Daily Dose : Advocacy

Who do you think is the Best Dad on Wheels?

j_lo — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:32:00 GMT

We've started getting some really great entries for our 2010 Best Dad on Wheels contest. We love to read the uplifting stories and see the pictures of dads that are truly amazing. There so many great dads out there and we want to hear about all of them! (Reeve Foundation Ambassador, Scott Chesney, pictured with his daughter.)Click here if you think a dad you know should be crowned the 2010 Best Dad on Wheels.Tell us in 200 words why the father you nominate should win. Let us know all the ways he...(read more)

Have you signed up to be part of a wheelchair world record, yet?

j_lo — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:11:00 GMT

We are approaching the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Don't let this day come and go. Be a part of history. Honor what the ADA has done in the past 20 years, and what it will do in the next 20 years to come. Join the Reeve Foundation in LA on July 25 to commemorate the anniversary. Click here to sign up now!Be there as the Reeve Foundation celebrates by breaking a Guinness World Record by having the the most wheelchairs in a moving line.Happy anniversary to the ADA!Janelle Like...(read more)

ADA at 20

j_lo — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:49:00 GMT

We are just 10 days away from the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. So what does 20 years of the ADA mean?“Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down.” Thus spoke President George H. W. Bush at the White House signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, July 26, 1990. For people with disabilities, that wall -- symbolically and literally -- has come down. It hasn’t entirely disappeared but the ADA, reversing the centuries long history of “out of sight,...(read more)

Christopher Reeve on the ADA

j_lo — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:07:00 GMT

I was recently finishing Christopher Reeve's book, Still Me. At the end, some of his speeches are listed, including one from the Democratic National Convention on August 26, 1996.He said these powerful words about the Americans with Disabilities Act:“First of all our nation can not tolerate discrimination of any kind. That’s why the Americans with Disabilities Act is so important and must be honored everywhere. It is a civil rights law that is tearing down barriers both in architecture and in attitude....(read more)

Video news: Clothes for the seated, skate boarding, and more

gerthro — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:45:00 GMT

This edition of our video newsletter is about summer safety. The Foundation's Paralysis Population survey revealed that of the over 1.2 million people living with spinal cord injuries, 16% were injured through a sporting or recreational accident. Our information specialists do not look forward to the summer season. Sadly, our telephone (800-539-7309 Mon.-Fri., 9 am to 6 pm ET) rings way too often with someone looking for our assistance with a new injury. With that in mind, we have put together...(read more)

Be part of a wheelchair world record

gerthro — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:36:00 GMT

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act by setting the Guinness World Record for wheelchairs in a moving line! Anyone in a wheelchair is welcome to participate. Come to Dodger Stadium near Los Angeles, CA on Sunday, July 25th. The time of day will be determined soon. Sign up now and we will send you an email reminder with all the registration information. The event is free and open to...(read more)

Time to travel!

j_lo — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:01:00 GMT

Ever want to travel the world? No problem!All traveling can be a little stressful, but our Traveling with Your Wheelchair piece highlights four wheelchair travelers who tell us how fabulous traveling can be. From cruising to going on a safari, you really feel like you are traveling with these individuals!The piece isn't only about the wheelchair travelers' experiences. It features your rights as a traveler living with a disability, the Top 14 Travel Tips from Fellow Travelers, and How to Stay Healthy...(read more)

Do you know the Best Dad on Wheels?

j_lo — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:42:00 GMT

Tell us if you know the absolute Best Dad on Wheels! We're looking to have you nominate that dad who is simply, well, the best.Submit a 200 word essay explaining the impact this father has had in your life or his community. Be creative, think of a crayon box when you were little. There was always that one color that stood out I bet. Why? Tell us why the father you are nominating is that color! You can also submit a photo (Reeve Foundation Ambassador, Scott Chesney and son pictured at right) and optional...(read more)

2010 Best Dad on Wheels Contest

gerthro — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 20:06:00 GMT

Father's Day got us thinking. We wanted to honor some of the dads out there living with paralysis. And so we have started searching for the 2010 Best Dad on Wheels. We'll be featuring the nominees including their stories, photos, and video if you have it, all summer long. Just after Labor Day we will select the top 10 nominees based on the essays from the people who've nominated them (although don't be afraid to nominate yourself). (Photo is of "pop" Dr. Dan Gottlieb and grandson Sam. Sam was...(read more)

New website about stem cell treatments

gerthro — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:04:00 GMT

The International Society for Stem Cell Research just launched "A Closer Look at Stem Cell Treatments". It's a website that arms patients, their families, and doctors with information they need to make decisions about stem cell treatments. The site includes:Top 10 Things to Know about Stem Cell TreatmentsThe Patient Handbook on Stem Cell Therapies How Science Becomes Medicine What to Ask ProvidersAnd the ability to submit a clinic for them to review This extensive endeavor, in alignment...(read more)

Give MyReeve a try!

gerthro — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:18:00 GMT

From advocates, supporters, and fans I always get, How can I help?" Here is the answer. We built this tool for you -- MyReeve.It's a really simple tool. It has a handful of features which I've listed below. But, by far, the most important piece is the ability to help us spread the word about what we do here at the Foundation. You would be surprised. When I first started going to conventions and expos people using chairs would come up to the Foundation's booth and go, "Hey, Christopher Reeve! Cool....(read more)

Impact of health care reform on people with disabilities

gerthro — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:56:00 GMT

Here is a very manageable, understandable Cliff Notes version of how the recently enacted healthcare and insurance reforms affects people living with disabilities from our friends at United Spinal Association and the National Spinal Cord Injury Association.Read it here.When you first get to the page, scroll down to "Document Guide." All of those links don't take you to other pages, they just jump you down the page.RobPS: Their advocacy website is wonderful. Like the Reeve Foundation. Follow...(read more)

Get an insider's take on being spinal cord injured

gerthro — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:51:00 GMT

Francesco Clark's new book, Walking Papers, does a wonderful job of putting you inside the mind and the body of someone who is spinal cord injured. You put it down having a better understanding of what it's like being that guy over there in the wheelchair. Turns out that guy is just like you.There is a beautiful foreword by Alexandra Reeve Givens, Christopher Reeve's daughter. She and Francesco are good friends. Here is a small piece from the book. If you want to read a longer excerpt, download this...(read more)

You're still you. And I love you

gerthro — Thu, 27 May 2010 12:15:00 GMT

I can remember watching the news as it unfolded that Memorial Day in 1995 as each report grew worse. The actor we all knew as Superman was struggling for his life after being thrown from his horse on the third jump of a riding competition. The doctors had explained my condition, and now I understood how serious it was. This was not a C5-C6, which means you're in a wheelchair but you can use your arms and breathe on your own. C1-C2 is about as bad as it gets. Why not die and save everyone a lot of...(read more)

Is there an app for that?

gerthro — Wed, 26 May 2010 18:18:00 GMT

Some of the emails about our Top 10 Things that Annoy People in Wheelchairs asked if we could be a little more positive next time out. So, we are starting on our next list! The Top 10 apps for People in Wheelchairs.We want to find out if you have a smartphone, or an iPad, or some similar device, the usability of it, and what apps are especially good for you as a wheelchair user. Tell us the name of the app, why it works for you, and what app store to look in.Someone already suggested we start of...(read more)