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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 and civilian sectors, the probability of problems arising is even greater, which is why it becomes crucial to know your rights and responsibilities as a patient right from the start. In addition to requesting a patient handbook, patients need to find out who their patient representative is. [...]
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 on accessibility and the law, spinal cord injury care, and various other topics.
As a regional organization, we held face-to-face membership meetings in our region on a regular basis. With our changed status to a national organization with an expanding membership, this year we attempted to hold [...]
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 of the kind of fortitude that few of us will ever know.
Growing up in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, Wendy was adventurous, excelling in long- distance running and equestrian events. Her first love, though, was swimming. “I spent most of my time in the water,” Wendy explains. [...]
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 a person who is newly injured: “Will I walk again?” My first question was, “Will I still be able to become pregnant and carry a child?” Fortunately, the answer was “yes,” but that was the last I heard about pregnancy with regard to SCI for many years. [...]
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 to ensure that our members and all people with disabilities have access to the built environment.
Over the years we have provided training in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Since January 2004, when Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association became United Spinal Association, the Advocacy p rogram has [...]
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- income people, Medicaid is also a vital source of health care coverage for millions of people with disabilities.
Currently, federal and state governments fund Medicaid jointly. Through the Federal Matching Assistance Program (FMAP), states receive federal matching funds depending on their population size and per capita income. [...]
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 today than there were in 1994. The story stated that, “the number of federal employees with severe disabilities has declined by nearly 20% over the last decade.” The number of federal employees with disabilities is 25,531 compared to 31,680 in 1994. This decline does not bode well [...]
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 Studies Program is to improve the health and care of veterans through collaborative research studies that produce innovative and effective solutions to national health care problems. As part of this program, Dr. William A. Bauman, Director of the SCDRC, initiated a research proposal to determine the effect [...]
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 program also included the presentation of the Universal Accessible Transportation Award by Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta.
A long metal ramp provided access to the dais lined with speakers and honore e s including Secretary Mineta, Michael Winter, Director of the Office of Civil Rights, Federal [...]
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