United Spinal Association Newsletter

 

United Spinal Newsletter | May 2024 View this email in your browser   Behind United Spinal’s New Collaboration with United Airlines   United Spinal and United Airlines are working together to make travel more accommodating for wheelchair users. We are your voice on the ground—and now, we’re working toward being your voice in the skies. “It is my sincere hope that this story becomes a clarion call for all the other major carriers in the U.S., and that our partnership with United Airlines becomes a model for other opportunities. We hope that the airline industry will continue to dare to surprise us,” Vincenzo Piscopo, President/CEO, remarked in his most recent Message from the CEO. How will this development impact you—and what kind of future does it point to for our community? Click here to learn more.     You Had Our Back for Giving Week: Thank You! Our deepest gratitude to everyone who took the plunge and donated to our first ever Giving Week. You contributed more than $13,000 in support of our work helping wheelchair users live fulfilling, independent lives. Your gifts help us continue to provide vital resources, support, and advocacy to empower our community. Thank you for your commitment to making an impact. A special shout out to our collaborators: Charisma and Cole Sydnor, Mason Branstrator, Dani Izzie, Wes Hamilton, and Cheryl Jacobs. We were deeply touched by their support during Giving Week, which helped us spread the word about our important work. Support for our work is a year-round endeavor. If you would like to join the momentum and give today, donating has never been easier—and it all goes to our tireless work on behalf of our community.     A Heartfelt Farewell to a United Spinal Hero: Christine Golden VetsFirst Service Director Christine Golden’s 25 years of dedication to the cause of disabled veterans has helped thousands of people obtain the benefits and entitlements that they earned through service and sacrifice. She retired on May 1st, and we could not let her go without letting the world know about her incredible career. Thank you, Christine.     May 16 is Global Accessibility Awareness Day: Here’s How You Can Help There are five key things you can do on Global Accessibility Awareness Day that will have an impact for the entire year—and beyond. Learn about why every day is an accessibility awareness day for United Spinal, and how you can be a difference-maker for digital access and inclusion.     COMMUNITY SUPPORT     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 AND POLICY     What’s bugging you? We’re here to help. Bring your most important issues to United Spinal—we’re here to help. Let us know how we can focus on what’s important to you by taking this brief policy survey. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact United Spinal policy staff at policy@unitedspinal.org. Thank you.     Medicaid and Home and Community Based Services The Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services final rule advances access to care and quality of care, including home-and community-based services (HCBS). This new final rule establishes a Medicaid Advisory Committee and Beneficiary Advisory Council and strengthens oversight of Home and Community-Based Services. Check here for more information, and visit our extensive landing page about our work on care support.     Spotlight on Emergency Preparedness Potential New Assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA established some updates to disaster assistance benefits. Comments are due later this summer. United Spinal will work with our Emergency Preparedness Working Group and our members across the country to submit comments on these reforms. Click here for more information. You can take a 2-hour web training course to help on the ground with a natural disaster. Click here for more information.     ICYMI: Influential FEMA Disability Coordinator Speaks to Our Emergency Preparedness Working Group   The Emergency Preparedness Working Group helps prepare wheelchair users and people living with spinal cord injuries to face natural disasters across the nation. Sherman Gillums, Jr., Ed.D., who advises FEMA regarding equity for people with disabilities and Director, Office of Disability Integration and Coordination spoke to our Emergency Preparedness Working Group in April about FEMA reforms and how we can get involved. Dr. Gillums is a veteran and former Executive Director of Paralyzed Veterans of America. Learn more about him here. Watch the webinar here. Sherman Gillums, Jr., Ed.D, Director, Office of Disability Integration and Coordination, FEMA     Stay in the loop. Be on the forefront of change. Subscribe to our Advocacy and Policy newsletter for a deeper dive into our work today.     SPONSORED CONTENT     Mobility disabilities affect 1 in 7 adults. They are the most common type of disability. But the disability experience is different for everyone. This #MobilityAwareness Month, help make health research more inclusive. By participating in research, you can help health care to meet the needs of every community. Join Today: JoinAllofUs.org/Disability,  #AllofUsInclusion,  #MobilityAwareness     Seeking participants for a study on workplace experiences Illinois Tech is conducting a focus group study examining microaggressions and quality of work life among adults with SCI. Goal of the project: The goal of this study is to gather information on microaggression experiences, to better understand how they affect employment turnover, and to consider how personal strengths and values can help to cope with these experiences. What will I be asked to do? Participation in this study involves a 90-120 minute informal virtual focus group and a brief online survey. Participants will receive a $100 gift card to thank them for their participation. Who can participate? To participate in the focus group, you must be: 18 years old or older Living with SCI Able to access reliable internet connection, and Employed part-time or full-time, OR had worked in the past two years. Please sign up here if interested: https://iitpsychology.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4HNLKrOxQzcLm2a If you would like more information, please visit our website: scimicroaggression.org This project is funded by the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation.     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 May 21 at 5pm ET.   Resource Center Live Come join our Resource Center team to have your questions answered live. The next meeting is May 22 at 4pm 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 May 14 at 7pm ET.   Rolling with Pride All members of the LGBTQIA community with disabilities and our allies are welcome. Rolling with Pride meets on the first Wednesday of every month. The next meeting is on June 5 at 6pm ET.     VIEW ALL UPCOMING EVENTS   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.