THE DERBY CITY NSCIA NEWSLETTER

Message From the President

Dear Members & Friends-

Our speaker this month will be Jenny Smith from The Mobility Project. She will discuss how this organization provides wheelchairs and other durable medical equipment for predominantly third world countries. Jenny has traveled to Mexico, Afghanistan, and other countries. She will be going back to Afghanistan in the near future. She will talk about her experiences with accessibility issues in foreign countries and what type of impact her donations make to those disabled citizens in other parts of the world.

May’s meeting will be held at Frazier Rehab, 4th floor activity room. Social hour: 6:30; speaker at 7:00 p.m. Refreshments provided.

- David Allgood

The support group is selling coupons to various restaurants throughout the Kentuckiana area. These coupons cost $10 and come in three different combinations. One is for McDonalds, another is Pizza Hut, and the third is a variety of different restaurants.

Any one interested in buying or selling them to help out the group should call David Allgood at 589-6620. We hope to use the proceeds for the same purposes as is mentioned in the column on the right.

A RECIPE FOR FUNDRAISING
By David Allgood

The Derby City Area Chapter is in the process of developing a fundraiser. We are going to sell cookbooks. We are wanting to get as many recipes from our Chapter members as we possibly can. Your recipe, along with the name of the individual who provided the recipe, will be included in our cookbook. We are going to sell these cookbooks for $8.00 and hope to have them ready by early July. The cookbook will have an American flag theme and we hope that our members will be able to sell a large number of them. We need to have the recipes to us by April 19. We hope to give some of the proceeds to the University of Louisville’s spinal cord research project and possibly help sponsor some Chapter members’ trip to our annual national convention. So please send your recipes to:

David Allgood
Center for Accessible Living
981 S. Third St., #102
Louisville, KY 40203

Thanks for making this a potentially successful fundraiser.

THE DERBY CITY NSCIA NEWSLETTER

Derby City Area Chapter
of the
National Spinal Cord Injury Association

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

The Derby City Area Chapter of the N.S.C.I.A. is a membership organization for individuals with spinal cord injuries, their families, and health professionals. Founded in 1984 as a Charter Member of the N.S.C.I.A., it was incorporated under IRS Section 501 (c) 3 as a not for profit organization. The Board of Directors consists of the Officers, Past President and the Board Members At Large.

***

OFFICERS

PRESIDENT
David Allgood - (502) 589-6620

VICE PRESIDENT
Adam Ford - (502) 425-2206

TREASURER
Tom Stokes- (502) 957-5865

LIAISON TO FRAZIER INSTITUTE
Dr. Bill Kraft – (502) 582-5865

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY
Michael Feger- (502) 647-0368

PAST PRESIDENT
Adam Ford- (502) 425-2206

BOARD MEMBERS AT LARGE-
Mike Perry
Kelly Young

NSCIA
DERBY CITY CHAPTER
NEWSLETTER

Editor- Barbara Davis

Contributor- David Allgood

iBOT HITS THE MARKET

“I didn’t know whether to scream, laugh or cry, thinking about what the iBOT does for me,” says T11-12 para Vicki Hicks, one of the first purchasers of the iBOT. “It gives me freedoms I haven’t had for 22 years.”

Hicks, an interior designer from Oklahoma City, says she’s thrilled she can reach high shelves again, plus easily cross grass and other terrain. “Climbing the steps isn’t such a big deal to me. The every day constant things are much more important — the upper half of the Christmas tree, the upper rack of clothes, cleaning out a cabinet.” Popping 4-inch curbs is a nice perk, too, she says.

Hicks and other purchasers received their iBOTS Feb. 24 at The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research in Houston, Texas. The purchasers were all trained on how to use their iBOTs at TIRR. Hicks says the iBOT’s $29,000 price tag is worth the cost. “It’s not a frou-frou item, it’s not icing on the cake,” she says. “It’s an important item that ought to be covered by insurance.” Hicks plans to take out a loan in order to purchase her iBOT if none of the cost will be covered by Medicare. “It’s not just a matter of reaching higher — it’s a huge measure of independence that I haven’t had in 22 years.”

PARKING PLACARDS FOR PREGNANCY?

The California legislature is considering allowing women who are in the final three months of pregnancy to park in spots set aside for people with disabilities. “It says we care,” said Assemblyman Tony Strickland, sponsor of AB 1947. “Pregnancy is something valuable. It’s not a disability, but we want to make life easier for women who are going through pregnancy because their body is already going through so much stress.”

About 500,000 women give birth each year in California. Under AB 1947 they would each automatically be eligible for a placard in their last trimester. “I’m not against mothers-to-be, but given the resources we have, it (the proposed bill) is a concern,” Ramona Garcia, chair of the Resources for Independent Living, told the Sacramento Bee. Garcia says if the bill passes it will reduce spaces available to disabled people and lead to even more placard abuse.

THE DERBY CITY NSCIA NEWSLETTER

Refrigerator Calendar
*2004

APRIL

  5th  -  Elderly & Disabled Advisory Council Meeting
Mon    1:00-2:30 p.m.; TARC; 1000 W. Broadway; Board Room.

19th -  NSCIA Derby City Area Chapter meeting; 7 p.m.; Frazier Rehab
Mon   4th floor activity room; speaker: Jenny Smith from Mobility Project.

17th -  Metro disAbility Coalition Meeting; 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.; PVA Office on Goss Avenue.
Sat      Speaker to be announced; if questions, contact Terri Leasor at 589-6620 or at
           mdclouky.org

MAY

  3rd - Elderly & Disabled Advisory Council Meeting
Mon   1:00-2:30 p.m.; TARC; 1000 W. Broadway; Board Room.

17th -  NSCIA Derby City Area Chapter meeting, 7 p.m., Frazier Rehab.
Mon    4th floor activity room; speaker to be announced.

15th -  Metro disAbility Coalition Meeting; 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.; PVA Office on Goss Avenue.
Sat     Speaker to be announced; if questions contact Terri Leasor at 589-6620 or
          mdclouky.org

For More Information Call
David Allgood, 502-589-6620

THE DERBY CITY NSCIA NEWSLETTER

NEW POLL ON EMERGENCY PLANNING

On January 30 the National Organization on Disability released a poll that shows the majority of people with disabilities are insufficiently prepared for disasters and are anxious about their safety. “The disability community has good reason to be anxious,” says NOD director Alan Reich. “The 54 million American children, women and men who have disabilities are among the most vulnerable in disasters.”

The poll, commissioned by NOD and conducted by Harris Interactive, reports that 44% of disabled people say they know who to contact about their community’s emergency plans; only 39% have plans to evacuate quickly and safely from their homes; and 43% of disabled people say they are “somewhat anxious” about their personal safety, compared to 36% of nondisabled people.

SOUNDING OFF: DISABILITY AND GENDER:

Cheryl Marie Wade
I think how hard cripdom is on a person, female or male, depends on much more than just the physical/mental manifestations of the disability. I live in a very progressive state with excellent resources so I’m sure it has been easier for me to navigate these often treacherous waters of living with a majorly boogered-up bod than for some poor dude living in a place where there’s no real support. But in general, I think our society values women less than men and crip women even less than that. So if there are resources available, they’ll go to support a male before a female.

Vini Portzline
When I became disabled my son was 2 and I felt like a failure because as a mother I could not physically take care of him anymore. While I was in rehab there was a young, married dad, also with a 2-year-old. He needed to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life, just like me. Again, my main concern was how to take care of my son while my husband was at work — his was how will he ever fish again! It is equally hard for men and women to have a disability in this culture, but both have a different viewpoint on what makes it difficult.

Tim Gilmer
To me, the main difference between women and men with disabilities, from a cultural perspective, has to do with perceived power, whether it be the power of sex/physical beauty, intellect, athletecism, or qualifications to run a Fortune 500 company. Disabled men have less stigma to overcome in these fields because of ingrained cultural patterns, but also because of the way physicality influences power. In other words, it’s easier for a wheelchair-using man to get respect than it is for a woman with a similar injury because the physical bearing of a woman is so blown out of proportion culturally. Could there be a female Steven Hawking? Chris Reeve?

Eleanor Smith
Most people would accept — and others vigorously dispute — data showing that overall it is harder to be a nondisabled woman than a nondisabled man in this culture. Women in general are more often the victims of domestic violence, get lower pay for the same work, hit a glass ceiling, have a harder time breaking into the blue collar trades, talk less than men when in mixed groups, etc.

Assuming that disabled women and men have harder lives than nondisabled women and men, a question becomes, “Does disability so strongly impact people’s lived reality that it alters the relative weight of regular gender inequality? Decrease the relative oppression gap? Or increase it?”

Jo D’Archangelis
I have always thought it easier in our culture for women than it is for men. Men are under much more societal pressure to deny having a disability than women are and when men acknowledge their “disabled-ness,” they have more difficulty coping with it.

Traditionally, men have been thought of as the ones who provide for the family, who serve as protector and defender, who compete and succeed. When a man has a disability, he finds it more difficult to live up to this cultural stereotype. He feels “feminized,” even “infantilized,” unable to provide for and protect himself, least of all others. His whole manhood becomes questionable — not a good thing in our society.

Psychosexually we (women) may have serious doubts about being sexually “attractive” to someone else, but I think men probably feel the same way — whether they admit it is another question. But our role in the sexual act itself is more passive than that of men’s, so we aren’t usually hung up on not being able to “perform” the way we ought to and having our whole womanhood put into question.

THE DERBY CITY NSCIA NEWSLETTER

Barry Corbet
I think the answer depends on what sphere of life you’re talking about. If it’s finding a mate, it may be more difficult for women because men are such jerks about dating women with disabilities. If it’s the workplace, I think men are more driven to slay the dragon, sometimes to the detriment of their health and relationships. You could ask your question about anything else. My bet is that it comes out even and that disability is what you make of it, not what it makes of you.

Harriet McBride Johnson
I wouldn’t dare to generalize. Disability is too diverse, and so is “our” culture. But I have thought that my neuromuscular disease is easier in some ways for me as a Southern woman than it would be if I were a Southern man. I’ve never felt social pressure to be physically strong or self-reliant. Power comes from other sources — the Steel Magnolia and all that. But other things, like disfigurement, may fall harder on women.

Karen Hwang
As a SCI quad, I’d say quadhood is probably harder on women than on men, for two reasons. First, because only 15% of SCIs are female and most of the clinical rehab and research reflects male interests. And it’s still a REALLY sucky way to meet men. Also, despite the feminist advances of the last 30 years, a lot women’s societal value is tied to how she looks, and for many women her self-esteem is still tied to how she feels and how she looks. Having a visible physical disability quite obviously puts you way out of the running — even models in wheelchairs always look like Abs sitting down; no atrophied limbs or quad bellies allowed.

Joe Ehman
I think in general it is the same for both men and women, because in my experience society sees the disability before the person. And even as disabled people we tend to see our disability before we see our “self” as a whole. But American society, as does Mexican society, puts a higher standard on women. Just compare the women’s selection versus the men’s selection of clothes at your local department store. Formal wear for women is vibrant, alive while all we men have are dark boring suits. Thus, a woman has a higher standard to meet than a man.

FOR SALE!!!!***

Shower Chair; 2 yrs old, negotiable; 2 RoHo cushions; low profile; $150 each; Invacare 900 Action Power Chair; 4 yrs. Old; $600. Call 448-5296.

*Ro Ho high profile 16x16 cushions; $160; 589-6620.

*Wheelchair; 20” wide; adjusted petals; standard wheels; asking $2,2500. Quickie wheelchair; 19” wide; asking $2,000; needs batteries. New bedside commode; used; $75.00. Call 502-636-4043.

*1984 Dodge Ram; handicap conversion; Crow River lift w/exterior/interior controls; heightened roof/door; captain chairs; exchange driver’s seat; hand controls; AC; AM/FM cassette & CB radios; wheelchair lock down/ties; rear bench; 2 spare captain chairs; 86,584 miles; good condition. Call 859-734-6852.

*2002 Dodge Caravan “Entervan” (Braun modification); app 18,000 mi; remote operated oil recently changed; mechanic confirms excellent condition; used only a little more than 2 mos.; $34,000. Call 859-492-7971.

 *Ford 1997 Econoline Van; 100,140 mi; $16,000. Hunter Green-gray; new tires & brakes; “loaded”; call 270-786-4547; ask for Dale.

*1994 Dodge Caravan, equipped with lock down for driving; cruise control; tinted windows; 56,000 miles; good condition; $14,000; contact Ina Hogan at 241-7849.

*Hoveround MPV4; used only one year; 36” long; 23 1/2” wide; load capacity 300 lbs.; two direct drive motors; turning radius 17”; speed 5 mph. Asking $5,000 or best offer. Call 671-7656.

*Jazzy Electric Wheelchair; $2,000; 812-867-0137.

*1985 Komfort Koach Van with Power Lift; V-8; 350 BB; 5 liter engine; wheelchair safety straps; hook; television; power window and door locks; 127,000 mi; excellent condition; new tires; AC/front and rear vents; cruise control; AM/FM radio; tape deck; CB radio; game table and window shades; trailer hitch. Asking $2,995. Call 425-0314.

*Heavy Duty Scooter; used less than 50 hours/2 new batteries; $1200. Call (502) 348-9305.

*Liberty Stairlift/Set for 13 steps; $1500 soft; 937-9492

*Video tapes for sale. Various topics related to spinal cord injuries. Call David Allgood or Buddy Lawson.

***If assistance is needed to pay for any of the above items, contact Kentucky Assistive Technology Loan Corporation at  for information on loans at 5% interest to qualified candidates.

THE DERBY CITY NSCIA NEWSLETTER

You are cordially invited to join us!

The Derby City Chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association
consists of people with spinal cord injuries and similar physical conditions, their family members, friends, and
professionals or other interested parties.

We meet:

WHEN- Third Monday of every month from 6:30 to 9:00 PM
WHERE- Frazier Rehab Center , 4th floor Dining Room
220 Abraham Flexner Way

If you wish to be a member, donor, and/or be on the mailing list of the Derby City Chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association please complete and mail the following form to the address below