OSCI Blog

Community Health Workers: Support & Guidance after SCI If you or someone you love has a spinal cord injury (SCI), you already know that navigating daily life—let alone the healthcare system—can be overwhelming. From figuring out rehab options to battling insurance red tape, just getting the right care and support can feel like a full-time [...]

Breaking Down Systemic Ableism: How It Manifests and What We Can Do About It Ableism isn’t just about individual prejudice; it’s embedded in the structures and systems that shape daily life. Systemic ableism refers to the policies, laws, and institutional norms that create barriers for disabled people, often prioritizing the needs and perspectives of non-disabled [...]

A Community-Driven Solution for Wheelchair Maintenance For many Oregonians who use wheelchairs, a small repair can lead to major disruptions. A flat tire or a loose part can mean waiting weeks—or even months—for a fix, leaving people stuck at home and unable to go about their daily lives. It’s frustrating and unfair, which is why [...]

SB 550: Empowering Wheelchair Users At Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection (OSCI), we know that getting a wheelchair fixed in Oregon can be a serious challenge. It’s not just about replacing a broken part—it’s about staying mobile, living life on your own terms, and maintaining your freedom. When a wheelchair isn’t working, it can mean [...]

As the founder and executive director of a small nonprofit, I have reaped so much joy and satisfaction from watching Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection grow over the last decade. This month - November 25, 2024 - will be 10 years!   Eleven years ago, on November 3, 2013, while I was traveling through Guatemala, I [...]

We rebuild our lives and bodies after a spinal cord injury, facing daily mental and physical challenges. A strong mindset combined with proper nutrition creates powerful healing momentum. When you align your thoughts and diet toward recovery, you move toward better health. But without the right nutrients, your body can’t heal well, and your mind [...]

After surviving an SCI, we are encouraged to pour enormous amounts of energy into rehabilitating our broken bodies. Although I’ve been rolling around for 11 years, getting physically stronger each day, there is still one lesson I wish I’d have understood from the very beginning. We need to put an equal amount of focus into [...]

Who’s tired of staring at the beach from the parking lot? Of skipping trails because the gravel’s too soft, or avoiding the snow because your chair sinks? If you live with mobility limitations, chances are you’ve felt this frustration at some point. David’s Chair may be the perfect solution! What is David's Chair? This is [...]

The Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection is distributing over $233,000 in CARES Act grant money to Oregonians and SW Washingtonians living with paralysis who have been adversely affected by COVID-19. To qualify for funds, applicants must meet the following OSCI criteria. How to Apply for COVID-19 Relief Apply for up to $1,500 in COVID relief [...]

By Matt Thomas Eleven years ago, I was lying in a hospital bed in the ICU. I was living out my worst nightmare and heard the words, “You’ll be lucky to feed yourself again.” I had just learned I sustained a C5 complete spinal cord injury from a mountain biking crash. Those were hard days. [...]

By Ines Garcia Fullana Summers in Oregon are the best time of year to explore the state's hidden gems and explore its beauty. For years, I have been hearing great stories from everyone around me about Oregon treasures.  Hearing everyone's adventurous stories and not personally experiencing them became more and more apparent that I was [...]

Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection remains committed to supporting our community through the long haul of COVID-19. Since the fight against the virus will likely continue into 2021, we are creating new ways to keep everyone safe, healthy, and connected. In May and June OSCI received $20,000 from Craig H Neilsen Foundation and $5000 from [...]

Have you ever wanted to attend the Abilities Expo, but unable to travel where it’s being held?? Well now is your chance to see it from the comfort of your home! Normally, the Abilities Expo comes once a year toa handful of cities, and the one in San Jose, California is the closest for us [...]

Wheelchair wellness during COVID means keeping equipment clean and working well to prevent illness and ensure reliability.Hosted by Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection , Permobil, and the Oregon Office on Disability and Health at OHSUDate: Monday, June 8, 2020 at 12 PM PST Wheelchairs, cushions, and assistive technology need regular care and maintenance. Wheelchair wellness [...]

Community Health Worker Program: A Catalyst for Health and Empowerment Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection (OSCI) was awarded a grant from Craig H Neilsen Foundation in 2018 to develop the Community Health Worker Program for, and by, people living with spinal cord injuries. What is a community health worker? A community health worker (CHW) is [...]

This year, the United Spinal Association is welcoming all 52 of their chapters to join their coast-to-coast Grassroots Advocacy Network to improve the political impact of the overall SCI/D community.  This advocacy network not only brings together a legion of experienced advocates and motivated newbies from the spinal cord injury community, but seeks to support […]

Summer is the season for the outdoors and camping. People living with disabilities are less likely to go camping and enjoy the great Oregon outdoors because of diverse environmental barriers. Specifically, the majority of Oregon’s camping facilities and outdoor recreation programs are not designed for adaptive camping and doesn't accommodate people with disabilities. This is [...]

Wheel Pad is a mobile and innovative solution. It offers an alternative to the long, labor-intensive process of remodeling a home for a loved one with a spinal cord injury or other disabling condition. The idea came from Joseph Cincotta and Julie Lineberger, a married couple with backgrounds in architecture and business. They created Wheel [...]

The Handi-Craft Adaptive Whitewater Tour is a one-man sensation! In 2012, Eric Thompson sustained a spinal cord injury. Like many in his situation, the injury flipped his world. However, it didn’t crush his spirit. Now, he tours the U.S. to show how anyone can experience the thrill of whitewater rafting. Before his injury, Eric worked [...]

Join us for the 2018 PDX Summer Handcycling Series. Come handcycle every Tuesday from 5–6 p.m. at the Portland International Raceway, July 10 through September 25! Never tried it before? You might fall in love with it. And if you do, you can apply for a grant from the Kelly Brush Foundation or the Challenged [...]

You were represented in Washington, DC for the Roll on Capitol Hill by five Oregonians with spinal cord injuries! Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection is the Portland chapter of the United Spinal Association (USA). Over the past two years, Oregon SCI sent two or three representatives to Washington, DC for the Roll on Capitol Hill [...]

To start, Portland is known for bike-friendly lanes, miles of trails, and an accessible bike share program. In July, the city added to its reputation by launching a unique adaptive bikes partnership. Specifically, it’s the first collaboration between a city, a private bike shop, and a bike share program. As a result, adaptive bikes are [...]

  Below is a collection of some of the best accessible trails around Oregon and SW Washington.  These have been compiled through conversations with other wheelchair users, notably Chuck Frayer, and an excellent 2008 article in the Oregonian by Terry Richards highlighting some of the best place to hike, fish and camp in Oregon. Following […]

A spinal cord injury affects the whole community. For those of us who are watching a loved one adapt to an SCI, or are accompanying him or her now as a caregiver, we experience a whole range of emotions too.  Life after an SCI stretches and strengthens us in ways we never knew were possible. […]

Adaptive Sports Northwest Power Soccer program is designed and developed especially for power wheelchair users. It’s a team sport that helps build character through teamwork, communication, hard work, perseverance, good sportsmanship. It’s the only team sport available to power wheelchair users including persons with quadriplegia, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, head trauma, stroke, spinal […]

I recently had the opportunity to become a member of a wheelchair gang, The Cripple Triple Threat. It’s the only one I know of in Portland. Actually, it may be the only one in Oregon for that matter. Dave, Josiah, and I are the Cripple Triple Threat, three friends who forged our friendship last summer […]

As fall turns to winter and we must face the inevitable onslaught of moisture, I cringe at the thought of not being able to get outside “hiking” as much.  One thought is to head east, once you hit the high arid desert of central Oregon I believe the rain should subside; granted you may have […]

If you’re looking for one last holiday present for a special person in your life (whether they have a spinal cord injury or not), you should seriously consider coconut oil. It may not sound sexy, but it’s as close to a miracle product as you are going to find with beneficial uses in more ways […]

Prior to my spinal cord injury I was very active outside and one activity that I really enjoyed was hiking; especially in the Columbia River Gorge! Until this last spring I had not thought about "hiking". In my mind "hiking" had to involve surfaces and grades not passable in a wheelchair. Thanks to the Oregon [...]

Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection is now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit! This is a big deal for the spinal cord injury community of Oregon and SW Washington because now we can intentionally plan, build, and advocate for our community. How did this happen?! Since November 2014, families, friends, and people affected by spinal cord injury and [...]

We all know the feeling - achy, lethargic, maybe a little fever, and stinky pee. For someone with an SCI, these are sure signs that a UTI is creeping on. And for many of us it means a trip to the doctor, then to the drive-thru pharmacy, and a week of another course of powerful [...]