Wheelchair Dad

Welcome to The Workshop Published on August 10, 2026 When I introduced the new Wheelchair Dad, I talked about this being more than a name change or a new logo. As Jacob gets older, his story becomes increasingly his to tell, and that gives Wheelchair Dad room to evolve too. I’m still a dad. I’m still a husband. I’m still a guy living with cerebral palsy. Those things aren’t separate parts of my life that I can neatly file into different folders. Continue reading Welcome to The Workshop at The...

Wheelchair Dad: A New Chapter Begins Published on August 3, 2026 Jacob turned fourteen a few days ago, and today Wheelchair Daddy officially becomes Wheelchair Dad. I have been sitting on that sentence for a while, which is unusual for me because I normally have no trouble sharing what is on my mind. Anyone who has read this blog for more than five minutes already knows that I am not especially skilled at keeping my opinions neatly stored away. This time, though, I wanted to wait until the...

The ADA Turns 36 and Disability Pride Is Personal Published on July 23, 2026 On July 26, the ADA turns 36, and as we recognize Disability Pride Day during Disability Pride Month, I find myself thinking less about what the Americans with Disabilities Act says on paper and more about what life looked like when it became law. I was 20 years old when the ADA passed in 1990, barely two years out of high school, and trying to figure out adulthood at the same time the country was finally beginning...

The ADA Turns 36 and Disability Pride Is Personal Published on July 23, 2026 On July 26, the ADA turns 36, and as we recognize Disability Pride Day during Disability Pride Month, I find myself thinking less about what the Americans with Disabilities Act says on paper and more about what life looked like when it became law. I was 20 years old when the ADA passed in 1990, barely two years out of high school, and trying to figure out adulthood at the same time the country was finally beginning...

America Is 250 and Disability Rights Are Still the New Kid Published on July 20, 2026 As America celebrates its 250th birthday, I couldn’t help but think about something that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough. America is 250, and disability rights are still the new kid. That probably sounds like an odd comparison for an Independence Day article, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Our country has had two and a half centuries to grow, evolve, make mistakes, learn from...

What My Son Learned Because His Dad Uses a Wheelchair Published on June 8, 2026 Before I became a dad who uses a wheelchair, I worried my disability might become part of my son’s burden. Not because anyone told me that directly, but because disability has a way of making you ask questions other parents may never have to ask. Would I be able to keep up? Would my needs make things harder for him? Would he remember the games, school events, and family outings, or would he remember the ramps, the...

The Disabled Dad Guidebook Nobody Bothered to Write Published on June 4, 2026 Nobody hands you a guidebook when you become a dad, and when you’re a dad with a disability, it can feel like there should have been a special edition called The Disabled Dad Guidebook Nobody Bothered to Write tucked somewhere between the hospital discharge papers, the car seat instructions, and the tiny hat nobody can explain but everyone agrees is adorable. Honestly, even if they did hand me that guidebook, I...

To the Wheelchair Dads Watching Their Kids Reach the Next Big Milestone Published on May 20, 2026 To the wheelchair dads watching their kids reach the next big milestone this season, this one is for you. Today, my son Jacob officially completes middle school. There’s no graduation stage. No cap and gown. No big ceremonial walk while I pretend I’m not emotional behind sunglasses. But make no mistake: this is still a milestone. I’m still trying to figure out how that sentence is real. One...

My Wheelchair Is My Seat: Let Me Stay in It on Planes Published on May 18, 2026 A Simple Idea That Shouldn’t Be Revolutionary My wheelchair is my seat, and I should be allowed to stay in it on planes. It’s a simple idea, but one that still hasn’t caught up with reality. Flying isn’t complicated because of the plane or the air travel itself—it’s everything that happens before takeoff. The transfers, the coordination, the waiting, and the uncertainty turn what should be a routine experience...