BACKBONES

BACKBONES exists to help people with spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D) and their families connect with their communities.

04/24/2026

✨ Adaptive Hacks ✨

Fun days shouldn’t have to end early because of pressure or skin concerns. Staying out longer often comes down to small habits that support comfort, prevention, and long-term health. ❤️‍🩹

This Adaptive Hack focuses on simple ways to reduce pressure and protect your skin while you’re out enjoying life, whether that’s an event, travel day, or time with friends.
Swipe through for a quick prevention checklist + an easy reminder trick that can help make pressure relief part of your routine. 💡

What strategies help you stay comfortable during long days out? Share your adaptive hacks below 👇

04/21/2026

1 day left to apply to the BACKBONES Youth Program! Apply now for a chance to be a part of the 2026 program. We’re looking for teens with SCI/D (ages 15-18) who want to connect with their peers and learn from disabled leaders.

Apply here today! https://www.backbonesonline.org/youth-program

04/20/2026

🍃 Cannabis & SCI/D 🍃

For some people living with SCI/D, cannabis can be one tool for managing symptoms like nerve pain, spasticity, sleep issues, and stress. Research suggests many users report meaningful improvements in comfort and quality of life- but experiences vary widely.
🌿💬 If you’re curious, talking with your care team is a great first step.💬🌿

Sources:
🌿Finnerup NB et al., Frontiers in Pain Research (2023)
🌿Hawley LA et al., Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation (2025)

04/19/2026

What has helped you grow this year?

Not in a big, dramatic way—
but in the quiet, real ways.

For us, it’s been community.
Showing up for each other.
Spaces where people feel welcome.

If you want to share, we’d love to hear 🌸

And if you’re able, you can plant a flower in our garden. https://www.backbonesonline.org/donate

Thanks for helping our garden grow!

04/19/2026

3 days left to apply to the BACKBONES Youth Program! Apply now for a chance to be a part of the 2026 program. We’re looking for teens with SCI/D (ages 15-18) who want to connect with their peers and learn from disabled leaders.

Apply here today! https://www.backbonesonline.org/youth-program

04/17/2026

5 days left to apply to the BACKBONES Youth Program! Apply now for a chance to be a part of the 2026 program. We’re looking for teens with SCI/D (ages 15-18) who want to connect with their peers and learn from disabled leaders.

Apply here today! https://www.backbonesonline.org/youth-program

04/15/2026

Today is World Art Day! We have a lot of amazing work that comes out of our community. Tag an artist with a disability below for a chance to win a Backbones notebook!

04/14/2026

Last call 🚨
An evening with Robin Wilson-Beattie, honoring Alice Wong and Disability Intimacy.
Join us tomorrow, April 15th at 5:30 PM CST
https://www.backbonesonline.org/events-1/book-discussion-disability-intimacy-by-alice-wong

04/13/2026

This April, we’re growing something together.

We’re building a garden—one that reflects connection, care, and the ways we show up for each other.

Every donation plants a flower.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll watch it grow 🌱

If BACKBONES has been part of your life, or if you believe in disability community and connection, we’d love for you to be part of this.

🌷 Plant a flower: https://www.backbonesonline.org/donate

04/12/2026

X days left to apply to the BACKBONES Youth Program! Apply now for a chance to be a part of the 2026 program. We’re looking for teens with SCI/D (ages 15-18) who want to connect with their peers and learn from disabled leaders.

Apply here today! https://www.backbonesonline.org/youth-program

04/10/2026

✨ PeerConnect is BACK, and we have an incredible guest speaker to go with it!

We're thrilled to welcome Robin Wilson-Beattie (she/her) to our April Book Discussion on Disability Intimacy! Robin is a speaker, writer, disability and sexuality advocate, and peer researcher whose work has reached and inspired tens of thousands of disabled people around the world.

Robin combines years of lived experience with medically grounded research to offer a truly unique perspective on how disability, life, and identity shape sexual and reproductive health and expression. She is certified by the American Board of Sexology and the City College of San Francisco as a Sexual Health Educator, has co-authored research published in JAMA, and has spoken everywhere from the Executive Office of the Vice President of the United States to international stages. She is also the 2024 Carrie Buck Distinguished Fellow of the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at Brandeis University.

The evening will include a reading from Robin's essay in Disability Intimacy, a facilitated Q&A with time for audience questions, and an open community discussion; so come ready to listen, reflect, and connect. 💬

We are so honored to have her in our community space. 💙

📅 April 15th | 5:30 PM CST | Virtual
All are welcome
https://www.backbonesonline.org/events-1/book-discussion-disability-intimacy-by-alice-wong

04/09/2026

Great news! We have extended the deadline on applications for our Youth Program until *date.* If you were considering applying, there is still time! Go to the BACKBONES website to send in your application.

Here is a direct link to the Youth Program application portal! https://www.backbonesonline.org/youth-program

Address

P. O. Box 7334
Prospect Heights, IL
60070

Website

http://www.BACKBONESONLINE.org/

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