accessibility

Cionic has received authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its lightweight, leg-worn Neural Sleeve to improve walking in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions that affect mobility. The decision comes four months after the company submitted the device — the first to…

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…

The Adira Foundation received nearly $750,000 from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation to improve care and access for the roughly 5,000 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients living in rural areas of Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. Intended to enhance the access and delivery of specialized care to…

Whether we are aware of it or not, music infiltrates every part of our daily lives. It may be as subtle and inadvertent as music playing in the background at the grocery store or as obvious and intentional as jamming to tunes on our own playlists. But music also can…

The Accessible Product Design Alliance has released a statement calling for changes in products and packaging design to assure equal accessibility among consumers, including those with disabling disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Composed of 11 nonprofit health consumer organizations in Australia and New Zealand — including MS…

To the person who left the note on my windshield: I wish you would have asked. I would have told you that I have secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, a neurological disease that impairs my ability to walk. My MS has worsened over time and will continue to progress. I can’t…

Accessing healthcare providers knowledgeable about multiple sclerosis (MS) and being able to afford additional services to improve overall health were the most pressing healthcare concerns among Canadians with the condition, a survey suggests. “These findings provide healthcare planners prioritized concerns and a profile of [people with MS] that have…

“Sorry, the brakes are terrible!” my husband complained, grabbing the wheelchair’s handles as I slowly started rolling down the hill. He jammed his foot in front of the wheel in a desperate attempt to get the chair to stay in place. We recently got away for the weekend to Blackpool…

What could the Academy Awards and COVID-19 possibly have in common for people with disabilities? Stay tuned, and I’ll tell you. First, the Academy Awards. The documentary “Crip Camp,” about a summer camp for young adults with disabilities, was up for an Oscar. Its co-director and co-star, Jim LeBrecht,…

“What was the date of your last relapse?” the neurologist asked while peering over her glasses at me.  I stared back blankly and then shrugged with a sheepish smile. I knew the year but couldn’t remember the exact date because it was seven years ago!…

In early July, I wrote a column about Disability Pride Month. It’s not for me, I said. I questioned the word “pride” and asked whether we need a special month to advocate for a more inclusive world. Several people commented on that column — some supported my thoughts, while…

“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.  I swallowed. Anxiety rushed through me. What am I going to do? I was desperate…

Novartis 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 the Novartis Innovation Prize: Assistive Tech for…

Kevin Schaefer hadn’t been in an airport since he was 4 years old, so he had been looking forward to flying from his home in Cary, North Carolina, to Anaheim, California, in June for the 2019 Cure SMA Conference. As it turned out, his experience didn’t go as expected.

To those who judge me for using my disabled parking permit when I seemingly look “healthy and well,” please consider your words. There are people out there who “call out” others who they think are “abusing the system” and taking up an accessible space when it looks like they don’t…

Newly launched, the Soothie Cushion is designed to provide seating comfort and help regulate the body temperature of travelers with disabilities, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and myasthenia gravis, says its official retailer, Special Needs Group/Special Needs at Sea (SNG). The product is said to offer enduring comfort…

Rather than hiding from the storm, it’s better to learn to dance in the rain, as I like to say. Ali Stroker, who plays Ado Annie in the Broadway revival of the musical “Oklahoma,” has learned to dance in a wheelchair. She was recognized this week at the Tony…

Sex, age, disability level, and current disease-modifying therapy use are linked to how multiple sclerosis (MS) patients weigh the potential benefits and safety risks of treatments, new research from two teams funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society shows. These studies shed light on how…

Over the past few months, I’ve had a few things to say about actress Selma Blair and the very public way in which she’s been handling her MS diagnosis. When Blair went public with her MS last October, she did it on Instagram, writing, “I am…

Dozens of films have focused on those with diseases or disabilities — and there’s no shortage of Hollywood productions about love and sex. But only a handful have ever really tried to combine these two themes. “Take a Look at This Heart” does the job with tenderness and finesse.

When my wife and I were remodeling our two-story home many years ago, we made a few accessibility changes with my MS in mind. For example, we enlarged a first-floor half-bath to include a roll-in shower. We also installed a higher toilet and made sure there was space to…

Five finalists remain in the running for the $1 million prize being offered in the Mobility Unlimited Challenge, a global competition to promote the development of innovative solutions for personal mobility devices. A panel of expert judges selected the finalists from among 80 applications submitted by teams from 28 countries.

  It’s happened to me, and if you fly with a scooter or a wheelchair, I bet it’s happened to you, too: a busted or missing set of wheels on arrival.   On a flight from Washington, D.C., to Venice, my scooter went to Copenhagen. On a flight from…

I’m writing again about someone with MS who was blocked from a handicapped parking spot by someone who isn’t handicapped. I know, it happens all the time. But this time was a little different. The spot was blocked by a television news crew. And that struck a nerve…

Flying isn’t what it used to be, as everyone who’s taken a flight in the past 15 years or so knows. Flyers with disabilities can have a particularly challenging time dealing with airports, airlines, and aircraft. Airports are crowded and stretch forever. Airplanes are crowded, their seats are small,…

Sorry, this story is definitely parochial and about being disabled, rather than narrowly focused on having MS. It also turns out to be somewhat celebratory — albeit starting from a criticism. Before I get to that, a bit of history. The black cab is an international symbol for London like…

We all know how difficult it can be to find an accessible parking spot — one that allows us to park and get from our car to where we’re going with a minimum number of steps. There aren’t many of these spots in most parking lots, and sometimes the…

Researchers at the University of Missouri found that a lack of appropriate clothing designed for people with disabilities, caused by accidents or chronic diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), can be a barrier to participation and a sense of inclusion in the workplace. Because workplace attire can be specific and…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently cleared the myBioness mobile app, designed by Bioness, to be used with the L300 Go System to improve muscle strength in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) or other conditions that affect walking. The L300 Go System is approved to help…

The United Spinal Association will hold a webinar this week to seek ideas for making air travel better for wheelchair users, including multiple sclerosis patients. One focus of the event will be the problems wheelchair users have encountered at airports. Another will be bills in the U.S. House and Senate…