This TED talk describes the development of an inexpensive wheelchair that uses bike components and a novel lever system for torque.
http://www.ted.com/talks/amos_winter_the_cheap_all_terrain_wheelchair.html

A professor at UC Irvine named Hans Keirstead gave a recent TEDx talk about his lab's work with stem cells. Their research is paving the way for incredible new treatments for spinal cord injury, ALS, cancer, and more. Clinical trials using their research are underway in a number of these areas. Theirs is the technique behind the first stem cell study for SCI using human patients. The talk isn't that great, but the research is amazing!

This sad but optimistic story appeared in the NYT. A man from Barbados who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy is rarely able to leave his second floor apartment because the building has no elevator.

For anyone with mobility problems this issue will hit close to home. Finding accessible housing is extremely difficult, and difficulty getting in and out of the home can contribute to people with disabilities becoming shut-ins.

For the man in the article there is hope, however. He's finally getting some services and is on the road to citizenship so he can better take part in society. Best of luck to him.

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