quad vs para

Quad, short for quadraplegic refers to the degree of paralysis. It refers to the paralysis of all 4 limbs, arms and legs. Plegia is a suffix for paralysis. The degree that the arms are affected depends on the level of the injury to the spine. For more details, go to http://www.spinal-injury.net/quadriplegia.htm.

A para, or paraplegic refers to someone with who typically has paralysis of the legs, and possibly the torso. For more, go to http://www.spinal-injury.net/paraplegia.htm.

In the world of quads, there can be quite a bit of variety in the abilities. Those with partial arm can live quite independently. These are sometimes referred to informally as super-quads. The exciting thing about discovering your life as a quad is seeing how creative you can be in finding new ways to do things. I'm still finding new ways to do things once impossible. Don't hesitate to take advantage of all the resources out there, occupational therapists, other quads, device catalogs... while the answers may not be exactly what you need, they can start the process of discovery.