360,000 Troops May Have Sustained Brain Injury
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USA Today reports that pentagon officials estimated for the first time Wednesday that up to 360,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans may have suffered brain injuries. Among them are 45,000 to 90,000 veterans whose symptoms persist and warrant specialized care.
Army Brig. Gen. Loree Sutton provided the estimate during a news conference about March as Brain Injury Awareness Month. She heads the Pentagon's Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Miami-Dade, cities offer recreational programs for people with disabilities
Article:
Posted on Wed, Mar. 18, 2009
Miami-Dade, cities offer recreational programs for people with disabilities
BY CARLI TEPROFF
With sweat dripping from his brow, Luis Amaro held tight to the handles of an exercise machine at a North Miami Beach gym, furiously pushing his arms back and forth.
But Amaro's legs remained motionless, braced against the support of the EasyStand Evolv machine that allowed him to stand long enough to use the exercise equipment -- helping him build bone density and gain muscle strength.
It wasn't too long ago that Amaro, paralyzed from the waist down a decade ago, didn't think he'd be able to go to a gym and exercise by himself -- let alone do it while standing.
In addition to the North Miami Beach gym, Miami-Dade County -- and other local cities -- offer programs and equipment for disabled adults and kids.
Miami-Dade Park and Recreation Department provides a range of programs through its Leisure Access Services, such as tennis, golf, swimming and basketball -- including an annual basketball tournament for players on wheelchairs.
Playing for the Miami Heat Wheels during the 2009 South Florida Winter Wheelchair Basketball Tournament: Amaro, who credits his strength-training at the North Miami Beach gym with his team's strong finish.
''The view is different from up here,'' he said, as he pumped away on the gym equipment. ``It's hard to explain, but I appreciate this more than you know.''
Amaro, who lives in Miami Gardens, was shot during an altercation in 1999. The 31-year-old said he was protecting his sister from an assault.
''It is just a great feeling knowing I can still do some of the things I did before I was paralyzed,'' Amaro said.
Cities across the county -- including North Miami Beach, Miami Beach, North Miami, Hialeah and Doral -- offer various sports and recreation programs for adults and children with disabilities. These activities are in addition to school offerings and nonprofit organizations like Shake-a-Leg, which provides adaptive sailing programs.
Miami-Dade County also offers a myriad of programs in different parks. At the Leisure Access Center/A.D. Barnes Park at 3401 SW 72nd Ave., adults with disabilities can attend social groups, swim class and activity programs.
Lucy Binhack, Miami-Dade's disability services manager, said the county has developed a roster of programs that are appropriate for all levels of ability.
''There is definitely a need out there for special programs,'' Binhack said. ``We are committed to serving everyone.''
Most of the county's programs charge a fee. Binhack said the county spends about $1 million on disability programs. Equipment such as special wheelchairs for basketball and tennis can cost thousands of dollars.
In recent years, some cities have also beefed up programs through tickets issued to people parking illegally in handicap spots. The tickets are issued by the county. Last year, 17 municipalities received a total of $180,000 from the tickets.
North Miami Beach has not only built the gym, but it also offers wheelchair tennis, tandem bicycling for the visually impaired and ''exer-swim'' programs that use hydraulic lifts to assist people into the pool. All offerings are free and open to the public -- including those not living in the city.
''Our program has grown by leaps and bounds,'' North Miami Beach Myron Rosner said.
Rosner, who uses a wheelchair after a construction accident in 2001, said he knew firsthand that the county needed a gym for the disabled. He, too, works out frequently at the city gym.
''We motivate each other,'' Rosner said as he pushed is arms back and forth on a Vita glide machine, which is meant to increase upper body strength.
For Amaro, the programs have also given him confidence that he never had before. He is training for the Paralympics, an international competition for disabled athletes. He doesn't know which sport he will try out for, but he knows he's getting stronger by the day.
''Sometimes I forget I am even in a chair,'' he said. ``It just makes you feel free.''
Posted on Wed, Mar. 18, 2009
Miami-Dade, cities offer recreational programs for people with disabilities
BY CARLI TEPROFF
With sweat dripping from his brow, Luis Amaro held tight to the handles of an exercise machine at a North Miami Beach gym, furiously pushing his arms back and forth.
But Amaro's legs remained motionless, braced against the support of the EasyStand Evolv machine that allowed him to stand long enough to use the exercise equipment -- helping him build bone density and gain muscle strength.
It wasn't too long ago that Amaro, paralyzed from the waist down a decade ago, didn't think he'd be able to go to a gym and exercise by himself -- let alone do it while standing.
In addition to the North Miami Beach gym, Miami-Dade County -- and other local cities -- offer programs and equipment for disabled adults and kids.
Miami-Dade Park and Recreation Department provides a range of programs through its Leisure Access Services, such as tennis, golf, swimming and basketball -- including an annual basketball tournament for players on wheelchairs.
Playing for the Miami Heat Wheels during the 2009 South Florida Winter Wheelchair Basketball Tournament: Amaro, who credits his strength-training at the North Miami Beach gym with his team's strong finish.
''The view is different from up here,'' he said, as he pumped away on the gym equipment. ``It's hard to explain, but I appreciate this more than you know.''
Amaro, who lives in Miami Gardens, was shot during an altercation in 1999. The 31-year-old said he was protecting his sister from an assault.
''It is just a great feeling knowing I can still do some of the things I did before I was paralyzed,'' Amaro said.
Cities across the county -- including North Miami Beach, Miami Beach, North Miami, Hialeah and Doral -- offer various sports and recreation programs for adults and children with disabilities. These activities are in addition to school offerings and nonprofit organizations like Shake-a-Leg, which provides adaptive sailing programs.
Miami-Dade County also offers a myriad of programs in different parks. At the Leisure Access Center/A.D. Barnes Park at 3401 SW 72nd Ave., adults with disabilities can attend social groups, swim class and activity programs.
Lucy Binhack, Miami-Dade's disability services manager, said the county has developed a roster of programs that are appropriate for all levels of ability.
''There is definitely a need out there for special programs,'' Binhack said. ``We are committed to serving everyone.''
Most of the county's programs charge a fee. Binhack said the county spends about $1 million on disability programs. Equipment such as special wheelchairs for basketball and tennis can cost thousands of dollars.
In recent years, some cities have also beefed up programs through tickets issued to people parking illegally in handicap spots. The tickets are issued by the county. Last year, 17 municipalities received a total of $180,000 from the tickets.
North Miami Beach has not only built the gym, but it also offers wheelchair tennis, tandem bicycling for the visually impaired and ''exer-swim'' programs that use hydraulic lifts to assist people into the pool. All offerings are free and open to the public -- including those not living in the city.
''Our program has grown by leaps and bounds,'' North Miami Beach Myron Rosner said.
Rosner, who uses a wheelchair after a construction accident in 2001, said he knew firsthand that the county needed a gym for the disabled. He, too, works out frequently at the city gym.
''We motivate each other,'' Rosner said as he pushed is arms back and forth on a Vita glide machine, which is meant to increase upper body strength.
For Amaro, the programs have also given him confidence that he never had before. He is training for the Paralympics, an international competition for disabled athletes. He doesn't know which sport he will try out for, but he knows he's getting stronger by the day.
''Sometimes I forget I am even in a chair,'' he said. ``It just makes you feel free.''
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Obama lifts limits on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research
Article: Obama lifts limits on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research
President Obama signed an executive order ending the ban on March 9,more than 7½ years after President Bush enacted the restriction, which exempted stem cell lines derived before August 2001. Obama's order instructs the director of the National Institutes of Health to issue final guidelines within 120 days -- by early July -- to govern the funding of stem cell research as allowed by law.
President Obama signed an executive order ending the ban on March 9,more than 7½ years after President Bush enacted the restriction, which exempted stem cell lines derived before August 2001. Obama's order instructs the director of the National Institutes of Health to issue final guidelines within 120 days -- by early July -- to govern the funding of stem cell research as allowed by law.
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