PUBLISHED FRIDAY, MAY. 15, 2009

It is easy to imagine Sara Granda in a courtroom, questioning witnesses, challenging the opposition, fighting for justice with the force of her big personality.

A ventilator, which she needs to breathe, would hang from the back of her wheelchair. An assistant would help her flip through files, since she cannot move her hands or arms. When she approaches the bench, she would maneuver her chair u...