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ABILITIES BUZZ

Keeping you abreast of current news and trends in the disability and senior

markets

June 2004

Welcome to ABILITIES BUZZ, a monthly newsletter that keeps you updated on the

latest news and trends in the disability and senior markets. Our editorial

team scours national and international media outlets to bring you a condensed

monthly update of informative stories that will help to improve the lives of

people with disabilities, senior citizens, their families and caregivers - as

well as healthcare and education professionals.

This month's issue features a story on a company which supplies wheelchairs

for people with disabilities who are poor; an opinion report on the rise in

support for stem cell research post the death of President Reagan; a

summary of an interesting NY based publicly run reverse mortgage program that is

targeted to help defray healthcare costs for the senior population; a review of

the success of the 20th anniversary of Abilities Expo/Southern California held

in Anaheim from June 11-13; and, a review on the growing trend in Universal

Home Design.

Read on for a synopsis of the latest industry news and trends. For complete

text on any of the articles, email amy@....

Giving the priceless gift of mobility to poor people with disabilities

Free Wheelchair Mission enables people with disabilities, around the world,

to discover a new mobility.

People Magazine, May 17, 2004, recently reported on Dan Schoendorfer's free

model wheelchairs designed to create mobility for poor people with

disabilities. This Orange County, California engineer was traveling through

Morocco in

1977 when he saw a sight that would haunt him for years: a woman who was

crippled crawling along a dirt road. " In America we don't know what it is to

see

people dragging themselves over rocks because they can't afford a wheelchair, "

says Schoendorfer, now 55, who vowed one day to somehow ease the suffering for

millions of people around the world.

In 1999, Schoendorfer launched the nonprofit Free Wheelchair Mission with 100

chairs he assembled in his garage. It took him a year to perfect his lawn

chair and mountain bike tire contraptions, which are now made in China for about

$30 each. Since then, he has overseen the distribution of 25,000 of the

devices in countries from Angola to India. " I almost lost the desire to live,

says grateful recipient Hao Chong Lan, 44, of China's Henan province. " You let

me taste a brand-new world. "

3 out of 4 Americans support Reagan's call for more stem cell research

Survey gauges impact of President Reagan's death on public views.

The PR Newswire on June 16 reports that by a decisive margin of 74-21

percent, Americans support former First Lady Reagan's call for the Bush

White

House to lift restrictions on stem cell research in order to look for possible

treatments for the Alzheimer's disease that afflicted former President

Reagan prior to his recent death, as well as the other grave illnesses --

including diabetes, Parkinson's, heart disease and multiple sclerosis -- that

are

suffered by millions of other Americans, according to a new survey conducted

by Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) on behalf of the Results for America

(RFA) project of the nonprofit and nonpartisan Civil Society Institute.

The first opinion survey of public attitudes about stem cell research to be

conducted since the death of President Reagan also found that 72 percent of

Americans say they are more likely in the wake of Reagan's passing to support

stem cell research, including 76 percent of moderates, 64 percent of

conservatives and 62 percent of fundamentalist or evangelical Christians. Also,

Reagan's clout in the national stem cell debate appears to have risen sharply,

with 80 percent of Americans viewing her as credible on the issue, up from 65

percent in a separate survey conducted during March 2004 in 18 key states.

Civil Society Institute President Pam Solo said: " We now can say with

certainty that the death of Reagan is altering the course of the national

dialogue about stem cell research. When almost three out of four Americans say

that they are more likely to support stem cell research after the death of

President Reagan, what you are witnessing is a fundamental shift in the way that

average Americans think about this issue. " In August 2001, the Bush

administration imposed a major new restriction on federal funding for embryonic

stem cell

research. The restriction meant that research on stem cell lines created

before August 2001 could receive funding, but prohibited support for research on

stem cell lines developed after that date.

Publicly run reverse mortgage program for seniors is proposed

New York State's Assembly propose a program to aid seniors in paying for

healthcare

The Associated Press, June 12, 2004, reports that the chairmen of the aging

committees in the state Senate and Assembly have proposed a program to let

low-income senior citizens extract equity from their homes to pay for health

care

services that will allow them to live independently longer.

The program, a variant of privately financed " reverse " mortgages, would be

administered by the State of New York Mortgage Agency and feature low-interest

loans and other cut-rate costs to maximize the amount of money available for

health care costs. Recipients would have to meet SONYMA income limits and

undergo health assessments to determine how incapacitated they are by health

problems and what services they would need to stay independent.

" The longer we keep seniors in the home, the better off it is for the

seniors, " said state Sen. Golden, a Brooklyn Republican. " The quality of

service can be as good, if not better, than if they're placed in a facility. "

Golden said an added benefit of the program would be to reduce taxpayers'

Medicaid

costs by delaying the movement of some seniors from their homes, where they

receive selected services under Medicaid, to long-term institutional care

settings. About one quarter of the $42 billion now spent on Medicaid in New

York

goes to long-term care of the disabled, chiefly elderly people who cannot be

tended to in home settings.

Golden is sponsoring the bill with his aging committee chairman counterpart

in the Assembly, Long Island Democrat Englebright. The measure has yet

to be voted on in the Senate or Assembly. Ferris, legislative director

in Albany for AARP, said the group supports the bill. " It offers a safe way

for an elderly person to use the equity in their home to have the ability to

stay in their home as long as possible, " Ferris said. " That's what seniors want

the most. " Since the program would be run through a state agency, there will

be some measure of consumer protection built-in, Ferris said.

20th Anniversary of Abilities Expo/Southern California a Huge Success

Close to 10,000 in attendance at this year's show

Approximately 10,000 attendees visited this year's Abilities Expo/Southern

California event that was held at the Anaheim Convention Center from June 11-13.

Helping to celebrate the events 20th anniversary, the visitors to the show

had the opportunity to discover and learn about hundreds of new products and

services - from computers to athletic equipment and mobility products to daily

living aids - all conveniently displayed to see, test and compare. Exhibiting

companies included Ford Motor Company, and Dana Reeve Paralysis

Resource Center, Advanced Mobility, Sure Hands Lift & Care Systems, Freedom

Concepts; and, many others.

Special events included football, hockey, and rugby sports demonstrations by

Xtreme Medical and the opportunity to meet Gerard Morreno, a paralympian who

signed autographs for an enthusiastic crowd of supporters at the Flexisier

booth.

Local and regionally based organizations that work with people with

disabilities also participated including, the California Department of

Rehabilitation,

Accessible San Diego, California Telephone Access Program, Disabled Dealer

Magazine of California and Nevada, and Living Independently in Los Angeles.

" We are very excited that this year's show brought out so many seniors,

people living with disabilities, their families and caregivers, " said Diane

Waltersdorf, Show Director from Advanstar Communications, producers of the

event.

" The new educational curriculum, developed by Carmen , was very well

received by all attendees, and we look forward to our additional shows taking

place

later this year, " added Waltersdorf.

Universal home design aims to remove barriers

Novel idea is great for those with disabilities

The Charlotte Observer, June 10, 2004, reports on the benefits of universal

home design. Universal home design is the latest trend in home architecture.

Universal home design is home design that demolishes barriers found in homes

being built today. Built with the aging population in mind, universal home

design

is actually convenient for everyone. Homes are built with wide entryways as

well as lower light switches, countertops and cabinets, and even have graded

house levels to replace stairways.

" Universal home design is not just for those with disabilities. Benefits are

for all population groups. Senior citizens will find these designs

preferable, especially once the inevitable effects of aging set in. In addition,

young

adults who are cognizant that they will one day become senior citizens will

find that universally home designed homes will adapt with their needs. Families

with young children will also find universal home design appealing. Rather

than waiting for help, kids will be able to reach faucets to wash their hands or

go into cabinets for snacks. Children are able to feel independent " , says

Stinson of the Charlotte Observer.

Universal home design is an exciting prospect. Not only does it provide an

opportunity to enable one to live independently, it also means less hassle in

dealing with contractors and construction workers. One hopes that Universal

Home Design will make home buying less arduous for everyone.

About Abilities Buzz

ABILITIES BUZZ is sponsored by Advanstar Communications, producers of

Abilities Expo. We encourage our readers to submit information on news and

articles

of interest that can be shared within the industry. Send story ideas to Amy

Riemer at amy@.... Our goal is to keep you abreast of the

latest news being reported in the industry to improve the lives of people with

disabilities, senior citizens, their families and caregivers - as well as

healthcare and education professionals.

About Abilities Expo

Abilities Expo is the leading consumer event for individuals with

disabilities, senior citizens, their families and caregivers, as well as

healthcare and

education professionals. Following is the list of dates and locations for the

three remaining shows to be held in 2004:

· Abilities Expo/Chicago Metro: August 13-15 at the E. s

Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.

· Abilities Expo/Metro Detroit: September 17-19 at the Novi Expo Center in

Detroit, MI.

· Abilities Expo/Northern California: November 12-14 at the Santa Clara

Convention Center, CA.

For information about exhibiting at or attending any of the Abilities Expo

events visit http://www.abilitiesexpo.com/or call 800-385-3085 or email

abilities@....