DerbyCity 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 Jill Farmer
FUNDRAISING CHAIR Betty Perry—(502) 647-0368
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY/WEB MASTER 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
Visit Our Website at www.DerbyCitySpinalCord.org
From the Internet—ed EXERCISE FOR THE DISABLED By Ivanhoe Broadcast News
About 56 million Americans currently live with some type of Disability. People with disabilities make up 17 percent of the Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and they use about 47 percent of medical services. Occupational Therapist Kerri Morgan from Washington University in St. Louis says exercise can help disabled patients because it decreases the risk of developing secondary conditions. "A lot of times when you have a disability, it's not just that you can't walk that's the problem. You have bladder, bowel, and circulation problems, you're more Prone to being diabetic and having scoliosis, you have a decreased Range of Motion, so exercising helps control a lot of these things," Morgan said. Research also shows regular exercise can help disabled people reduce their pain medications, gain independence and improve everyday function. David Gray, a professor of neurology at Washington University says exercising can also help people with disabilities gain self-esteem. Gray fell off a roof 30 years ago and broke his neck. Now, he writes grants to fund exercise programs for disabled people. "Exercise makes such a difference in your day, and your self-awareness of your body," Gray said. Finding a suitable place to exercise is one major obstacle for people with disabilities, said Gray. "We can't just go to the general spandex exercise facility because we don't have any equipment; it may not be accessible, and many people, unfortunately, have a problem with looking at people who are different, whether it's color or gender or your body shape. So, we want to go places where we're accepted," Gray said. If you're disabled, you should talk to your doctor about starting an exercise program; choose a facility that has accessible equipment; hire an occupational therapist who can work with you one-on-one; try using at-home exercise videos for people with disabilities, Gray said. The exercise program at Washington University is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Patient Research. The program is free to participants. It offers supervised training sessions one to four times a week. Anyone can start an exercise program like the one at Washington University in St. Louis. For more information, call Judy Martin at (314) 286-0105.
