The 20th Annual Southeastern Regional Games!

The 20th Annual Southeastern Regional Games!

What: Watch the athletes compete in Track & Field events, Swimming, Archery, Air Riffle, Power Lifting, Bench Press and a Bocce Ball Exhibition
When: Events will begin Friday night, April 11th
Where: The North Myrtle Beach Aquatic & Fitness Centre
Registration: For more information about the games, participant registration or volunteer information, go to http://www.sewsagames.com or contact Melinda Chappell at (843)-997-7688.


To learn more, please click on the above title.

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link

SC AT Exchange: Wheelchairs, scooters and a van lift

We have an inventory of wheel chairs and scooters that are in very good condition. A few of them have batteries that work and many of them need batteries. Batteries Plus in Columbia offers a very, very good discount on batteries and will install them for free. In most cases, the batteries would cost from $200 - $300. This is a great bargain! People have even gone to churches and civic groups to get this kind of funding.
We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity! If you end up getting one of these chairs/scooters, we could have them at the Expo March 13 (at Brookland Conference Center in Columbia) for you to pick up after attending the Expo.
Call or email Catherine Graham at 803 434-3189 if you’re interested in these items and she can talk to you about the battery cost and other relevant issues.
Please pass this information along! We want to help South Carolinians with mobility and independence through our reuse programs!
Janet Jendron, SC Assistive Technology Program

To read more about the SCATP Expo, click on the title above.

To access the Center for Disability Resources Library and its materials, please click this link

Read an Assistive Technology Holiday Success Story!

Sent by Janet Jendron (SCATP)--Recently we sent out an appeal from the Lexington County Auditor’s Office, looking to fulfill a wish for a wheelchair desk by a foster child they “adopted” this holiday season. We sent this out to our reuse listserve.

As usual, the response was gratifying. We had some folks who tried to help with a cheaper alternative, and so forth. I talked to Ronda Catron several times about it. In the first conversation, I suggested that she just try to call the company (Rifton) to ask if they’d give one to the child. We thought, “What does it hurt to try?”

Within a couple of days, the folks at Rifton responded with a positive answer and are shipping the desk with a few attachments.

You can read more about the company at www.rifton.com

And see a video at http://www.rifton.com/products/mobility/pacergaittrainers/seancarter/

Ann at Rifton wrote:

Thank you for passing on through Valerie the story of how an office team in SC has adopted the Christmas Wish Lists of foster children. This is the kind of thing we wish we could see so much more often in our world today. We would like to make this a special Christmas for this child. We are happy to be able to release it today so that it will be received before Christmas.

Rifton has agreed that we can tell our listserv about this, but also with the explanation that they do regret that they’re unable to respond favorably to the dozens of donation requests they receive, but we were so touched by this request that they responded to this one.

Isn’t this a wonderful Holiday story? When I said “it takes a village” in regards to transporting a piece of equipment right before Thanksgiving, it was even more prophetic than we realized.

NOTE: Click on title above to go to the South Carolina Assistive Technology Program's web site.

Langevin Gavels in House Session, Honors ADA Anniversary

WASHINGTON, DC - "Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), who is quadriplegic, presided over the US House of Representatives for the first time today. The Speaker’s rostrum on the House Floor has just been made wheelchair-accessible. This historic event coincided with the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“I have long said that I may be the first quadriplegic to serve in Congress, but I won’t be the last,” said Langevin, a five-term representative from Rhode Island and co-chair of the Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus. “Today, we celebrated another major step in continuing efforts to make the Capitol Complex accessible when I presided over the US House of Representatives. This was an extremely proud moment for me and helped to renew my spirit as we continue to remove barriers and strengthen the ADA for millions of Americans with disabilities in the decades to come.”

NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

UI student's wheelchair features rolling, with changes

University of Illinois mechanical engineering graduate student Scott Daigle shows the first prototype of a wheelchair he is building that features a continuously variable transmission on each wheel designed to maximize a user's shoulder function. By Heather Coit

The News-Gazette (Monday, November 30, 2009) -- URBANA – If gear shifting is good for motorists and bicyclists, why not for wheelchair users?

That's what Scott Daigle wondered as he watched people propel themselves around the University of Illinois campus in wheelchairs.

"They were going about as fast as they could. Their arms were the only things limiting them," said Daigle, a first-year graduate student in mechanical engineering.

Adding gear shifting to the wheelchair could help them get around more efficiently, he figured. So he set about designing improvements and came up with a continuous variable transmission.

There are already wheelchairs with gears, but Daigle's concept is distinct.

"The way mine is different is, it automatically senses your conditions, so if you're going quickly, it will shift to a higher gear, or if you're going up a hill, it will shift to a lower gear. The user doesn't even think about it," he said.

By Don Dodson

To view the entire article. please click on the link above.

Babies & Robots: Infant Power Mobility On Display

ScienceDaily (Feb. 16, 2009) — Children with mobility issues, like cerebral palsy and spina bifida, can’t explore the world like other babies, because they can’t crawl or walk. Infant development emerges from the thousands of daily discoveries experienced by babies as they move and explore their worlds.

Mobility-deprived kids start exploring when they can operate a traditional power wheelchair, typically at age 3 or often older.

Research done by University of Delaware researchers is turning that on its head and could potentially change the way these children’s brains develop.

Physical therapy professor Cole Galloway and mechanical engineering professor Sunil Agrawal have developed tiny power chairs babies as young as 6 months can operate using a joystick.

Now, they’ve paired with Permobil, a national producer of power chairs, and outfitted a chair for toddlers.

To View Entire Article, Please Click On the Link Above.

Aerobic Exercise For The Wheelchair-bound

ScienceDaily (Sep. 10, 2008) —

University of Texas at Austin alumnus, Chris Stanford (MSEE '91), and Electrical & Computer Engineering undergraduates are working on making exercise fun for wheelchair users. For the last year, Stanford has been partnering with engineering seniors to test his idea for a virtual reality treadmill for the disabled.

"Not many people realize," says Stanford who has been confined to a wheelchair since 1988, "the special health risks faced by wheelchair users. Everything is more difficult, including eating right and getting enough exercise. Because of this, the incidence of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease is several times the rate of the general population."

To view this entire article, please click the title above.

Tongue Drive System Lets Persons With Disabilities Operate Powered Wheelchairs, Computers

ScienceDaily (June 30, 2008) —

"A new assistive technology developed by engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology could help individuals with severe disabilities lead more independent lives.

The novel system allows individuals with disabilities to operate a computer, control a powered wheelchair and interact with their environments simply by moving their tongues.

"'This device could revolutionize the field of assistive technologies by helping individuals with severe disabilities, such as those with high-level spinal cord injuries, return to rich, active, independent and productive lives,' said Maysam Ghovanloo, an assistant professor in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Ghovanloo developed the system with graduate student Xueliang Huo."

NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

SCATP Assistive Technology Exchange

The SC Assistive Technology Exchange is an online recycling database to help citizens with disabilities and older people with functional limitations find affordable assistive technology devices and equipment. For more information or to buy, sell, or donate, visit the Web site at http://www.scatpexchange.net/ or email Catherine Graham at Catherine.graham@palmettohealth.org.

Some items currently listed for sale include:

5 foot long 1 piece Wheelchair Ramp. Ramp solutions, 5 foot long - one piece aluminum wheelchair ramp, used only once, non-skid, Excellent condition, For Sale: $100.00 or Best Offer

Pride Jet 2 HD (Heavy Duty) Scooter. Scooter/chair. Brand new and never used. The scooter has arms and will allow complete mobility. Never Used. For Sale: $400.00 or Best Offer

Sunrise Medical Kid Kart (Child's Wheelchair). Blue seat with Green Base. Very Good condition. Able to use in van with tie downs. Very Good condition. For Sale: $200.00 or Best Offer

Some items currently being sought:

"Sure Hands" Ceiling Hoist. A ceiling mounted hoist that can pick up a person with paraplegia and move him up & over to his wheelchair

Personal Lift. Lift to assist with transfers for a child approx 125lbs

Exterior Power Chair Lift with a Hitch. Seeking an exterior power chair lift with a hitch and/or funding for an exterior power chair lift with a hitch. The lift will be installed on a 1998 Grand Marquis and needs to be fully automatic with hand controls. It should accommodate a Jet II power chair with a weight of 220 pounds. I appreciate any help that anyone can give me.

To view these and other items, please click the title above.

5 Points Wheel Program

The 5 Points Wheels program is up and running. This is a FREE transportation program for adults with disabilities or seniors who do not have transportation. If you think you or someone you might know who could benefit please contact Catherine Graham for the following information:

Riders Release: A standard liability form.
Rider Information Form: You must register with the program before
you can ride.
Flyer and Brochure: For information purposes
Operating Map: THIS IS THE CRITICAL ONE!!! The 5 points wheels program operates in the attached "box" area. There is also a Harbison Wheels program operating in the Harbison area and we are working on one in the Northeast.

We want this service utilized. Riders can go to doctor's appointments or anywhere else (e.g. grocery store, shopping, mall, haircut, movie, etc.) The program is limited by the number of volunteer drivers available, so if you know of anyone who would like to volunteer please have them contact Catherine. The drivers must be between 30-75 years old.

To contact Catherine, please call (803) 434-3189 or email her at catherine.graham@palmettohealth.org

It's A Miracle!

A Miracle field that is….Pineview now has a miracle field for the spring of 2008. For those of you who don’t know what a miracle field is let us explain. It is a custom-designed venue which incorporates a cushioned synthetic turf that accommodates wheelchairs and other walking assistance devices, while helping prevent injuries. In other words, it provides a level-playing field where physically and mentally challenged children can hit, run, and catch- just like the best of them.

Pineview Board members would like to invite you on February 10, 2008 at the Tri-City Leisure Center at 3:00pm in West Columbia, so we may introduce ourselves to you. We would like to take the opportunity to go over how this miracle league should run, and also get input from the parents on what you would like to see for the PAL league in the future. Pineview board members will be on hand to answer any questions or concerns you may have regarding the PAL league.

After the meeting you will be able to register your child for the spring season. Other dates available to register are as follows:

Feb. 16 from 11am - 3pm / Feb. 17 from 2pm - 5pm / Feb. 24 from 2pm - 5pm

These dates we will be at the Pineview Ruritan Club located on Pella Avenue near Pineview baseball fields. Please feel free to contact myself, or any board member for questions you have before the Feb. 10th meeting.

“Every Child Deserves A Chance to Play Baseball.”

Thank you,

Pineview Board
Lisa Blackmon
Asst PAL commissioner

Jamie Russell (c) 318-1042

Lisa Blackmon (c) 260-2367

Gina Whitten (c) 206-9689 (w) 794-7113

Shelly Blackmon (h) 791-1938 (c) 348-6035

Brad King (c) 309-3810

Dawn Davis (h) 796-1710 (w) 794-7113

Grants for Kids

The United Healthcare Children's Foundation is offering support to meet
the needs of children nationwide with assistance grants for medical
services not fully covered by health insurance.

Parents and caretakers across the country will be eligible to apply for
grants of up to $5,000.00 for health-care services that will help
improve their children's health and quality of life. Examples of the
types of medical services covered by the foundation grants include
speech therapy; physical therapy and psychotherapy sessions; medical
equipment such as wheelchairs, braces, hearing aids and eye-glasses, and
orthodontic and dental treatments.

"The United Healthcare Children's Foundation has already helped more
than 375 families and provided nearly $1 million in financial
assistance", said Foundation President Matt Peterson. "We are excited
about the expansion of the program and look forward to the opportunity
to help many more children have access to healthcare services that will
enhance their health and quality of life."

To be eligible for the grants, children must be 16 years old or
younger. Families must meet economic guidelines, live in the U.S. and
be covered by a commercial health insurance plan. For more information,
visit: www.uhccf.org

WITNESS: Still Paralyzed, But Back Reporting Overseas

"Peter Apps is a Reuters correspondent who was badly injured in a car crash on Sept 5, 2006 while on assignment in Sri Lanka. He lost the use of his limbs and is now confined to a wheelchair. He has written previously on his slow recovery and return to work. In the following story he describes going on his first foreign reporting trip since his accident."

To view this entire article, please click the title above.

Wheelchairs No Bar to Beauty, Say Disabled Models

by Arnaud Bouvier

HANOVER, Germany (AFP) - "They're young, beautiful, poised and ambitious -- and confined to wheelchairs. Meet the new stars of the catwalk, at a modeling competition for the disabled.

Ten young women from across Europe joined the competition in the northern German city of Hanover this month.

In smart casual togs or long evening dresses in brilliant colors, Milena of Macedonia, Gerardina of Italy and Germany's Ines relished the limelight as hundreds of spectators looked on and a professional jury sized them up."

To view this entire article, please click the title above.