“Our primary purpose is to get assistive technology into the hands of Hoosiers with disabilities through device demonstrations, device loans, computer recycling and alternative financing,” said Assistive Technology Center Director M. Wade Wingler. “Our second goal is for the INDATA Project to provide statewide outreach and educational opportunities regarding assistive technology capabilities, options and resources.”

Disabled cruises are cruise ships that are equipped to accommodate all different types of disabilities, from those with amputated limbs or degenerative diseases, to passengers who need assistance with walking, eating and other activities. A disabled cruise gives handicapped individuals the opportunity to see the world without feeling held back from the things they love.

Sadly, many amputees end up on the wrong side of a decision making process when undergoing “elective” amputation, such as the type of elective surgery a person with cancer may choose to make. The decision isn’t whether or not to go ahead with the surgery, but the decision of the beancounters at your typical insurance company. Read on.

It’s a situation many caregivers dread: a personal emergency knocks you for a loop and not only do you have to deal with the ramifications to your own personal life, what about the ramifications to the lives of those you care for? The Multiple Sclerosis Society is looking toward a method of bridging that gap with on-call, 24 hour ‘carer coverage’.

The Free Wheelchair Mission is an organization which sends wheelchairs to the poor in countries where other help is unavailable to disabled citizens. Recently, a shipment was sent to Uganda, India, and Ecuador. If you would like to donate or help in any way, please visit their site at: http://www.freewheelchairmission.org/ The joy of the recipients is uncontained, and unrestrained.

The rapidly increasing number of retires from the Baby Boomer era has had widespread impact on the housing and architectural community. Baby Boomers are building new homes, built and designed from the ground up with the mobility needs associated with aging in mind. The change in lifestyle of the typical American family unit has lead them to the conclusion that their children are not going to be able to care for them as they often did for their parents, and, like most people, they want to stay in their own home rather than enter care facilities as they grow older. The impact of this phenomena is discussed in the Honolulu Advertiser, where Hawaiians face not only an aging population, but less available facilities for those needing full time care. In some cases, Medicare/Medicaid will even help with construction fees.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Teams of university scientists backed by U.S. government funds hope to grow new skin, ears, muscles and other body tissue for troops injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Defense Department said on Thursday. “We’ve had just over 900 people, men, some women with amputations of some kind or another since the start of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq,” said Ward Casscells, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. Many have also suffered burns, spinal cord injuries and vision loss. “Getting these people up to where they are functioning and reintegrated, employed, able to help their families and be fully participating members of society, this is our task,” he said.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a rule that will improve the accuracy of payment for services furnished to people with Medicare who need the intensive rehabilitation services provided by Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs). These include patients who are recovering from serious illnesses or injuries, such as stroke, spinal cord injuries, severe burns, amputations and a number of other conditions. There are currently more than 1,200 facilities that are paid as IRFs.

The MA AT Loan program is available to qualified individuals to help them obtain assistive technologies to improve day to day living conditions. These are not limited to medically necessary items, but as is the case for one little girl, even modified FUN things can be purchased. Details at ItemLive.com.

Just a quick update to let you know we’ve added more products to our store, and added a few sites to our links list. Check ‘em out!