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 in the first place, regardless of how willing and able they are.
Considering how necessary financial health is to physical health, we offer this issue as a small token of our desire to help readers rise against these challenges and live as well as possible with SCD.
I think you will all want to save the articles by Tom Scott on taxes and disability; they ought to be relevant any tax time. I hope some will be helped by Kelly Rouba’s article on much too rare financial support networks, and maybe even inspired to start one of your own. And don’t forget to look in the back of the book for more information on self-employment by Tamar Sherman, on saving money by Victor Freedman, and on charitable gift annuities by Cary Castle.
Please let us know if you found any of these helpful. As always, I look forward to hearing from you on any subject Action may inspire. Drop us an e-mail at action@unitedspinal.org.
Here’s to your financial health! Talk to you next month.
Christofer D. Pierson
Managing Editor
