Turning an adaptive lifestyle into a rewarding lifestyle
By Hannah Gebresilassie A Medill Newsmakers Report When society thinks of people in wheelchairs, we often think of what they can’t do instead of what they can do. In this edition of Medill Newsmakers, wheelchair users in Chicago open up about living an adaptive lifestyle. The perspectives come from gunshot survivors, Skyhawks wheelchair basketball team […]
John the Barber: beats odds to cut hair again, even from a wheelchair
By Hannah Gebresilassie Getting shot six times and becoming paralyzed from the chest-down didn’t stop John “So Icey John” Sharp from becoming one of the best barbers in town. “I got shot up being at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Sharp, 28, says, adding he wont let the circumstances prevent him from continuing […]
From the Streets to the Courts: Skyhawks wheelchair basketball helps gunshot survivors adapt
By Shen Wu Tan Video by Hannah Gebresilassie Marcus Jones was shot four times during an attempted armed robbery on April 17, 1995 on Chicago’s Southeast Side. Struck three times in the leg and once in the lower back, Jones suffered a serious injury and was devastated when doctors told him he would never walk […]
Ford Partners with BraunAbility to Produce First Wheelchair-Accessible SUV
By Shen Wu Tan A world leading company in manufacturing accessible vehicles showcased the world’s first wheelchair-accessible SUV at the Chicago Auto Show last week. BraunAbility MXV, a converted 2016 Ford Explorer, enables customers with compromised mobility to comfortably drive or ride as passengers. The new vehicle provides mobility and freedom to costumers in wheelchairs […]
Empowered Fe Fes gives young women sense of disability pride and community
By Rebekah Frumkin At 21, Alexis Smith already has the résumé of someone twice her age. She’s a poet, memoirist and activist working on a short film about inclusivity for people with disabilities. She also has spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy, for which she uses crutches 90 percent of the time and a power wheelchair the […]
CTA Proposes 20-Year Plan to Make All Railways Accessible
By Shen Wu Tan The Chicago Transit Authority announced earlier this month its proposal for a 20-year plan to make its entire rail system 100 percent accessible. According to the CTA’s website, about 70 percent of its rail systems are accessible and have ADA-compliant elevators or ramps. In collaboration with the City of Chicago, ADA, […]
