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Greetings!
When Josh Blue ambles up to the microphone,
everyone in the room better get ready to laugh. This
guy not
only won the televised "Last Comic Standing"
competition, he is said to possess "an unreasonable
amount of likability." Find out more about Josh and
then read about Renee Balke and
get some travel inspiration from a woman who travels
the world with her power wheelchair. Finally, take a
minute and lend your support to get
funding of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis
act by contacting your representatives!
As
always, if you have a
need or a question, we are
here for you!
| Urge Congress to Support Quality Affordable Health Coverage for People with Disabilities |
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On Tuesday, October 20th, hundreds of Easter Seals
volunteers and clients went to Capitol Hill. They
brought Congress a clear message: People with
disabilities and their families should have affordable
health care that provides the services they need, when
they need them. Urge your members of Congress to
ensure that people with disabilities can get high-
quality, affordable health coverage that includes:
Coverage for pre-existing conditions, guaranteed
coverage renewal, and no annual or lifetime caps.
Benefits like rehabilitative and habilitative services,
medical equipment and devices, and mental health
services
Affordability provisions, so that all people, including
those with disabilities, can receive the health care they
need to live, learn, work, and play in their
communities.
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| Josh Blue: A Stand Up Comic who Sits Down takes Country by Storm |
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Josh Blue, recently voted the Last Comic Standing on
NBC's reality show, got his start in comedy doing
open mic sets while attending The Evergreen State
College. Audiences reacted enthusiastically to his self-
deprecating humor, and Blue started making a name
for himself on the comedy circuit. Josh has cerebral
palsy and many of his jokes center on living with his
disability, how he deals with it and how other people
view him. Blue says he appeared on the Last Comic
Standing to "make people aware of the fact that
people with disabilities can make an impact." But he's
not always this serious. He coined the term "palsy
punch" during his final set of the final round of the
show, when he said that the palsy punch is effective in
a fight because "first of all, they don't know where the
punch is coming from, and second of all, neither do I."
Blue is
touring the country now, so check out his schedule
and
support him!
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Renee Balke Travels the World with her Family and her Power Wheelchair...
Why Not You? |
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When it comes to exploring other parts of the world,
Renee Balke, 41, and her family have left no stone
unturned-well almost no stone. Renee, who had a
C4-5 incomplete spinal cord injury since high school,
notes that in the United States and most of Great
Britain is accessible. Additionally, many of the historic
sites and museums are available at a discounted
rate." Aside from Alaska, the Balke family has toured
almost everywhere, from the pyramids of Egypt to the
jungles of Kenya. Although traveling in a motorized
wheelchair can be difficult at times, Balke has found
that many people in foreign countries are able to
speak English and have been willing to lend her a
hand when needed. Check out this United Spinal
article about Renee and her family for inspiration for
your own trip!
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| For All Your Mobility Needs, Call Monroe Wheelchair! |
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You can depend on all of us at Monroe Wheelchair for
the latest
technology in medical equipment and the highest
quality healthcare.
Our staff has a combined 300 years of experience in
the medical equipment industry and Monroe's on-site
owner, Doug Westerdahl, continually monitors and
works together with his staff to improve customer
service.
Call us at 1-888-546-8595
today!
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A United Voting Block: The Politics of Paralysis |
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"Almost six million people in the United States are
affected by some type of paralysis. This is a significant
voting population, " says Ida Cahill, President of the
Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation. Read Ida's
message, below!
"The passing of the 2009 Christopher and Dana
Reeve Paralysis Act was a tremendous stepping
stone for the community. It was the contribution of a
wide range of organizations and individuals' ongoing
support of the bill over the past several years that led
up to its passing.
The next challenge is to see
that the
bill is funded."
Cooperation between advocacy groups is essential to
our success in influencing government decisions. As
a united group, we must express our urgency to our
leaders and the general public, letting them know that
a cure is a physical and financial necessity.
To
that
end, the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation has
joined forces with a number of advocacy groups and
organizations to obtain support from the legislature
and to raise awareness to the public.
Ida Cahill is a member of the national Paralysis Task
Force, a group of the nation's preeminent scientists,
health advocates, and experts from the nation's top
universities, medical institutions and nonprofit care
organizations.
The Paralysis Task Force continues to advise the
Reeve Foundation's Paralysis Resource Center and
promote the health and well-being of people living
with a spinal cord injury, mobility impairment, and
paralysis by providing comprehensive information,
resources and referral services.
The support of the entire spinal cord community is key
to the passing of important bills, such as the
Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act to promote
spinal cord paralysis research and to improve
rehabilitation through legislation. But the successful
passing of a bill is only the beginning. There is still
much work ahead of all of us to keep the issue in the
political forefront and see that this bill becomes
adequately funded. Contact your representatives in
government and let them know what is important to
you.
For the link, click here!
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