The CPRC participated in the 1st Annual Pediatric DME Expo & Symposium on November 14, 2009. This event was put on by Kids Mobility Network, The Children's Hospital of Denver and Variety of Colorado. (picture is Jeanette Cordova and new friend Hannah who was there with her mom, Margaretta Starrs Stofac and the Spina Bifida Association of Colorado). The event showcased the most popular pediatric durable medical equipment in the industry, local resources like the CPRC and a symposium with topics such as how to find funding for durable medical equipment. The CPRC will keep you posted for next years event!
FYI - President Signs New Hate Crime Legislation
President Barack Obama signed into law an expanded version of a statute that extends protection from hate crimes to people with disabilities. According to a recent study, people with disabilities are 50% more likely to be victims of violent crime than people without disabilities. The law, which was also expanded to include protection from offenses based on gender or sexual orientation, is being called the largest expansion of civil rights in the U.S. in decades.
The Current State of Health Care for People with Disabilities http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2009/HealthCare/HealthCare.html From the Executive Summary: Primary barriers to health and health care for the general population are beginning to be well documented, and heightened national awareness of these obstacles has spurred numerous proposals for health care reform. Among the groups that face such barriers are Americans with disabilities. Information remains limited, but recent studies indicate that people with disabilities experience both health disparities and specific problems in gaining access to appropriate health care, including health promotion and disease prevention programs and services. They also frequently lack either health insurance or coverage for necessary services such as specialty care, long-term care, care coordination, prescription medications, durable medical equipment, and assistive technologies.
A proposal to redesign special education is on the table in Colorado's Thompson School District.
Emphasizing effective inclusion class time for students in special education, the plan represents the culmination of an effort that began last year and included collaboration from education and disability specialists and best-practices research. If approved by the school board, the Re-Imagining Special Education program would affect about 2,000 students. The Reporter-Herald (Loveland, Colo.) http://www.reporterherald.com/news_story.asp?ID=25558
Special Education Unit at CDE - Restructuring of Exceptional Student Leadership Unit (ESLU)
