With Hurricane Warnings in Effect for Parts of East Coast, FEMA Urges All Residents to be Prepared

Residents Urged to Follow Instructions of Local Officials and Visit Ready.gov to Prepare for Hurricanes and Severe Weather

As Hurricane Earl moves toward the East Coast of the United States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is taking aggressive actions to prepare for the storm and is coordinating closely with state and local officials along the East Coast to help support their response as needed.  FEMA is also encouraging all East Coast residents to take steps now to prepare for possible severe weather in the coming days.  According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Earl is currently a Category 3 hurricane, and a hurricane warning has been issued for the North Carolina coast from Bogue Inlet, N.C. north to the North Carolina-Virginia border.  In addition, a hurricane watch is in effect from the North Carolina-Virginia border north to Cape Henlopen, Del. and a tropical storm warning is in effect from Cape Fear, N.C. to west of Bogue Inlet N.C.  As the storm moves closer, FEMA is closely coordinating.

FDA Puts First Human Clinical Trial of Embryonic Stem Cell-Based Therapy Back on Track

Geron to Study GRNOPC1 in Patients with Acute SCI

Geron Corporation (Nasdaq: GERN) has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified the company that the clinical hold placed on Geron's Investigational New Drug (IND) application has been lifted and the company's Phase I clinical trial of GRNOPC1 in patients with acute spinal cord injury may proceed.  The FDA notification enables Geron to move forward with the world's first clinical trial of a human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-based therapy in man. The Phase I multi-center trial is designed to establish the safety of GRNOPC1 in patients with "complete" American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale grade A subacute thoracic spinal cord injuries.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, WHITE HOUSE AND FCC HIGHLIGHT TECHNOLOGIES TO RECOGNIZE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF ADA

Department of Commerce awards nearly $15 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Grant to improve communications for people with disabilities nationwide

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Commerce, in partnership with the White House and the Federal Communications Commission, hosted an event today celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The program highlighted innovative technologies that have been developed to empower the daily lives of Americans with disabilities.

Release Your Potential

Taking Control of Severe Spasticity

When the part of the brain that controls voluntary movement is damaged or injured, it can cause spasticity, a condition that affects more than 12 million people worldwide Spasticity can vary from mild muscle stiffness to uncontrollable leg movements. For some people, the condition is so severe that it is impossible to voluntarily relax muscles. For these individuals, everyday activities can be challenging. Read the full story to learn more about spasticity and new treatment options.

NRH Launches New Website on Secondary Conditions

The National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, DC, has established the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Spinal Cord Injury and launched a consumer web site at www.sci-health.org to provide information and resources related to the prevention and management of secondary conditions among individuals with SCI, with particular focus on pressure sores, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. The web site is part of a five-year project, funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) and on which NSCIA is a collaborative partner.

Open Arms: Raising Awareness of Upper Limb Spasticity

Actor Henry Winkler Joins Patient Advocacy Groups and BOTOX® Maker Allergan to Launch Educational Campaign

MAY 25, 2010 (IRVINE, Calif.) - To address the low awareness and under-diagnosis of upper limb spasticity, Allergan, Inc., maker of BOTOX® (onabotulinumtoxinA), has joined forces with Henry Winkler and a coalition of five national patient advocacy organizations, including National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA), United Spinal Association, National Stroke Association, Brain Injury Association of America and United Cerebral Palsy to launch the "Open Arms: Raising Awareness of Upper Limb Spasticity" educational campaign. Spasticity is a debilitating condition impacting approximately 1 million Americans, many of whom suffer from spasticity in the upper limbs following a stroke.1 However, upper limb spasticity may also occur following a spinal cord or traumatic brain injury or in patients affected by multiple sclerosis or adults with a history of cerebral palsy.

HHS, HUD partner on rental assistance for independent living

$40 million available to local housing agencies to assist 5,300 families

HUD is offering approximately $40 million to public housing authorities across the country to fund approximately 5,300 Housing Choice Vouchers for non-elderly persons with disabilities, allowing them to live independently. HHS will use its network of state Medicaid agencies and local human service organizations to link eligible individuals and their families to local housing agencies who will administer voucher distribution.

SCI Hall of Fame Voting Deadline Extended to April 15

Voting for the current class of nominees into the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Hall of Fame has been extended through 5 p.m. Eastern Time, April 15. NSCIA members will choose the Hall of Fame Inductees in each of 17 categories through online voting. Formed by National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA) in 2005, the SCI Hall of Fame celebrates and honors individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to quality of life and advancements toward a better future for all individuals with spinal cord injury.  While you must be an NSCIA member to vote, individual membership is free and open to anyone with an interest in the SCI/D community. Click here to vote.

Just 5 Days Left: Vote for Your SCI Hall of Fame Choices Today!

Voting for the current class of nominees into the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Hall of Fame will be open through 5 p.m. Eastern Time, March 31. NSCIA members will choose the Hall of Fame Inductees in each of 17 categories through online voting. Formed by National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA) in 2005, the SCI Hall of Fame celebrates and honors individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to quality of life and advancements toward a better future for all individuals with spinal cord injury. Nominees in the Sports category are individuals who have been pioneers and/or achieved excellence in wheelchair or other adaptive sports. Current nominees in this category include Alice Krauss, Beth Sanden, Jesse Billauer, Curtis Lovejoy, Robbie Parks, Ann Cody, Kevin Everett, Chris Finn, Doug Heir and Greg Hockensmith.  While you must be an NSCIA member to vote, individual membership is free and open to anyone with an interest in the SCI/D community. Click here to vote.

BOTOX® (OnabotulinumtoxinA) Receives FDA Approval for Treatment of Upper Limb Spasticity in Adults

Allergan, Inc. (NYSE: AGN) today announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved BOTOX® (onabotulinumtoxinA) for the treatment of increased muscle stiffness in the elbow, wrist and fingers in adults with upper limb spasticity.