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We had the opportunity recently to meet with some of the principals from Home Box Office (HBO) and ConEdison Solutions and tell them about our organization and our programs. I’m happy to report that both these organizations seemed very impressed with the work we do and expressed an interest in assisting us, particularly in our efforts to help veterans who are newly injured returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.
Needless to say, it’s very gratifying to see that these organizations care about our veterans and are willing to join with us in our quest to help them. Getting the health care [...]
by Donna Fredericksen
Here in the presence of Washington and Lincoln, one the eighteenth-century father and the other the nineteenth-century preserver of our Nation, we honor those twentieth century Americans who took up the struggle during the Second World War and made the sacrifices to perpetuate the fight our forefathers entrusted to us, a Nation conceived in liberty and justice.-Words engraved on the entrance to the National WW II Memorial.
The Memorial
Nestled between the Washington Monument (dedicated in 1884) and the Lincoln Memorial (dedicated in 1922), stands the magnificent tribute to the Greatest Generation-the National World War II Memorial.
The granite and [...]
by Mary Kate Carew
United Spinal Association and U Can Play 2 hosted an adaptive sports clinic for the benefit of New York City students with disabilities at the 168th Street Armory on Wednesday, May 12. Schools Chancellor Joel Klein was in attendance. This program was held in conjunction with the Department of Education’s Office of Adaptive Physical Education. Approximately 60 students with physical disabilities in grades 3, 4 and 5 participated in the clinic.
“The men and women from the United Spinal Association, recruited by Paul Tobin and Victor Calise to work as coaches, did a wonderful job with our New York [...]
by John M. Williams
Presenting a technology that allows you to read a book or have it read to you-or both at the same time! Is this the future of reading?
I love reading. I relish the intimacy of holding a book in my hands, relaxing in a chair and having the written word transport me to another time, another place and to experience the excitement of being part of someone else’s life.
When I travel, I take a book with me, but with the size of books today, a 300-page book is cumbersome to carry and adds weight to my luggage. [...]
by Jessica B. Mayer
Too often people with disabilities are left out of the workplace or are not expected to hold meaningful jobs. This attitude presents an enormous challenge for people with disabilities who are just starting out. How do you get a job when you have never had one? It is the proverbial “Catch 22.” Many people with disabilities have never written a résumé or gone on a job interview; they are not aware of how to dress and conduct themselves at an interview. For the last two years, a few colleagues and I have worked with a group of [...]
by Dan Anderson
The Senate and House versions of a major bill that will affect accessible transit for years need a lot of work to be reconciled. United Spinal members can make a difference in getting the best bill out of conference.
The United States Congress has a unique opportunity to greatly improve transportation for Americans with disabilities. Congress is currently creating legislation to “reauthorize” the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), a law that provides federal funding for public transportation and highway programs. What this means is Congress is working on a bill that will provide anywhere from $250 [...]
by Marlene L. Perkins
We have all heard the saying, “knowledge is power.” This simple statement is the cornerstone of what it takes to become an effective advocate. In order to truly make an impact and a positive difference, it is important to have a basic knowledge of the laws and policies that directly affect the change you are striving to achieve.
For over 50 years, United Spinal Association has been a leader in the area of advocacy outreach and education. From our work with national and regional disability rights organizations to our numerous publications and brochures, as well as our training [...]
Our newest pamphlet, Taking Action, may be the most useful publication United Spinal has ever produced. Its subtitle offers a specific explanation behind this opinion: A Step by Step, Self-Help Guide to Becoming a Self-Advocate & Making A Difference.
Some of the self-advocacy tenets described in Taking Action are its basic steps, its do’s and don’ts, major applicable disability laws, and typical inaccessibility scenarios. To further help the reader toward becoming a self-advocate who can make a significant difference in his/her community, this booklet provides sample letters for common disability discrimination situations, ideas on what to do when nothing happens, and information [...]
Investigators at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis have designed a new triple combination strategy that opens up new possibilities in the search for successful treatments for spinal cord injury (SCI). Damien D. Pearse, PhD, working with Mary Bartlett Bunge, PhD, and colleagues, tested their new strategy and found the treated animals improved up to 70% of normal walking function. The new treatment combines Schwann cell grafts with the administration of rolipram and a form of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) drugs that influence axon growth.
Previous studies pioneered at The Miami Project have shown that Schwann cell transplants by themselves support regeneration [...]
by Mary Kate Carew
The 4th Annual Jana Hunsaker Memorial Wheelchair Tennis Tournament took place at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park from Thursday, May 13, through Sunday, May 16. The tournament was sponsored by the USTA in conjunction with United Spinal Association, International Tennis Federation (ITF), and the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour. The tournament had men’s, women’s, quadriplegics’, juniors’ and masters’ divisions. A total of $7,500 in prize money was awarded.
Fifty-two athletes competed in the four-day tournament from the Eastern United States, Canada, and Europe, including ten members of the [...]
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