Raccoons Have Hands.

The Roll Up

Author

Sarah Elliott
July 08, 2025

Well hey there folks,

Let’s just name it—the flooding in Texas is horrific. And while world events seem to be coming at us nonstop, this one has me thinking (again) about how extreme weather is no longer “rare”—it’s regular. And what that means for our future, our kids’ future, and everyone in between.

I was talking with my therapist (because yes, of course I go to therapy) about this growing sense of collective environmental trauma. Not exactly uplifting, but there it is. And like most things, it impacts some folks more than others—especially people with disabilities and communities of color. Shocking, I know. And of course, this is on top of last week’s bill that will gut key supports – threatening Medicaid and slashing benefits that directly help disabled people and low-income families access care and stay afloat.

In times like these, it’s hard to “find your shiny.” If you haven’t heard about glimmers, it is the mental health term for tiny moments of joy or calm. Sometimes even looking for glimmers can feel like a full-time job. Anyone else feel like that raccoon in the meme stuck between two tree trunks—one labeled “staying informed about the world-wide dumpster fire” and the other “protecting my mental health”? His poor little hands holding up both tree trunks. And yes, raccoons do have hands—don’t come for me. Dogs also have arms, but we don’t have time for that today.

Forgive the personal musings, but over the holiday weekend, I may or may not have yelled at my husband while prepping the yard for a cookout during a holiday weekend that doesn’t exactly feel like a celebration that this—this work, this app, this community—is my own small way of trying to make a dent. That and figuring out how to raise a kind, aware five-year-old without giving him an existential crisis by kindergarten. Just me?

Anyway. Back to glimmers. What are yours lately? Mine are diving into the lake, watching my garden bloom, being outside, watching the season evolve, and waging war with squirrels and “chipchunks” (a very apt term, courtesy of said five-year-old) over birdseed. I’m in my 40s so obviously I feed birds now. I open the Merlin app every morning. I even bought a slinky to squirrel-proof the feeder. Want to dive deep? Let me know.

It’s Disability Pride Month, and in the spirit of reflection, I’ll leave you with the same quote we shared on our socials from Judith Heumann:
“Change never happens at the pace we think it should. It happens over years of people joining together, strategizing, sharing, and pulling all the levers they possibly can. Gradually, excruciatingly slowly, things start to happen, and then suddenly, seemingly out of the blue, something will tip.”

Here’s to building something that helps tip it—together.

As always, thank you for the support.

~Sarah

⚒️ Roll’s Nuggets ⛏️ 

Updates on the App

Update #1: Not really an update, but more of a “Did You Know?” This is more of an off-label use (can you tell some of us work in healthcare?) of the app, but one that feels relevant considering the flooding in TX, NC, and the 1st named storm of the season — reviews can be modified to include up-to-date info on places like community centers, and places providing aid and shelter. So if things go south, and well, given that they are likely to go south, you can help others by updating and leaving real-time information for others. Mutual aid and community the way it is intended.

Update #2: Um, Standby. The baboons are hard at work on the sensory features. Quick, insert a photo of a cute baboon so they don’t notice we didn’t have a ton of updates on the sensory features yet.

We’d love to hear from you! Did we miss the mark, or do you have an idea to make it better? Reach out at [email protected].

👩‍🦽 Crip News You Can Use 👨‍🦼 

Accessi-stories From Around the World

A voice prosthesis that works in real time? Tell me less. Or actually—tell me more. For those affected by ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), losing the ability to speak is a deeply feared and at times, inevitable reality. But this implantable device is offering new hope. This new tech doesn’t just aim to restore speech—it does so at a pace that mirrors natural conversation, thanks to a brain-computer interface that processes at near-real-time speed. While the output is still computer-generated, the robotic monotone of yesterday is on the decline and has even shown the ability for the wearer/user to sing a melody. This machine-learning-powered implant (go ahead, try saying that five times fast) marks a major leap in accessibility. And it’s not just for ALS: trials are already underway to explore its use for people recovering from strokes and other neurodegenerative conditions. Anyone else wondering what Stephen Hawking might have said about this AI x ALS upgrade?

In more cyborg related news, Wandercraft continues on in its mission to restore mobility to those with mobility challenges. Their promise of using AI-powered self-balancing systems and exoskeletons continues as they receive $75 million dollars in a Series D round of funding. They state that this round of funding will go toward their next phase of growth: bringing Eve, the world’s first self-balancing personal exoskeleton, to market as early as 2026; expanding clinical adoption of its flagship rehabilitation system, Atalante X; and developing and deploying Calvin-40, its humanoid robot. I want to be excited by this, I am, but it's giving Star Wars. I think maybe I shouldn’t have just finished the whole Andor series in two weeks before reading and writing about this. Remember the droids before Cass reprogrammed K2? 😬 

😄 Wheel-y Good News 😁 

Good Folks Doin’ Good Thangs

Detroit rock city. Motor City. Birthplace of Motown. City of Trees. Home of Eminem. Well, lose yourself in THIS story because you will want to be ‘Dancing in the Streets’ to hear about Dan Mancina, professional skateboarder, who created the first adaptive skate park. He has been skating since age 7, and when he turned 13 he was diagnosed with rhinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease that rendered him almost completely blind by 22. Mancina didn’t want to stop skateboarding, but after taking a few years off he came roaring back and now at 38 and having recently competed at the Paris Olympics, he built “The Ranch,” a 5,000-square-foot skatepark that is completely accessible. Mancina maintains that it is “built for the blind, by the blind.” But he’s not stopping there. He is hosting workshops, advocating for adding skateboarding to the Paralympics, and hopes to use the adaptations he has designed to help incorporate into future public use parks. Wheel on over to his website and check it out, or take Anthony S. Ferraro’s word for it, who reviews and documents his experiences in accessible environments to an audience of 1.4 million on TikTok. Hey Anthony, what’s good? Do you use Roll yet?

Photo by shawn henry on Unsplash

Do you have a story you want to share? We want to know about it. Seriously. Send your story to [email protected]

⚖️ Policy & Prejudice 🤫 

Keeping the ol’ checks & balances in check

Remember that shiny new “Wheelchair Rule” the U.S. Department of Transportation finalized last year—the one that promised airlines would finally treat mobility devices (and the people who use them) with some basic human decency? Yeah… about that. The DOT just announced it won’t actually enforce those rules until August 2025. Because apparently, giving airlines nearly two years to train staff not to destroy someone’s $30K wheelchair wasn’t generous enough. So once again, disability rights are technically on the books—but don’t expect them to show up at the gate anytime soon. 👩‍🦽✈️ 

Want to make some noise? Contact the DOT here and remind them disability rights shouldn’t be treated like lost luggage.

If you’ve heard a policy related story that you are passionate about and wants us to feature, shoot us a line at [email protected]

🔥 Roll Mobility WeFunder 🔥

We are so grateful for the support of our ever-growing community. And while it’s a big “ask”, if you want and are able to do so, you have the opportunity to invest in our own community. WeFunder allows individuals to gain equity in small startups for as little as $100.00 USD. So, what are you waiting for? Invest today or share this opportunity with your own community.

The Legal Bit – We are 'testing the waters' to gauge investor interest in an offering under Regulation Crowdfunding. No money or other consideration is being solicited. If sent, it will not be accepted. No offer to buy securities will be accepted. No part of the purchase price will be received until a Form C is filed and only through Wefunder’s platform. Any indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind.

📣 Say What? 📢 

Thanks for earnest and funny review ForrestCarney - they get it. 😁 

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