More Than A Wheelchair More Than Hiv

What if you were told that you might possibly spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair? Oh, and you are HIV positive too! And, only a few seemed to care? More Than a Wheelchair; More than HIV is a story, my story, of survival of AIDS in the years after 2000 and having to cope with the challenges it presented me. It is so disturbing and disheartening to see the growing indifference toward HIV and to have a younger generation oblivious and unconcerned by its possible resurgence as a life-altering moment in their carefree lives. I was told that I was going to die numerous times in November 1999, but I astounded them first by recovering and then with my determination and use of imagination in my therapies and exercises hoping to regain what I had lost at the beginning of my bout with PML (Progressive Multifocal Leucoencephalopathy). I usually explain PML as like having a stroke. It is the simplest explanation. The PML had taken so much from me which left me to re-build my shattered life piece by piece and this book highlights the various obstacles I had to overcome to attain my goals. Every barrier presented to me brought a new round of flashbacks of my childhood, my career and my happy-go-lucky gay life. As I improved, every hurdle inspired me to write my thoughts. Many things have changed since I first faced the onset of AIDS - new forms of treatments, new drugs and new hope, as well as indifference and attitudes. This story can be used for any physical challenge but gives a more human feel to the HIV/ AIDS crisis which seems to be almost forgotten which should be a source of concern to everyone

Dancing in a Wheelchair is the story of one family's journey with HIV/AIDS. The authors lost two of their three sons to AIDS. It is a human story, a spiritual story, and a story that puts faces on statistics and that shares events that reveal our humanity and our vulnerability. Each parent tells his or her story in alternating, first-person paragraphs. The authors hope that their openness will help others learn, grow, change, and care.

The guidelines focus on manual wheelchairs and the needs of long-term wheelchair users. The recommendations are targeted at those involved in wheelchair services, ranging from design and planning, to providing or supplying wheelchairs and their maintenance.

The future of disability in America will depend on how well the U.S. prepares for and manages the demographic, fiscal, and technological developments that will unfold during the next two to three decades. Building upon two prior studies from the Institute of Medicine (the 1991 Institute of Medicine's report Disability in America and the 1997 report Enabling America), The Future of Disability in America examines both progress and concerns about continuing barriers that limit the independence, productivity, and participation in community life of people with disabilities. This book offers a comprehensive look at a wide range of issues, including the prevalence of disability across the lifespan; disability trends the role of assistive technology; barriers posed by health care and other facilities with inaccessible buildings, equipment, and information formats; the needs of young people moving from pediatric to adult health care and of adults experiencing premature aging and secondary health problems; selected issues in health care financing (e.g., risk adjusting payments to health plans, coverage of assistive technology); and the organizing and financing of disability-related research. The Future of Disability in America is an assessment of both principles and scientific evidence for disability policies and services. This book's recommendations propose steps to eliminate barriers and strengthen the evidence base for future public and private actions to reduce the impact of disability on individuals, families, and society.

Volume numbers determined from Scope of the guidelines, p. 12-13.

The World Report on Disability suggests more than a billion people totally experience disability. They generally have poorer health, lower education and fewer economic opportunities and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities. This report provides the best available evidence about what works to overcome barriers to better care and services.