Women & SCI/D: Self-Esteem & Body Image

Women with spinal cord injury and disabilities face unique challenges when it comes to building self-esteem and positive body image. Join us for a conversation about adjusting to your new body after injury, embracing your abilities, and feeling confident as a woman with SCI/D.

SPECIAL GUESTS:

CODY UNSER. After becoming paralyzed at 12 years old due to the autoimmune disorder called, Transverse Myelitis, Cody Unser along with her mother Shelley, founded The Cody Unser First Step Foundation. Through her foundation, she established Cody’s Great Scuba Adventure, which uses scuba diving as a therapeutic and psychological tool for people with disabilities.  Cody received her undergraduate degree at University of Redlands in CA where she created her own degree called Biopolitics: The Interconnection Between Biology and Political Action in Human Health.  She received her masters in Public Health with an emphasis in Health Policy at George Washington University and currently writes as a patient advocate for US News and World Report.  She is passionate about the health care of women with disabilities.

REVECA TORRES. Reveca was paralyzed in a car accident as a teenager. After completing degrees in Fashion Design and Theatre Arts, Reveca worked as a costume designer and simultaneously with organizations doing disability work in health, advocacy, recreation, and peer support. She started BACKBONES after realizing that years of interaction and friendship with others living with spinal injuries (SCI) made a significant impact in her own life. Reveca wanted to ensure that others, especially those newly injured, had access to resources, information, and the same type of support she has had.

Women & SCI/D Health Talks is a community lead program aimed to provide women with SCI/D information about health and community and space to discuss topics such as sexuality, women’s health, and relationships.