Fetal spine tissue transplant found safe in
humans - 9/14/2001 Reuters
Plastic tube bridges severed spinal cord -
8/29/2001 United Press International
Manipulating a single gene dramatically improves
regeneration in adult neurons - 7/01/2001
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and
Strokes
Builders, advocates for the disabled
compromise on building code regs
New York state has adopted a change in the
building code that requires new apartments to be
adaptable for disabled residents. The changes
are the result of a compromise agreement between
builders' groups and advocates for the
handicapped. The administration of Gov. George
Pataki signed off on the building code changes.
The regulation will go into effect January 1.
Under the agreement that was worked out between
the New York State Builders Association and
supporters of greater building accessibility,
all new units in buildings with 20 or more
apartments will be required to be completely
adaptable to handicapped accessibility. The
requirement will mean that all doors in an
apartment, and at least one bathroom per
apartment, will be built large enough to
accommodate a wheelchair. The change originally
called for 10 percent of all new apartment units
to be fully accessible. It did not, however,
require any other apartments to be adaptable.
Advocates for the disabled had originally pushed
for a higher percentage of fully accessible
apartments in new buildings. But they accepted
the 10 percent figure in exchange for a
commitment to make 100 percent of the apartments
adaptable. (Source: Capital District Business
Review, Albany, New York, December 24-30,
2001).
New York
hospital receives grant to study the use of stem
cells in treating spinal cord injuries.
Albany Medical
College has received a four year, $760,000.00
state grant to test whether stem cells would
help rats of spinal cord injuries. Researchers
will isolate stem cells from the nervous system
in rat embryos and adults to be implanted in
rats of spinal cord injuries. The hope is that
the cells will regenerate and start to fill the
gap left in the spinal cord. Albany Medical
College is one of nine institutions to be funded
by a $7 million dollar state spinal cord injury
research trust fund.
Spinal injury from a horseback riding
injury does not keep lover of the mountains from
his passion.
Tim Barnett had always loved the Adirondack
Mountains in upstate New York. This six million
acre park, comprised of both public and private
land, was his life's work. He works at the
Nature Conservancy, Adirondack Chapter. In that
position, he raises money for land purchases to
increase park land and help negotiate deals
between private industry and environmental
groups for the preservation of mountain lands.
In June 1997, he was 57 years old and had
taken a sabbatical after 25 years of work with
the Conservancy. By that time his work with the
Conservancy had included not only working to
preserve land, but hiking into the remote areas
and actually visiting the land that he was
struggling to protect. He used to run marathons
and ski to Mount Marcy, the highest peak in New
York State.
It was in June 1997 that he took a sabbatical
from the Conservancy job and went to Kyrgyzstan
to help set up a national park in the Tien Shan
Mountains. He was on a ten mile trek from the
nearest village when he fell off a galloping
horse. When he regained consciousness, he
discovered that he had completely lost the use
of his arms and legs. In a heroic effort, he
somehow managed to get from that remote
wilderness area to a hospital in Switzerland.
Today, he has very limited use of his arms
and legs. He sits in a motorized wheelchair and
has full-time aids assisting him. He lives in
Saratoga Springs, New York, but still travels up
to the Conservancy office in Keene Valley, in
the heart of the High Peaks region of the
Adirondacks, one or two days a week. Now 61
years old, he is philosophical about not being
able to hike the lands that he still saves from
development.
He says, "The good thing is, I've done it
all,...or at least a great deal of it."
Mr. Barnett is truly an example of someone
who has not let his physical restrictions get in
the way of pursuing his passion and life's work.
(Source: Times Union, newspaper Albany, New York
Monday, August 13, 2001).
Disabled people participate in shooting sports
Disabled people were recently invited to
participate in an event sponsored by the Step
Outside Organization, which encourages people,
disabled and otherwise, to participate in
hunting, shooting archery and other outdoor
sports. The Step Outside Organization recently
held a first-of-its kind event at the LaSada
Sporting Clays Range in Russell, Kansas. The
shoot was open to any disabled person, allowing
them a day of muzzle loading, trap and sporting
clays.
Step Outside realizes that many disabled
people have difficulty venturing out of their
house into unknown territory. Members of the
LaSada Sporting Clays group made their range a
little more accessible, and a new world was open
for the 21 participants, most of whom were
wheelchair users.
The event was sponsored by the Paralyzed
Veterans of America and the Kansas Department of
Wildlife and Parks. (This update based on report
in the Times Union, Albany, New York,
Sunday, May 27, 2001).
