For many people as convenient as online support groups are, nothing can beat meeting with people in-person. There still are several options available for those who prefer this method of community building after a spinal cord injury. From rehab hospitals to non-profit meet-ups, here is a list of some of the best in-person community and support groups for people with spinal cord injuries.
Best Practices for Participation
- Become a regular participant, if possible. The more you attend, the more you’ll get to know others and expand your social circle of friends.
- Assume that in-person support will help you. You may not find your best friend, but you will be able to relate to those around you and benefit from their understanding.
- Don’t let your nerves get the best of you. It can be scary to throw yourself into new social settings, but the experiences and relationships can be truly life-changing.
- Don’t write-off “adaptive” sport programs. You will be surprised at their variety and how fun, inclusive, physically intense, or competitive you can make them!
Recommended In-Person Community and Support Groups
National Resources
The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation offers a thorough overview of the peer mentoring resources available for spinal cord injuries in each state. They offer a PDF file on each state detailing their disability resources and they have an interactive map WHERE you can find disability resources near you.
As mentioned in online support groups, the Trauma Survivors Network is a community of patients and survivors seeking to connect with one another and offers great virtual support. They also offer in-person peer visitation. This in-person program is for people with recent injuries who are still in the hospital. Since peer visitors know exactly what the newly injured person is going through, they can be a great help.
You can see if a peer visitation is possible for yourself or someone you care about in your location by requesting a visit with a Trauma Survivor Network coordinator (assigned to you after registering for an account).
United Spinal Association Chapters
The United Spinal Association Chapters, the oldest spinal cord injury non profit in the US, has several chapters throughout the country in different states, and many of these chapters offer in-person support groups. You can find the closest one near you by searching their support groups “By State.” Almost every state offers some kind of support group, and they’re located typically in the top 3 largest cities in a state.
A great adaptive sport to check out and to build your community is with power soccer. Anyone, no matter their ability, can play. To find a team that is right for you, there is a map on the United States Power Soccer Association site listing the conference teams, the non-conference teams and the recreational teams available throughout the US.
Join a Wheelchair Basketball Team
Wheelchair basketball is a long standing adaptive sport that, for those who can play, is an absolute game changer when it comes to building a new community after an injury. Not only can you make friends, you get to stay active as well. There are dozens of different teams throughout the country and different divisions.
Join a Wheelchair/Quad Rugby Team
Wheelchair rugby, sometimes known as quad rugby, is known for its social aspects and fast-paced nature. To find a wheelchair rugby team near you, there is a map on the United States Wheelchair Rugby Association site that shows all of the teams across the country. If you have an athletic side, this can be a great opportunity.
Some Local Examples Organized by Region
West
Located in Crested Butte, Colorado, the Adaptive Sports Center is a great place to connect to the greater spinal cord injury community in Colorado and learn an adaptive sport. They offer opportunities to learn winter and summer adaptive sports like sit-skiing, handcycling, rock climbing and rafting, and they put on various social events throughout the year, including camps to bring people together for adventures in the Rocky Mountains.
BORP Adaptive Sports and Recreation
For those in Northern California, the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program helps people learn life skills, make friends and gain confidence through their adaptive sport programs and ongoing events. Their sports, recreation and fitness programs are for children and adults. Some of the sports they offer include kayaking, cycling and fitness classes. They offer adventures and outings as well, such as day trips, hiking and concerts.
Offering 1-2 live-in residential rehabilitation programs aimed at people with new injuries or those who feel they need to become more independent (or never got the rehabilitation they needed), Empower Spinal Cord Injury is a great program and a wonderful opportunity to connect to the greater spinal cord injury community. They offer their programs each summer in either Missoula, Montana, or Stony Brook, New York. Patient scholarships are available.
If you live near Park City, Utah, check out the adaptive sports available at the National Ability Center. They offer adaptive horse riding, sit-skiing, as well as handcycling, adaptive archery, sled hockey, adaptive rock climbing, adaptive mountain biking and more. You can register on their site to sign up for lessons, camps and group sessions.
Triumph Foundation SCI Life Series
For those who live in Southern California, the Triumph Foundation is the go-to nonprofit for finding a spinal cord injury support group near you. Their SCI Life Series Group meets at different rehabilitation hospitals throughout the Southern California area and their support groups typically meet 1-2x a month.
Northeast
For those who live in the New England-area and are interested in learning more about adaptive sports like adaptive swimming, wheelchair basketball, adaptive sailing, Nordic skiing, wheelchair football or wheelchair baseball, check out Adaptive Sports New England. They offer a calendar of events all year for youth, young adults and adults.
Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation offers sport & rec opportunities for people with disabilities to train and take part in adaptive sports and recreation. They offer sports and rec activities such as adaptive skiing, adaptive golfing, wheelchairs racing, wheelchair tennis, paddling and many more.
Northwest
Here and Now Project Support Groups
For those who live in the Pacific Northwest, specifically Washington State, the Here and Now Project offers private support groups and larger annual gatherings to empower the paralysis community in this area. Their meetings vary on a monthly basis and are often held in restaurants, making it a social setting. On their site, they offer a list of upcoming in-person meet-ups on their calendar.
For those who live near Bend, Oregon, an organization to become involved in if you would like to learn an adaptive sport and build your community is Oregon Adaptive Sports. They offer programs, events and private sessions for adaptive mountain biking, off-road handcycling, sit-skiing, hiking and golf. Some of their events throughout the year are 2-3 days stays at hotels, making it a great opportunity to meet others.
Southwest
Arizona Spinal Cord Injury Association Support Groups
In Arizona, there are several spinal cord injury support groups offered by the Arizona Spinal Cord Injury Association throughout the state. They offer support groups for men, women, as well as a Spanish-speaking support group.
Camp with a Ramp is an annual gathering held in Arizona at Whispering Hope Ranch each September. This event invites 80 people with spinal cord injuries, their caregivers and family members to a three-day camp out so they can participate in adaptive outdoor sports like horseback riding, fishing, kayaking, archery, lacrosse and take part in educational discussion groups.
Southeast
Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, Back to Independence Rehab is a spinal cord injury activity based therapy center. They also offer a monthly paralysis peer support group that is welcome to anyone dealing with paralysis. This group meets on the third Thursday of every month from 12-1pm EST.
For those in Florida who want to participate in adaptive sports as well as find an outlet for friendship and activities, Florida Adaptive Sports is a great organization. They can help connect you with programs offering adaptive water skiing, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, adaptive sailing, sled hockey, handcycling, adaptive rowing, adaptive surfing and adaptive kayaking. They also offer active social events like “Sunday Trail Pushing,” bingo and beer nights.
If you live near Atlanta, Georgia, the Shepherd Center is an excellent facility that offers a variety of recreation and adaptive sport opportunities. They sponsor 11 sports for people with physical disabilities and put on adventure skills workshops throughout the year that let people try new adaptive sports from tubing, skiing, fishing, climbing, kayaking to SCUBA.
East
For those in New York City, Citi Bike (partially funded by the NYC Dept. of Transportation) is a program available in the Summer that provides people with disabilities the opportunity to try handcycling with loaner handcycles. A full list of the locations and times of their upcoming handcycle days can be found on their site.
Offering 1-2 live-in residential rehabilitation programs aimed at people with new injuries or those who feel they need to become more independent (or never got the rehabilitation they needed), Empower Spinal Cord Injury is a great program and a wonderful opportunity to connect to the greater spinal cord injury community. They offer their programs each summer in either Missoula, Montana, or Stony Brook, New York. Patient scholarships are available.
Magee Rehabilitation SCI Resource & Support Group
For those in the Philadelphia-area, there are several spinal cord injury in-person support groups offered by Magee Rehabilitation. For adults with spinal cord injuries, they offer their SCI Resource and Support Group which meets on the second Tuesday of every month. They also offer support groups for family members of people with spinal cord injuries and a social group for young adults with spinal cord injuries.
Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Center Transitions Program
For those in New York City, Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Center offers several community reintegration programs, which includes spinal cord injury support groups. Their “Transitions Program” is their spinal cord injury support group, which gives people the opportunity to discuss their injury and the emotional issues that are part of it. This program includes lunch and a guest lecturer. In addition, a SCI peer mentoring program is also offered at Mount Sinai.
Ocean State Center for Independent Living Spinal Cord Injury Support Group
For those who live near Warwick, Rhode Island, a spinal cord injury support group is available at the Ocean State Center for Independent Living. This group meets on the last Thursday of every month in the evening.
South
Jim Thorpe Spinal Cord Injury Survivor Group
For those who live near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the Jim Thorpe Spinal Cord Injury Survivor Group includes individuals of all ages, all levels of injury and the newly injured. Meeting the first Thursday of every month at the INTEGRIS Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Building, this group discusses everything from rehabilitation issues to a participant’s own experience post-injury.
Powered to Ride – Handcycle Program
Created by Powered to Move, a nonprofit located in Allen, Texas, this is a handcycling program that introduces people to the sport, teaches skills and safety. They offer loaner handcycles for those who do not have one of their own and casual group rides for connecting socially and to gain confidence.
Founded by Christopher Salas, a man with quadriplegia who became a peer mentor after his injury, Rolling Inspiration is an in-person spinal cord injury support group located in South Central Texas. Their support group meets twice a month and at two different locations in San Antonio. One support group meets on the second Wednesday of the month, and the other meets the last Saturday of the month.
Midwest
MNSCIA-GUSU Monthly Peer Group
In Minnesota, a monthly spinal cord injury hangout session is put on by the Minnesota Spinal Cord Injury Association called the MNSCIA-GUSU Monthly Peer Group. This group is for people with spinal cord injuries and their caregivers and is held on the first Saturday of every month at the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institution in Golden Valley, Minnesota.
Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan Novi Center Spinal Cord Injury Support Group
For those who live near Novi, Michigan, a weekly spinal cord injury support group is offered by the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan Novi Center. This group meets every Wednesday at 11:30am CST. They also offer a Spinal Cord Injury Roundtable group that meets twice a month at the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan in Detroit.
The Whole Person Getting Social Peer Support Group
Located in Kansas City, Missouri, The Whole Person is an independent living center that offers an in-person support group for people with disabilities called the Getting Social Peer Support Group. The group meets twice a month and is open to people of all abilities, as well as their caregivers, family and friends.
We hope you find this information helpful in your journey. Please check out more informative articles on the SCI Community Resources area in our Resource Center.
Disclaimer: We strive to provide the most relevant resources. You should always check with your healthcare team before changing or adding anything to your recovery. Our resources should never replace recommendations by your doctor.
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