Is It time
to give up
on
therapeutic
cloning? A
Q&A with Ian
Wilmut
USA
- The
creator of
Dolly the
sheep has
ended his
focus on
somatic cell
nuclear
transfer, or
cloning, in
favor of
another
approach to
create stem
cells. Ian
Wilmut,
famed for
creating
Dolly the
cloned
sheep,
announced
recently
that he is
abandoning
the
technique to
concentrate
on a popular
new
approach:
making
induced
pluripotent
stem (iPS)
cells. Such
cells would
get around
the ethical
and legal
issues
surrounding
embryonic
stem cell
work, of
which
cloning, or
somatic cell
nuclear
transfer,
has been an
integral
part.
Read More!
Long,
painful wait
for needed
care for
thousands in
the Ohio
Medicaid
system
OHIO
- For the
16,000
disabled
Ohioans
stuck in a
Medicaid
backlog, an
overhaul for
the broken
system can't
come soon
enough. The
wheelchair
where
16-year-old
Randall Lee
Adkins II
spends most
of his time
has seen
better days.
It's held
together
with duct
tape and
spare parts.
The motor
was removed
after an
electrical
short
disabled the
hand
control. The
padded head
support is
useless,
falling far
below his
shoulders.
Born with
cerebral
palsy, Lee
can't walk
or talk. The
government
agency that
is supposed
to help
disabled
people has
repeatedly
refused to
fix or
replace his
wheelchair.
Read More!
New
wheelchair
design could
increase
access to
wilderness
OREGON
- Bill Stites shows how easy it is to change out the regular tire on the EZ
Hiker for a balloon tire, making the chair beach accessible. Bill Stites, owner
of Stites Design in SE Portland, recently completed work on the second prototype
of the EZ Hiker, a chair which is set up to make the outdoors accessible for
those who are wheelchair bound. The EZ Hiker will “allow people with
disabilities to go anywhere an able-bodied person can go, and it can be used in
search and rescue and other functions,” Stites said.
Read More!
Women feel
chronic pain
more than
men because
their brains
are
different
U.K.
- Women feel
pain more
than men
because
their brains
are not
"wired" in
the same
way,
scientists
believe. New
research
suggests
that the
basic
architecture
of the
brain, and
the way it
operates, is
different in
the two
sexes.
Previously
the
different
sensitivity
to pain
between the
sexes had
been
explained by
hormones and
social
pressures.
However, a
series of
studies have
suggested
that there
"is not just
one kind of
human brain,
but two", a
male version
and a female
version.
Read More!
Ryanair: Man forced to carry his wheelchair-bound wife onto plane after flight
crew refuses to help
U.K. - Everybody knows that flight crew members these days won't help you lift a
bag into the overhead compartment, even if you are a 90-year-old woman. Still,
one wonders whether there wasn't something Ryanair could have figured out to do
in the following case. A British man recently was forced to carry his disabled
wife on board a Ryanair flight departing Luton, England for France after the
airline's flight crew refused to help, citing company safety and health
regulations, according to the UK's Daily Mail newspaper.
Read More!
Wheelchair Games Latest National Event Held In Omaha
OMAHA - For the first time in its 28-year history, the nation's biggest wheelchair event will be held in Omaha. "It's been a blessing to me," says Mike Moore. "I can't wait ‘til it starts, which will be the 25th. I'm just ready to rock and roll now with my team." A 13-year competitor in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games, the former power lifter competed in the 1992 Para-Olympics in Barcelona. Now, Moore is the head coach for Team Nebraska. "I'm very proud of this team. I really think we're going to win a lot of medals." This year, Nebraska has 22 veterans competing in all 17 categories. Read More!
Juniors and wheelchair billiards championships
PENNSYLVANIA - The Billiard Congress of America (BCA) and the United States Pool Players Association (USPPA) today announced plans for the USPPA to host the 2008 WPA World 9-Ball Championship for Wheelchair Players in Reno, Nevada, November 30-December 3, 2008. These events will take place at the Sands Regency Hotel in conjunction with the USPPA Pro Am and Reno Open, scheduled December 4-13, 2008. Read More!
Wheelchair tennis star, David Wagner, wants gold this time
OREGON - Hillsboro's David Wagner will travel to Beijing in September intent on improving on his silver medal Paralympic performance. To the casual observer, the framed photograph shows an athlete waving to the crowd, a half-smile on his face, content with the silver medal hanging from his neck. Those in David Wagner's inner circle know better. The world's top-ranked quadriplegic wheelchair tennis player felt anything but pleased at that moment ... "He's burning up inside..." Read More!
Wheelchair bowler finds passion
OREGON - Those among us who always have felt that bowling was a depressingly difficult sport, akin to using all the strength in one arm to throw a suitcase down a slick, 60-foot alley, need to meet Grant Buehler, who bowls from a chair. More precisely, a wheelchair. Buehler, 30, was born with spina bifida, a birth defect affecting the spinal cord, which relegated him to the wheelchair at an early age. The 1997 Central High School graduate is the only wheelchair bowler registered as such in Oregon... Read More!
Thank You!
The final vote on the
ADA amendments act: See
who voted "nay"
WASHINGTON - Your calls,
letters, emails, and
faxes were heard by
Members of the U.S.
House of Representatives
loud and clear. At
approximately 6:15pm
yesterday evening, the
final vote for H.R.
3195, the ADA Amendments
Act (formerly known as
the ADA Restoration
Act), was a resounding
402 to 17 (for
perspective, the final
vote in favor of the
original ADA in the
House was 378). YEAS:
234 Democrats, 199
Republicans, 0
Independents The 17 nays
were...
Paul Broun (R-19th GA)
John Campbell (R-44th
CA)
John Doolittle (R-4th
CA)
John Duncan (R-2nd TN)
Jeff Flake (R-6th AZ)
Scott Garrett (R-5th NJ)
Louie Gohmert (R-1st TX)
Jeb Hensarling (R-5th
TX)
Jack Kingston (R-1st GA)
John Linder (R-7th GA)
Kenny Marchant (R-24th
TX)
Ron Paul (R-14th TX)
Ted Poe (R-2nd TX)
Tom Price (R-6th GA)
Thomas Tancredo (R-6th
CO)
Dave Weldon (R-15th FL)
Lynn Westmoreland (R-3rd
GA)
This is your chance to
make a difference: Stop
low bid procurement on
your wheelchair
WASHINGTON - A number of
initiatives to lessen
the impact of
competitive bidding on
home medical equipment
have hit some major
snags. There is,
however, still a bright
light at the end of the
tunnel. HR 2231, the
bill to exempt Complex
Rehab from National
Competitive Bidding, is
very much alive and
well. With your help and
participation at CELA
’08 – the Continuing
Education and
Legislative Advocacy
conference - we can and
will garner enough
support on Capitol Hill
to pass this
legislation.
Contact your
legislators!
NEWS FLASH! New
increased VA grants for
specially adapted
housing
WASHINGTON – A
change in the law that
allows certain seriously
injured veterans and
service members to
receive multiple grants
for constructing or
modifying homes has
resulted in many new
grants, the Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA)
announced today. Before
the change, eligible
veterans and service
members could receive
special adaptive housing
grants of $10,000 or
$50,000 from VA only
once. Now they may use
the benefit up to three
times, so long as the
total grants stay within
specified limits
outlined in the law.
Read More!
American Association
for Homecare disputes
validity of internet
power wheelchair prices
as basis for
reimbursement of
services in Medicare
VIRGINIA - Tyler J.
Wilson, president of the
American Association for
Homecare, commented,
"This study and the
inappropriate comparison
of Medicare and Internet
pricing will be used by
some members of Congress
to justify further cuts
to power wheelchair
Medicare reimbursement
rates and defend the new
competitive bidding
program. We urge
Congress to evaluate
Medicare reimbursement
for power wheelchairs in
the correct context."
Read More!
Whatever your condition, this book is about getting the most from your life!
Positioning in a Wheelchair
This is a must read for better health and comfort!
Wheelchair eases access
to the beach
WASHINGTON
- This summer is the
first time in more than
eight years that Joe
Edelstein could go onto
Byram Beach. He has
cerebral palsy, which
affects body movement
and muscle coordination,
and must use a
wheelchair.But this
year, the town's
Department of Parks and
Recreation have
purchased three
specialty beach
wheelchairs, with wide
inflatable tires, that
can easily travel on
sand.
Read More!
Playgrounds
That Welcome
Wheelchairs
NEW
YORK - The
first time
Lisa Vaccino
took her
children to
Hannah’s
Dream, a
playground
in New Haven
designed for
disabled
children,
she
immediately
noticed a
difference
in her son,
Johnny, 5,
who has
cerebral
palsy. At
Miracle
Field in
Hartsdale,
N.Y., “When
we got back
into the car
that day I
didn’t even
have to ask
him. He
said, ‘That
was fun!’ ”
said Mrs.
Vaccino, who
also has a
daughter,
Emma, 2, who
is not
disabled.
“That was a
lot coming
from him.
That was
huge.” After
that visit,
in October,
Mrs. Vaccino
formed a
nonprofit
group and
started a
fund-raising
drive for an
accessible
playground
in Milford.
Read More!
Watch
this
training
video on
wheelchair
use of
sidewalks!
D.C. - A
series of
videos on
sidewalk
accessibility
previously
available on
DVD can now
be viewed
through our
site.
Accessible
Sidewalks is
a four-part
video
developed to
illustrate
issues and
considerations
in the
design of
sidewalks.
The series
covers
access for
pedestrians
with
mobility
impairments,
including
those who
use
wheelchairs,
and
pedestrians
who are
blind or
have low
vision. The
videos are
open
captioned
and
incorporate
running
descriptive
audio.
See More!
The
accessible
changes in
this special
house!
GEORGIA -
Valery
George's
first home
was created
just for
her. The
42-year-old
single mom
was
paralyzed in
a school bus
accident
five years
ago and uses
a
wheelchair.
The Knight
Group worked
with her to
create a
handicapped-accessible
home at
Garden Walk,
a new
community in
McDonough.
She chatted
about the
three-bedroom,
two-bath
home that
she and
14-year-old
daughter
Faithe moved
into...Read
More!
Handi-Access
Awards for
accessible
businesses -
Great Idea!
GEORGIA -
Able
disaAbled, a
local
organization
advocating
for disabled
rights,
wants to
recognize
business
owners who
ensure their
stores are
wheelchair
accessible.
“They did
simple
things like
making sure
the aisles
are wide
enough to
accommodate
a wheelchair
and putting
shelf items
within
reach...”
Read More!
Easter
Seals and
the CENTURY
21® System's
Easy Access
Housing
NATIONAL
- Accessible
homes aren’t
much
different
from the
average
homes lining
a typical,
American
neighborhood
street. In
fact, many
accessible
homeowners
find that
certain
defining
features
have a
positive
impact on
their home’s
overall
value and
resale
price.
Read More!
or
Go on a
virtual tour
of an
accessible
home!
USA
- The
creator of
Dolly the
sheep has
ended his
focus on
somatic cell
nuclear
transfer, or
cloning, in
favor of
another
approach to
create stem
cells. Ian
Wilmut,
famed for
creating
Dolly the
cloned
sheep,
announced
recently
that he is
abandoning
the
technique to
concentrate
on a popular
new
approach:
making
induced
pluripotent
stem (iPS)
cells. Such
cells would
get around
the ethical
and legal
issues
surrounding
embryonic
stem cell
work, of
which
cloning, or
somatic cell
nuclear
transfer,
has been an
integral
part.
OHIO
- For the
16,000
disabled
Ohioans
stuck in a
Medicaid
backlog, an
overhaul for
the broken
system can't
come soon
enough. The
wheelchair
where
16-year-old
Randall Lee
Adkins II
spends most
of his time
has seen
better days.
It's held
together
with duct
tape and
spare parts.
The motor
was removed
after an
electrical
short
disabled the
hand
control. The
padded head
support is
useless,
falling far
below his
shoulders.
Born with
cerebral
palsy, Lee
can't walk
or talk. The
government
agency that
is supposed
to help
disabled
people has
repeatedly
refused to
fix or
replace his
wheelchair.
OREGON
- Bill Stites shows how easy it is to change out the regular tire on the EZ
Hiker for a balloon tire, making the chair beach accessible. Bill Stites, owner
of Stites Design in SE Portland, recently completed work on the second prototype
of the EZ Hiker, a chair which is set up to make the outdoors accessible for
those who are wheelchair bound. The EZ Hiker will “allow people with
disabilities to go anywhere an able-bodied person can go, and it can be used in
search and rescue and other functions,” Stites said.
OMAHA - For the first time in its 28-year history, the nation's biggest wheelchair event will be held in Omaha. "It's been a blessing to me," says Mike Moore. "I can't wait ‘til it starts, which will be the 25th. I'm just ready to rock and roll now with my team." A 13-year competitor in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games, the former power lifter competed in the 1992 Para-Olympics in Barcelona. Now, Moore is the head coach for Team Nebraska. "I'm very proud of this team. I really think we're going to win a lot of medals." This year, Nebraska has 22 veterans competing in all 17 categories. 
PENNSYLVANIA - The Billiard Congress of America (BCA) and the United States Pool Players Association (USPPA) today announced plans for the USPPA to host the 2008 WPA World 9-Ball Championship for Wheelchair Players in Reno, Nevada, November 30-December 3, 2008. These events will take place at the Sands Regency Hotel in conjunction with the USPPA Pro Am and Reno Open, scheduled December 4-13, 2008. 
WASHINGTON
- This summer is the
first time in more than
eight years that Joe
Edelstein could go onto
Byram Beach. He has
cerebral palsy, which
affects body movement
and muscle coordination,
and must use a
wheelchair.But this
year, the town's
Department of Parks and
Recreation have
purchased three
specialty beach
wheelchairs, with wide
inflatable tires, that
can easily travel on
sand.
NEW
YORK - The
first time
Lisa Vaccino
took her
children to
Hannah’s
Dream, a
playground
in New Haven
designed for
disabled
children,
she
immediately
noticed a
difference
in her son,
Johnny, 5,
who has
cerebral
palsy. At
Miracle
Field in
Hartsdale,
N.Y., “When
we got back
into the car
that day I
didn’t even
have to ask
him. He
said, ‘That
was fun!’ ”
said Mrs.
Vaccino, who
also has a
daughter,
Emma, 2, who
is not
disabled.
“That was a
lot coming
from him.
That was
huge.” After
that visit,
in October,
Mrs. Vaccino
formed a
nonprofit
group and
started a
fund-raising
drive for an
accessible
playground
in Milford.
Housing