I’m proud to report that on February 20, 2004, the James J. Peters Memorial Computer Clinic was officially opened at the Northport VA Medical Center. This computer clinic consists of two rooms with adjoining accessible restroom. Each room is equipped with four Pentium 4 computers and a laser printer. Our organization donated the software and […]

Legislation staff continue a long-standing tradition on Capital Hill under our new name.
On February 24 and 25, United Spinal’s Legislative program staff took their annual trip to Washington, DC, to meet with 34 representatives and senators from across the country on a variety of issues that pertain to our […]

Many, if not most of our Orbit readers, have undoubtedly heard of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, or the ADA. Particularly within media coverage of disability issues, the ADA is discussed and cited much more than any other disability law. However, there are other federal regulations—some […]

Assistant for Special Projects Victor Calise brought his usual, passionate voice to the Edward R. Murrow, Jr. High School in the Midwood section of Brooklyn recently to talk to students with disabilities about participating in adaptive sports. Calise, a member of several United Spinal wheelchair sports teams himself, […]

It was a question asked by Dr. Gerard P. Varlotta, Clinical Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at the NYU’s Rusk Institute, “Is there a New York City (NYC) public school athletic league” for children with disabilities? The doctor had recently returned from volunteering, as a physician at the Paralympics Games in Salt Lake City, and […]

Over two decades, thousands of employers have contacted me wanting information on assistive technology (AT) products and disabilities. A frequently asked question is:
What is a disability?
I refer employers to the definition of disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/pubs/ada.txt). “Disability” means: (A) a physical or mental […]

Public and private sector employers and consumers now have access to the most comprehensive worldwide list of assistive technology (AT) manufacturers ever published.
The book, Assistive Technologies: Creating a Universe of Opportunities for People with Disabilities, lists more than 525 AT manufacturers in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and […]

Something else happened here in New York City on December 17, 2003, the centennial anniversary of Orville and Wilbur Wright’s historic first flight, but as was appropriate, the famed aviation brothers received all the press that day. The “something else” was the grand opening of the new AirTrain at […]

You explained your complaint verbally, either over the phone or in person, using the tips you learned from this column and from other advocates you know. Now you have to follow up, depending on the response you received. Let’s look at the three possible scenarios:
• They said they would take care of your problem.
• They […]

What is your dream destination?
“Alaska’s where I want to go,” you might say, “but can I?”
Yes, you certainly can. Just pick up that phone and call any travel agent specializing in cruises for people with disabilities. You can easily book a cruise to Alaska with shore excursions that […]