October 2017 Newsletter
The next meeting of the Sonoma County SCI Support Group will be held on Monday, October 16, 2017 from 4 – 5:30 pm in the Clubhouse at the Azure Apartment complex in Petaluma (7 Indigo Drive). Topic: Using the Internet to Find What You Need - Newcomers are always welcome! Call 707-774-6466 for more info.
On Friday, October 13, 2017, the Disability Services and Legal Center will hold its 12th Annual Northern California Tech Expo from 10 AM – 3 PM at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. Exhibitors will display products and services of assistive technology devices, modified vehicles, transportation services, home modification options, sexual health, adaptive equipment, funding resources, alternative medicine and more.
This year’s Expo will feature exhibitors that promote adaptive sports, including “No Limits” with Mark Wellman, a two-time Paralympian. An accomplished wheelchair athlete, Mark is best known for making the first historic paraplegic ascents of El Capitan and Half Dome, in Yosemite National Park.
Another featured exhibitor this year is NorCal WCMX, a wheelchair skate organization in Santa Rosa. Winners of the 2017 WCMX World Championship will showcase breathtaking wheelchair skating. Among them are Jamey Perry, the World Champion of the Women’s Division, Blake Simson, 2nd the World Champion of the Men’s Division, Robert Thompkins, a professional chair skater and Troy McGuirk VP of Sales for Mike Box, SoCal WCMX founder.
The U.S. Congress is moving along a bill (HR 620) that will undermine the enforcement provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act as it applies to private businesses. This bill must be stopped! For a complete description of the bill and a suggested course of action you can take, please see:
https://dredf.org/2017/10/04/ada-under-attack-tell-house-representatives-oppose-h-r-620/ .
As the Sonoma County Regional Parks celebrate their 50th year, they are offering a wide array of activities that are wheelchair accessible. http://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov Their web site also nicely indicates if the activity or location is accessible by wheelchair. Under the Activities section of their web site, they've listed various options to choose from. For example, if you select "hiking", it would list all the available trails by degree of difficulty. Click on any of the trails listed and you'll be able to see if it's accessible.
On November 2nd and 4th support group member Lake Kowell is participating with Healdsburg’s Raven Performing Arts Theater in their annual fundraiser Dancing with the Stars. Lake is passionate about showing that people in wheelchairs can dance, and would love to have a nice showing of wheelers represented in the audience. Seating is limited and space is running out. http://www.raventheater.org . When ordering wheelchair seating use special access code DWTS2017.
The Sonoma County SCI Support Group, their family and friends participated in a day at the beach on Friday, August 11, organized in conjunction with Bonnie Lewkowicz and Access Northern CA
New SCI webpage – The Sonoma County SCI Support Group has a new webpage, developed in conjunction with NorCal SCI – check it out at www.norcalsci/sonoma-county . We can also be found on Facebook at “The Sonoma County SCI Support Group”.
Mission of the Sonoma County SCI Support Group
To assist those newly injured with spinal cord injury or disease as well as those who continue to be affected by long-standing disabilities. We meet the third Monday of the month at the Azure Apartments Clubhouse, 7 Indigo Drive - Petaluma from 4:00 to 5:30 pm.
We are here to support each other in every way possible by providing useful, up-to-date information about services and products as well as an atmosphere that allows for discussion of personal challenges and solutions to everyday problems.
Contact person: Stan Kosloski – 860-614-8351 or stankosloski@gmail.com