OSCI Blog

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 our bodies after a spinal cord injury. And the daily battle of rebuilding and overcoming new obstacles is as much a mental struggle as it is a physical one. A positive mental outlook supported by good nutrition creates healing synergy. If your mind and body are aligned toward health, your […]

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 is tired of looking at the beach from the parking lot, of not being able to go on trails because the gravel is too soft, or not being able to go in the snow because your chair will sink?  I think any of us that live with mobility limitations have had these feelings at […]

We are 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. You must meet these criteria to receive funds. Please apply using this form to receive up to $1500 in COVID relief funds. Funds will be distributed via PayPal, Amazon Gift […]

By Matt Thomas 11-years ago I was lying in a hospital bed in the ICU living out my worst nightmare and hearing the words “you’ll be lucky to feed yourself again”. You see, I just learned that I sustained a C5 complete spinal cord injury from a crash on my mountain bike.  Those were hard […]

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 is committed to supporting our community through the long haul of COVID-19. As the battle to abate the virus will likely continue well into 2021, we are building supports to keep our community safe, healthy and engaged. In May and June OSCI received $20,000 from Craig H Neilsen Foundation and […]

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 […]

Maintain Your Wheelchair Health during COVID  Hosted by Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection, Permobil, and Oregon Office on Disability and Health at OHSUMonday, June 8, 2020 at 12 PM PST Wheelchairs, their cushions and assistive technology require attention, care, and maintenance to ensure they perform well and stay clean and disinfected during COVID. This will help you […]

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, and yet 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 to accommodate people with disabilities.   This is an […]

Wheel Pad is an innovative, mobile solution to the labor-intensive and time-consuming process of remodeling a home for a loved one after a spinal cord injury, or any disabling condition. Joseph Cincotta and Julie Lineberger, an architect/business-minded married couple, conceptualized the Wheel Pad after their dear family friend, Riley Poor, sustained a SCI. The award-winning […]

The Handi-Craft Adaptive Whitewater Tour is a one-man sensation! Eric Thompson sustained a spinal cord injury in 2012, and as many of us know, the injury flipped his world, but it didn’t snuff his spirit. Now he’s touring the US demonstrating how anyone can enjoy whitewater rafting. He was a ski patroller at Mt Hood […]

Come handcycle every Tuesday, 5-6pm at the Portland International Raceway from July 10th – September 25th! If you’ve never tried it, you may fall in love with it. And if you fall in love with it, you can apply to Kelly Brush Foundation and/or Challenged Athlete’s Foundation for a grant to purchase a brand new […]

You were represented in Washington, DC by five Oregonians with spinal cord injuries! Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection is the Portland chapter of United Spinal Association (USA). For the last two years Oregon SCI has sent 2 or 3 representatives to Washington, DC for the Roll on Capitol Hill (ROCH), which is hosted by United […]

Whether it’s special bike lanes, miles of bike-friendly trails or the bike share program, the city of Portland has earned its reputation as one of America’s bike-friendliest places. This July Portland added another accomplishment to the list, launching the nation’s first partnership between a private bike shop, a bike share system and a city government […]

  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 […]