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CLICK ON "MY CITY" FOR LOCAL WHEELCHAIR NEWS, SPORTS AND MORE!
USA - Starting in Indianapolis, IN, Cincinnati, OH, and Louisville, KY,
People on Wheels is now publishing local Wheelchair news, sports information and
scores, local research opportunities, health care news and eventually job
opportunities. Click on "My City" and then on the city you want to find
out about! Got something to report? or any feedback? e-mail
localeditor@peopleonwheels.org.
Paralympics
play
catalyst
role in
'ramping up'
accessibility
 CANADA
- For a
country that
prides
itself on
embracing
people with
disabilities,
the
oversight by
the Canadian
Olympic
Committee to
have
wheelchair
access at
Canada
Olympic
House in
Beijing
served as a
sharp
reminder of
the
challenges
the country
faces as it
prepares for
the 2010
Winter
Paralympics.
It was a
small gaffe,
noticed only
by a few
reporters
and the
entourage
following
Vancouver
Mayor Sam
Sullivan.
And it was
fixed
swiftly by
embarrassed
COC
officials
who crafted
a ramp
overnight.
Read More!
The ALS
Association
to Support
Trial of
Lithium
CALIFORNIA -
The ALS
Association
is funding a
major
clinical
trial to
determine if
lithium can
slow disease
progression
in patients
in the early
stages of
ALS. The
study builds
on earlier
promising
results from
preclinical
research and
a small,
open-label
investigation
in ALS
patients.
“Lithium has
generated a
lot of
interest in
the ALS
community,”
according to
Lucie Bruijn,
Ph.D.,
senior vice
president,
research and
development
of The
Association.
“This trial
is
vital...It’s
the crucial
next step
for
investigating
the
potential of
this drug.”
Read More!
Tech lets
tongue drive
the PC,
wheelchair
 CALIFORNIA
-
Theoretical
physicist
Stephen
Hawking
blinks an
eye to
control a
computer and
voice
synthesizer.
But with the
use of a new
technology,
he could use
his tongue
instead.
Engineers at
Georgia's
Institute of
Technology
have
developed
technology
that would
allow people
with severe
disabilities,
such as
Hawking, to
operate a
wheelchair
or computer
by moving
their
tongue. They
only need to
get as hip
as a
tongue-pierced
punk. The
technology,
which was
described in
this month's
issue of the
Journal of
Rehabilitation
Research and
Development,
involves a
small magnet
the size of
a grain of
rice, which
gets pierced
into the
person's
tongue.
Read More!
Drive-through
rules vex
stroke
victim in
wheelchair
 CALIFORNIA
- Don Talley
is a stroke
victim who
braves the
streets of
Modesto in
his
motorized
wheelchair.
He's upset
because
McDonald's
won't let
him use the
drive-thru
lane, and
feels like
he's being
discriminated
against.
Talley can't
open the
front door
to enter.
The
62-year-old
suffered a
stroke in
1993. He is
frustrated
because the
folks at
McDonald's
and Jack in
the Box
restaurants,
both on
Oakdale
Road, won't
let him use
his chair in
their
drive-through
lanes. It
says
'drive-thru.'
All I want
to do is
drive
through. I'm
just like
everybody
else."
Read More!
Forum: Stem
cell debate
is pretty
clear
 MICHIGAN
- The
discussion
of embryonic
stem cell
experimentation
continues to
generate a
lot of heat
while
spreading
far too
little
light. It
bears
repeating
that adult,
not
embryonic,
stem cell
research is
yielding
amazing
results.
There are
currently at
least 73
diseases
being
treated as a
result of
adult stem
cell
research.
This list
includes
cancer,
diabetes,
multiple
sclerosis,
corneal
regeneration,
Parkinson's
disease and
spinal cord
injuries, to
name but a
few. A
recent
editorial
claimed that
not doing
"life-changing
research" is
a "real sin"
committed by
those
opposed to
ESCR. In
case you are
unclear
about how
terrible a
group these
people
are...Read
More!
Fair Housing
Probe:
Thousands of
New York
apartments
may not meet
requirements
for
accessibility
 NEW
YORK - The
developers
and owners
of an
estimated
100,000 city
apartment
units may
set their
sights on
Washington
to avoid
paying tens
of millions
of dollars
for
violations
of the
federal Fair
Housing Act.
The New York
Times
reported
yesterday
that the
U.S.
attorney in
Manhattan,
Michael
Garcia, is
opening an
investigation
into whether
thousands of
apartment
units that
satisfied
city
regulators
failed to
meet federal
requirements
for
wheelchair
accessibility.
Read More!
Following
fatality,
increased
awareness of
mobility
issues
 NEW
HAMPSHIRE -
Following
the death
Wednesday of
a city man
who was
struck by a
car while
riding his
motorized
wheelchair
on a city
street,
Laconia
police
officers
this morning
are getting
a refresher
course on
the state
laws that
govern
"electric
personal
assistive
mobility
devices.''
Meanwhile,
Police Chief
Mike Moyer
and Fire
Chief Ken
Erickson are
appealing to
motorists to
be on the
lookout for
the mobility
scooters.
Konrad
Kimball,
left, 62, of
Laconia says
he has been
hit by cars
while riding
in his power
chair and
has had
plenty of
near misses.
Read More!
BRILLIANT:
Bicycle-type
gear gives a
boost to
manual
wheelchair
users
 WASHINGTON
- Pedaling a bicycle uphill is hard work. That's why they put gears on bikes, to
make the task a little easier.
Why couldn't the same idea be applied to manual wheelchairs? In fact, it can, a
point proven by a small Seattle manufacturer, MagicWheels Inc. With a flip of a
sliding switch on a MagicWheels hub, a wheelchair user can shift from a
conventional 1:1 gear ratio to a 2:1 ratio (the rim on which the user pushes
rotates twice for each revolution of the wheel), much as a bicycle rider shifts
to a gear that offers less resistance.
Read
More!
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Paralympics: First woman to play wheelchair rugby for Britain carries our hopes more gold
 U.K. - Josie Pearson, from a small hamlet in Herefordshire, is very much a girl in a man's world, the first female ever to force her way into the hitherto all-male domain of wheelchair rugby. This has been therapy through which she has pieced her life and her body together again after a head-on road smash in North Wales five years ago in which her boyfriend was killed and she was left a tetraplegic, her neck broken and paralysed from the chest down. She was just 17 years old. Read More!
Paralympians are ready, willing and able
 U.K. - Among the international stars poised to make an impact next month is Chantal Petitclerc, 38, the Canadian wheelchair athlete who won five gold medals and broke three world records at the 2004 Paralympics. She lost the use of her legs after an accident at the age of 13. Her 800m victory at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester made history because it was included in Canada’s medal tally for the whole Games. Read More!
Virginia athlete has a gift for speed
VIRGINIA - Sure, Kelsie Kellen wanted a medal. What elite track and field athlete wouldn't? But when she took her spot on a New Jersey track at last month's International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation Junior World Games, the loudspeaker announcement gave her a much greater reward: "Kelsie Kellen, for the United States of America." It was her first international competition, and she was thrilled to represent her country. Later, it hardly seemed to matter that she finished out of the medals in her five events. Read More!
Men climb Kilimanjaro in wheelchairs
 IDAHO - Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the largest mountain in Africa, is not easy under the best circumstances. In June, four climbers from Idaho - two of them using special wheelchairs designed for off-road travel - took on the famed 19,340-foot mountain. Tom McCurdy of Pocatello uses a wheelchair because of an injury sustained in the Army in 1987, when an armored military vehicle trapped him against a wall. The incident resulted in paralysis below the waist. It hasn't stopped him from enjoying sports and outdoor challenges. Read More!
Wheelchair championships to hold finals in Creve Coeur, Some participants will be headed for the Paralympics
MISSOURI - A total of 110 wheelchair tennis player--46 professionals and 66 amateurs--from around the United States and several foreign countries participated in the weeklong event, sponsored by The ROHO Group Inc., headquartered in Belleville, and The Gateway Confluence Wheelchair Sports Foundation. For many of the athletes, it is their last opportunity to improve their rankings as they make the journey to Beijing for the 2008 Paralympics...Read More!
First Wheelchair Relay in Cornwall set for Sept. 13
 CANADA - The Wheelchair Relay Challenge comes to Cornwall for the first time. Organized by the Canadian Paraplegic Association, the fund raising event allows the Canadian paraplegic Association to provide services for free. Organizers will be building a track in the east-end parking lot of the Cornwall Civic Complex, near the Aquatic Centre, complete with obstacles for competitors. Teams will be made up of five members, none of whom have to be wheelchair-bound. Read More!
Tucson team members enjoy big medal haul in National Veterans Wheelchair games
ARIZONA - Theron Hallock won a silver medal for slalom and bronze medals in archery and nine-ball pool during his first national competition. Hallock is an 81-year-old veteran who gets around in a wheelchair. Like Hallock, 10 other veterans are part of the Tucson team that competed at the 28th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Omaha, Neb., from July 25-29.
"I loved it and I'll definitely do it next time." Read More!
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Thank You!
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Are you
leaking between caths?
Are you tired of the
side affects of dry
mouth from your bladder
meds?
Do you still have the
constant urge to go all
the time?
This is one of the
biggest breakthroughs in
bladder care for SCI and
MS patients in a long
time. People who use
catheters and experience
leakage in spite of
taking bladder
medications need to know
about the affects of
injected Botox!
Urologists inject Botox
in the bladder, relaxing
the bladder muscle which
relieves leakage and
replaces the need for
oral medications that
lead to dry mouth and
other reactions. Those
who have used it say the
results are
unbelievable! Allergan,
the developer of Botox,
is setting up study
sites to prove to the
insurance companies how
well it works. Any
spinal cord injured
patient or MS patient
who uses a catheter and
passes their screening
test can get the Botox
FREE along with all the
tests paid for as well
and money for their
time. Call this toll
free number(
1-888-617-8839) and
check out this site:
www.dignitytoostudy.com
to see if you can
take part in the study!
Read about two kinds of
Botox treatments and how
they worked for these
cath users.
Article 1
and
Article 2
Nursing Home's political
contributions keep
elderly and disabled in
nursing homes against
their will
According to disability
advocate, Steve Winter,
the nursing home
industry has been buying
congressional votes
against the Community
Choice Act, with their
campaign contributions.
The Community Choice Act
(CCA) would allow the
elderly and disabled to
stay in their homes and
receive Medicaid
benefits instead of more
expensive mandated
nursing home care. These
folks often want to stay
in their homes. The plan
would save taxpayer
money, but the CCA is
continually blocked by
what critics say are the
"vote buying practices"
of the American Health
Care Association--the
nursing home's trade
association.
Says Gold, "ask for a
meeting with officials
who have taken these
donations. Use the
information linked below
to initiate a dialogue
with your Senators and
Representatives. When
they say they are in
favor of the Community
Choice Act, ask them to
return the nursing home
industry contributions
as a sign of good faith.
If they say they oppose
eliminating the
institutional bias,
discuss the
contributions.
Many newspapers and
other media might also
be interested." To find
out which Congressmen
received donations from
the nursing home
industry and how much
they received,
Click Here!
This is your chance to
make a difference: Stop
low bid procurement on
your wheelchair
WASHINGTON - A number of
initiatives to lessen
the impact of
competitive bidding on
home medical equipment
have hit some major
snags. There is,
however, still a bright
light at the end of the
tunnel. HR 2231, the
bill to exempt Complex
Rehab from National
Competitive Bidding, is
very much alive and
well. With your help and
participation at CELA
’08 – the Continuing
Education and
Legislative Advocacy
conference - we can and
will garner enough
support on Capitol Hill
to pass this
legislation.
Contact your
legislators!
NEWS FLASH! New
increased VA grants for
specially adapted
housing
WASHINGTON – A
change in the law that
allows certain seriously
injured veterans and
service members to
receive multiple grants
for constructing or
modifying homes has
resulted in many new
grants, the Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA)
announced today. Before
the change, eligible
veterans and service
members could receive
special adaptive housing
grants of $10,000 or
$50,000 from VA only
once. Now they may use
the benefit up to three
times, so long as the
total grants stay within
specified limits
outlined in the law.
Read More!
American Association
for Homecare disputes
validity of internet
power wheelchair prices
as basis for
reimbursement of
services in Medicare
VIRGINIA - Tyler J.
Wilson, president of the
American Association for
Homecare, commented,
"This study and the
inappropriate comparison
of Medicare and Internet
pricing will be used by
some members of Congress
to justify further cuts
to power wheelchair
Medicare reimbursement
rates and defend the new
competitive bidding
program. We urge
Congress to evaluate
Medicare reimbursement
for power wheelchairs in
the correct context."
Read More!
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More Research News!
First stem cell trials might start in O.C.
Read More About the Stem Cell Debate!
Conquering chronic pain: Scientists find key
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Allen Institute for Brain Science Unveils World's First Genome-Wide Spinal Cord Atlas
Umbilical cord blood cell transplants may help ALS patients
Researchers Report Neublastin virtually restores
Polyethylene Glycol therapy found to reduce traumatic brain injury-related behavioral symptoms
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Being tetraplegic isn't a lifestyle choice
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Click
Here for
Great Stuff!
Find
many more
resource
links on our
Links page
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Top Sellers!
Life on Wheels |
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Whatever your condition, this book is about getting the most from your life!
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Positioning in a Wheelchair |
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This is a must read for better health and comfort!
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Worcester, MA transit
beefs up services for
disabled
MASSACHUSETTS — The
company that operates
Worcester Regional
Transit Authority buses
has taken action to
correct problems that
resulted in disabled
passengers being left at
the curb. RTA Transit
Services has posted a
policy telling drivers
what to do when a
wheelchair lift is
inoperable and a
passenger needs it; has
added a mechanic to fix
wheelchair lifts; and is
following up on reports
of passengers with
disabilities being
stranded by buses...Read
More!
Downtown New
Brunswick
ponders how
to become
more
wheelchair-friendly
CANADA - A
Queen Street
skateboarding
store
smoothed the
way for a
couple of
its
customers to
have a
wheelchair-accessible
entrance to
its store.
Technically,
a wheelchair
can
negotiate up
to a
three-inch
rise, but
since the
store was
renovating
its front
entryway, it
seemed the
right thing
to do to
make it
easier for
its regular
customers -
some of whom
are disabled
- to have
greater
accessibility
to the
store,
MacLean
said. "It
wasn't too
bad. The
owner did it
himself
after hours
and it
wasn't
overly
expensive,"
MacLean
said.
Read More!
Watch
this
training
video on
wheelchair
use of
sidewalks!
D.C. - A
series of
videos on
sidewalk
accessibility
previously
available on
DVD can now
be viewed
through our
site.
Accessible
Sidewalks is
a four-part
video
developed to
illustrate
issues and
considerations
in the
design of
sidewalks.
The series
covers
access for
pedestrians
with
mobility
impairments,
including
those who
use
wheelchairs,
and
pedestrians
who are
blind or
have low
vision. The
videos are
open
captioned
and
incorporate
running
descriptive
audio.
See More!
Wheelchair
access
coming to
Penny Lake,
Idaho
IDAHO -
Despite
funding that
suddenly
vanished, a
new
handicap-accessible
fishing pier
at Penny
Lake in Warm
Springs
canyon is
scheduled to
be built
this fall. A
number of
U.S. Forest
Service
projects
budgeted for
late-summer
or autumn
were
deferred
this year to
free up
resources in
the federal
fire-fighting
budget, but
this small,
$3,500
project near
Ketchum is
chugging
forward.
Construction
is scheduled
to begin
around Sept.
20. The
project is
the result
of a public,
private and
nonprofit
partnership
among Sun
Valley
Adaptive
Sports, the
Forest
Service,
city of
Ketchum and
Poster
Construction.
Read More!
Handi-Access
Awards for
accessible
businesses -
Great Idea!
GEORGIA -
Able
disaAbled, a
local
organization
advocating
for disabled
rights,
wants to
recognize
business
owners who
ensure their
stores are
wheelchair
accessible.
“They did
simple
things like
making sure
the aisles
are wide
enough to
accommodate
a wheelchair
and putting
shelf items
within
reach...”
Read More!
Easter
Seals and
the CENTURY
21® System's
Easy Access
Housing
NATIONAL
- Accessible
homes aren’t
much
different
from the
average
homes lining
a typical,
American
neighborhood
street. In
fact, many
accessible
homeowners
find that
certain
defining
features
have a
positive
impact on
their home’s
overall
value and
resale
price.
Read More!
or
Go on a
virtual tour
of an
accessible
home!
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