NEW YORK, May 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- United Spinal
Association today announced it has acquired AbleThrive to ensure
people with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D) have greater
access to resources and support.
In the coming months, United Spinal and AbleThrive will combine
their life-enhancing resources, information, and technology onto
United Spinal's website, creating an extensive online support
network for wheelchair users and other individuals with mobility
disabilities.
This will further enhance outreach to United Spinal's growing
membership community that includes individuals with SCI/D, their
family members, friends, and healthcare providers.
"As we emerge from this pandemic, it's vital that people living
with SCI/D get the very best support to pursue greater
independence. Bringing AbleThrive's resources under United Spinal
will allow us to help more people overcome the hurdles of living
with disability," said Abby Ross,
United Spinal's Chief Operating Officer.
Since its founding in 2014, AbleThrive's mission has been to
leverage technology to connect people with SCI/D and their families
to disability-specific support resources that were readily
accessible online, but difficult to find and navigate.
"We saw great potential in curating and organizing relevant
content on our website so that people didn't have to spend hours
scouring the internet on their own," said Brittany Déjean, Founder
and CEO of AbleThrive.
Since its launch, AbleThrive has sourced articles and videos
from its partner network of more than 250 organizations, bloggers,
hospitals and companies and organized over 1,500 articles on its
website by category and level of mobility.
"I'm proud of what we have achieved over the last 7 years with
the support of our team and community, and as AbleThrive becomes a
part of United Spinal's robust resources and services, I'm excited
to see how everything we built can have an even greater impact,"
added Déjean.
AbleThrive has been shared as a tool in 15 spinal cord injury
rehab centers in 4 countries and was featured in the 2017 AT&T
documentary "Resolution: Innovative Thinking About Disability" and
in Forbes and NPR.
It was also selected as a part of the prestigious Echoing Green
Fellowship and Global Good Fund Fellowship and received a community
service award at the South by Southwest Conference.
About United Spinal Association
Formed in 1946 by
paralyzed veterans, United Spinal is a national 501(c)(3)
nonprofit membership organization dedicated to empowering people
with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D), including
veterans, to live successful and fulfilling lives. Membership is
free and open to all individuals with SCI/D, with over 53,000
members across 50 chapters nationwide. Known for its revolutionary
advocacy efforts, United Spinal played a significant role in
writing the Americans with Disabilities Act, provided important
contributions to the Fair Housing Amendments Act and the Air
Carrier Access Act, and was instrumental in attaining sidewalk curb
ramps and accessible public transportation in New York City, which
created the standard accessibility model used in many United States
cities.
About AbleThrive
Founded in 2014, AbleThrive is an
online platform that connects people with spinal cord injuries and
disorders and their families to curated and customized resources
covering a variety of topics, including life skills, parenting,
relationships, activities, and travel. Beyond sharing resources,
AbleThrive also fostered a global online community of individuals
who believe in living life to the fullest and changing how the
world sees disability.
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SOURCE United Spinal Association