|
|
On October 25, 2004, without much fanfare, President George W. Bush signed the Assistive Technology Act (ATA) of 2004. The legislation sponsored by Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), extended federal programs that help individuals with disabilities access services and assistive technology (AT) devices.
In the language of the ATA, an ATA device is any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
The sponsors had high hopes for its [...]
The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on whether the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to foreign-flagged cruise ships.
In what may turn out to be a landmark interpretation of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), the United States Supreme Court heard arguments on Monday, February 28, 2005, in Spector v. Norwegian Cruise Line Ltd., a five-year-old lawsuit alleging discrimination against persons with disabilities on a cruise ship. At issue is whether the provisions of Title III of the ADA apply to cruise ships sailing under foreign flags, which account for virtually all luxury liners doing business in the U.S. Title III prohibits discrimination [...]
Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, PA, one of 22 Shriners Hospitals nationwide, is a 59-bed pediatric orthopedic hospital providing a complete range of specialized medical, surgical, and rehabilitation services to children (ages 0-21) with spinal cord injury (SCI), orthopedic spine deformities, and upper and lower extremity conditions. Through our expanded patient care programs, including research and education, we have improved the quality of life for families with children who have these conditions.
There is never a charge for any of the care or services provided by Shriners Hospitals for Children. The hospital accepts no money from the federal, state or local [...]
Researchers are beginning to understand the paradox of pain in people with SCI.
A common misconception about people with spinal disabilities is that, because a person lacks sensation in certain areas of his or her body, that person cannot feel physical pain in those places. Unfortunately, this is not true.
“The fact that one loses normal sensation does not mean that one will not have abnormal sensations. Pain after spinal cord and nerve injury is an immensely important medical target and an unmet medical need,” says Dr. Stephen Waxman, director of the Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research at Yale University and [...]
Dan Levine, the assistant coach of the United Spinal Junior Nets, was so nervous before the big game that he locked the rental van with the keys in the ignition and the motor running. During pre-game warm-ups, there was a sudden loud noise that many thought was a gunshot. Dylan Levine, Dan’s son, had gotten new tires on his basketball wheelchair, and one had just blown. While the local police solved the van problem, and a mechanic readied the chair, the Wheeling Wizards from Milwaukee could not cool off another hot engine-Dylan’s torrid outside shooting. His 24 points led his team, the [...]
If you haven’t already received it, you will soon be receiving a communication in the mail, prepared by our election committee, notifying you that the nomination period for our upcoming elections is now officially open.
As has been our custom in the past, elections will be held during the month of May, so that installment of new officers and directors will coincide with the beginning of our new fiscal year on July 1st. However, unlike previous years, this year’s election will have two significant differences:
• For the first time in our history, service on our board of directors will be available [...]
On my most recent trip to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, I brought two of the Marines I fought with in Vietnam at the Battle of Hue City. One was my platoon commander.
I knew the newly wounded men and women from Iraq would enjoy meeting these two veterans. What I didn’t realize was the impact the visit would have on my old friends. Seeing our newly injured troops returning, for me, is like seeing a mirror image of what I went through some 36 years ago; the experience was no different for them.
We can certainly be grateful that the [...]
Spending over 14 months attempting to replace an unreliable wheelchair that no longer fit his needs, Kansas resident Jason Gallagher, a 24-year-old Medicare beneficiary with muscular dystrophy, was able to continue using his chair only through the help of his durable medical equipment (DME) supplier, who replaced tires and performed necessary repairs to the wheelchair free of charge. But Gallagher quickly found that his newfound independence had a steep price when he learned that Medicare’s “in-thehome” policy, which restricts Medicare coverage to power wheelchairs and scooters that are considered medically necessary only for use inside the beneficiary’s home, meant that Gallagher might [...]
The ability to appreciate art is largely a subjective matter-a piece can be considered beautiful for any number of reasons. The work of paralyzed artist Dennis A. Francesconi is as beautiful for the way it is created as it is for the stunning results of his efforts.
Born in Fresno, California, Francesconi had a normal, hyperactive childhood, playing sports, being outdoors and working on his family’s ranch. “I could never sit still,” he says.
|
|
