United Spinal Association, International Wheelchair Day

 

United Spinal Newsletter | March 2024 View this email in your browser   A Declaration of Independence on International Wheelchair Day In honor of International Wheelchair Day on March 1st, we asked United Spinal Association staff and board members to reflect on what their wheelchair means to them. Read on to see what we uncovered—and how you can share your wheelchair denial story with United Spinal to help us advocate for better coverage of mobility devices.     United Spinal is on the move. We’re fighting on all fronts for a better life for all wheelchair users. A great way to stay up to date on everything we’re up to is to follow our Instagram. We spotlight breaking news and the voices of a new generation renewing the disability rights movement and redefining what it means to live with a disability. We are making significant advances on accessible air travel, but our community also continues to face challenges that remind us why we’re in the struggle, every single day. Stay connected with United Spinal and share your #Flightmares with us to help us speak truth to power.     Working Group Spotlight: Care Support When we say we are members helping members, there’s no better example than our working groups. They are a huge source of knowledge straight from the grassroots: everyday experts who know the score. This month, our Care Support Working Group is offering a guide to creating a backup plan for your care support needs that is tailored to your needs. We’re grateful for all that our working groups do—and we’re eager to see what comes next.     Surveys Shine a Light on Our Lived Experience—And Move the Needle on Innovation Want to contribute to the most innovative medical research impacting our community? Broaden the understanding of our diverse experiences as wheelchair users? Be a part of breakthroughs in universal design? Check out our Surveys page today. It’s full of listings for studies that are part of making progress towards a better world for all wheelchair users.     ADVOCACY     Alexandra Bennewith, VP, Government Relations, United Spinal Association and Mindy Henderson, All Wheels Up Advisor and Muscular Dystrophy Association Editor in Chief, Quest Podcast, attend the announcement of the proposed rule to make flying safer for wheelchair users.   Breaking News: A Landmark in Our Fight to Fly Safely There is real progress in our multi-year fight for wheelchair users to fly safely. The U.S. Department of Transportation released a proposed rule on Feb. 28 that will help to protect our equipment and physical safety. These proposed changes would affect the entire air travel experience for wheelchair users from top to bottom—and comments are only open for the next 60 days. Learn more about how deeply transformative this new rule is, and how you can take action.     We’ve made enormous progress on so many issues this year—ensuring safer air travel and making the healthcare that we rely on more equitable through our tireless advocacy. However, we can’t do this without your support. Become a recurring donor, and your ongoing support will power our programs. Your gift will fuel our mission month after month. Be a part of United Spinal making history by making a gift today!     NEW! Care Support Highlights ICYMI: Care Support Webinar: Find, Hiring, Training, & Retaining Care Support Professionals, January 30, 2024 Recording now available: Advocates and care support professionals shared ways to navigate the caregiving crisis at our January Care Support webinar. Nancy Thaler, Senior Policy Advisor for the Administration for Community Living, highlighted key efforts to improve the care infrastructure and the services and supports that people seek. The recorded webinar and resources are on the United Spinal Association Care Support webpage.     Take Action Let's keep up the flight for legislation that supports our community by improving access to care, quality, and health equity: HCBS Access Act and Better Care Better Jobs Act   You can also join our Care Support Working Group.   Have some tips of your own or a story to share? Email Rebecca MacTaggart at rmactaggart@unitedspinal.org or Annie Streit at astreit@unitedspinal.org.     SPONSORED CONTENT     DYK 29% of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander people identify as having a disability? The goal of All of Us Research is inclusion for all people. Learn more at: JoinAllofUs.org/Inclusion     CHECK THESE OUT   Social Hour Take a little break from the daily grind. Join us every Thursday at 1pm ET for a social hour via Zoom to connect with others from our local chapters, support groups, and peer mentoring networks. Register here.   Advocacy Live Join the Rolling Revolution Come join and collaborate with other advocates the 3rd Tuesday of every month – alternating times at 1pm ET and 5pm ET. The next Advocacy Live is March 19 at 5pm ET.   Resource Center Live Come join our Resource Center team to have your questions answered live. The next meeting is March 27 at 4pm ET.   VIEW ALL UPCOMING EVENTS   TechTalks Join United Spinal Tech Access Members to collaborate and share about accessible technology. The next meeting is March 14 at 5pm ET.   Empowering Parental Caregivers Calling all parents/guardians of children, adolescents, or young adults with spinal cord injuries or mobility disorders- if you are looking for a community that understands what you are going through, this group is for you! The next meeting is March 12 at 7pm ET.   Rolling with Pride Want to meet other LGBTQIA wheelchair users from around the country? Now you can! All members of the LGBTQIA community who have disabilities — including our allies —  are welcome. Rolling with Pride meets the first Tuesday of every month. Next meeting is April 2 at 1pm ET.     Copyright © 2024 United Spinal Association. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 120-34 Queens Blvd. #330 Kew Gardens, NY 11415 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.