''New Mobility'', launched in 1989, is a United States–based magazine for active

wheelchair A wheelchair is a mobilized form of chair using two or more wheels, a footrest, and an armrest usually cushioned. It is used when walking is difficult or impossible to do due to illnesses, injury, disabilities, or age-related health conditio ...

users. This monthly publication covers

health Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...

disability rights The disability rights movement is a global social movement that seeks to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for all disabled people. It is made up of organizations of disability activists, also known as disability advocates, around ...

adaptive technology Assistive technology (AT) is a term for assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and the elderly. Disabled people often have difficulty performing activities of daily living (ADLs) independently, or even wit ...

and lifestyle topics such as recreation, travel, the arts, relationships, sexuality, parenting, employment and home modification. It also profiles successful wheelchair users, including

John Hockenberry John Charles Hockenberry (born June 4, 1956) is an American journalist and author. He has reported from all over the world, on a wide variety of stories in several mediums for more than three decades. He has written dozens of magazine and newsp ...

Christopher Voelker Christopher Voelker (born February 2, 1961, in Los Angeles, California - Died September 11, 2014) was an American photographer. General information Voelker was a full-time wheelchair user due to a spinal cord injury ( quadriplegia) from a high- ...

Brooke Ellison Brooke Mackenzie Ellison (October 20, 1978 – February 4, 2024) was an American academic, disability advocate, and the first person with quadriplegia to graduate from Harvard University. Life and career Ellison was born in Rockville Centre, Ne ...

Chantal Petitclerc Chantal Petitclerc (born 15 December 1969) is a Canadian wheelchair racer and a Senator from Quebec. Early life At the age of 13, Petitclerc lost the use of both legs in an accident when at a friend's farm, a heavy barn door fell on her, fra ...

and the late

Christopher Reeve Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, activist, director, and author. He amassed Christopher Reeve on stage and screen, several stage and screen credits in his 34-year career, including playin ...

. ''New Mobility'', received an

Utne Independent Press Award ''Utne Reader'' (also known as ''Utne''; , ) is a digital digest that collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment, generally from alternative media sources including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music, and ...

for Lifestyle Coverage in 2006.

History

''New Mobility'' was founded in 1989 in

Boulder In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive. In ...

, Colorado, by Sam Maddox to provide information about life after

spinal cord injury A spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that causes temporary or permanent changes in its function. It is a destructive neurological and pathological state that causes major motor, sensory and autonomic dysfunctions. Symptoms of ...

multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease resulting in damage to myelinthe insulating covers of nerve cellsin the brain and spinal cord. As a demyelinating disease, MS disrupts the nervous system's ability to Action potential, transmit ...

post-polio sequelae Post-polio syndrome (PPS, poliomyelitis sequelae) is a group of latent symptoms of poliomyelitis (polio), occurring in more than 80% of polio infections. The symptoms are caused by the damaging effects of the viral infection on the nervous system ...

and other disabling conditions. Originally titled, ''Spinal Network Extra'', the then-quarterly magazine was a spin-off of the 1987 book ''Spinal Network: The Total Resource for the Wheelchair Community.'' Maddox edited ''New Mobility'' until 1991, when

Barry Corbet Barry Corbet (August 1, 1936 – December 18, 2004) was a Canadian-American mountaineer, film-maker and author. He was a member of the 1963 American Mount Everest West Ridge Expedition, which was the first U.S. Team to climb Mount Everest. Corbet ...

, a

paraplegic Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek () "half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neura ...

from a spinal cord injury, took the helm. The title was changed to ''New Mobility'' for the Summer 1992 issue. In 1993, the magazine temporarily ceased publication. Miramar Publishing (later Miramar Communications) bought the title and relaunched it in 1994. It became bimonthly in 1995 and monthly in 1996. In 1998, No Limits Communications acquired the magazine. In 2000, Corbet retired, and Gilmer, also paraplegic, took over as editor. In 2010,

United Spinal Association United Spinal Association is a nonprofit membership, disability rights and veterans service organization in the United States. It was formed in 1946 as Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association by a group of paralyzed World War II veterans from New ...

bought ''New Mobility'' and continues to publish it monthly. In 2018, Gilmer retired and Ian Ruder took over as editor.

The Niche

Early disability titles tended to reflect what is known as the

medical model of disability The medical model of disability, or medical model, is based in a biomedical perception of disability. This model links a disability diagnosis to an individual's physical body. The model supposes that a disability may reduce the individual's qu ...

, which emphasized the need for cures and referred to people with disabilities as "patients". ''New Mobility'' defined its

social model of disability The social model of disability identifies systemic barriers, derogatory attitudes, and social exclusion (intentional or inadvertent), which make it difficult or impossible for disabled people to attain their valued functionings. The social mod ...

point of view with a lifestyle-oriented approach,

inclusion Inclusion or Include may refer to: Sociology * Social inclusion, action taken to support people of different backgrounds sharing life together. ** Inclusion (disability rights), promotion of people with disabilities sharing various aspects of lif ...

mentality and

people-first language People-first language (PFL), also called person-first language, is a type of linguistic prescription which puts a person before a diagnosis, describing what condition a person "has" rather than asserting what a person "is". It is intended to av ...

. It was also one of the first periodicals to seriously address

sexuality and disability Sexuality and disability is a topic regarding the sexual behavior and practices of people with disabilities. Like the general population, these individuals exhibit a wide range of sexual desires and adopt diverse methods of expressing their se ...

, and its provocative role in this area has been recognized by the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

,'' and subsequently the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

.Sex and the Disabled: Still a Taboo Topic
/ref> The magazine sums up its place in the field of disability journalism with the tagline "Life Beyond Wheels".

References

External links

''New Mobility'' magazine
1989 establishments in Colorado Lifestyle magazines published in the United States Monthly magazines published in the United States Quarterly magazines published in the United States Disability magazines published in the United States Health magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1989 Magazines published in Colorado Mass media in Boulder, Colorado