Day in the Life series features wheelchair users who are breaking the mold

New Mobility, United Spinal's membership publication, Day in the Life series showcases wheelchair users with unique jobs. In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we're sharing a few of our favorites.

Maria Serrao: Female TV sports broadcaster

Maria Serrao sits front-row at some of sport's biggest events. As the only female TV sports broadcaster in the country who uses a wheelchair, she's covered Super Bowls, World Series, Stanley Cup Finals and more. "There are so many moments that you just kind of pinch yourself and say, 'Wow, I can't believe I was there,'" she says. ⁣⁣

"I get quite a few emails from journalism students with disabilities wanting to break into the industry and looking for advice. I tell them I had so many TV stations turn me down and refuse to give me an opportunity because they were nervous about hiring someone with a disability."

"The interesting part is, none of the athletes I interview or the teams I work with care that I'm in a wheelchair: They treat me just like any other reporter. I tell these students, do not let people tell you no - it can be done. Just keep going."⁣

Read Maria's Story

Dr. Jeff Heinz: Orthodontist

Dr. Jeff Heinz says he needs only one word to describe his life: grateful. Gratitude was the theme of a speech he gave recently at a prestigious orthodontic conference, where he talked about becoming a T9 paraplegic in a motorcross accident while in dental school in 2011, and how it didn't stop him from becoming the only orthodontist in the world to use a wheelchair.

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He returned to dental school only months after inpatient rehabilitation. "It was really hard," he says, "but at that point I knew I had only two choices, one of which I could never live with, and another that would be a treacherous road but could ultimately let me regain the 'normal' that I longed for so badly."⁣

Read Jeff's Story

Tyler Turner: Fisherman

Tyler Turner, a T4 para and charter boat captain, who wakes up at 3:30 a.m. to start his workday taking clients fishing on his 50-foot boat off the Oregon Coast. "To get my license as a wheelchair user, the Coast Guard stipulated that I work with a two-man crew. By the time I arrive, [the crew has] already prepped the boat and is ready to help me down the gangway. With the tide constantly changing, the ramp can be flat or super steep," he says.

"Once I get to the cabin, I stand up with my braces and pull myself up to the bridge. My crew stashes my chair below and boards that day's passengers." From the custom carbon-fiber knee-ankle-foot braces he wears, to the panko-breaded dinners he cooks, see how Tyler makes it through his day as a working father and husband.⁣

Read Tyler's Story

Meagan Blau: Interior Designer

Meagan Blau sustained a C8 spinal cord injury right before enrolling at Arizona State University as an environmental science major. But when her postgraduation search for an accessible apartment became a nightmare, her career path took a dramatic turn to interior design.

In 2018, Blau started her interior design business, Blue Copper Design. The company offers three levels of consulting and design - Full Service, Design Only, and Barrier-Free Consulting - so clients can decide how much help they need. "70% of my projects focus on accessibility. We're only as independent as our spaces allow, so I love improving the quality of life of disabled individuals through design," she says.

Read Meagan's Story

Check out New Mobility's groundbreaking content for active wheelchair users. Our Pathways to Employment program supports wheelchair users in pursuing job opportunities. Sign up for our free membership program.