| The Truth About The Muscular Dystrophy Association
There are some traditions in life that are as American as apple pie. One of those traditions is the annual Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon. The telethon is held to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and is typically shown for 24 hours live, though sometimes they air pre-recorded stories in the wee hours while everyone is sleeping, instead of live footage. As the name of the telethon implies, it is hosted by comedian and actor Jerry Lewis. Lewis spends the entire telethon requesting donations to find a cure for the 40+ neuromuscular diseases that fall under the term Muscular Dystrophy. Unfortunately, unlike apple pie it may fail to leave a warm, sweet taste in your mouth. Instead, for some it turns out sad, bitter, and bigoted, which is not good for anyone involved. For the past 16 years a growing number of disabled people have been picketing the MDA telethon and the inclusion of Jerry Lewis in the organization that is meant to help people with disabilities.
Wheelchair lifts
Wheelchair Lift was designed and engineered for home use. It's easy to operate, easy to install and virtually maintenance free. Every safety detail has been carefully designed into these lifts. Including a non-slip platform, constant pressure switches, a low platform for easy roll-on/roll-off, safety barrier and railing, and rolled edges.
Handi-Ramp® Residential Wheelchair Lifts have maximum lift heights of either 50 inches or 72 inches. These Wheelchair Lifts are sturdy enough to lift and lower up to 500 pounds and will accommodate electric wheelchairs and scooters. Running on a gear box and chain, these wheelchair lifts provide a smooth and quiet up and down ride, requiring little maintenance. All mechanics are fully enclosed, yet are easy to access through the rear or front of the housing unit. The wheelchair lifts are completely weatherized and attractively finished in off-white.
SCAT cuts make disabled into unwilling homebodies
Sheila Trexler's parents live on the opposite side of Guilford County from her home at Bell House, a center for disabled adults near the old Carolina Circle Mall on Summit Avenue. But they might as well live on the other side of the world.
"I'm only getting home once a year because I have no way to get there," she said.
Trexler can't visit her parents' home because it sits outside - just outside - the official city limits, a point beyond which the SCAT bus she uses for transportation will not venture. Instead her parents visit her at Bell House and sometimes they meet closer to town, at the Wal-Mart on Wendover Avenue or the Four Seasons Mall.
Trexler, like many of the other Bell House residents, uses a motorized wheelchair to get around. Her disability hasn't kept her from securing a job at Wal-Mart, where she works three or four times a week, or participating at Reedy Fork Baptist Church.
|
