United Spinal Association and wheelchair athletes the world over lost a close friend and tireless advocate last month.
by Rob Ingraham

Albert Youakim, a nationally known pioneer in the early development of wheelchair sports and a tireless advocate for people with disabilities, died Sunday, August 19, at the age of 82.
Youakim, an influential coach, […]

Fun and Adaptive Adventure

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN: Mind and Body
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE: New Talents
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Vacating and Recreating
NEWSROOM: August 2007
Compiled by Peggy Hathaway
Class Act
SCHIP – State Children’s Health Insurance Program
Money to Cut Social Security Backlogs
RESEARCH FRONT: August 2007
Neuralstem’s Cells Restore Motor Function in Spinal Ischemia-Paralyzed Rat
Study Finds MRI Useful in Predicting SCI Recovery
Top Three […]

Throughout this issue you will find various activities to help keep body and mind healthy. We all need to discover activities we enjoy that promote physical and mental well being. Finding that hobby or activity that captures our enthusiasm and practicing it consistently can’t help but result in both. I’m fortunate that my interests run […]

As per bylaws approved by the membership and adopted in January of this year, we have expanded our board of directors to include members as well as nonmembers with an interest in our goals and mission. The objective is to bring varying perspectives to the board in the fields of advocacy, medicine, business and other […]

I expect many of you will be on vacation this month (as will I), and will therefore be interested in the theme of many of the articles in this issue: Recreation.

Compiled by Peggy Hathaway
Good News to Help People Live Independently
Class Act
To encourage independence, choice, and empowerment, four powerful Congressional leaders have introduced the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act of 2007 to help people cover the cost of long-term services and supports.
The CLASS Act provides for cash benefits for adults with functional disabilities […]

Neuralstem’s Cells Restore Motor Function in Spinal Ischemia-Paralyzed Rat
Three rats paralyzed due to spinal ischemia returned to near normal ambulatory function six weeks after having received human spinal stem cells (hSSCs) developed by Neuralstem, Inc. (OTC BB:NRLS), researchers reported online in the journal, Neuroscience (www. neuroscience-ibro.com/). Three other rats, while not able to stand up […]

Planning a mile-high vacation? Here are three ways to have extreme fun in Colorado for the adventure-loving adaptive sportsperson.
By Andrea J. Kennedy

Downhill mountain bikers can test their skills on stairs at the top of the trail leading to the road down the mountain.

Colorado is one of the most adventurous destinations in the world. Lovers […]

Therapeutic riding offers many people with spinal cord disorders a fun way to improve balance, mental outlook and overall health.
By Celina R. De León

Brenda Smith (in chair) gave up most sports when she began
raising her children, but recently she’s discovered a
passion for horseback riding.

Brenda Smith of central Florida said it was three years ago when […]

Tripping the light fantastic can be good for your health and for your social life.
By Kelly Rouba

Cleveland’s Dancing Wheels modern dance company. People of all abilities can use any or all parts of their bodies to move to the music. (Photo by Dale Dong, courtesy of Dancing Wheels)
As a young man living in […]

A respected recreation association shows how you can start a program for your own local wheelchair sports heroes.

Members of the Grand Rapids Wheelchair Sports Association Sports Camp team, one of the group’s many events promoting adaptive activities for people with disabilities.
By Michael Lee
Luanne Westenbroek, a tennis enthusiast from Grand Rapids, Michigan, first learned about wheelchair […]

Whether you want to grow healthy vegetables, a beautiful bed of flowers, plants to attract butterflies, perennials, tropical or desert plants; a garden is a worthwhile endeavor and can reap great rewards.
By Linda Stango, AIA

A computer generated image of a raised garden bed demonstrates just how easy and accessible gardening can be for wheelchair […]

A report investigates how nearly half a million people with disabilities Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana were affected by Hurricane Katrina.
By Rob Ingraham

Two years after Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, communities are still rebuilding. Only time and the next Category 5 storm will tell if safeguards for people with disabilities are in place.

“Every person interviewed […]

By Kelly Rouba

“I love the massage therapy profession and I wanted to bring high quality massage education to a community that did not yet have a massage school,” says Ruth Marion, who founded Health Works Institute after moving to Montana in 2000. “I chose Bozeman because it is a small city with a good university, […]

By Leonard J. Selfon, JD, CAE
It is important to understand that applying for and establishing entitlement to VA benefits is often a complex and challenging task. A successful claim requires knowledge of the specific benefits that the VA offers to veterans with disabilities; an understanding of applicable laws, regulations, and VA policies; knowing what kind […]

By Tamar Asedo Sherman
You never get a second chance to make a first impression, the old saying goes. That’s why you have to prepare for a job interview. Before you even open your mouth to say hello, the interviewer will size you up based on your appearance, so look your best.

By Rosemarie Rossetti, PhD

Coming home from the hospital after a spinal cord injury is a traumatic experience. Chances are that the home you left prior to your injury won’t work for you in the short- or long-term because of your need for wheelchair access. Modifications and remodeling may be needed.
My homecoming in July 1998 posed […]

By Ed Lash
A sufficient amount of water is important for everyone, especially for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). According to an issue of the University of California at Berkely Wellness Letter, “Water is the basis of all body fluids, including digestive juices, blood, urine, lymph, and perspiration. All cell processes and all organ functions depend […]

By Kathleen M. Muldoon

Yvette Silver www.yvettesilver.com

The summer between eighth and ninth grade, I had one thought in mind—I wanted to scale Mount Franklin. Wait, don’t run to your globe and try to locate it. Mount Franklin was the name of a fictional mountain, the symbol given to the teen summer reading program at my […]

Vincent Laffaille

Vincent “Vixente” Laffaille, 29, of Agos-Vidalos in southwestern France, is president of his local Wheelchair Rugby Club. Action recently asked him about his life as a person with spinal cord injury in France. Here is his story:

I am paraplegic at T-7–8 from an accident. I did my rehab at the rehab center of Bagnères […]