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For more information on maintenance, service, and sales of manual and power wheelchairs, as well as scooters, hand-cycles and accessories, contact Wheelchair Medic at 718-352-1623 or visit www.wheelchairmedic.com.
Ray Grim, who manages the Wheelchair Medic division of United Spinal Association, recommends an easy do-it-yourself wheelchair maintenance plan.
First, is to periodically clean the entire frame with a damp cloth and mild detergent or disinfectant (do not use bleach) and then dry thoroughly. Polish chrome plated parts by using a commercially available polish or metal protectant spray. Check wheelchair frame for rust and cracks and that the nuts and bolts are in place and [...]
Keep your power wheelchair juiced and humming with these tips on wheelchair battery [...]
Your wheelchair cushion is your first line of defense against skin breakdown.
By Dr. Richard Louis Bruno
Those who wheel instead of walk have a special enemy: Gravity. And where does this enemy exert its particularly pernicious pull? It’s through the gluteal muscles (if you have some) and the ischial bones of the pelvis, that is, your butt. And your first line of defense against gravity? The seat cushion.
Much of the information in this article is available at United Spinal Association’s USA Tech Guide (www.usatechguide.org/cushion_reviews.php), a great source if you’re in the market for any assistive technology device.
By Victor Freedman
Traditionally, insurance is seen as a kind of gamble: you or your employer bet a yearly premium and deductible to an insurance company that you won’t need more than that amount to cover your annual health care costs. If it turns out you do need more, the insurance company theoretically makes up the difference using premiums from others in the system who pay in more than they need.
But as the cost of health care has skyrocketed, insurance companies have required higher and higher premiums, deductibles and co-pays, or they limit the amount of care the insured receive or [...]
By Ed Lash
There’s nothing quite like music to soothe, calm, and invigorate the human spirit. Music may not heal the damage caused by multiple sclerosis (MS), but it may help to prevent further damage and allow a person with MS to handle life better physically and emotionally with stress reduction and an improved attitude.
In a 2007 issue of the National MS Society’s newsletter, the following was written on MS pain: “While you and your physician investigate meds, pain specialists say it’s smart to add complementary therapies right away. Nerves can become habituated to pain, making the pain harder to control. [...]
Why power wheelchairs are the way to go for post-polio survivors. Dr. Richard L. Bruno straight talks on the advantages of powered [...]
By Rosemarie Rossetti, PhD
Universal Design for the Home: Great-Looking, Great-Living Design for All Ages, Abilities, and Circumstances, by Wendy A. Jordan; Quarry Books; 208 pp. (ISBN 978-1-59253-381-7)
Anyone planning to remodel or build a home should pick up a copy of Wendy Jordan’s new book Universal Design for the Home. Whether you are old or young, single or with a family, working or retired, with or without a disability-it makes sense to borrow a few good ideas from this book.
Based on the premise that universal design is good design, Jordan put together a beautiful high-quality photo gallery of diverse homes [...]
By Tamar Asedo Sherman
A previous column on working at home (April 2008) struck a nerve. I received many letters asking for more information. Most intriguing to me is the situation presented by Kim Kosmatka, a former teacher, who created a home-based business. She wrote:
“Ten years ago, when life with multiple sclerosis demanded a job from home, I started freelancing as a proofreader. Work has been somewhat steady, but not like last year. What a banner year! I knew I was going to exceed the social security dollar limit. I even hired and trained another proofreader to help me.
“Still, after [...]
Wheelchair seating is more than a place to rest your, hmm, well you know. Scott Chesney teams up with therapist Mary Shea on how to take care of your wheelchair seating [...]
By Kathleen M. Muldoon
Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan
Ah, June! A whole two months ahead with no school, no tests, no teachers. But is there a teacher, a special teacher, you’ve had this past school year who you’ll miss? I remember some summer vacations when I actually regretted the fact that I would no longer have a particular teacher, and I couldn’t imagine that the new teacher I’d have in the fall could be as good as the teacher I’d left behind. Before I ask about your favorite teachers, I want to tell you about one lady who [...]
By Tom Scott
A recent opinion poll commissioned by the organizing committee of London 2012 (www.london2012.com) found that the UK public has a limited understanding of the Paralympic games and very little knowledge of the athletes who participate in them. Poll results show that 69% of the public cannot name a single Paralympian and only 27% can name Britain’s most successful athlete with a disability, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson (born with spina bifida), who won 11 Paralympic gold medals between 1988 and 2004, held over 30 world records, and won the London Marathon six times.
The statistics are rather disappointing in Europe, where [...]
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