United Spinal Newsletter -- July 2018

 

Let’s Make Life Accessible to All
The great strides to protect the needs of wheelchair users, paralyzed veterans, and all people with spinal cord injuries and disorders must not be forgotten, but there is still much progress to be made. Donate today.

Fighting for Disability Rights
Our grassroots activists from across the country accomplished more Hill visits and raised awareness of critical issues to a greater extent than ever before at this year’s Roll on Capitol Hill. Get an inside look at the Rolling Revolution, view our official ROCH photo gallery.

A Grassroots View
Laura Power, a United Spinal member from Pennsylvania shares her experiences joining other wheelchair users in fighting for disability rights at Roll on Capitol Hill.

Catch United Spinal at These Upcoming Events:
National Veterans Wheelchair Games - July 30-August 5, Orlando, FL
Abilities Expo - August 3-5, NRG Center, Hall E, Houston, TX

Click here to read all of the July 2018 newsletter!

Save the Date for the 3rd Annual Employer Summit!

 

Save the Date!

In celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the SC Disability Employment Coalition is inviting businesses in SC to send your HR or policy staff to the third annual Employer Summit. The Summit will build on your awareness of issues surrounding hiring people with disabilities and help you to create a more inclusive work environment. SHRM and HRCI credit hours are pending.

October 9, 2018
11:30 AM-2 PM
Stone River
121 Alexander Road
West Columbia, SC 29169

Register here!

Lunch will be provided.

Early bird registration is only $25 before August 15, 2018!

Want to do more? Consider becoming a sponsor to show your support and commitment to hiring inclusively. For more information, check out the Sponsorship Form here.

While the summit is strictly for employers, we invite service providers to register as vendors in order to connect with employers and share about their organization. Vendor registration is $50 and more information can be found here. Vendors can also become sponsors by filling out this form. 

This event is sponsored by:

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACK THE PARK: Fundraiser Benefiting Us!

 

DON'T FORGET!!

DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS AUGUST 1ST

 

 

SC Spinal Cord Injury Association and the Columbia Fireflies invite you to a special game night! Pack the Park for Midlands Gives on Tuesday, August 7th at 7:05 PM. We will receive 50% of proceeds from tickets purchased; organizations who sell the most tickets will be entered to win a cash prize. Each ticket is $10 and you must purchase through the organization.

 

It's also $2 Tuesday! Soft drinks, hot dogs and popcorn are all just $2. MUST ORDER BY AUG 1! We will send you an order form to fill out, tickets can be picked up at will call the day of the game. Guests who buy tickets through our association will be seated together as seats are available. 
 

SIGN ME UP! 



Speakers Needed

 

We are looking for speakers for the AT Expo (March 5, 2019) to talk about augmentative and alternative communication. It would be great if a real user wanted to tell about their experiences or if a speech-language pathologist wants to share information about augmentative and alternative communication. The sessions are one hour in length.

 

Click here to fill out the proposal form.

 

 If you have any questions,

please contact Carol Page at

carol.page@uscmed.sc.edu

or

call 803-935-5342

 

AAIDD Website Has a New Look!

We're excited to announce that AAIDD has refreshed its website. The website has some new functionality, but more importantly, the new design will give users better access to the breadth of the work of the Association.

 

Check out the new look, watch some videos right from the home page, and let us know what you think!

 www.aaidd.org

Free Eye Gaze Training

Eye Gaze Devices and More!

 

Date: August 8, 2018

Time: 9:30 am – 11:30 am  OR  2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Cost: FREE

Location: Poplar Conference Room, 8301 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC 29203 (Directions)

Presenter: Carol Page, PhD, CCC-SLP, ATP, CBIS

 

Register Now!

Join us for exploration of accessing communication devices or computers using eye gaze or a head mouse. The eye gaze communication devices perform many functions in addition to using it as a communication device such as TV remote control, Skyping, texting, emailing etc. These devices are eligible for funding through SC Medicaid or Medicare. We will also look at eye gaze and head mouse access possibilities and software available on computers. This training is for users, family members or professionals who work with non-verbal people or people who may become non-verbal who have paralysis, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke and motor disabilities including ALS and cerebral palsy.

Also learn about our Eye Gaze Communication project funded by the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation!

WIND is coming! And we need volunteers!

 

 

 

We need YOU.

 

Volunteers are needed for our upcoming WIND (Wheeling In New Directions) Conference! If you'd like to help us out, and have some fun while you're at it-- click on the links below for your city.  Sign up today, and help us ensure our event is a complete success!!
 

Charleston : August 28

http://signup.com/go/rfUGyrf

Columbia : August 29

http://signup.com/go/YrHdPSA

Greenville : August 30

http://signup.com/go/syhBCym

Don't forget!
Click here to register.

 

 



WIND is coming! Are you registered?

 

 

 

 

REGISTER HERE!



News from New Mobility

The magazine for active wheelchair users

July 19, 2018

SCI RESEARCH

Nonsurgical Recovery of Function
“Improved voluntary hand function occurred within a single session in every subject tested.” Um, what? Believe it — nonsurgical recovery of function is a thing now. Though it’s still in the clinical trial phase, transcutaneous stimulation of the spinal cord (where electrodes are placed atop the skin instead of being implanted) is already starting to give motor-complete quads increased independence by improving hand function. We couldn’t be more excited about where this research may lead.

THE MOST FUN YOU CAN HAVE ON THREE WHEELS?
 
The Icon Explore Mountain Trike
The Icon Explore trike is the closest feeling you can get to riding a two-wheel mountain bike — with an electric motor, mountain bike style steering and an articulating front end that traverses side slopes and lets you lean into turns. This four-minute video gives a close-up look at the trike and features some gorgeous cinematography of one mud-spattered Canadian going bonkers fast through the Rockies. 

FILM REVIEW
 
'Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot'
In a move that’s already generating online backlash, director Gus Van Sant cast the nondisabled actor Joaquin Phoenix to play the late and legendary quad cartoonist John Callahan. With the movie out in theaters, Tim Gilmer takes a look at the controversy and beyond, finding that despite its flaws, the film is well worth a watch. 

PRO TIPS

Hacking an Inaccessible House
Old houses are fun — full of quirks, character and craftsmanship that are most often absent in newer builds. The tradeoff is narrow doorways, small rooms, stairs and generally a complete lack of accessibility. Our DIY guy didn’t let that deter him — from a kitchen sink replacement to a built-in table/accessible food prep area and even a clawfoot tub shower bench, here are a few pointers for making an old home functional without emptying your bank account.

Address the Stress
Stress is an insidious little bugger that can wreak havoc on your body’s systems and exacerbate secondary complications of disability. Limiting lifestyle triggers is ideal, but for times when stress gets the upper hand, Joanne Smith offers diet tips, including a recipe for some delicious anti-stress tea that can help blunt its effects.
 
New Mobility is the member publication of United Spinal Association, whose mission is to improve quality of life of people with spinal cord injuries and disorders. It's free to join United Spinal, and members may receive New Mobility magazine for free. Join here.

New Equipment for Summer!

New for Summer!
 

The SC Assistive Technology Program

has a new piece of equipment in our loan library.



It is an adapted beach wheelchair. It has a reclining back, adjustable leg rest, tote bag, umbrella, and large wheels for navigating sandy beaches.

If you would like to borrow it for two weeks, call 803-935-5337 to make an appointment to pick it up!

WIND 2018

 

Sign up now for WIND!

 

You don't want to miss the Stop, Focus, Connect: Pathway to Pleasure after SCI, a conference on sexuality and disability in three cities, on three different days. The program will contain the same theme for each city. With this format of three cities, we hope to be able to bring information closer to your location.

Dr. Mitchell Tepper, author of Regain that Feeling: Secrets to Sexual Self-Discovery, brings a unique perspective after breaking his neck in 1982 and living with a spinal cord injury. Since that time, he has become an internationally recognized expert in the field and leading advocate for comprehensive sexual health care in rehabilitation programs. For more information on Dr. Tepper, follow this link: https://www.drmitchelltepper.com/. Why are we doing a conference on sexuality? Because is it is a topic not often talked about. We want to end the taboo of speaking about sex and disabilities.

So...join us in August. The cost is $26 per person, and we have scholarships available for those who cannot afford the cost. There will be vendors available to speak with, people who you haven't seen in a while, and new people to get to know. To register, follow the link below to the city closest to you. See you there!

 

Tuesday, August 28
1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Charleston, SC
Trident Technical College
7000 Rivers Ave, Building 920
North Charleston, SC 29406
REGISTER HERE

 

Wednesday, August 29
1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Columbia, SC
Brookland Banquet and Conference Center
1066 Sunset Blvd
West Columbia, SC 29169
REGISTER HERE

 

Thursday, August 30
1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Greenville, SC
Kroc Center Greenville
424 Westfield St, Greenville, SC 29601
REGISTER HERE
 

Ask Your Questions to the Gubernatorial Candidates

 

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

Able SC is reaching out to individuals with disabilities and their allies to ask disability policy-related questions to the SC Gubernatorial Candidates -- Henry McMaster (R) and James Smith (D). Please submit the questions you'd like to be asked by Friday, July 20.

Questions will be released to the candidates on July 26, the 28th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Submit Your Question Here.

2018 Life with Brain Injury Conference

 

 

Conference Information

 

Register Now!

 

Event Information

 

When: Friday, July 27, 2018
           8:00 AM - 4:15 PM

 

Where: DoubleTree Hotel and Conference Center
            2100 Bush River Road
            (Bush River Road @ I-20)
            Columbia, SC 29210
            803.731.0300

 

Conference Hosts

 

Brain Injury Association of South Carolina (BIASC) is a nonprofit organization that was developed by persons with brain injury, their families, and concerned professionals in an effort to provide information and support to those who have experienced a brain injury and their families. BIASC is a chartered affiliate of the Brain Injury Association of America. Our mission is to create a better future through brain injury prevention, research, education, and advocacy. For more information, please visit www.biaofsc.com, email Joyce Davis, Executive Director, at director@biaofsc.com, or call 803.731.9823 or 1.877.TBI.FACT (in-state).

 

South Carolina Brain Injury Leadership Council (SCBILC) is the state's advisory council on brain injury as mandated under South Carolina Law and the federal Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Act of 1996. It serves as an active forum for addressing system issues, service gaps, funding constraints, and public awareness related to brain injury. The mission of SCBILC is to provide leadership and empowerment to persons with brain injury by promoting a range of accessible services that are responsive to their needs. Please visit www.scbilc.com.

 

Conference Objective

 

This conference will provide a forum for the exchange of information on programs, resources, and best practices in brain injury rehabilitation and services. It will facilitate opportunities for networking among individuals with brain injuries, family members, and service providers.

 

Exhibitors

 

35 exhibitors will be present to provide information on available services for survivors of brain injury and their families. Exhibitors will be located in room Congaree B. Our list of exhibitors and sponsors will be updated on our Exhibitors and Sponsors Page as they register.

 

Continuing Education

 

Professional attendees will receive a CEU tracking form when they check in the day of the conference. Each attendee is responsible for having the moderator from each session sign the CEU tracking sheet at the conclusion of each session attended. This will serve as proof of attendance. Professional attendees are responsible for submitting their own information to their approving boards in order to receive continuing education credit for the sessions they attend at the conference.

 

Conference Site

 

The DoubleTree Hotel and Conference Center, 2100 Bush River Road, Columbia, SC 29210

There are blocked rooms just for YOU. There is a special LWBI Conference rate of $135. To reserve your room, visit  http://bit.ly/LWBICRooms using code BIA or contact Clint at 803.744.0142.

 

Scent free/Smoke free conference

 

Please remember, out of respect to those with allergies, you are asked to refrain from wearing any scented products at the conference. Also, the DoubleTree is a smoke-free facility.

 





 



The Sky's the Limit -- FREE Training on Travel!

 

The Sky's the Limit!

Transportation and Travel Training

 

 

Have you ever wanted to travel?

 

Join Able SC for a FREE training and get firsthand tips on preparing for travel from a person with a disability. We'll also have someone from Delta Airlines discussing air travel for people with disabilities. 

 

Online: Monday, July 16, 2-3 PM

Online Training Registration Here

 

In-person: Tuesday, July 17, 2-3:30 PM
720 Gracern Road, Suite 106,

Columbia SC 29210
In-person Training Registration Here

For questions or accommodation requests,

contact Dori at 800-681-6805/TTY: 803-779-0949 or dtempio@able-sc.org

 

Please make accommodation requests a week in advance of the training. 

 

 



FREE Webinars on Assistive Technology

The Accessible Technology Coalition

compiles this listing of free webinars from around the Web!

 

Follow the ATC Facebook page for late additions.

Here are the free webinars for July 2018!

Some require pre-registration.

All are 1 hour long unless otherwise noted.

Free Webinars – Adults and General

Change is hard, automating web accessibility isn’t from deque
July 12th at 10:30 am Pacific, 1:30 pm Eastern (30 min.)

Communicating with ALS: Keeping the Conversation Going from ALSA
July 23, 2018 at 11 am Pacific, 2 pm Eastern

Global Platform Infrastructure Initiative and Raising the Floor from EASI
Dates TBA

Free Webinars – K-12

Strategies and Ideas for Creating a Dyslexia-Friendly Classroom from edWeb.net
July 10, 2018 at 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EDT

Why is the Student Having Difficulty With Eye Gaze? from AbleNet
July 17, 2018 at 12 pm Pacific, 3 pm Eastern

Too Many Apps for That? How to Find, Choose, and Evaluate Mobile Apps from PACER on July 19, 2018 at 12 pm Pacific, 3 pm Eastern (90 min.)

Strengthening Executive Function in the Early Years: Designing Environmental Scaffolds and Child-specific Interventions from AbleNet
July 24, 2018 at 9 am Pacific, 12 pm Eastern

Virtual Reality & Assistive Technology: Learn about the New New Things! from CTD
July 24, 2018 at 1 pm Pacific, 4 pm Eastern

AAC Language Modeling from ATC
July 25, 2018 at 2 pm Pacific, 5 pm Eastern

Apps to Teach Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder from edWeb.net
August 1, 2018 at 12 pm Pacific, 3 pm Eastern

Where to start? Examining the Language Organization of Communication Devices and Strategies to Support Their Use from AbleNet
August 2, 2018 at 8 am Pacific, 11 am Eastern

AT Resource Pick of the Month

The INDATA Project! Indiana’s AT Program offers weekly assistive technology tech tips in video format.

July Association Updates

JULY 02

Our summer travel series continues!

 

 

Our Midlands Breeze peer support group had some really good tips for finding accessible hotels for traveling with spinal cord injury.  We wanted to take that a little further and share some tips for booking the best wheelchair accessible hotels, as well as some hotel room hacks.

• Search online for a rough view on accessibility features, then CALL the hotel.
• Ask questions and voice concerns and accommodations needed. What one hotel views as accessible may not be what you need, or what another hotel views as accessible.
• Ask for photos so you can get an idea of size of the room, space available, and set up.
• Get a confirmation. One of the biggest tips we heard from our members was they made sure to get the name of the person who helped answer their questions, and who they ultimately booked with.  

• Bring essentials with you, like a hair dryer in case you can't reach the one provided, or a shower seat.
• No accessible rooms available? Ask for a free upgrade to a larger, more spacious room.
• If someone helps you with your luggage, get their name-- they will be your go-to during your stay.
• Make sure the thermostat is accessible.
• Check the bed-- if it does not allow for easy transfer, get someone at the hotel to adjust the bed height by removing whatever is giving the bed its height.
• Make sure there is a clear wheelchair path, and if not-- have someone at the hotel remove extra furniture, like a desk chair.
• Travel with a power strip.

 

 

Join us August 7th for a fundraiser Fireflies baseball game at Spirit Communications Park! The game starts at 7:05.  Tickets are $10 each and we will receive 50% of proceeds from ticket sales. The organization who sells the most tickets will be entered into a drawing for a cash prize.

 



Click here for tickets & more information.

 

*****

 

 

Stop, Focus, Connect:

Pathway to Pleasure After SCI

We are hosting a conference on sexuality and disability in three different cities,

featuring speaker and self proclaimed Sexologist, Dr. Mitchell Tepper, PhD, MPH.

Sign up on our website, cost is $26 per person, per city.

 

August 28 - Charleston

August 29 - Columbia

August 30 - Greenville

 

Register now!

 

*****

 

 

The 2018 Roll on Capital Hill

 

The 2018 Roll on Capital Hill was attended by more advocates than ever before-- among those advocates was South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Association Executive Director, Angela Rodriguez and members Joe Pomeroy and Charles Hall! Over 120 wheelchair user members, clinicians, partners and other disability advocates from 33 states gathered in Washington D.C. and visited more than 200 congressional offices.  Representatives from our Association met with 4 congressmen and 2 senators, including Senator Tim Scott and Congressman James Clyburn. We are so proud to have been a part of this event and to have advocated for the members of our Association with spinal cord injuries.

 







 

We have moved office locations!

 

We are so excited to have successfully moved into our new offices located in Encompass Health Columbia.  We are still in transition but will be available to help you in any way we can during this time, so please do not hesitate to call-- we are here for you.

 

Our new address is:

ATTN: Spinal Cord Injury Association
2935 Colonial Drive
Columbia, SC 29203

 

*****

Amazon Prime Day is July 17th!

 

 



Your shopping makes a difference. Amazon donates to South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Association when you shop Prime Day deals at smile.amazon.com/ch/57-0951166.
Amazon's fourth-annual Prime Day is coming up on Tuesday, July 17 and will feature one-of-a-kind deals exclusively for Prime members. This is one of the biggest shopping days of the year and a great time to for you to support our Association.

 



FREE Webinar!

Join the conversation at our next webinar on Nutrition and Weight Management with Dr. Jesse Lieberman.  This educational webinar will focus on proper nutrition and weight management for individuals with spinal cord injuries.

Thursday, July 12 at 1:30 ET

Dr. Lieberman is a physician in the outpatient clinic at Carolinas Medical Center who primarily serves patients with spinal cord injuries.  His areas of interest include cardiovascular disease prevention in individuals with chronic spinal cord injuries, primarily through nutrition interventions.

We will be closed on July 4th for the holiday. 

Thank you in advance for letting us spend time with our families.

Hope everyone has a great holiday!

*****







BREEZE GROUP SCHEDULE

Greenville Peer Support: July 19 at 6 pm, Roger C. Peace, 701 Grove Rd, Greenville 29605
Midlands Peer Support: July 21 at 7:05 pm, Spirit Communications Park
Orangeburg Peer Support: July 12 at 6:30 pm, 3000 St. Matthews Rd, Community Annex Building (by the car dealer)
Rock Hill Peer Support:July 17 at 6 pm, Piedmont Medical Center

Spartanburg Peer Support: July 17 at 6:15 pm, Spartanburg Rehabilitation Institute
Low Country Peer Support: July 10 at 6 pm, Trident Medical Center. Topic is a demo of the equipment "Up n' Free"
Horry Peer Support: July 18 at 6 PM, Health Finders @ Coastal Grand Mall, 2000 Coastal Grand Cir, Myrtle Beach
Florence Peer Support: To be determined