Take action now before the latest extension on federal spending levels runs out on February 18. Urge your Congressional members to support increased funding for Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems. To find your closest SCI Model System, click here.

Over time, federal funding for SCI Model Systems has not kept pace with the SCI community’s needs. In 2000, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, when approximately 200,000 Americans were living with SCI, there were 18 SCI Model Systems receiving federal funding. In 2022, with approximately 300,000 Americans living with SCI, there are now only 14 SCI Model Systems receiving federal funding. Federal funding has remained stagnant since 2006 and has not kept up with inflation, yet the SCI population has increased by 50% without any comparative increase in government funding support.

In the Fall of 2020, United Spinal and its member advocates, the North American Spinal Cord Injury Consortium and colleagues at SCI Model Systems across the country began advocating to correct this. Thanks to our combined advocacy, in July 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to provide $11.8 million for the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research. This bill included $2 million to increase the number of federally-funded SCI Model Systems and provide additional funding for all federally-funded Model Systems. In October 2021, the Senate retained the House’s additional $2 million for more SCI Model Systems, as well as additional funding for all federally-funded Model Systems in its $6 million version of the bill.

“People with disabilities deserve the best rehab care, wherever they live in the United States,” says Alexandra Bennewith, VP, Government Relations. “It is imperative that all federal agencies know the rehab needs of our community.” In the fall of 2021, United Spinal’s Government Relations and Advocacy and Policy staff met with the new NIDILRR Director Anjali Forber-Pratt and Director of Office Research Sciences Phillip Beatty to discuss the challenges people with SCI experience regarding access to premier rehabilitation services.

The U.S. Congress now needs to vote on this bill so that the funding increase can become law. United Spinal is asking the U.S. Congress to support increased funding for SCI Model Systems at the higher overall funding level of $11.8 million for NIDILRR that is included in the House version.

Take Action: Please contact your Congressional members and ask them to support this funding request to restore critical funding to the SCI Model Systems.