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 […]

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 […]

The grant will fund a major pressure ulcer treatment study.
The VA’s Cooperative Studies Program (CSP) of the Health Sciences Research and Development Service has awarded Dr. William A. Bauman and Dr. Ann M. Spungen a $12 million grant to investigate the use of anabolic steroid therapy to improve the healing of pressure ulcers in […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]