Thriving in community
Welcome to Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection (OSCI), your trusted guide after a spinal cord injury. We understand that navigating life post-injury can be challenging, and you don’t have to do it alone. At OSCI, we’re dedicated to empowering individuals, fostering resilience, and building meaningful connections. We provide vital resources, peer support, and advocacy, helping you reclaim your independence and thrive within a vibrant community. Explore our site to discover how we can support your journey, help you connect to community with others who understand, and help you live life to the fullest.
Newly injured or need to find answers?
We can help you to find resources, ask the right questions, and connect to community.
Support after a spinal cord injury
After a spinal cord injury (SCI), social support is critically important. A community health worker (CHW) is someone with lived-experience of spinal cord injury who can offer guidance, emotional support, and empower individuals to take charge of their own care. A CHW will also help individuals connect to community and take the first steps to re-tool so they can build a life they love after SCI.
Guidance & Resources is a living tool, regularly updated to reflect new information, resources, and community insights. This guide helps to understand the journey after SCI. It provides accessible, actionable information including questions for medical providers, secondary health conditions, working with caregivers, and more.
Our Mission
Our mission is to ensure everyone who sustains a spinal cord injury has the care, community, and resources they need to thrive.
Commitment to Connection
Our work spans the full spectrum of life after a spinal cord injury, from supporting newly injured people in the hospital, collaborating with health providers and social service providers to ensure coordination of care and a seamless discharge plan, to building a thriving and supportive community of individuals with spinal cord injuries. We help those with spinal cord injury connect to community.
Our Programs
Check out our Calendar for upcoming events.
Community Health Workers
Community Health Workers (CHWs) are trusted advocates who bridge the gap between communities and essential resources. Through outreach, education, and advocacy, they empower individuals with spinal cord injuries, improve access to care, and drive lasting change by fostering health, self-reliance, and stronger communities.
Wheelchair Maintenance Workshops
Wheelchair maintenance is essential for safety, independence, and quality of life. A flat tire, misaligned brakes, or bad caster bearings can disrupt daily activities and limit your freedom to move.
Our free wheelchair maintenance workshops, offered in partnership with community organizations, empower individuals with the tools, skills, and support needed for repairs and urgent fixes—keeping you safe, mobile, and in control.
SCI Educational Forums
Our Educational Forums are a cornerstone of Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection’s mission, offering vital insights and guidance for the SCI community. Led by community health workers and experts, these forums create an inclusive space to ask questions, share experiences, and access the knowledge needed to navigate life with confidence.
SCI Community Meet-ups
SCI Community Meet-ups provide a welcoming, informal space for individuals with a spinal cord injury who feel isolated to connect to community, share stories, ask questions, and learn from others. These gatherings take place in accessible, casual settings like pizza parlors or brewpubs—creating a safe and supportive environment for all.
Recreation
OSCI offers inclusive recreational activities that bring the spinal cord injury community together. From wheelchair-friendly trails to CampAbility, our adaptive camping trips, these events provide opportunities to share experiences, explore the outdoors, and connect with others.
Volunteer
Community Serving Roles:
- Peer Mentors
- Wheelchair Maintenance Workshop Assistants
- Event Support – helping with transfers, registration, navigating, etc.
- Brand Ambassadors – raising awareness about the organization, programs, and events
Organization Serving Roles:
- Content Creation – photography, videography, graphic design, etc.
- Communications and Administrative Support
- Fundraising Support
- Event Planning
Donate
Community health workers have identified unmet needs in the spinal cord injury community, including essential items like ramps, shower chairs, and mobility aids that are not covered by government programs or health insurance.
A $10 monthly donation can make a big difference.
Looking for specific information? Search for what you need!
Equity Statement
Our team and our work are committed to creating attitudinal and systemic changes that remove ableism, racism, and other forms of oppression against the disability community, including those who live at the intersection of multiple marginalizing identities with disability.
Our Partners
