From Pain to Persistence
A huge thank you to the American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association (AMRPA) for writing such a beautiful article on so many challenges many of us wheelchair users continually strive to fight for health equity in our community!
Excerpt:
“Seat Elevation: A Campaign for Coverage
Despite Ali’s optimism, which continues to shine through in her effervescent personality, the American healthcare system has proven itself to be a formidable foe in the fight to obtain coverage for medically necessary equipment. Much of Ali’s advocacy over the past few years has centered around a couple key pieces of equipment: seat elevators and standing wheelchairs. Each of these devices massively improve quality of life for their users, allowing far greater freedom of movement, independence, and safety.[PS1]
So, when in 2020 Ali was eligible for a new power wheelchair, it only made sense to request a chair with power seat elevation. The request was promptly denied, however, beginning a months-long battle that eventually culminated in Ali successfully obtaining a seat elevation chair after exhausting all possible appeals. There was one caveat, though: The decision to cover the new chair, according to her carrier, was not a precedent — in other words, the decision would not apply to others who would benefit similarly from the equipment. Though Ali was ecstatic to be receiving the equipment, the decision seemed less like a major victory and more like placating someone who refused to give up when most people would.
Unsurprisingly —it’s what she was arguing for all along! — seat elevation “has transformed my life,” Ali recently told AMRPA’s Medical Rehab Matters podcast. For her, it means tasks such as cooking, brushing her teeth and transferring from her wheelchair to her bed can now be completed independently and safely. In seeing how medically necessary a power seat elevator indeed is, Ali did not give up the fight but instead continued to be a part of the campaign to have CMS classify all power seat elevators as medically necessary — not just hers.“
Click Here to Read the Full Story
Permobil USA – Breaking News – Seat Elevator Coverage
Check out the latest episode of Wheelchair Nerds as we discuss the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ decision on coverage for seat elevation. There is a lot to unpack on the approved criteria and next steps, and Ali Ingersoll and Jim Stephenson join us to discuss the impact of this decision and consider what’s to come.
Listen Here: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/permobil/episodes/2023-06-06T19_27_05-07_00
The Curious Case of Underlying Discrimination in a Job Description?
Each day LinkedIn consistently sends me job alerts on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). I haven’t taken the time to turn off these little notifications as my plate is beautifully full in life at the moment. I do, however, find myself clicking on these jobs from time to time to read what they’re all about, requirements, qualifications, etc.
I’m also amazed when a job posting goes up that there are usually over 100 applicants within just a few hours. I suppose I’m keeping my pulse on the DEI landscape in general as this is such a hot field now (rightly so), which I do hope remains consistent in the decades to come. The other day a very well-known medical company posted a job for a DEI Consultant position that was advertised as remote. I was reading the job description and it seemed pretty boilerplate for so many I see regularly at first glance that is. What I discovered upon reading further raised an incredibly bright red flag for me.
RELATIONSHIPS with DISABILITIES
I will start out by saying that this article is from a truly authentic perspective, raw, and may be challenging for some to read. However, despite my dark humor and quirky positive outlook on life there are some aspects of living with a disability that are just challenging. Plain and simple. I wish everything ended with unicorns and rainbows, but at the end of the day no matter what you may be dealing with there are ways to cope with all situations. I promise I do have 2 great pieces of advice I work on every day at the end of this article!
Secondly, this is not article is not about romantic relationships. This is a post about ALL relationships, with parents, loved ones, spouses, caregivers, or anyone who helps assist many of us with disabilities who are completely dependent on others.
read more…Keynote Speaker for Corporate Health and Wellness – Disability:In NC
It was a true honor and pleasure to be the keynote speaker for Disability:In North Carolina this past month for their Wellness@Work to chat about the importance of health and wellness. Health and wellness for yourself, your corporation, and how to bring your best authentic self to work and in life.
It is my greatest hope that there are lessons we can each take out of this in our own lives and in a professional capacity!
Transforming a Traumatic Experience into one of Laughter and Comical Memories
Whenever we experience trauma or go through an extremely challenging time in our lives we often remember the bad. We remember the ugly. We don’t remember little moments of hope because our brains are wired generally catastrophize experiences. Just think about the mainstream media, are you happier when you read it at the end of the day?
Don’t you feel like most news reports focus on the doom and gloom of what’s going on around the world? How many “Good Feeling” stories do you read in a day? I’m guessing not many. I’ll never forget during Covid there was this mini-series called “Some Good News” hosted by the American Actor and Filmmaker John Krasinksi. It was genius. It made you laugh and feel hope in the face of a global lock-down. I digress.
The same can really be said for our lives. In 2016 I spent an entire year in bed with multiple surgeries from a pressure sore on my backside down to my bone. It was painful, it was lonely, it was depressing, and it was a very arduous and long road to recovery. Months on end of not being able to see more than four walls and a window.
Navigating Insurance Appeals & Approvals with Help Hope Live
It was such a tremendous honor to host a webinar with a dear friend Karen Roy, Numotion Ambasador, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, fierce advocate, and Ms. Wheelchair America 2019.
With Help Hope Live organizing this amazing event, we both spoke about navigating the health insurance appeals and approvals process from very different perspectives. From the patient perspective and from the provider perspective. So many tips and tricks and personal experiences we have both encountered over our decades of advocacy experience.
You don’t want to miss this talk!
ABC 11 NEWS REPORT OUT!
So thankful to Diane Wilson, investigative reporter with ABC11 WTVD-TV and an incredible human being coming over to shoot a video segment for the news on the damage incurred with my power wheelchair when coming back from my trip to Costa Rica with Delta airlines
A piece of beautiful advocacy and a call for change. will be heading to Washington DC with hundreds of other wheelchair Advocates with United Spinal Association on June 18th for Roll on Capitol Hill to push for amendments to the Air Carrier Access Act.
It is an incredible passion of mine to consistently push for change for inclusion in our society. There countless wheelchair users I know who are afraid to fly due to consistent airline damage. this has to change!
It will change with the help of thousands of us continuing to put pressure on amending laws.
Planning an International Adventure as a Complete C6, Quadriplegic
Planning a trip can be exhausting for anyone, but for a wheelchair user there are many intricate elements to consider to ensure you have an enjoyable trip. One of the top issues to consider is the safety of your wheelchair with major commercial airlines.
Additionally, one also needs to consider medical supplies, durable medical equipment, different types of backup wheelchair cushions, arranging travel for caregivers, and much more.
With proper planning, research, and time, any wheelchair user should be rest assured you can have a magical trip. You just need to stay a few steps ahead of the game by pre-planning your travels.
Read the rest of the article on Wheel the World
(Thank you Wheel the World for such an incredible travel experience in allowing me to write such an important article help others in wheelchairs plan a safe and dream destination trip!)
