BACKBONES

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

09/04/2025

✨ What is a Spinal Cord Injury - SCI? An injury to the spinal cord can affect movement, sensation, and daily life—but no two injuries are the same.

Every person’s journey is unique, but one thing we know for sure: awareness builds understanding, and understanding builds inclusion.

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09/03/2025

It’s Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month 💙 This September we want to reach more people with spinal cord injuries, their families, caregivers, friends, health professionals and advocates in our community! We’re on a mission:

👉 Reach 500 NEW followers!
👉 Raise awareness & build community!

Will you help us get there?
1️⃣ Follow us
2️⃣ Tag a friend
3️⃣ Share this post

Let's build and grow our SCI community!

09/02/2025

PeerConnect: My Home is Someone's Workplace
Hiring and Retaining a Home Attendant

Sep 17, 2025, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM CDT- Virtual

This workshop will cover the history of disability justice and its intersection with domestic work, support everything you need to know about hiring a home attendant, and ensuring that this relationship is mutually beneficial. Topics covered will include federal requirements for employing someone in your home, where and how to hire home attendants, tips for retention and communication, and taking action as a group. Learn from our guests at Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network

Register: https://www.backbonesonline.org/events-1/peerconnect-my-home-is-someones-workplace

08/30/2025

🎉 Join us for the **BACKBONES ConnectNight** in the Baltimore/DC area!

Connect. Celebrate. Make an impact.

Enjoy appetizers, drinks, a silent auction & great conversation — all in support of people with spinal cord injuries & disabilities. 💙

🗓️ September 18th at 6p 📍 The City Garage
Tickets: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/backbones/event/connectnightbaltimoredc/

Let’s build community, one connection at a time.

08/20/2025

✈️ Traveling with a disability? Take it from accessibility advocate Fred Maahs Jr. — preparation is key! 💡

Here are Fred’s top tips for accessible air travel:

🔍 Do your research before booking
🧳 Pack smart + plan ahead for equipment needs
💬 Connect with others who’ve been there (peer tips are gold!)
🌍 Use trusted platforms like

Fred has traveled the world — mostly solo — and shares what he's learned over 35+ years. 🙌
📖 Read more of his story + travel advice on the BACKBONES blog:
👉 www.backbonesonline.org

08/18/2025

PeerConnect: Embracing Disability Identity

The power of self-representation and the importance of embracing one’s disability identity. This session will discuss reclaiming personal narratives, challenging societal stereotypes, and celebrating the diversity within the disability community. Attendees will hear from individuals with lived experience, gaining tools to empower themselves and others in shaping their own stories and identities with confidence and pride.

Time: August 20, 2025, 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM CDT
Location (Virtual): Register now at backbonesonline.org (link in bio!)

08/08/2025

SAVE THE DATE 📢
🎉 Join us for the **BACKBONES ConnectNight** in the Baltimore/DC area!
Connect. Celebrate. Make an impact.

Enjoy appetizers, drinks, a silent auction & great conversation — all in support of people with spinal cord injuries & disabilities. 💙

🗓️ September 18th at 6p 📍 The City Garage
This special event marks the launch of our presence in the region, and we’d love for you to be part of it. Let’s build community, one connection at a time.

08/04/2025

"I want to see what happens if I can simply accept myself for who I am: battered, broken, hoping for relief, still enduring somehow. I will still take a cure if it’s presented to me, but I am so tired of trying to bargain with the universe for some kind of cure. The price is simply too high to live chasing cures, because in doing so, I’m missing living my life. I know only that in chasing to achieve the person I once was, I will miss the person I have become.”
― Alice Wong, Disability Visibility

Let’s take a moment to sit with these words. So many of us are taught to fight, fix, or hide the parts of ourselves that don't fit the mold. But what if we gave ourselves permission to stop chasing who we were and honor who we are today?

💬 What have you discovered about yourself when you stopped trying to “go back” and started embracing the now?

🖤 Drop a comment, a word, or even an emoji that reflects how this quote resonates with you.

07/31/2025

Join a conversation between Annie Tulkin founder of Accessible College and Reveca Torres, founder of BACKBONES. Both organizations are dedicated to help youth with disabilities.

Youth with disabilities have unique needs when going to college. Find out some options, resources and ideas! Join us for a LIVE conversation with Annie Tulkin from on August 5th at 11am CST/ 12pm EST

Annie has been a guest speaker for the BACKBONES Youth Program for several years now. Together we will share information about our programs and how we work together to support students with disabilities. DON'T MISS IT!

07/30/2025

Let’s Talk Love ❤️🔥
During our summer Youth Program for teens ages 15–18, we dove into real conversations about love, relationships, and dating after a spinal cord injury.

Our guest speaker, Lohen Morris—a high school health teacher and wheelchair user—led an honest and empowering session on healthy relationships, sexuality, and family planning. Can we date? Can we have kids? What does intimacy look like after injury? We said yes to all of it—and so much more.

✨ Now we want to hear from you! ✨
What has your experience been like dating after a spinal cord injury? Share your thoughts, tips, or stories below. Let’s keep the conversation going.👇

graphic of line art a woman in wheelchair holding hands with a man. Heart drawing between them and a splash of blue color behind them

07/22/2025

Last week's PeerConnect session marked the final event in our three-part series on bladder management and spinal cord injury. We were joined by Gina Powley (MSN,ANP-BC) and Rachel Camejo (OTR/L), who shared practical tips on optimizing bladder and bowel health for individuals with neurogenic bladder. Here are some highlights from their discussion.

Presented by BACKBONES and supported by

Address

P. O. Box 7334
Prospect Heights, IL
60070

Website

http://www.BACKBONESONLINE.org/

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