Book Review: The Autoimmune Epidemic. “It is the kind of book that will scare you. It will make you angry.”

By E.M. Treston
I attended the Disability Leadership and Policy Summit: An Agenda for Change in The 21st Century at Hofstra University in New York this past June (see article on page 26). These leadership and policy summits are usually held in Washington, DC. Having it come to my own backyard, I felt obligated to […]

By Ed Lash
Editor’s Note: This column in the print edition of Action prompted some readers to believe, incorrectly, that we endorse the view expressed in the e-mail cited in the second through fifth paragraphs. To be clear, neither Action nor United Spinal Association supports the claim that aspartame “causes” multiple sclerosis or […]

Dr. Bruno on tips and techniques to help people deal with feelings that can prevent a physical disability from becoming an emotional one.

By Rosemarie Rossetti, PhD

Accessible Home Design: Architectural Solutions of the Wheelchair User
By Thomas D. Davies, Jr. AIA and Carol Peredo Lopez, AIA, PVA Publications. Soft cover. $28. ISBN 0-929819-18-7.
When I’m looking for an answer to a question about a specific dimension for a universal design feature in a home, I pick up my […]

By Tamar Asedo Sherman
The percentage of federal employees with targeted disabilities has declined each year since 1993 to the lowest participation rate in 20 years, despite the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act in July 1990—18 years ago—which specifically prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in regards to employment.
Under the aegis of […]

Get out there and travel with Scot Chesney’s Plane Talk on vacationing and airline travel. This is “concrete” advice from a wheelchair user who has traveled to 38 different countries.

by Andrew Morris
Many Congressmen took a leap of faith when they voted to override the President’s veto of H.R. 6331, the most recent Medicare bill. For some members of Congress it was an easy vote, however, for Congressional members who are closely aligned to the Republican party it was a difficult vote to go […]

By Tom Scott
On June 18th United Spinal Association wheelchair basketball athletes hit the court in a rematch against a team from Merrill Lynch to raise awareness about wheelchair sports and spinal cord injuries and disorders. The grudge rematch, which took place at Merrill Lynch’s Corporate Campus in Pennington, New Jersey, netted a big win […]

The Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act (CDRPA) was unanimously passed by the House of Representatives and approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee at the end of last year. These actions were important victories for the paralysis community, and first steps toward having this comprehensive research, rehabilitation and quality of […]

Fixing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) –
Senate Outlook Good to End Workplace Discrimination
Senators Harkin (D-IA) and Hatch (R-UT) introduced the Senate version of the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 on July 31 with an astounding 64 co-sponsors of both parties.
Why does the ADA need to be amended? Since the ADA was enacted in 1990, […]

Polio survivor and United Spinal Member Kathy Galletly on her transition from getting around the hard way to using a powered wheelchair.

This United Spinal member says his two-wheeled wonder is his ticket to freedom.
By Alan Maccini
I am a 48-year-old male diagnosed with Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) (a neurologic condition affecting the bundle of nerve roots at the lower end of the spinal cord) which was featured in the January 2008 issue of Action. My […]

Senator McCain will participate by live satellite feed in the National Forum on Disabilities Issues and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), a long time disabilities leader, will stand in for Senator Obama (who is out of the country).
Join the webcast Saturday, July 26, 2008 – the 18th anniversary of the Americans w Disabilities Act. The […]

by Andrew Morris
Access to people’s supplier of choice for power wheelchairs and other types of durable medical equipment has been restored after last week’s landmark vote to override the President’s veto of H.R. 6331. If the veto had been allowed to stand Medicare beneficiaries in certain cities would have been forced to give up choice […]

Home is where the heart is. For people with disabilities it can also be a dangerous place. Check out these tips on how to modify your home to reduce the risk of injuries.