A New Source for SCI/D Answers


United Spinal Association’s Resource Center is pleased to introduce Resource Center Live, a free monthly Zoom roundtable, as a new way for members to get their SCI/D questions answered. “It’s an opportunity for everybody to come join us in an informal way, meet the Resource Center team here at United Spinal and bring their questions about anything related to spinal cord injury or disorder,” says Lindsey Elliott, United Spinal’s director of member initiatives. “Any question is fair game.”

Every year the Resource Center team personally responds to hundreds of inquiries from people across the SCI/D community, resolving questions ranging from health, to employment, to legal resources and beyond. Until now, most inquiries came via phone or email. Resource Center Live provides a new means for people to pose questions and tap into the team’s years of lived experience.

“We wanted to make our services more interactive, and this gives us the ability to do tours of what the Resource Center offers,” says Elliot. She points out that many people who reach out to the Resource Center are unaware of the vast amount of knowledge the team has collected and archived on its website. “If you’re looking for a specific resource, we can actually share our screens and take you through the online Resource Center and show you where to find the resources you need.”

The casual setting also allows attendees to get to know the six team members and their unique expertise and perspective better (see box below). “Resource Center Live helps us build more of a rapport with the attendees,” says Elliott. “Making the interactions more personable is a big step in helping people get comfortable to ask what are sometimes intimate questions.”

Resource Center Live is held at 4 p.m. EST on Zoom on the fourth Wednesday of every month. The sessions are free, but pre-registration is required. To register, visit unitedspinal.org/events/resource-center-live.

Resource Center Team Specialties

Bill: Virginia-based team leader, living with paraplegia — home modification options, low-tech personal transportation options.

Jane: Massachusetts-based, SCI nurse information specialist — guidance to appropriate SCI-related medical resources, research survey process, Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee liaison.

Lindsey: North Carolina-based, master of social work — peer support group development, training, organization and implementation.

Daniela: Washington D.C.-based, living with quadriplegia — resource development, travel by air/wheelchair accessible van, inquiries from Spanish and French speakers.

David: New York City-based, living with quadriplegia — membership coordination, New York City resources and high-tech adaptive driving.

Jose: New York City-based, living with quadriplegia — advocacy efforts, New York City resource specialist, high-tech adaptive driving and smart home tech.


Support New Mobility

Wait! Before you wander off to other parts of the internet, please consider supporting New Mobility. For more than three decades, New Mobility has published groundbreaking content for active wheelchair users. We share practical advice from wheelchair users across the country, review life-changing technology and demand equity in healthcare, travel and all facets of life. But none of this is cheap, easy or profitable. Your support helps us give wheelchair users the resources to build a fulfilling life.

donate today

Comments are closed.