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INDEPENDENCE THROUGH MOBILITY
The PMC continues to work on the behalf of those
with limited mobility who need access to power
mobility equipment. Below are exerpts from disability
advocates and patients about the importance of
power mobility.
"Power mobility has made a dramatic difference
in the lives of our citizens. The development
of new technology in the industry has made it
possible for citizens to obtain smaller, more
lightweight and maneuverable motorized wheelchairs
for use inside the home. This allows people to
move about in small places and complete their
activities of daily living without being bed-bound
or sent to nursing homes."
- National Spinal Cord Injury Association
http://www.spinalcord.org/html/factsheets/fs111.php
"Mobility is a critical aspect of everyday
life. Being mobile enhances a person's ability
to learn, interact with others, earn a living
and participate in community life.
For 38% of the 54 million Americans with disabilities,
mobility limitations and impairments are permanent.
For these individuals, a variety of mobility aids
and devices are necessary in order to provide
support, motion and access, as well as to enable
them to lead active and fulfilling lives. "
- United Cerebral Palsy Center of New York
http://www.ucpnyc.org/info/assist/mobility.cfm#1
"Technological innovations have the potential
to unleash unprecedented levels of independent
living and community participation among the population
of people with physical, cognitive, sensory and
communication disabilities. Assistive devices
and technologies can vastly improve functional
levels of people with disabilities and enhance
their quality of life. . . assistive technology
can lead to greater participation, independence,
productivity, and integration in the home, classroom,
workplace and community.
Additionally, assistive devices play a critical
role in preventing injuries in persons with disabilities
and chronic conditions, thereby helping to maintain
good health. "
- Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare
and Medicaid Coalition (ITEM)
http://www.itemcoalition.org/care.html
"It's all just starting to sink in with the
disabled community. If they're concerned about
fraud, there are ways to crack down on bad actors
that don't require a one-size-fits-all approach
to ways to pay for power wheelchairs. They are
going to force people to impoverish themselves
in institutional settings. People who have not
committed fraud are penalized, and the punishment
doesn't fit the crime."
- Andrew Imparato, president and chief executive
of the American Association of People with Disabilities
in The New York Times, "Cost and Savings Change
in Medicare Change on Wheel Chairs, January 30,
2004
"My wife is my primary helper, and I had to
ask her to bring everything to me," he said. "Now
I can go into the kitchen and restroom. I'm able
to do a lot of things without bothering her."
(Andy) Campbell, who was a policeman in Santa
Monica, Calif., is more concerned with his newfound
freedom to move around the house than a high-stakes
lobbying effort.
-- Andy Campbell, former policeman in Santa Monica, Calif.
"Two decades ago, children with disabilities
had to make do with what could be invented on
the spot or modified from existing items if they
wanted to learn like their nondisabled peers.
Now, technology is making miracles happen in the
classroom and in their lives.
"The technology makes everything so much
easier," said Stephen Grover of New City, whose
4-year-old son, Stephen, is in the early intervention
program at Jawonio with a medical condition similar
to cerebral palsy that leaves him unable to speak
clearly or move his body easily."
- The Journal News (Westchester, NY), "Technology
Brings Freedom to Disabled Students," February
12, 2001
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