Facing Disability for Families Facing Spinal Cord Injuries

11/25/2025

What does gratitude look like from a C-5/6 quadriplegic’s perspective? Jeff Shannon knew. A veteran writer on disability issues, longtime movie reviewer, and film historian, Jeff shared his honest, thought-provoking voice with FacingDisability.com for years.

In his memory, we’re re-sharing his 2013 Thanksgiving blog post, “Giving Thanks on the 2-for-1 Plan.”

A brilliant Thanksgiving essay by Jeff Shannon, a veteran writer on disability issues, and a regular contributor to FacingDisability.com

11/18/2025

PODCAST: When a loved one sustained a spinal cord injury, Thea Flaum realized families were on their own. That’s why she created FacingDisability.com. It's full of medical info, and real stories from people living with paralysis.

When Thea Flaum suddenly found herself caring for a family member with a spinal cord injury (SCI), she quickly discovered a lack of resources and support for...

10/23/2025

On the podcast: Annie had a spinal stroke the night before starting seventh grade. Once she got back to school, she had to wear a surgical halo to stabilize her spine. So, she went “trick-or-treating” as an angel.

Annie had a spinal stroke the night before seventh grade. When she got back to school, she had to wear a surgical halo to stabilize her spine. So, she went ...

09/02/2025

🎧 Listen now: One late-night drive left Amber paralyzed and shaped her future in ways she never expected.

Amber was 15 when a late-night drive with her family ended in a crash that left her paralyzed. Years later, what happened that night would haunt her in ways ...

08/21/2025

A song of strength, hope and community.

08/05/2025

From our Blog:
2025 Best Rehabilitation Hospitals - A total of 1,049 rehabilitation facilities were evaluated and ranked the top 50.

U.S. News & World Report has released its 2025 rankings of the top U.S. rehabilitation hospitals.

07/29/2025

New Podcast Episode:

Rob was a 17-year-old star football player with big plans for college. But one rainy afternoon on the job, a crash left him paralyzed and forced him to trade touchdowns for something way tougher.

Rob was a 17-year-old star football player with big plans for college. But one rainy afternoon on the job, a crash left him paralyzed and forced him to trade...

07/13/2025

The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab would like your help with some input on on some SCI fact sheets. See the image below for more. If interested please email: MSKTC@air.corg

06/10/2025

From our Blog: The pain relieving drug being studied in this trial has emphasized its non-addictive profile.

Neuropathic pain is a common but hard-to-treat condition affecting people living with SCI. Current treatments often have limited effectiveness and significant side effects.

04/17/2025

New in our Blog: The documentary highlights the achievements of the disability rights movement, shifting the narrative from pity to progress.

“Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act” premiered on “American Experience” on PBS last week,

04/17/2025

From our Podcast - "Jorge - FINDING NORMAL"
Jorge was nine years old, and playing at a friend’s house when one of the kids suddenly brought out a real gun…

Jorge was nine years old, and playing at a friend’s house when one of the kids suddenly brought out a real gun…Help us improve the "I Was a Wheelchair Kid" s...

04/10/2025

New Podcast Episode: "Reveca; I Looked Into the Future"
Reveca was just 13 when she was injured in an MVA. Listen as she takes us through her back-to-school memories. Some of them are quite amazing!

After 13-year-old Reveca was injured, she changed her plans for the future, and then discovered she didn't have to.After listening, please take our two-minut...