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NEW ISSUE
Return to Accessible Travel
As the global pandemic grinds on, many people with disabilities dream of traveling as a break from the monotony of isolation. But any kind of trip raises big questions. Carole Zoom talked with accessible travel experts, industry insiders and regular travelers to better understand what people are doing to travel safely right now. Plus, Lilly Longshore and Seth McBride share what they learned while flying and road-tripping in the time of COVID-19.
NEWS
Neuralink Looks to Advance Thought-Controlled Electronics
Elon Musk, the entrepreneur best known for Tesla and SpaceX, recently received the FDA’s “breakthrough therapy designation” for Neuralink. The device is the latest entrant into the field of brain-computer interface, a technology that allows users to control computers and other electronic devices with their thoughts. With the kind of money Musk is pouring into Neuralink, it looks like our cyborg future is here. Who’s in?
WHAT TO WATCH
Wheelchair Users in Space: An Interview With the Creator of Away
Netflix’s science fiction epic Away is one of the hottest new shows in the streaming universe, and it features two wheelchair users as regular characters. Sylvia Longmire scored an interview with the show’s creator. Their Q&A covers the work that went into accurate disability-themed storylines, on-screen wheelchair use, disability representation in the media and — of course — wheelchair users in space.
SCI RESEARCH
Working2Walk: Giving the SCI Community a Voice in Research
Working 2 Walk Science and Advocacy Symposium is an international gathering to discuss scientific developments to improve the health and well-being of people living with spinal cord injury. This year’s event, hosted virtually Oct. 22-24, features top researchers, representatives from advocacy, industry, funding and regulatory agencies, and most importantly, the voice of the SCI community. You can save 75% off registration by using the discount code W2W20NewMobility.
PRO TIPS
Embracing Power
When you can use a manual chair, it may feel like surrender to switch to a power chair. But in talking with wheelchair users who’ve gone full power, Gary Karp learned the move has both drawbacks and advantages in terms of mobility, comfort and overall health. “It’s really a conversation about what control you have,” he says. “There are things you can do to take care of yourself so when you do decide to switch, you do it for the right reasons.”
EMPLOYMENT
Join Us to Improve Workplace Inclusion
Join Pathways to Employment on October 29 at 2 p.m. EDT for the first “Future of Work” webinar. This workplace inclusion event will focus on highlighting solutions submitted by community members that solve barriers to work, workplace complications or the opportunity to advance into leadership positions. We’ll also have a Q&A with Yannick Benjamin on why there should be more opportunities for wheelchair users in the hospitality industry and talk about how technology may open up jobs in surprising places. Please submit your workplace solution here and register for the event.
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** This post was originally published on https://www.newmobility.com/2020/10/new-mobilitys-biweekly-newsletter-october-1-2020/
