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Personal Finances
Misc.
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD: Money Matters
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT: Financial Sanity
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: April 2007
MS Solidarity
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Money Talk
NEWSROOM: April 2007
Social Security Underfunded Again
Other Cuts that Hurt People with Disabilities
RESEARCH FRONT: April 2007
Electric Switch Could Turn on Limb Regeneration
Biomedical Engineers Advance on ‘Smart Bladder Pacemaker’
VETSFIRST: April 2007
Walter Reed: Symptom of a More Serious Condition
Features
The Disability Taxpayer Survival Guide
Turn those tax blues into breaks.
By Tom Scott
Real Economic Impact Tour
The IRS and private businesses and nonprofits have teamed up to educate [...]
No matter who we are or what we do, money always seems to be in short supply. Wise financial management is essential to all of us, regardless of our income level.
Some people might find it unusual that an organization whose members have significant disabilities chooses to feature personal finances as a major topic in its monthly publication. I personally believe that financial planning is more critical for our members than for the general population, because of higher than average medical costs, as well as the higher than average possibility that we might at times experience hospitalization or be in need of long-term care.
MS Solidarity
Although I have only been a member of United Spinal Association for a short time, I wish to express my gratitude and appreciation for the information you provide.
One thing I’m painfully aware of as editor of this magazine is that spinal cord disorders (SCD) are expensive. As much as I enjoy bringing readers information about new therapies and technologies to make living with SCD more bearable, I am often struck by the steep price tags these products and services carry. I am aware that their costliness is made worse by the prevalence of unemployment among Americans with disabilities and by the infuriating fact that, on top of the discrimination people with disabilities face in the labor market, the Social Security system discourages so many of this segment from working [...]
Electric Switch Could Turn on Limb Regeneration
Tadpoles can achieve something that humans may only dream of: pull off a tadpole’s thick tail or a tiny developing leg, and it’ll grow right back-spinal cord, muscles, blood vessels and all. Now researchers have discovered the key regulator of the electrical signal that convinces Xenopus pollywogs to regenerate amputated tails. The results, reported last November in Gene and Development, give some researchers hope for new approaches to stimulating tissue regeneration in humans.
Turn those tax blues into breaks.
By Tom Scott
Tax season is once again upon us. Before you prepare to file your return you may want to ask yourself if you really know your entitlements as a person with a disability. There are income exclusions, tax deductions, and credits available to people with spinal cord injuries and disorders that you may not be aware of.
The IRS and private businesses and nonprofits have teamed up to educate people with disabilities about their finances.
By Tom Scott
Improving financial assistance and independence for people with disabilities is currently being accomplished through a public-private collaboration titled the Real Economic Impact (REI) Tour.
The REI Tour is a national initiative spearheaded by the Stakeholder Partnerships, Education and Communication (SPEC) department of Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which focuses on providing tax awareness and education, tax preparation assistance, and financial literacy to lower income individuals within local communities; the National Disability Institute (NDI), a national research and development organization that promotes [...]
It’s not news that spinal cord injuries and disorders are expensive, but financial help is available—if you know where to look.
By Kelly Rouba
After listening to Bret Neylon recap the past seven months of his life, one can’t argue that it has all the makings of an episode of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”-except ABC wasn’t involved.
A teacher and coach in Brownsburg, Indiana, Neylon often enjoyed running as one of his favorite past times. But, at the age of 34, he gave up the activity due to a number of sports-related injuries and decided to turn to cycling instead.
“Running is [...]
Women liberated by their wheelchairs are celebrated at the annual Rolling with Style Gala during Fashion Week in New York.
By Kelly Rouba
Wendy Crawford, chairwoman and founding member of Discovery through Design, rolls on the red carpet in a chair and outfit designed by Thom Browne.
Last month, seven women made history by becoming fashion “roll models” when they rolled down the runway in their wheelchairs during the peak of Fashion Week in New York City.
“You are truly part of a historic event,” said Marilyn Hamilton, creator of Quickie wheelchairs, as she addressed nearly 600 attendees following the fashion [...]
Photos by Alice Faye Love
Brianna Cranmer (42), Nicole McDonald (30), Bao Yang (23)
and Sarah Binsfield from Arizona reach to take control of the ball
from Illinois’s Kathleen O’Kelly-Kennedy.
Alice Faye Love is an artist and athlete from Birmingham, Alabama, whose photography celebrates the world of women’s wheelchair sports. The photos on these two pages were taken January 13 -15 at the Pioneer Classic at the Lakeshore Foundation in Birmingham featuring teams from the University of Illinois, University of Arizona, University of Alabama, and the Dallas Lady Mavericks. A recap of the tournament is available online [...]
An MS Fellow explains how she benefited as a physiatrist from a program sponsored by United Spinal Association.
By Seema R. Khurana, DO
While trying to determine what my next step in life would be after residency, Dr. George Kraft was invited to speak at the University of Michigan. During his lecture he discussed multiple sclerosis (MS) and the important role rehabilitation plays in its treatment. As I listened to him, I began to see the significance of that area of rehabilitation medicine. It was at that time that I decided to pursue it further. Soon after his talk, I interviewed at [...]
by Kathleen M. Muldoon
Yvette Silver www.yvettesilver.com
On April 1, 1998, readers of the national newspaper USA Today were amazed to find a full-page advertisement announcing a new menu item-the Left-Handed Whopper. This had been developed, the company said, for the 32 million left- handed people in America. According to the ad, the ingredients of this special Whopper were the same as the traditional Whopper, only these were all rotated 180 degrees to the left.
Thousands of people flocked to Burger Kings around the country to purchase the Left-Handed Whopper. Some who were not left handed asked when a Right-Handed Whopper would be [...]
By Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D.
When you are a wheelchair-user, you really notice when a bathroom is designed properly and meets your every need. Too often we are confronted with public restrooms, as well as hotel bathrooms, with designs that inhibit our independence and make life more difficult.
When given the chance to remodel our existing bathrooms or build a new house with custom bathrooms, we need to pay attention to all the details. Size does matter. An improperly sized bathroom can force us into a world of frustration and a lack of privacy. I know from experience.
It has been eight years since my [...]
By Ed Lash
Quite a number of years ago it was noticed that there were many fewer people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the southern part of the United States than in the northern part. Studies also indicated that this was the same in other countries; the closer to the equator, the fewer people were found to have MS in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
A short time later it was discovered that this difference in MS prevalence may be due to the sun, which lasts longer and shines stronger closer to the equator. This provides more vitamin D—often referred to [...]
By Tamar Asedo Sherman
Self-employment is an option worth considering if you want to get back to work but don’t think you can handle the stress of going to and from an office, having to arrange transportation, possibly getting a personal care attendant to help you get ready, and maintaining regular business hours.
If you work for yourself, however, you have the flexibility to work when you feel like it, any time of day or night. You don’t have to worry about transportation, dressing up for the workplace or getting to your desk by a certain time.
You’re the boss and [...]
By Victor Freedman
Americans are terrible at saving money and we’re getting worse. In 2005, for the first time in the nation’s history, Americans’ personal savings went into negative territory: That year, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (www.bea.gov), we had more than $9 trillion in disposable (after-tax) income, but we spent all of it and owed almost $35 billion on top of it. In 2006, the amount we owed grew to $102 billion. In 1981, Americans saved 13.5% of our total disposable income. By 2006, our personal saving rate had sunk to -1.1%.
How do you save in an [...]
By Cary Castle
As the director of Development for United Spinal Association, I’m frequently asked by donors and friends about estate and financial planning.
Frankly speaking, many people are worried about having enough money to maintain a decent standard of living for as long as they live. Today, chances are, you will be living a longer life than your parents and grandparents. Of course, you should always consult a professional financial advisor as this issue is just too important to leave to chance.
With the above in mind, however, my recommendation is to diversify where you put your money. The investment [...]
By Tom Scott
Spectacular Support for United Spinal Youth Sports
The Wachovia Center in Philadelphia recently announced that they will once again host United Spinal Association’s Kids Sports Spectacular on Saturday, August 4. “Last year’s event was a phenomenal success with participants from a number of local children’s hospitals,” said United Spinal President and CEO Paul J. Tobin. “Many of the children participated in softball, hand-cycling, basketball, and tennis for their first time. I am sure that Sports and Recreation will put together an equally impressive day for this year’s event.”
In addition, John Page, COO of Global Spectrum has offered the [...]
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