SC AT Exchange - New Listings 7/28/2011

Please send this message to other interested people and encourage them to join the SC AT Exchange. The more people we have involved, the more equipment we can find for South Carolinians. Please note, too, that some of the items needed are low-tech items that would make a huge difference in an individual's ability to live independently.

Below are new listings on our SC AT Exchange.
You must login (or create a new account if you are a new user) to see the contact information. If you have already logged in (or at least tried to) and still have questions please email Catherine Leigh Graham of call her at 803-434-3189. If you can’t get Catherine, email Janet Jendron or call her at (803) 446-2566.

Please visit the AT Exchange web page and find the contact information/details for these and other items. The Assistive Technology Exchange website includes many items listed for sale or free, as well as items that are needed. These items are not located at any one place or warehouse. These are all items that are currently owned by someone else who is willing to sell at a reduced price or even for free in some cases.

If you have questions, please don’t respond to this email, but contact BOTH Janet.Jendron@uscmed.sc.edu AND Catherine.Graham@usc.med.sc.edu

Note that we can try to help facilitate transportation of equipment, if that's needed. We can't promise anything, but it's always amazing who can step in to help! If you know you need and item and need help with transportation, email Janet Jendron at Janet.Jendron@uscmed.sc. edu

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Items for Free:

613 Child's soft left hand splint Lexington, SC
615 Multimedia keyboard Columbia, SC
616 Keyboard Columbia, SC
617 True Touch keyboard Columbia, SC
621 Laser fax machine Columbia, SC
632 Car Seat Williston, SC
634 Laser Printer Columbia, SC
638 Brace Walker Columbia, SC
641 Keyboard Columbia, SC
642 Monitor Columbia, SC
643 Laser printer Columbia, SC
646 Monitor and speakers Columbia, SC
649 Catheters Moore, SC
651 Folding walker Columbia, SC
655 Portable Nebulizer Columbia, SC
656 Raised toilet seat Columbia, SC
657 Raised toilet seat Columbia, SC
658 Raised Toilet seat with handles Columbia, SC
667 Manual Transport Wheelchair Columbia, SC
668 Bicycle Seat Cutting Stool Columbia, SC
672 HP DeskJet printer Columbia, SC
675 Forearm Crutches Columbia, SC
676 Rolling Shower Commode Chair Columbia, SC
677 Manual Hoyer Lift Columbia, SC

700 Dynavox 3100 Columbia, SC

For Sale:

622 Focus 80 Braille display Halethorpe, MD
623 Big Keys LX Keyboard-QWERTY/Yellow PS/2 w/USB Adapter Morganton, NC
624 AD-3 Standand Head Pointer w/Rear Strap Closure Morganton, NC
627 Toilet System Williston, SC
628 Chunc Wheelchair for Child Williston, SC
629 BookWorm Talking Book Morganton, NC
630 BookWorm Adjustable Stand Morganton, NC
631 Bath Seat Williston, SC
647 JAWS Queens Village, NY
665 Victor reader CD player for book reading Queens Village, NY
671 Power wheelchair Scooter West Columbia, SC
694 Gait Trainer Spartanburg, SC
702 Baby Jogger Cordova, SC

Items Needed:
611 Power Chair lift or Ramp for vehicle
618 Note Taker
620 Kurzweil Reader
633 mini cube talking alarm clock, victor stream, color identifier, money identifier, children’s Braille books
639 pediatric walkers
648 Intellikeys Keyguards
659 Wheelchair - stroller (like Convaid)
670 Lift chair
690 Large Van (adaptations not needed)
691 Soft Play
695 Ipad
696 Bath lift/portable lift
697 chair with wheels and tray
699 XL or XXL Diapers

NOTE: Click on the title above to go to the web site.

SCATP on WIS News 10 Tonight

Tonight, WIS News 10 at 7:00 pm will interview Janet Jendron from SCATP and Brooke Everhart from the Disability Action Center, about the delivery of a scooter to a woman in Branchville who was in great need with few resources. Janet Jendron and Kimberly Tissot (DAC) delivered the scooter today. This provision of a free scooter was a result of her seeking equipment through the SC Assistive Technology Exchange and a donation made to the Disability Action Center from a family in Pacolet.

It’s a great “Pass It On” story that also illustrates the impact this scooter will have on her ability to live independently. We hope this coverage will generate intense interest and participation in all SC assistive technology reuse activities.

Could Patients' Own Kidney Cells Cure Kidney Disease? Reprogrammed Kidney Cells Could Make Transplants and Dialysis Things of the Past

ScienceDaily (July 27, 2011) — Approximately 60 million people across the globe have chronic kidney disease, and many will need dialysis or a transplant. Breakthrough research published in the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN) indicates that patients' own kidney cells can be gathered and reprogrammed. Reprogramming patients' kidney cells could mean that in the future, fewer patients with kidney disease would require complicated, expensive procedures that affect their quality of life.

In the first study, Sharon Ricardo, PhD (Monash University, in Clayton, Australia) and her colleagues took cells from an individual's kidney and coaxed them to become progenitor cells, allowing the immature cells to form any type in the kidney. Specifically, they inserted several key reprogramming genes into the renal cells that made them capable of forming other cells.

In a second study, Miguel Esteban, MD, PhD (Chinese Academy of Sciences, in Guangzhou, China) and his colleagues found that kidney cells collected from a patient's urine can also be reprogrammed in this way. Using cells from urine allows a technology easy to implement in a clinic setting. Even better, the urine cells could be frozen and later thawed before they were manipulated.

To read entire article, please click the above title.

Wind: Wheeling in New Directions

The South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Association is excited to offer WIND (Wheeling In New Directions), a day-long discovery of life after spinal cord injury. Scheduled for Saturday, October 15, WIND is funded by a grant from the S.C. Spinal Cord Injury Research Fund.

This educational event will feature sessions including "Scuba Diving Saved My Life," Have Wheels, Will Travel, and a fashion show highlighting fun and fantastic looks that work well in a wheelchair. In addition, manual wheelchair users can get their chairs cleaned and sanitized for free in the HubScrub portable cleaning system.

Check out the impressive lineup of speakers and all of the day's offerings. And register today to have first choice of sessions to attend.

For more information about Wind, please click the above title.

SC ADULT SIBLING LEADERSHIP NETWORK

The SibNet Listserv

The SibNet is a listserv for adult siblings. It provides siblings the opportunity to share information with other siblings who have brothers and /or sisters with special needs. It is an excellent tool for discussing ideas, expressing concerns and sharing experiences with others. Through SibNet siblings can share information with siblings around the world.

SibN is sponsored by the Sibling Support Project. To learn more about SibNet and/or to join the listserv go to

http://www.siblingsupport.org/connect/the-sibnet-listserv

Fact Sheets

Fact sheet links on the following information have been added to our website:

· Conservatorship

· Disabled Adult Child Benefits

· Guardianship

· Letter of Intent

· Medical Estate Recovery

· Medicaid Home and Community Based Waivers in SC

· Medicaid Income Trust

· Medicaid versus Medicare

· SC Adult Health Care Consent Act

· Special Needs Trust

· SSI and Determining Fair Share of Living Expenses

· SSI versus SSDI

To access the links to the information, go to our website at:

www.scadultsiblingnetwork.org

Message From Susan DuRant, SIBL Network Project Coordinator

We continue to make every effort to get information out about the SIBL Network to the people who are most likely to need it. We welcome your ideas as to what methods of distribution of materials might work best. We are also seeking your input as to what information you might need that we have not made available yet.

If you have a story that you are willing to share regarding your personal responsibilities for, relationships with, or challenges in accessing information and services for your sibling, please let us know. We believe that sharing your stories will benefit others.

Highlights of the Quarter

Information links and our power point presentations were added to our website.

· Information on the SibL Network was shared at the SC Foster Parent Association, SC PTA Conference, Aiken Co DSS, with the Education Advisory Counsel, etc.

· We attended and shared information at the Life with Brain Injury Statewide Conference.

· We have had over 1180 hits on our SC Adult Sibling Leadership Network website.

· We currently have 79 fans on Facebook.

2012 ASib Leadership Network Conference

We are excited to announce the dates of our next SC Adult Sibling Leadership Network Conference. The dates will be March 23 and March 24, 2012. We will be partnering with the Family Connection SC conference which will offer a special sibling track with topics of interest for adult siblings with brothers and/or sisters with disabilities. Follow us on our website or on Facebook to get updated information on the conference speakers and topics. Mark your calendars and plan to attend.

SC Assistive Technology

This is from the Leslie Shipp.

The SC Assistive Technology Loan Program offers financial loans for assistive technology items for home modifications up to $7,500.00. Call 803-896-4553 or 866-247-8354 toll free for more information.

Examples of assistive technology for home modifications include:

· Accessible kitchen cabinets and counters

· Accessible bathroom fixtures, cabinets and counters

· Stair lifts

· Bath lifts

· Pull-down shelves for kitchen cabinets

· Pull-down closet rods

· Automatic entry systems

Marvin S. Murdaugh, M.D. Opportunity Grant

This is from the SC Spinal Cord Injury Association.

This grant only applies to people who have spinal cord injuries.

The Spinal Cord Injury Association is pleased to announce the establishment of the Marvin S. Murdaugh, M.D. Opportunity Grant. The grant was made possible by donations in memory of Dr. Murdaugh.

In 2011, two $300 grants will be awarded to South Carolina residents with spinal cord injuries. The grants will help provide opportunities to pursue employment, educational, or recreational goals or help meet needs that will enhance quality of life. The types of requests that could be funded by the grants include assistance towards the purchase of hand controls, college textbooks, a sports wheelchair, or construction of a ramp.

Applying for the Marvin S. Murdaugh, M.D. Opportunity Grant involves completing an application form, writing a short essay, and submitting one letter of reference. The deadline to apply is September 7, 2011. The application form and guidelines are available on the association’s website at www.scspinalcord.org/opportunity-grant.php or can be obtained by calling the state office at 803-252-2198 or toll-free at 866-445-5509.

For more information on the grant, please click the above title.

Expert Answers on Macular Degeneration

New York Times (July 19, 2011)-This week on the Consults blog, Stephen Rose of the Foundation Fighting Blindness took reader questions about macular degeneration and related diseases. Here, Dr. Rose responds to questions about macular degeneration. See, too, his responses in “Vitamins for Vision Loss.”

Wet vs. Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Q.

What’s the difference between wet and dry A.M.D.?
Johnny E., Tex.

A.

Dr. Stephen Rose responds:

Wet age-related macular degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels behind the retina start to grow under the macula, a small spot where vision is sharpest. These new blood vessels tend to be very fragile and often leak blood and fluid. The blood and fluid raise the macula from its normal place at the back of the eye, and loss of central vision can occur quickly. If it is not treated quickly, retinal cells that provide vision can degenerate, as well. An early symptom of wet A.M.D. is that straight lines appear wavy.

Dry A.M.D. occurs when the cells in the macula slowly break down, gradually blurring central vision in the affected eye. As dry A.M.D. gets worse, you may see a blurred spot in the center of your vision. You may also have difficulty recognizing faces. You may need more light for reading and other tasks. Dry A.M.D. generally affects both eyes, but vision can be lost in one eye while the other eye seems unaffected.

Approximately 85 percent of people with severe vision loss from A.M.D. have the wet form. However, having dry A.M.D. greatly increases the chance of developing the wet form.

Avastin vs. Lucentis for Macular Degeneration

Q.

What do you think of Avastin as a therapy for wet macular degeneration?
Maria, Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y.

A.

The decision to use Avastin or Lucentis for treating wet age-related macular degeneration is one that you and your ophthalmologist need to make together. Lucentis is the Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment for wet A.M.D., whereas Avastin, which is F.D.A.-approved for treating certain cancers, has been used “off-label” to treat wet A.M.D.

The final results of the “head-to-head” clinical trial of Lucentis vs. Avastin (the CATT study financed by the National Eye Institute) remain to be seen. A one-year interim analysis of the two-year study was reported this spring in The New England Journal of Medicine. The interim report states that Lucentis and Avastin have been equally effective thus far in maintaining or improving visual acuity.

To read entire the interview with Dr. Stephen Rose, please click the above title.

New Computer Tool for Elderly and Disabled

ScienceDaily (Jan. 28, 2011) — Disabled and elderly people could find it easier to navigate around town and city centres with a new hand-held computer being developed by a geographical information systems professor at Kingston University in South West London.

A Kingston University professor is developing a hand-held computer that could help disabled and older people to find their way around town and city centres.

Nigel Walford, Professor of Applied Geographical Information Systems, said the device would allow people with mobility problems to make their way more easily around an unfamiliar place by alerting them to hazards like steep slopes, stairs, physical obstructions and poorly lit streets.

After two years in development, Professor Walford said he was ready to produce a prototype that he hoped would attract the interest of industry backers. Rather than working like a satellite navigation device which gives directions to and from a specific location, the new tool would provide a survey of a town or city highlighting areas that might cause difficulties to someone with disabilities, to older people or to anyone who might want to avoid streets that were difficult to navigate. It could also help users find services such as public toilets or children's play areas.

To read the entire article, please click the above title.

New Technology Allows Disabled Children To Explore Their Creative Side

Medical News Today (July 16, 2011) - Doodling, colouring in and drawing are all important parts of a child's development. But what if the child has a disability and does not have the use or control of their limbs?

A team of researchers at Royal Holloway, University of London are working with charity SpecialEffect to use innovative technology to design a computer programme to allow those with disabilities to be able to explore their creativity.

The novel technology developed at Royal Holloway uses an eye-tracker to find out exactly how eye movements correspond with the participants preferences. Having identified a tell-tale pattern of eye-movements which allowed them to predict the participant's preferences, the researchers developed an evolutionary algorithm to manipulate designs right before the subjects' eyes, so that they gradually evolved to match each person's preferences. The subjects were not told to look for their favourite design, but allowed the computer to 'read their minds' through their eye movements.

To read the entire article, please click the above title.

Americans with Disabilities Meet with White House Officials

Disabled World (July 12,2011)- On Tuesday, July 12, Americans with disabilities and their family members will meet White House officials and members of Congress to discuss the way that Medicaid has strengthened their families and provided them with opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach. These everyday Americans will meet with the most powerful people in government to share their stories and provide a human face to the debt ceiling negotiations. The Administration has signaled their strong support for Medicaid and other programs critical to people with disabilities. It is vital that this support continues and that members of Congress work with the Administration to prevent devastating cuts.

Medicaid is a lifeline for 8 million children and adults with disabilities, among others including millions of seniors and families.

"It is critical that President Obama continue his support for Medicaid and that members of Congress stand up for the most vulnerable people in America. Leaders in Washington must not balance the budget on the backs of people with disabilities, children, the elderly, and the poor," said Mark Perriello, President and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).

"Tackling our nation's budget woes cannot be combined with an attack on people with disabilities, their families, and caregivers," said Stephen Bennett, President and CEO of United Cerebral Palsy. "Medicaid is a fundamental lynchpin for people with disabilities to live and work independently in communities across our nation. To eliminate this vital support is short-sighted and wrong."

To read the entire article. please click the above title.

Improving Mental Health Globally

Disabled World (July 12, 2011)- The Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health Initiative, led by the National Institutes of Health and the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases, has identified the top 40 barriers to better mental health around the world.

Similar to past grand challenges, which focused on infectious diseases and chronic, noncommunicable diseases, this initiative seeks to build a community of funders dedicated to supporting research that will significantly improve the lives of people living with MNS disorders within the next 10 years.

Twenty-five of the specific challenges and the process used to derive them are described in an article that will be published on July 7, 2011, in the journal Nature.

"Participating in global mental health research is an enormous opportunity, a means to accelerate advances in mental health care for the diverse U.S. population, as well as an extension of our vision of a world where mental illnesses are prevented and cured," said Thomas R. Insel, M.D., director of the National Institute of Mental Health ( NIMH ), the NIH institute heading this effort.

According to the paper's authors, the disorders targeted by the Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health — for example, schizophrenia, depression, epilepsy, dementia, and alcohol dependence — collectively account for more years of life lost to poor health, disability, or early death than either cardiovascular disease or cancer. Yet, compared to illnesses like cardiovascular disease and cancer, there are far fewer effective treatments or preventive methods. In addition, interventions are not widely available to those who need them most.

In recognizing the need to address this imbalance, Pamela Collins, M.D., M.P.H., of the NIMH Office for Research on Disparities and Global Mental Health, and colleagues assembled an international panel of experts to identify research priorities using the Delphi method, a widely accepted consensus-building tool. The panel consisted of 422 experts in fields such as neuroscience, basic behavioral science, mental health services, and epidemiology, and represented more than 60 countries.

Parkinson's Disease Patients May Benefit from Virtual-Reality-Based Therapies

ScienceDaily (July 11, 2011) — In people with Parkinson's Disease (PD), the inability to make quick movements limits basic functioning in daily life. Movement can be improved by various cueing techniques, such as providing visual or auditory stimuli when movements are started. In a study scheduled for publication in the August issue of the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, researchers report that virtual reality (VR) and physical reality exercises can be used to provide effective stimuli to increase movement speeds in PD patients.Investigators from the Departments of Occupational Therapy, Neurology, and Mechanical Engineering, the Institute of Education, and Allied Health Sciences, the National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, studied a group of 13 women and 16 men with PD who were age-matched against 14 women and 11 men without PD. Each participant was asked to reach for and grasp a stationary ball as quickly as possible. Then, moving balls were rolled down a ramp and the participants were asked to catch them when they reached a particular point on the ramp. When trying to catch the moving balls, the targets were visible for periods from 1.1 to 0.5 seconds. These trials were done in both normal physical reality and in a virtual reality environment.

To read the entire article, please click on the above title.