Table Of Content“Life on Wheels is a must read for anyone new to our community–it will allow you “Gary Karp juggles the information we need to know with a comprehensive
to learn from the experiences of others who’ve been there and smooth the road guidance and his remarkable sense of humor. This invaluable tool wi l l be used
over and over again and is fil led with exc it ing and impor tant new discoveries!”
toward greater independence.”
– PETER T. WILDEROTTER
– PAUL J . TOBIN, President and CEO of United Spinal Association.
PRESIDENT & CEO, CHRISTOPHER AND DANA REEVE FOUNDATION
” Gary Karp has a unique talent for making even the most mundane details about
access specifications, adaptive equipment and ergonomic design not only seem
interesting, but also entertaining.… A must-have for all wheelchair-users.”
– CANDY B. HARINGTON, author of Barier-Fre Travel, LIFE
There Is Room at the Inn and 101 Accessible Vacations
on
” Whether someone is facing a recent spinal cord injury or still trying to
understand a chronic injury, I would highly recommend this book.”
– JEFFREY S . JOHNS, MD, SCI Program Medical Director,
Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital
WHEELS
”A very informative A-Z road map in regard to not just living but thriving
with a disability.” S E CO N D E D I T I O N
– ELI GELARDIN, Executive Director, Marin Center for Independent Living
The second edition of this unique book offers a road map to navigating the
lifelong, complex, and fascinating road of the disability experience. Life on
Wheels is an invaluable guidebook for those with a mobility disability, offering
practical information on how to:
• adapt your home • explore your sexuality
• choose a wheelchair • and much more!
• take care of your body
This is the one book that everyone using a wheelchair and all those who share Te
their lives with someone in a chair need!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Gary Karp is an internationaly recognized public A TO Z GUIDE
speaker, corporate trainer, author, and editor, and has been inducted into the
Spinal Cord Injury Hall of Fame as a Disability Educator. His work with university
students in physical and occupational therapy is sponsored by the Christopher t o LIVING FULLY with
& Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center.
MOBILITY ISSUES
SE CO N D
386 Park Avenue South, Suite 301 E D I T I O N
New York, NY 11016
www.demoshealth.com
$24.95 G A RY K A R P
DIST R I B U T E D BY P U B L I S H E R S G R O U P W E S T
K A R P on
LIFE
WHEELS
COVER D E S I G N B Y S T E V E N P I S A N O
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Life on Wheels
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Life on Wheels
The A to Z Guide to Living
Fully with Mobility Issues
Gary Karp
SECOND EDITION
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Visit our web site at www.demosmedpub.com
© 2009 Demos Medical Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. This book is protected by
copyright. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or oth-
erwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Medical information provided by Demos Health, in the absence of a visit with a
health-care professional, must be considered as an educational service only. This book
is not designed to replace a physician’s independent judgment about the appropriate-
ness or risks of a procedure or therapy for a given patient. Our purpose is to provide
you with information that will help you make your own health-care decisions.
The information and opinions provided here are believed to be accurate and sound,
based on the best judgment available to the authors, editors, and publisher, but read-
ers who fail to consult appropriate health authorities assume the risk of any injuries.
The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions. The editors and publisher
welcome any reader to report to the publisher any discrepancies or inaccuracies
noticed.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Karp, Gary, 1955–
Life on wheels : the A to Z guide to living fully with mobility issues / Gary Karp.
— 2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-932603-33-0 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 1-932603-33-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Paraplegia—Popular works. 2. Paraplegics—Care. 3. Wheelchairs.
4. Paralysis—Popular works. I. Title.
[DNLM: 1. Disabled Persons—psychology. 2. Disabled Persons—rehabilitation.
3. Quality of Life. 4. Wheelchairs. WB 320 K18L 2009]
RC406.P3K37 2009
616.8′42—dc22
2008017421
Special discounts on bulk quantities of Demos Medical Publishing books are available
to corporations, professional associations, pharmaceutical companies, health care
organizations, and other qualifying groups. For details, please contact:
Special Sales Department
Demos Medical Publishing
386 Park Avenue South, Suite 301
New York, NY 10016
Phone: 800–532–8663 or 212–683–0072
Fax: 212–683–0118
E-mail:
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To my parents,
Sam and Bette Karp
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Contents
Foreword ix
Preface xi
1. Rehabilitation 1
2. Healthy Disability 53
3. The Experience of Disability 127
4. Wheelchair Selection 181
5. Intimacy, Sex, and Babies 243
6. Spinal Cord Research 297
7. Home Access 341
8. Getting Out There 393
Resources 437
Appendix 449
Index 455
vii
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