Independent Living briefly

National Spinal Cord Injury Association E-News
May, 2004
New Newspaper on Spinal Cord Injury
NSCIA is pleased to announce the publication of the first national newspaper on the subject of spinal cord injury and disease, SCI Life. Edited by Gary Karp - a published author, speaker and advocate for persons with SCI/D - SCI Life will be one of the most widely circulated publications on the subject of SCI. Each issue will be filled with insightful articles on quality of life, travel and advocacy and much, much more. The only way to receive SCI Life is to become a member of NSCIA - membership is free so you have nothing to lose!

Supreme Court Rules in TN v. Lane
January of this year, the day before oral arguments commenced, a group of activists crawled up the steps of the Supreme Court to draw national attention to the case. In a major 5-to-4 decision announced on May 17th, the Supreme Court ruled in Tennessee v. Lane that Congress acted within its authority when it made states liable in federal court for failing to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). The majority of justices upheld the portion of the disabilities law that empowers individuals to sue states for noncompliance with the ADA. This case originally arose out of the need of persons with disabilities to be carried up and down stairs in court houses across the nation. The plaintiff, George Lane, was actually arrested at the bottom of a flight of stairs for "failure to appear" at the top of the stairs!

Just a Beginning
By Gary Karp
Just out of rehab? These days, spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D) below the cervical level means you probably spent about a month in rehab after a brief acute hospital stay. People with a higher level of injury typically get a few more weeks of inpatient attention.

Our Top Story: Darth Vader's a Helpless Cripple
By Mike Ervin
"Darth Vader's a Helpless Cripple." This comes from my always entertaining archive of supermarket tabloid disability headlines. I didn't save the date on this one but judging from the brittle yellowed state of this clip, it's probably circa late 1980s or so.

My Diary
By Katrine Seghetti-Mayhew
Katrine Seghetti-Mayhew's son, Clayton, was injured in a driving accident on July 20th, 2003. Katrine decided to chronicle her family's experiences in a journal, detailing the ups and downs of Clayton's journey from intensive care to rehabilitation through the on-going process of recovery. Compassionate and heartfelt, she shares excerpts from her diary below.

This Month's Topic: Supreme Court Decision
The Supreme Court has now ruled in favor of persons with disabilities in TN v. Lane. Citizens can now sue state governments demanding they, like private businesses, must comply with the ADA. What affect do you think this case will have on your life? Click here to participate in our on-line survey!

Magnetic Therapy for Spine Injury
Magnetic therapy may help people with spinal cord injuries. Doctors at Imperial College London administered magnetic stimulation to the brains of people with partial damage to their spinal cord.

NSCIA Introduces Business Partnership Program
NSCIA is pleased to introduce its new Business Partnership Program! All NSCIA Business Partners receive acknowledgement in NSCIA's official publication SCI Life, our website www.spinalcord.org and this electronic newsletter. NSCIA Partners are also entitled to a 20% discount on all NSCIA marketing and advertising opportunities. NSCIA would like to gratefully acknowledge the support of our initial Business Partners:

• Three Rivers Holdings LLC
• Medtronic
• Medtronic Foundation
• Acorda Therapeutics
• Darden Restaurants
• Cingular Wireless
• Astratech

To learn how becoming an NSCIA Partner can benefit your business, email mroth@spinalcord.org.

SCI Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Secondary Conditions and Exercise
While few would argue as to the far-reaching benefits of exercise, due to numerous barriers, it is difficult for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) to consistently participate in a routine exercise program. Sadly, individuals with SCI may have the greatest potential to benefit from exercise and physical activity since they are less fit, age at an accelerated rate compared with the non-SCI population, and are more susceptible to numerous, often preventable, secondary conditions.

Profiles in Excellence
Sponsored By The Solutions Marketing Group
Daryl Mitchell Is Part of the Family on "Ed"
By Joan Leotta
Fans of "Ed", an NBC show about a big-city lawyer who returns to his hometown roots and pursues his high school love, enjoy the quirky comedy-drama's character-driven stories. The ensemble cast features Tom Cavanagh as Ed Stevens, the lawyer who impulsively buys Stuckeyville, Ohio's bowling alley in the pilot episode; Julie Bowen as Carol Vessey, the girl of Ed's high school dreams; and various other employees and regulars at the Stuckeybowl.

Copyright © 2004 NSCIA. All rights reserved.
Heathgate/HDI Publishers

Landmine Survivor Network (LSN) Report

The Blind Boys of Alabama and Friends
Grammy Award-winning Blind Boys of Alabama and friends, including Ruben Blades, perform in a concert presented by LSN at tha UN General Assembly, Wednesday, May 26 at 7pm to celebrate and promote the U.N. Convention on Rights of People with Disabilities.

The historic draft treaty will be presented to U.N. member states for discussion and negotiation at a two-week Ad Hoc Meeting beginning on May 24.

High School Students Support LSN Work Around the World
Hundreds of high schools across the U.S. are organizing bake sales, stay-awake-a- thons, three-legged races and other activities to raise awareness and funds to support LSN and Adopt-A-Minefield USA.Full Story

What Happens to the Body When it Detonates a Landmine?As more mine-injured return from Iraq, a trauma surgeon answers questions.

Dr. Howard Champion has been a trauma surgeon for over 30 years. He is the former Chief of Trauma at Washington Hospital Center.

SR: What happens, physically, when someone steps on a landmine?

Dr. Champion: The anti-personnel landmine is designed to explode with great force against the human body, with the idea of causing lethal injury. And what happens is, there is an explosion which causes gases and pre-formed and unformed metal fragments to fly into the tissues breaking the bone, ripping apart the vessels and muscles, causing tissue damage, much of which is not repairable.

Ugandan Woman Recovers from Landmine Injury to Advocate a Ban
Margaret Arach is a mother of five who was riding in a bus in Uganda in December, 1998. Rebel troups had lined the roads with mines. Margaret was in the front seat when her bus hit the mine.

"The rebels had planted the mine, so they were lying in wait, in the bushes. That was how they did it. They would plant the mine in the straight part of the road. So, we knew a bit about that, and there was no talking on the bus. As we came out of the curve, to where the road was straight, the next thing I hear was a big explosion. And I thought we had just lost a tire. I didn’t know that the loud explosion had taken off my leg..."

Message From Jerry White
What does it feel like to step on a landmine? The short answer is, it hurts. The long answer is, it forever divides your life in two...before your accident and after. Before the accident, who thought about words like "disability" and "prosthesis" or "phantom pain?" Not me. Twenty years ago, I was hiking in Israel and a mine blast opened the earth beneath me.

NETWORK NOTES: Update on Preparations for the U.N. Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities

LSN Executive Director Jerry White, along with LSN staff, attended a conference in Egypt April 26-27, titled "Egyptian Perspective on the Convention of the Rights of People with Disabilities." It was held in Cairo, under the auspices of the First Lady, Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak.

Cast of NBC's "The West Wing" Performs at Fundraising Event for LSN
Martin Sheen, Stockard Channing, and other "West Wing" cast mates performed a dramatic reading of the landmine survivors play, "Raising Our Voices," in Los Angeles on May 3, 2004. The play, a collection of survivor stories, was written by Alyson Feltes and Tessa Barlow, two Canadians who wanted to do something to help LSN raise awareness and funds for its work.Full Story

Deminer Killed in Yemen
Mr. Seleh Mohammad Al Annasi, 28, a deminer in Yemen, was killed on April 17, 2004. Mr. Seleh was clearing mines in Minefield No. 2, in Jabalul Shieba Mountain, Marish Village, Al Nadira District.

For more information please visit www.landminesurvivors.org

Money Smart : free CD-ROM training program on improving money and banking skills available from the FDIC
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) launched a free training program, Money Smart , targeting adults outside the financial mainstream to increase their money and banking skills. This 10-module curriculum is being successfully used by some disability organizations as a financial education tool for persons with disabilities and their families. For more information, please visit http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/moneysmart/index.html.

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