We Are #StrongWheeled Together!
United Spinal’s StrongWheeled Together Conference brings together members, chapter leaders, clinicians and corporate partners. This event in Las Vegas offers opportunities that inspire connection, learning and action.
This event showcases the collective brilliance of the disability community and exemplifies the power we have when we work together as one team.
The StrongWheeled Together Awards celebrate the best and the brightest wheelchair users from around the nation. In 2024, we are centering the Awards on the idea of community.
The Power of Community!
Mental Health & Wellness
Strength comes in many different forms. Being ‘strong wheeled’ is not just about outer strength, it’s also about inner strength; the strength in learning to overcome new challenges, sharing our lived experiences with one another, and discovering resources and connections to reach our goals. We will be shining a spotlight on mental health and the unique struggles faced by people with mobility disabilities so we can learn from each other and grow together. Click below and explore the various ways to maintain health and wellness—it’s an investment in your future.
Fitness & Athletics
Participating in sports and recreation, finding camaraderie in competition, and setting goals that challenge our minds and bodies are beneficial in our rehabilitative journey and far beyond. We will be showcasing individuals who are using fitness and athletics to demonstrate what’s possible, with determination and resilience, to challenge social norms and erase the stigma of disability. They say, ‘We can’t!”, but we say “We can!”
Emergency Preparedness
A critical part of maintaining our independence is being adequately prepared for emergencies and natural- or human-caused disasters that can wreak havoc on all aspects of our lives, from our health and mobility to accessing our communities and pursuing our joys and passions. Being equipped both intellectually and physically for unexpected events can save lives, lessen the emotional impact and facilitate a quicker adjustment in times of transition. Discover more valuable information to make sure you’re Ready to Roll!
What makes us #Strong Wheeled Together is the connections and personal stories that we share along our journey, from every corner and intersection of society. Together, we erase the stigma of disability and fight so that everyone can live the lives they choose. We lift each other up to overcome challenges and advocate for equal opportunities. And we lead by example and empower others to do the same.
United Spinal thanks the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation for helping us offer financial grants to individuals with spinal cord injuries and disorders impacted by natural and human-caused disasters.
Here are a few of the lives we have touched.
Greg Nichols - ‘I Don’t Know Where I Would Be Today’
Greg Nichols evacuated his home to seek safety and shelter from Hurricane Ida. After the category 4 storm subsided, he returned home to find severe damage to his property, including a roof that needed to be fully replaced, water damage and no working air conditioning.
Terrell Patterson - ‘They Gave Me The Hope I Needed’
Terrell Patterson’s home was severely damaged by Hurricane Ida making it uninhabitable and needing major repairs. Terrell and his family struggled to find accessible housing as they tried to piece their lives back together and return to their home.
April & Maddie Young - ‘They Were There For Us’
April and Maddie Young had their home completely destroyed by Hurricane Ida. Maddie was in need of accessible home modifications but the damage caused by Ida dashed any hope of that possibility.
Jason Homer - ‘We Had Our Lives Back’
Jason Homer evacuated his home of 19 years to ride out Hurricane Ida in Houston. When he returned, he saw firsthand the devastating aftermath. Everything from his home’s siding and roof to his accessible van were damaged by Ida’s powerful winds.
#StrongWheeled Together Stories
Meet Cheryl Jacobs: a wheelchair user and scientist
United Spinal is her Spinal Cord Injury Life Advice Center
My wheelchair gives me independence, freedom and improved quality of life
Coming Back to the World Post-Spinal Cord Injury
Balancing Body and Mind After a Spinal Cord Injury
A hurricane of grief: surviving post-spinal cord injury PTSD
How Madison Found Her Path To Advocacy & Accessible Tech
Meet six wheelchair users who are changing the game
StrongWheeled Together Awards recognize leaders in the disability community
Participate in Life: My United Spinal Membership Perspective
Learning to value ourselves — disability and all
Wheelchair user shares employment success story with Walmart
2023 StrongWheeled Together Award Winners
Ryan Gebauer
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Ryan is the owner of Ryan Realty Group, a real estate sales instructor and a dedicated volunteer and accessible housing advocate in his community. Thanks to him, people from our community are breaking into real estate like never before.
King Khazm
Performing Arts
When he’s not on the road touring, King Khazm is the Executive Director of 206 Universal, a Commissioner in the Seattle Disability Commission and a board member of the Here and Now Project, among numerous other commitments to hip hop and the disability community.
Arthur Renowitzky
Sports and Recreation
Arthur is the Executive Director and a co-founder of the Life Goes On Foundation and plays guard for the Golden State Road Warriors, who won the national championship in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association this past year.
Xi Nan
Visual Arts
Xi has exhibited her performance art and sculpture worldwide, including at the Venice Biennial, and participates in numerous nonprofit and philanthropic initiatives to lift up other artists with disabilities.
Anja Herrman
Writing
Anja has been published by the Reeve Foundation, Teen Vogue and the Huffington Post, and was part of the inaugural class of EmpowHer Camp, prompting her to write a groundbreaking paper on school districts and students with disabilities during school shootings.
Giana Bisnett
Youth Leadership
Giana is a young disability advocate who successfully persuaded her school district to purchase Evac-Chairs for its students with disabilities. She is now working to replicate her work and spread her message about disability rights and emergency preparedness around the nation.
2022 StrongWheeled Together Award Winners
Judith Heumann
Lifetime Impact Award Winner
Judith (Judy) Heumann is considered the “Mother of Disability Rights.” A life-long, internationally-recognized advocate, she has been at the forefront of almost every advance for the disability community. Her story was featured in the 2020 award-winning documentary “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution.” She published her memoir “Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist” in 2020 and currently produces The Heumann Perspective podcast that can be found on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.
The Honorable Jim Langevin
Congratulatory Message
U.S. Representative Jim Langevin is the first quadriplegic to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and the Committee on Homeland Security. He is primarily known for his work on cyber security. In addition to his focus on national security, Langevin strongly advocates for all people with disabilities. He is retiring from Congress this year.
Kebra Moore
Performer
Kebra Moore is a trained opera singer and an internationally recorded gospel singer who uses her song lyrics to build people up. She was Ms. Wheelchair 2013 and is an Amazon best-selling author of the book, “Love, Lies & Music, Short Tropical Storm Stories.” Her pen name is Midnight Storm. Moore is also an entrepreneur who developed the socially conscious Tropic Storm Collection of vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics. She is active on Spotify, Youtube and most other social media platforms.
Marna Michelle
Performer
American Idol fans will remember Marna Michele as the wheelchair user in season 18. During her audition, Katy Perry and Luke Bryant pushed her to belt out Lady Gaga’s “Million Reasons,” and then awarded her the golden ticket. She’s also released an album, and her two Buzzfeed videos reached nearly one million people. She is active on many social media platforms, but her TikTock account is especially fun. Follow her at @maryeheart
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4 Wheel City
Performance
4 Wheel City is an entertainment organization started by United Spinal Association members Namel “Tapwaterz” Norris and Ricardo “Rickfire” Velasquez. These two talented artists and motivational speakers use wheelchairs due to gun violence. They use hip-hop music and culture to create more opportunities for people with disabilities and to show the world that people with disabilities have talents and dreams and deserve to be treated equally.
Gala Program
We Are #StrongWheeled Together
Celebrating a New Generation of Talented Leaders From the Disability Community
Honorees include:
Dominick Evans (MI), filmmaker and disability activist – Performing Arts
Erik Kondo (MA), small business entrepreneur – Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Yesenia Torres (NY), writer, model, and life coach – Visual Arts & Writing
Anna Sarol (KS), disability advocate – Youth Leadership
Antonio Martin (MI), paralympic powerlifter and peer mentor – Sports & Recreation
Thank You to Our #StrongWheeled Together Sponsors
REVOLUTION
ROLLING
