Webcasts Important for MSers

There are two web casts this week that MSers will find interesting, one presented by Disaboom and the other by Healthtalk.

Disaboom, the premiere online community for everyone touched by disability, is presenting the National Forum on Disability Issues. The forum will commemorate the 18th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and address important issues. This is an historic event which allows the presidential candidates to address disability policy in America.

The meeting is scheduled July 26 in Columbus, Ohio, 12:00 - 3:30 PM Eastern Time.

Register Now

Healthtalk presents a webcast called Letting Go of Your MS Guilt. Experts will address the reasons MSers have guilt, including the impact on family and friends. In addition, they will talk about the bad feelings brought about by a hidden disability.

This webcast is scheduled July 24, 5:30 PM Pacific Time.

Register Now

technorati tags: msguilt, mswebcast, disabilityissuesforum, disaboom

Nurse Looking for a Job?

Here's a tip.

AXIS Healthcare is a care coordination organization located in Minnesota. They create personalized plans to allow people with disabilities to live independent lives. Sounds pretty good to me.

Currently, AXIS is searching for nurses to serve as coordinators and liaisons. Check out the AXIS employment opportunities.

technorati tags: nursejob, healthcarejob, axishealthcare, downthemspath

It Counts To Have a Disability

The 2010 Census will be taken in less than two years, and I think it should be interesting to see the increase in the number of people with disabilities. Between aging baby boomers and troops returning from Iraq with disabilities, that segment of the population will be significantly larger than in the 2000 Census and will certainly affect projections, programs and fund allocations. Yes, I think it will be interesting.

How are people with disabilities counted, who is counted as having a disability, and what difference does it make?

I searched for the term disability in the U.S. Census and the only search result was the March 1999 Current Population Survey. That was a long time ago.The U.S. Census Bureau maintains the Current Population Survey (CPS) as a monthly survey updating labor characteristics of the population. On that March report nine years ago, there was only one question (Q59a) concerning disability:

(read more)

technorati tags: census, censusanddisability, downthemspath

Disability - A Secret to Share?

About 7 million people require some type of mobility help, a cane, walker, crutches or a wheelchair. Over 125 million Americans have a chronic condition, and some have more than one. Forty million are limited in their everyday lives, but some have no visible signs of a disability.

Many conditions, including MS, affect our lives without revealing characteristics to the public. Having an invisible disability has its advantages in a prejudiced society. An invisible disability means you can pass as "normal" in the working and social worlds. Others don't feel awkward around you, employers don't ask prying questions, people don't stare. All that sounds pretty good, and it's understandable to want to keep one's disabilities hidden.

(read more)

technorati tags: downtheMSPath, disability, health, ms,

Living Disabled in the UK?

You may want to check into Ableize.

Ableize, run and supported by people with disabilities, is a resource of disability and mobility information for the UK and Ireland. It is an extremely comprehensive directory. They say it is a "virtual library of resources." Visit Ableize.

technorati tags: ukdisability, disabilitydirectory, downthemspath

ESPY Votes

Matt Scott is nominated for an ESPY award.

Sunday, July 20, Justin Timberlake will host the 2008 ESPY Awards, ESPN's tribute to some great athletes, and you get to choose the winners. You can vote for best of the best players, teams, moments in sports, and even best sports movie. One category is best male athlete with a disability and this is where Matt Scott comes in.

Matt has a congenital disability called spinabifida and he is a double foot amputee. So why is he nominated as an athlete? He plays wheelchair basketball in the collegiate division of the NWBA and the US men's national team. Pretty impressive. You may have seen Matt when he starred in the "no excuses" commercials for Nike.


To vote for Matt and in all the other categories, go to the ESPN voting page. You have to register, but it's relatively painless and it's free. Go vote!

technorati tags: espnathlete, espyathlete, bestathlete, disabledathlete, athletewithdisability, mattscott, downthemspath

Computers and Ability

If you are disabled and you use a computer, there might be something to help you use the computer better or easier. Here is one place to look for adaptive or assistive devices or programs.

Dan J. Gilman experienced a spinal cord injury in 1972 and later became certified as an Assistive Technology Practitioner. He developed a web site Abilityhub.com that provides information on equipment and alternative methods for accessing computers.

There are alternatives for the mouse and keyboard, programs that magnify or read aloud text on a screen, and more. Ability Hub also offers consulting services. Beyond the computer, information is provided for electronic aids for daily living to interact with things such as TVs and lights, often by voice commands. Interested? Check it out.

technorati tags: disabled, assistivedevices, alternativemethods, disableduseofcomputers, danjgilman, downthemspath

MS, Horses, and the Olympics

The Olympics will be held in China this year. At the same place, a little later, Paraolympics will be held, featuring athletes with a disability.

Here's some exciting news. Simon Laurens, who has successfully represented the UK in past Dressage events, will continue to do so in this year's Paraolympics. He was diagnosed with MS in 2004, so he represents MSers as well.

Along with Simon will be Anne Dunham, also an MSer.

MS will be well represented in the horse events for the 2008 Beijing Para Dressage events. Good luck!

technorati tags: olympics, paraolympics, dressage, horses, downthemspath

Hate Targets Disability

Garry's Blog asked the question, "Who could hate the disabled?" Well apparently someone does.

Garry uses data visualization to show patterns of hate crimes against people with disabilities. He used FBI data broken down by type of crime. Take a look.

technorati tags: downthemspath, hatecrimesagainstdisabled

Facing Change

Charles Darwin did not have MS. What he did have was a theory of natural selection. Often his theory is summarized as “survival of the fittest;” however, he was not referring to brute strength. Darwin said: "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."

One thing in life is certain -- there will be change. Change can be difficult, but it can be very exciting, too. Whether it is good or bad depends on how we respond and adapt. It takes innovation, but it especially takes attitude.

(read more)

technorati tags: DowntheMSPath, disability, ms, multiplesclerosis, christopherreeves, msresearch, qualityoflife, positiveattitude, respondingtochange, CharlesDarwin