Facing Disability
FacingDisability.com, a 501(c)(3) non-profit run by The Hill Foundation, provides free video-based peer support and medical information for families and individuals coping with spinal cord injury and paralysis.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Facing Disability does
Facing Disability (FacingDisability.com) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit informational and peer-support platform that serves families and individuals suddenly coping with paralysis following spinal cord injury. Founded in 2011 and operated by The Hill Foundation for Families Living with Disabilities (established by Robert Hill and Thea Flaum), the Chicago-based organization connects newly affected users with more than 100 people living with paraplegia or quadriplegia via video interviews, while also providing expert medical content from top US rehabilitation hospitals.
The platform is built around a video-first content repository combined with a curated resource database of more than 600 paralysis-related internet links, an animated SCI levels educational chart, a blog, and a private Facebook community. Notable technical infrastructure includes integration with YouTube and Ooyala for video hosting, reCAPTCHA for spam protection, and Facebook social plugins; the site does not maintain a native mobile app. The user experience is entirely free and self-serve, with discovery driven by organic search, healthcare provider referrals, and word-of-mouth within the SCI community, supplemented by regular conference presentations at ASCIP, ASIA, ACRM, and other national SCI forums.
The organization has no commercial revenue; it is funded exclusively by The Hill Foundation under a single-funder non-profit model with 1-10 employees, co-founders Robert Hill and Thea Flaum, and a content-partnership model with premier clinical institutions including Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Shepherd Center, Craig Hospital, Harvard Spaulding, and Mayo Clinic, plus NIH MSKTC committee participation. Distribution is direct-to-consumer and global in web reach but operationally concentrated in the United States.
Facing Disability firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Facing Disability
- Legal name
- The Hill Foundation for Families Living with Disabilities
- Website
- https://facingdisability.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- FacingDisability.com, a 501(c)(3) non-profit run by The Hill Foundation, provides free video-based peer support and medical information for families and individuals coping with spinal cord injury and paralysis.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Facing Disability industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Patient Education and Peer Support
- NAICS
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Individual and Family Services (6241)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)
Keywords
Where Facing Disability is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Facing Disability business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Non-profit Funding: Funded by The Hill Foundation, a 501(c)(3) private operating foundation established by Robert Hill and Thea Flaum. No revenue generation from users - free service for families facing spinal cord injuries.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Facing Disability product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Facing Disability operates a free, web-based informational and peer-support platform for families and individuals facing paralysis following a spinal cord injury. The platform centers on a library of video interviews with medical experts from top rehabilitation hospitals and personal experience videos from 100+ people living with SCI, complemented by an animated SCI levels chart, a curated database of 600+ paralysis resources, a podcast, and a private online peer-support community.
Product overview
FacingDisability.com is a unified informational and support website for families facing spinal cord injuries. The platform centers on a comprehensive video library featuring Medical Expert Interviews with specialists from major institutions (Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Craig Hospital, Shepherd Center, and others), Personal Experience Video Interviews with over 100 individuals living with paraplegia and quadriplegia and their families, and the "Voices of Experience" video series. The site also offers the "I Was a Wheelchair Kid" podcast series, an animated SCI levels chart, a curated database of over 600 paralysis resources, a private Facebook community group, an educational blog, and dedicated sections on bedsore prevention and understanding spinal cord injury. The platform does not provide medical advice but connects users with peer experiences and expert medical information.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- I Was a Wheelchair Kid Podcast: Podcast series sharing stories of people who grew up with disabilities
Products and services
- FacingDisability.com Platform The main informational and peer-support website that connects families dealing with paralysis after spinal cord injury to people who have experienced it, providing video interviews, expert medical content, resources, and community support at no cost.
- Medical Expert Video Interviews A library of video interviews with top medical specialists from major rehabilitation institutions covering essential information on paralysis and spinal cord injury for families and healthcare providers.
- Personal Experience Video Interviews Video interviews with over 100 people living with paraplegia and quadriplegia and their family members covering topics from hospitalization and rehabilitation through employment, education, and daily life.
- "Voices of Experience" Video Series A video series featuring real people sharing their lived experiences with spinal cord injury, complementing the existing expert and personal interview libraries.
- "I Was a Wheelchair Kid" Podcast Series A podcast series sharing stories and experiences of people who grew up with spinal cord injuries and disabilities.
- Paralysis Resources Database A curated database of more than 600 Internet resources on paralysis and spinal cord injury, organized into categories including Family and Caregiver Support, Sex and Fertility Information, and a Quick Start Guide.
- Animated SCI Levels Chart An interactive educational tool showing how different levels of spinal cord injury (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral) affect loss of function and control through mouse-over interactions.
- Private Facebook Peer-Support Community A private online community where families and individuals facing spinal cord injuries can connect, share experiences, and provide peer support to one another.
- Facing Disability Blog A blog providing articles on emerging SCI research, practical living tips, adaptive sports, technology advances, and personal stories for families affected by spinal cord injury.
- Bedsores and Pressure Ulcers Resource Center A focused educational resource center covering prevention, treatment, daily skin inspections, wheelchair selection, and signs and symptoms of pressure ulcers for people with SCI.
- Understanding Spinal Cord Injury Educational Section An educational content section explaining spinal cord injury basics, levels of injury, the ASIA Impairment Scale, care and treatment, pediatric SCI, facts and figures, and rehabilitation information.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100 personal video interviews featuring people living with paraplegia and quadriplegia
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Facing Disability
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Facing Disability technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature3 records
Facing Disability partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (Chicago)coreTop rehabilitation hospital providing expert medical interviews and clinical guidance for FacingDisability content. One of the premier spinal cord injury treatment centers in the US.
- Shepherd Center (Atlanta)coreLeading rehabilitation hospital for brain and spinal cord injury providing expert interview content on the platform.
- Craig Hospital (Denver)coreRenowned spinal cord injury rehabilitation hospital contributing expert medical interviews to the platform.
- Harvard Spaulding Medical Center (Boston)coreHarvard-affiliated rehabilitation hospital providing expert medical content and guidance.
- Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN)coreWorld-renowned medical institution providing expert medical interview content on spinal cord injury.
- Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC)coreNational institute-funded center. FacingDisability staff serve on MSKTC committees, ensuring content aligns with evidence-based SCI knowledge translation.
- Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals (ASCIP)minorProfessional organization for SCI practitioners. FacingDisability regularly presents at national meetings.
- American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA)minorProfessional association for SCI research and care. FacingDisability presents at annual national meetings.
- American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM)minorProfessional rehabilitation medicine organization. FacingDisability presents at annual conference.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Facing Disability competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Paralyzed Veterans of America: Non-profit service organization for veterans with SCI/D, providing resources, peer mentoring, and advocacy. Direct peer in SCI peer-support and resource curation, with a more mission-specific veteran focus.
- Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation: The largest US non-profit focused on spinal cord injury, funding research and providing resources and peer support for people living with paralysis. Highly comparable mission, target audience, and free resource model, though at significantly larger scale.
- United Spinal Association: National non-profit serving people with spinal cord injuries and disorders, providing peer support, advocacy, and resource directories. Directly comparable peer-support and resource navigation focus for the SCI community.
Others
- Craig Hospital Foundation: Renowned SCI rehabilitation hospital and its foundation. Partner and content contributor to FacingDisability rather than a direct competitor, but operates a comparable patient education and resource mission at the institutional level.
- Shepherd Center: Top-ranked SCI and brain injury rehabilitation hospital in Atlanta. Strategic content partner to FacingDisability, but operates its own patient education and resources as part of clinical care delivery.
- American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA): Professional medical association for SCI physicians and researchers. Not a direct competitor but a stakeholder ecosystem partner — FacingDisability presents at ASIA meetings and ASIA content overlaps with the platform's expert medical material.
- Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals (ASCIP): Interdisciplinary professional organization for SCI clinicians. Functions as an ecosystem partner and conference venue; FacingDisability presents at ASCIP, but the organizations serve fundamentally different audiences (patients vs. clinicians).
Broad incumbents
- Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC): NIH-funded center that translates SCI, TBI, and burn injury research into consumer-friendly information. FacingDisability staff sit on MSKTC committees and the two organizations share content overlap, making MSKTC a direct institutional peer in SCI knowledge translation.
Regional players
- Spinal Cord Injury Network (Australia): Australian peer-support and resource network for people with SCI. Operates the same peer-support and resource-curation model as FacingDisability but serves Australian users rather than US families.
Emerging players
- Backbone of Hope Foundation: Smaller non-profit providing peer mentoring and resources for people with SCI. Comparable mission and peer-led support model, but with smaller scale and a narrower resource base than FacingDisability.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Facing Disability social profiles
Digital presenceFacing Disability financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Facing Disability leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Facing Disability funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Facing Disability M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Facing Disability
What does Facing Disability do?
Facing Disability operates a free, web-based informational and peer-support platform for families and individuals facing paralysis following a spinal cord injury. The platform centers on a library of video interviews with medical experts from top rehabilitation hospitals and personal experience videos from 100+ people living with SCI, complemented by an animated SCI levels chart, a curated database of 600+ paralysis resources, a podcast, and a private online peer-support community.
Is Facing Disability a public or private company?
Facing Disability is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Facing Disability founded?
Facing Disability was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Facing Disability based?
Facing Disability is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Facing Disability make money?
One revenue line is on record: non-profit Funding.
Who are Facing Disability's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Paralyzed Veterans of America, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and United Spinal Association. Others are Craig Hospital Foundation, Shepherd Center, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) and Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals (ASCIP). Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC) is listed as a broad incumbent. Spinal Cord Injury Network (Australia) is listed as a regional player. Backbone of Hope Foundation is listed as an emerging player.
Does Facing Disability have an API?
No public API is recorded for Facing Disability.
What industry is Facing Disability in?
Facing Disability's product category is Patient Education and Peer Support. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAM, Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech), with a secondary code of BPAGAEAG, Disability Services & Independent Living Support. Its NAICS code is 62412 and its SIC code is 8300.