One common complaint I hear when I visit the spinal cord injury centers is the shortage of nurses, which forces staff to put in long hours, and in some cases, to work double shifts. I know this problem is not confined to the VA. It also occurs in the private sector. The consequences are the […]

If you have not already, you will shortly be receiving a ballot for this year’s election. You will note that you are being asked to elect three Directors for three-year terms each. Please take the time to review the ballot material carefully, paying particular attention to the candidate statements, and to vote for the candidates […]

by Danny Perry
Member bowlers converge on Wilkes-Barre for its Third Annual All-Association Bowling Tournament.
United Spinal Association sponsors several bowling programs throughout the year for its member groups, and each year a number of these groups compete in the Association’s bowling tournament. This year, which marks the fourth year of the tournament, it […]

by Danny Perry
The Nets wheelchair basketball team recapture a conference crown before falling in the Southern Regional tournament.
The Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association Nets, a wheelchair basketball team co-sponsored by New Jersey Nets and United Spinal, saw their roller coaster season conclude with a first round loss in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Southern […]

by Donna Fredericksen
If New York hosts the 2012 Olympics, it will also host the 2012 Paralympics, and United Spinal will play a role in making both a success for people with disabilities.
Queens is the largest of the five boroughs that make up New York City. Stretching 109 square miles, it is the home […]

by Felicia Mosley and Terry Moakley
It’s been a while since the United Spinal Association Jets quad rugby squad, co-sponsored by the Association and the New York Jets professional football franchise, have failed to travel to the United States Quad Rugby Association regional playoffs, but it happened in the recent 2003–2004 season. The Jets played […]

by Dominic Marinelli
As the 2004 major and minor league baseball seasons get under way and members of United Spinal Association attend games in stadiums this spring and summer, they may benefit from the accessibility improvements sports franchises have undertaken to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
While venues like Yankees Stadium have […]

by Terry Moakley
On Friday, March 12, United Spinal was pleased and proud to welcome City Council Member Hiram Monserrate (D-21st District) to our Jackson Heights office. Council Member Monserrate met with Executive Director Jerry Kelly and Associate Executive Director Terry Moakley. Mr. Kelly discussed the organization’s recent name change, emphasizing that we have been […]

by Paul J. Tobin
Statement of United Spinal Association Before the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs Concerning the Capital Asset Realignment of Enhanced Services (CARES) Commission
United Spinal Association, formerly Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association, appreciates this opportunity to express our concerns regarding the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) Commission Report that was released […]

by Terry Moakley and Donna Fredericksen
United Spinal Association recently joined the Disability Rights Council of Greater Washington and individual plaintiffs Russell Holt of Maryland and John Folan of Delaware in a suit against the District of Columbia concerning inaccessible parking meters and discriminatory practices in the handicapped parking placard system used in that city. […]

by John M. Williams
The Eyegaze Communication System expands opportunities for people with high-level quadriplegia.
Imagine this situation.
You have a fertile, active, creative mind that craves to express itself. You have an idea for numerous books, but you can’t use a keyboard. You want to call a family member, but you can’t dial. […]

by Lisa Gesson
If you read my article last month on the written follow-up letter, you might remember that I suggested different letters for dealing with being ignored and receiving a negative response. Those letters should be written differently. After sending a letter, however, there is little difference between being ignored and receiving […]

by Lakshmi Bangalore
Patients with the relapsing-remitting form of multiple sclerosis (MS) can experience symptom-free intervals that sometimes range in the order of years, despite the persistence of demyelinated lesions within their nerve fibers. Such a recovery of function after injury to the brain and spinal cord is called a remission. Remissions can occur […]

by Rochelle Haynes
After several years of lobbying by United Spinal and many other disability groups, the New York State Senate finally seems to be on the path toward passing legislation that would incorporate Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 into New York State Human Rights Law.
Senate Bill […]

by Mary Kate Carew
Christopher Neves is a determined young man who lives in Brooklyn, New York and has been watching the Music Television Network (MTV) show Total Request Live (TRL) for over five years. TRL airs every weekday live for two hours and features the latest music and recording artists. Chris has dreamed about […]

by Nathan Devore

Once upon a time, cruising was for the rich and leisurely vacationer. Today’s cruise vacation opportunities are more plentiful than ever before and more affordable than most people realize. And yet, as affordable as a cruise vacation is, it remains a truly luxurious way to travel.
As cruise vacations have expanded over the […]