I recently traveled to Denver, Colorado to spread the word about United Spinal Association. My first stop was at Craig Hospital, which has a world-renowned spinal cord injury (SCI) rehab program, as well as an excellent rehabilitation program for traumatic brain injury. I spoke to staff about our services, and about ways in which we can help their patients, particularly after they are discharged from their facility.
My second stop was at Wells Fargo in downtown Denver. Wells Fargo has an Employee with DisAbility Advisory Coalition and was holding its fifth annual DisAbility Awareness Fair-DisAbility Expo. I had the opportunity to speak to an audience composed of bank officials, staff, and Expo participants. Perhaps not surprisingly, my remarks revolved around the myriad of issues that need to be addressed in order for people with disabilities to reach their potential and become fully contributing members of society.
It is sad but true that 15 years after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) some 70% of individuals with SCI are unemployed. This statistic becomes even more significant when you consider that the majority of the injuries are incurred by people in their 20s and 30s, which is also the age at which people who have multiple sclerosis are first diagnosed. That so many people are marginalized at such a young age, is truly a national tragedy.
With increasingly limited access to good/complete rehabilitation, appallingly prohibitive Medicare rules concerning the issuance of wheelchairs, and inadequate access to medical equipment, persons with SCI cannot be gainfully employed unless they are in a position to receive a great deal of help from their families, friends, and others. The bottom line is that the “cost-controlling” measures driving these policies are keeping people at home, with limited resources, for the rest of their lives. The human loss is inexcusable, but there is also a considerable economic loss.
There has to be an understanding in our national psyche that people with disabilities have a right and an obligation to be full members of society. Without the opportunity to become gainfully employed, they cannot exercise this basic right. Government policies, health insurance policies, and the policies of other payers and providers of care need to address these important issues. But it is groups like ours that must continually lobby to get their attention. This is not just a human rights issue, it is also an economic one, and we must make ourselves heard.
We must continue to fight Medicare rules on issuance of wheelchairs, decreasing access to full rehabilitative care, reimbursement rates for wheelchairs, and all the other issues that are exacerbating this problem. Of course, we will also avail ourselves of every opportunity to spread the word so that more people understand this tragedy and its ultimate cost, not only to the individuals directly affected, but also to the rest of society.
On a positive note, I had the honor recently to accept an award from the New York State Division of Human Rights for our advocacy work over the past many years. The New York State Human Rights Law is the oldest one in the US and has been in existence slightly longer than this organization. The Law was passed in 1945 and was used as a vehicle for some of the earliest successes we had in the advocacy area. We thank the Division for recognizing our work.
I extend the best wishes of the Holiday Season to our members, their families, and to our good friends and supporters who have worked with us throughout the year. I look forward to working with you in the future. Please watch for some exciting changes in this publication starting next month.
Gerard M. Kelly
Executive Director
