My experience as Hospital Service Director taught me, among other things, that when one of our members needed admission to a hospital, problems could, and most likely would, arise. The problems were often mundane in nature, but needed immediate attention before any treatment could begin.
In these days of nursing shortages both in the VA […]

In past articles, I talked about some of our new initiatives as well as the need for communication. Certainly, Orbit is the easiest way for us to communicate with our members. Another good communication tool is our Web site, which is not only a good source of current news and information, but also contains publications […]

by Lori A. Wood

Wendy Crawford creates a site for women in wheelchairs to trade secrets.
Whoever it was that first uttered the phrase, “Beauty is only skin deep,” never met Wendy Crawford. While her external beauty is obvious, she possesses a far more enviable attribute—inner strength. It seems to radiate from within her, a manifestation […]

by Wendy Crawford
When I was 19 years old, I sustained a spinal cord injury (SCI) as a result of an automobile accident. As a young woman with this new life before me, I had a myriad of questions for my doctors. The first was not the one usually asked by the Hollywood stereotype of […]

by Jennifer DePaul and John Rooney
As you probably know, an important part of our advocacy work is to provide training for architects and building code officials. By providing training on the accessibility requirements in state building codes and federal civil rights legislation (i.e. the Americans with Disabilities and Fair Housing Amendments Acts), we are able […]

by Carol Hubbard
As many states face serious fiscal times in today’s economic climate, they are seeking ways to reduce spending on major social programs. One of the biggest sources of state expenditure is on public health care programs, and specifically on Medicaid. Though better known as a public assistance program for millions of low- […]

by John M. Williams
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that more than 1.1 million jobs have been created in the last 10 months. Most of these jobs have been created in the service sector and are low-paying.
The July 6 issue of The Washington Post reported that there are fewer federal employees with disabilities […]

by Michelle Pierre, MA, RD
Note: This article features a VA Cooperative Study entitled, “Anabolic Steroid Therapy on Pressure Ulcer Healing in Persons with Spinal Cord Injury.” This work is being supported by the Spinal Cord Damage Research Center (SCDRC) at the Bronx Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC).
The mission of the VA Cooperative […]

by Donna Fredericksen
United Spinal Association took an innovative approach to fund-raising for its Wounded Warrior Project by hosting a gala prior to the August 5 performance of the Aquila Theatre Company’s production of The Man Who Would Be King, an off-Broadway adaptation of the 1888 Rudyard Kipling classic, at the Baruch Performing Arts Center […]

by Donna Fredericksen
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Oklahoma City Memorial Room was filled to capacity on July 15, 2004. Representatives from numerous federal agencies and their divisions of civil rights were there to celebrate the 14th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with a special program entitled Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. The […]

by Lori A. Wood
This month, television audiences will hold their collective breath as their favorite Olympic hopefuls strive to fulfill their lifelong d reams at the 2004 games in Athens, Greece. Every two years, the Olympics provide a chance to experience, albeit vicariously, the thrill of struggling toward victory. Through athletes’ eyes, we […]