July 2018 Newsletter
On July 26, 2018 we celebrate the 28th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act – the ADA gives us the opportunity to “go where everyone else has gone before”!
Local Resources
The Disability Services & Legal Center (DSLC) in Santa Rosa has scheduled another
"how to use the SMART train" public transportation event for Thursday, July 26th
from 9:15 am-3:30 pm. SMART is the acronym for Sonoma-Marin Area Rail
Transit. Find out how easy it is to travel on the new train system. The adventure starts in
Santa Rosa and takes you to San Rafael. For more information or to register for the ride
contact Lake Kowell at lake@mydslc.org or call 707-636-3063.
We’ve mentioned this information before, but it bears repeating - NorCal SCI based in the South Bay and serving all of Northern California has a program to provide $2000 “block grants” to qualified individuals with spinal cord injury or disease. The grants are designed to enable individuals to continue to pursue their recovery but don't have the financial resources to make it happen.
The Road to Recovery (R2R) program provides funding to continue therapy and/or
purchase equipment. Check them out at https://norcalsci.org/r2r
Other News
Using the latest adaptive equipment, experienced instructors, and individualized
instruction, Achieve Tahoe is able to develop water skiers with any disability,
whether standing or sitting, from beginner to competitive level. The program is inclusive,
so you can bring your family and friends to participate as well. This is a unique
opportunity to try out this high-challenge sport in a supportive setting! Takes place on a
private lake with at a private dock at Wake Island Waterpark near Sacramento.
Program dates still open are July 20, 21, 22; August 10, 11, 12. August dates are
almost full. Call 530-581-4161 x 6 to reserve your spot!
New Mobility magazine has published “ADA Bathroom Guidelines for
Dummies”. Ever go into a bathroom at your favorite coffee shop or restaurant and
things are just more of a pain then they need to be? For example, the bathroom seems
like it is big enough to be accessible, but there’s a changing table blocking the clear
space, or the stall door swings in rather than out. There is just not enough space to maneuver comfortably. These Guidelines may be of some help in explaining to
management what they need to do to comply with the law.
http://www.newmobility.com/2018/06/ada-bathroom-guidelines-for-dummies/
Tidbits
Are you a beachgoer who can’t maneuver over sand in your wheelchair? At least one
beach in Miami provides power beach chairs to enable wheelchair users to “go where
everyone else has gone before”. Check it out!
http://accessiblego.activehosted.com/index.php?action=social&chash=37693cfc748049
e45d87b8c7d8b9aacd.41&s=d25289ab6c399dc65d859fc28c195102
A doctor in Minnesota became a paraplegic a year ago in a mountain bike accident –
now he’s back at work in the ER at the Mayo Clinic. Read more at
http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2018/06/06/doctor-paralyzed-mayo-clinic
Mission of the Sonoma-Marin 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, 5 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 – 707-774-6466 or stankosloski@gmail.com