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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 a color printer, which serves as a scanner, copier and fax machine.
Special thanks are in order to Mary O’Sullivan, Chief of Voluntary Services, for putting together the necessary paperwork and helping cut the red tape, and to Philip Weisbroat who, as member of the planning 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 membership and to all persons with disabilities. Each visit provided a personalized forum in which specific members of the legislation team could reinforce our new mission and expanded membership in relationship to our issues, while building on our pre-existing reputation [...]
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 which have been around much longer than the ADA, in fact-that have had a tremendous impact on the buildings and facilities that many of us frequent every day. One such law is the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Sure, it doesn’t have a [...]
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, showed the kids a fast-paced video including clips from wheelchair softball, basketball, and tennis. He spent the rest of the time discussing his injury, his lifestyle and his adaptive sports experience.
The Murrow High School has a total of 450 students [...]
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 inspired by the athletes, wanted to bring an overview of adaptive sports to the students of NYC, and he called United Spinal Association to look for an answer.
Victor Calise, Assistant for Special Projects, went looking for an answer and found the Office of Adaptive Physical Education for [...]
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 impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual; B) a record of such an impairment; or C) being regarded as having such an impairment. I remind employers that a disability can either be temporary [...]
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 Asia. Employers looking for information on products benefiting employees who are speech impaired, blind, visually impaired, deaf, hearing impaired, physically challenged, cognitively challenged and mobility challenged will discover it in the book.
Employers will find information on voice recognition systems, text- to-speech products, Braille [...]
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 New York’s Kennedy International Airport. Being a new public transit system, the AirTrain is fully accessible to persons with disabilities as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
AirTrain JFK is an 8.1-mile long light rail system constructed by the Port [...]
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 ignored you.
• They gave you a negative response.
Each of these responses requires a follow-up letter from you.
They would take care of your problem. Let’s say you got a promise from your landlord to let you install a ramp into your building, or your boss agreed [...]
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 are accessible. It’s as simple as that!
Unfortunately, Alaska is an exception, not the rule. Choosing the right destination requires more consideration and planning than just picking a name out of a hat. There are several key elements to be considered: how [...]
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