14, 2012 in Newport, R.I.

Read more on the U.S. Paralympics website HERE.

Disabled Montrealers struggle for full access to Metro network

Laurence Parent advances her motorized wheelchair to the top of the escalator at Beaubien métro station and gazes down at the platform far below.

The PhD student at Concordia University longs to be able to use the rapid transit system most Montrealers take for granted. But in 90 per cent of the métro system, the closest she can get is here, to the top of an inaccessible escalator or flight of stairs.

“You’re so close but so far from the goal,” says Parent, 26. “You can see the end of the escalator, but it’s really like Mount Everest.”

For disabled Montrealers, full access to public transit is still an unattainable dream. In 2008, Montreal vowed to catch up with cities around the world by making its subway system accessible by 2028.

But the speed of improvements has been slower than expected. Just seven stations out of 68 – 10 per cent – are wheelchair-accessible today. At that rate, it will be 2085 before people in wheelchairs can use the entire network, disabled users say.

Read more of Mariann Scotts', The Gazette article HERE.

Halloween Costume Guide for Special Needs Kids

Don't let your child's disability bring you down on Halloween. There are many clever homemade costume ideas you can make that incorporate wheelchairs and other equipment. Plus it's easier than ever to incorporate sweat pants and sweat shirts for children with sensory or mobility issues. Check out these costumes and you're sure to get some creative ideas of your own. I would love to see your own costume ideas for your child.

Read more of Dawn Villarreal's, One Place for Special Needs article HERE.

BART ramp project curbs wheelchair access

LAFAYETTE -- Bay Area Rapid Transit officials spent $2 million on a new ramp leading to the Lafayette station but didn't include provisions for wheelchairs to get from the parking lot to the access ramp.

That's not the only issue that might draw the ire of disabled-rights supporters. The south parking lot at the BART station has 117 stalls for vehicles, but not a single space has been set aside for the disabled - putting the transit agency potentially at odds with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

Federal guidelines generally call for one handicapped space for every 25 parking spots.

The new ramp allows wheelchairs and bicycles to bypass the 26 stairs leading from the south parking lot to the station entrance. The $2 million price tag covered the costs of the planning, design, landscaping, stairs and the marquee ramp that zigzags in four sections up the hillside to the station's south entrance.

But the parking lot has no curb ramps or lips that would enable wheelchairs or bicycles to easily get from the parking surface to the sidewalk, where the ramp begins. BART officials say the ramp project was designed to connect the station to a bike path leading to the Lafayette City Center. Wheelchairs could access the ramp there, but the entry point to that path is down a hill near busy Mount Diablo Boulevard.



Read more of Mark Katches' SF GATE article HERE.

Bionic Legs—1500 Years After the Wheelchair

More than 1500 years since the invention of the wheelchair, there is new hope that those paralyzed by everything from car accidents to sniper’s bullets can walk again.

The Israeli made “Rewalk” has just received F-D-A approval and soon will help wounded American soldiers get back on their feet. The device is a set of mechanical legs attached to a backpack battery system that allows a paralyzed patient to “walk” all day.

Read more HERE.

Costume Ideas for Children in Wheelchairs

The Christopher and Dana Reeves Foundation's Facebook page has pictures of Halloween costumes for children in wheelchairs HERE

In House, First Congressman In Wheelchair To Preside On ADA Anniversary

The first member of the House of Representatives with quadriplegia will preside over the governing body on Monday in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., will be the first person using a wheelchair to take the helm of the House. The opportunity is possible because of recent alterations to the House Speaker’s platform making it wheelchair accessible through a series of lifts. READ MORE

"Off Road" Wheelchair

Tim Morgan and John Wardle of the University of Bath show their "Mountain Trike." See BBC coverage HERE.