The Derby City Chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association Network- Serving Kentuckiana.
Message From the President
Dear Members & Friends-
May's meeting will be held at Frazier Institute, 220 Abraham Flexnor Way, Louisville, in the 10th floor dining room at 6:30 p.m. Our speaker will Dr. Scott Whittemore, of the University of Louisville. Dr. Whittemore will discuss the advances in stem cell research and treatment of SCI. So please join us for what is sure to be an interesting and informative meeting.
June's meeting will be held at Frazier Institute, 220 Abraham Flexnor Way, Louisville, in the 10th floor dining room at 6:30 p.m.
- David Allgood
From New Mobility.com
CRUISING FOR COMPLIANCE
The U.S. Department of Transportation recently issued a formal proposal to ban all cruise ships that dock in U. S. ports, including foreign-owned vessels, from discriminating against passengers with disabilities. Proposed regulations should be finalized later this year.
Other U.S. public transportation industries, such as airlines, railway and buses, have complied with ADA policies and procedures.
"We don't have any rules for cruise ships right now," says Candy Harrington, author of Barrier-Free Travel. "We have this big ruling from the Supreme Court that says they are covered, but we don't have any specific rules."
The U.S. Access Board has proposed architectural guidelines, and DOT is in the process of approving policy and procedures; changes will include same pricing for accessible cabin, elimination of medical certification to board, and allowing durable medical equipment and service animals onboard with no questions asked.
From the Internet –ed
STEM CELL RESEARCH CENTER OPENS 'DOORS OF POSSIBILITY' By David A. Michaels
It looked empty, but the first piece of New Jersey's new stem cell research center filled Saturday with the hopes and expectations of people who think it may change lives.
The center, in the New Brunswick area, is the nation's first to be publicly funded, officials said. Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey told Saturday's dedication ceremony that New Jersey's researchers would spearhead efforts to improve health worldwide.
"We are opening...what some would call the doors of possibility, and unlocking the potential to erase suffering, treat and cure diseases, and save lives," Cody said before cutting the ribbon on the laboratory.
The audience was filled with families whose loved ones suffer from incurable diseases or paralysis. As Codey spoke, Alex Pitts, 6, leaned back in his red motorized wheelchair and grabbed his mother's hand, pressing it to his face.
An outgoing boy who smiles easily, Alex suffered a spinal cord injury at birth and has been paralyzed since. His mother hopes that research on embryonic stem cells, which scientists think can be used to repair damaged tissue and thus cure diseases and spinal cord injuries, could open up a new, independent life for him.
