February 7, 2024 Columns by Mike Parker Excursions require extra planning for those with mobility issues Summer planning has started for my family, which means trying to arrange trips and time together. Before I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), we could simply book an excursion that looked enjoyable. But now, thanks to my mobility issues, planning is slightly tricker. In the…
November 24, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias What it was like attending a Queen concert with a mobility aid For someone with multiple sclerosis (MS), going to a venue to see a concert or sporting event can be an experience filled with uncertainty ā especially if, like me, they’re using a mobility aid. For me to do it, I have to ask myself several questions: How will I…
September 30, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias My Wife and I Hit Some Bumps on Elton John’s Yellow Brick Road It wasn’t easy for my wife, Laura, and I to enjoy one of Elton John’s concerts on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour the other night. Sir Elton was appearing at Nationals Park, the baseball home of the Washington, D.C., Nationals. Having seen a couple of…
July 20, 2022 Columns by Beth Ullah A Big Step Forward: Using Public Transportation With MS As anyone with chronic illness knows, leaving the house requires planning. Thereās much more to think about than what’s visible, especially if you’re relying on public transport. In the days preceding last week’s appointment with my multiple sclerosis (MS) nurse, I was contemplating just how long it’d been since…
February 18, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias AXS Map Helps Crowdsource Venue Accessibility Across the Globe If you’re like me, you’re always wondering what obstacles you’ll need to overcome if you eat at a new restaurant or visit another venue you’ve never been to before. Will you physically be able to enter? If so, can you navigate once inside? Are the bathrooms accessible? You could…
November 19, 2021 Columns by John Connor My Coffee Cup Runneth Over, Plus a Darned Interruption So, where was I last week? I was in the midst of writing this column when I was felled overnight by my long-term nemesis: a urinary tract infection (UTI). As usual, I had no idea I had one ā but hey, I was ill. Iām sure Iāve banged on…
November 3, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Mindfulness Helped MS Patients Cope With Symptoms Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) helped people with multiple sclerosis (MS) cope with symptoms, and many said they would recommend these practices to others living with MS, according to a review of published studies related to patients’ experiences. The participants reported the benefits of a shared experience, but stressed the importance…
October 21, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Overcoming My Fear of Concerts With a Little Help From the Rolling Stones As the music started, the crowd stood and cheered. I followed suit. Well, almost. I stood with more intention than balance. And as I did, I veered toward the person seated in the next row. Hello, secondary progressive MS. Two years ago, I went to see Paul McCartney at Dodger…
October 15, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias 3 Things I Discovered at My 50th College Reunion My wife and I recently returned from a long weekend in upstate New York, where we attended my college reunion. It was a biggie ā my 50th ā and had been delayed a year due to COVID-19. The sun was shining, and it felt like spring for the three days…
July 21, 2020 Columns by Jessie Ace ‘You Look OK to Me’ “You look OK to me.” He stood, towering over me, his big belly billowing from his shirt as he straightened up and lifted his chin, glaring down at me over folded arms.Ā I swallowed. Anxiety rushed through me. What am I going to do? I was desperate…
June 29, 2020 News by Vanessa Pataia AccessNow Wins Top ‘Novartis Innovation Prize’ for App That Aids Mobility NovartisĀ has awarded a total of $300,000 to two tech companies, honoring each for work done to improve the mobility and independence of people living with multiple sclerosis (MS). The top winner of theĀ Novartis Innovation Prize: Assistive Tech for…
June 21, 2019 Columns by John Connor Nearly Thwarted by a Step Even in my able-bodied days, I was hardly Channing Tatum ā who is? Model, actor, dancer, singer, and he even has the audacity to be funny. There might not be any real comic book heroes in the world, but he is possibly the closest to an X-Man we’ve got.
May 30, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Chariots of Enlightenment: Overcoming My Fear of a Wheelchair Living with multiple sclerosis (MS) is an education in and of itself. I’ve learned a lot about myself and I am a different person now, nine years after my diagnosis. I hope to learn and grow over the next nine years as MS continues to shape my perspective on life.
May 24, 2019 Columns by John Connor Years of Laughter: It’s Been a Mammoth 40 Years Last Monday night, I was strangely in the audience at London’s Comedy Store. At a rough calculation, I have directed about 1,500 shows there, have been in the audience for maybe 20, and even have been on the stage a few times. One doesn’t count, as I was drunkenly…
October 19, 2018 Columns by John Connor Taking a Flu Day Going to bed late and sleeping is reportedly aĀ marker of intelligence. In that case, I am definitely something of a genius. So, it’s always a shock when I have to get up in the morning. I’ve spent a lifetime avoiding it! I’ve lived in such a form…
June 15, 2018 Columns by John Connor Anyone for Golf? A family wedding in the gardens of a grand country house some 30 minutes from Oxford sounds idyllic. And indeed it was. Not, though, for anyone in a wheelchair. A deep pebble driveway at the front was impassable.Ā It took very strong men to drag me backwardĀ a few yards. Going…
June 4, 2018 Columns by Debi Wilson A Day on the Beach, Yet So Much More! The royal blue kite struggled to stay in flight; the winds remained fickle on our day at the beach. I was mesmerized while watching a man and woman so fervently trying to manage the small diving diamond in the sky. The more I watched, the clearer the metaphor…
February 26, 2018 Columns by Debi Wilson Improvements Needed for Better Accessibility for People with Disabilities So many of us are affected by disabilities, and day-to-day we strive to live our lives the best we can. The struggles due to theseĀ disabilities can consume a lot of our precious and sparse energy. Anything that can be modified in the home, at businesses, or anywhere we choose…
February 7, 2018 Columns by Judy Lynn Carded at Costco I was carded while at Costco with my son just before Christmas. Normally, Iām flattered when asked for ID, but this time was different. The request wasnāt from the cashier as my vodka rolled by, snug between the peppermint cocoa and persimmons. No, the request came from a police…
August 29, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias Get Me (with My MS) to the Beach I live at the beach, but I can’t get onto the beach āĀ not easily, anyway. My MS means that I need to use a beach buggy; sort of an electric wheelchair with super-big tires, to get around on the sand. For others who are not as fortunate as…
April 11, 2017 Columns by Patricia Silva, PhD Importance of Elevators for Universal Housing You might think that the Fair Housing ActĀ required multifamily buildings to have elevators, but no, it doesn’t. A multifamily dwelling of four units that does not have an elevator is not required to have one. However, the ground floor units must be fully…
November 28, 2016 Columns by Debi Wilson When Accessibility Becomes a Question of “Why Bother?” My first encounter with “Why bother?” was in 2011. My whole family had met in Maui to celebrate my daughter Amber’s wedding. It also was my first travel since my 2010 primary progressive multiple sclerosis diagnosis, and my first trip with a wheelchair. I didn’t realize when you fly…
October 28, 2016 Columns by Ed Tobias Getting in the Front Door It’s happened to us all. Ā You arrive at a business and discover there are steps at the entrance. A few years ago my wife and I arrived to check-in to a 4-star hotel near The Wheel in London, and discovered that there were a dozen steps at both of…