In response to another year of devastating natural and human-caused disasters, United Spinal Association is once more offering Disaster Relief financial grants to individuals with spinal cord injury/disease who have been impacted. Qualifying individuals have until Dec. 10 to apply online.

The grants were made possible by a generous financial award from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation. United Spinal is committed to helping people with SCI/D prepare for, respond to and recover from all types of disasters. Visit the organization’s Ready to Roll program for more information.

United Spinal Association Organizes White House Roundtable to Support Caregiving Legislation

United Spinal Association joined forces with the White House to organize a Sept. 29 roundtable in support of the Better Care Better Jobs Act. If passed, this legislation would represent an historic investment in home and community-based services through Medicaid. This funding would eliminate waitlists for community-based care and allow more people to have the opportunity and means to live in the community rather than in a congregate setting such as a nursing home. This bill also addresses the chronically underpaid direct care workforce by providing funding to increase caregiver pay and benefits. The goal is to attract and retain more workers in the field of caregiving, allowing people with disabilities to have both more stability and choice when it comes to their caregivers.

“As negotiations continue in Washington on legislation to improve the social safety net, it is so important that United Spinal members made their voices heard in support of this transformative proposal that would eliminate waitlists for home and community-based services and keep as many people as possible living in their own homes in the communities of their choice,” said Steve Lieberman, director of policy and advocacy for United Spinal Association.

Speakers included United Spinal board member Keaston White from Georgia, as well as members Kyla Claussen from Iowa, Ken Ryno from Pennsylvania, and Carol Dunn from Maine.

“There is no greater currency in Washington than personal stories, which shape the conversation about public policy and serve to ground it in the real world,” said Lieberman. “We are so proud of our members for sharing their stories with policymakers and we encourage all of our members to contact their members of Congress to share their own stories about how critical caregiving is for them.”

New Staff

Longtime member Michele Lee joins United Spinal as a program director to oversee Ready to Roll, Pathways to Employment and VetsFirst. Lee, a quadriplegic who uses a power wheelchair, has over 10 years of experience working in finance. She is a disability advocate, fighting for disability inclusion in the workplace and universal access to transportation and healthcare.

Michaela Devins is taking over United Spinal’s Tech Access Initiative while Director Brook McCall is on leave. In addition to running the TAI, Devins, a professional counselor, is developing a mental health initiative with Director of Member Initiatives Lindsey Elliott. Devins is a member of the Boston chapter and a C4-5 quadriplegic. Find out more about her in this month’s How We Roll on page 12.

New Program Coordinator Erin Taylor brings 20 years of experience in residential services and health and wellness for people with disabilities. She most recently worked at the Oregon Office on Disability and Health and the University Centers for Excellence for Developmental Disabilities. She will be splitting time between the Tech Access Initiative, the Peer Mentoring program, NEW MOBILITY and the National Chapter Network.

Jimmy Zuehl returns to United Spinal’s Accessibility Services team after opening and managing his own accessibility compliance business for the past eight years. Zuehl holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture and 20 years of architecture and construction experience. He will focus on accessibility inspections, streamlining procedures to improve on ACS services and revitalizing the architecture program.