Revised Standard for Accessibility of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment, ASTM International

This specification establishes minimum characteristics for those factors that determine accessibility and applies to all types of materials that can be used under and around playground equipment. Playground surfaces represented as complying with this specification shall meet all applicable requirements regarding accessibility specified herein. Wheelchair work measurement method - straight propulsion and wheelchair work measurement method - turning shall be performed to conform to the requirements specified.
ASTM International is one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world � a trusted source for technical standards for materials, products, systems, and services.
For more information, go to http://www.astm.org/Standards/F1951.htm?A.

Seizing Life Experiences Before It Is Too Late, MSNBC Video, March 20, 2009

This story aired on the "Today Show" and is about Peter and Becky Alexander. Peter is a correspondent for NBC and a regular face on the "Today Show" and "NBC Nightly News." In this feature, he interviewed his sister, Becky, who has been diagnosed with Usher syndrome, a condition that is causing her to slowly go blind and deaf. This web-only video features Becky (who is a Spinning� instructor) describing what it's like living with Usher syndrome, and Peter explains the disease that affects his sister and about 16,000 people nationwide.

To watch this interview, go to http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/29790193#29790193.

Quality of Life Grant from Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Awarded to Initiative for Women with Disabilities (IWD), NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York City, March 9, 2009

This Young Women's Program will use the grant to help high school adolescent girls living with paralysis become active members in everyday life. The program, now entering its third year, teaches young women ages 14-21 about health and wellness, and gives them tools to maintain a healthy lifestyle. With the grant, the program plans to increase and expand its outreach and specialized programming that includes fitness, dance, and yoga classes, and expressive art workshops, including songwriting, discussion groups, and wellness initiatives.

Additional information about the Quality of Life Grants is available at http://www.christopherreeve.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=ddJFKRNoFiG&b=4979941&ct=6763709.

Visit the Initiative for Women with Disabilities website at www.iwdwellness.org or contact Lori Donaghy at 212-598-6602 or Lori.donaghy@nyumc.org for more information.

Wheelchair Soccer Team Joins Lineup of Programs in Surprise, The Arizona Republic, March 11, 2009

By Cecilia Chan and Sherry Anne Rubiano

The athletes zipped about an indoor court, jockeying to spin-kick an oversized soccer ball by way of bumpers mounted on the front of their wheelchairs. It is practice day for the Surprise Storm, the second power-wheelchair soccer team in Arizona. Surprise unveiled its spanking new team at a January clinic, which included a demonstration by Mesa's Arizona Heat. "Up until now people from all over the Valley went to Mesa," said Joe Gladieux, Surprise recreation coordinator. "It's very popular for people who use power wheelchairs. It's a fast-growing sport for that population." Power Soccer is the first competitive team sport designed and developed specifically for power wheelchair users, according to the United States Power Soccer Association, which governs the sport.
To read the full article, go to http://www.azcentral.com/community/westvalley/articles/2009/03/11/20090311gl-nwvadapt0311.html.

New Center on Health Promotion (CHP) Website!

The Center on Health Promotion Research for Persons with Disabilities (CHP) here at UIC is launching its new website this month.
The CHP is located in the Department of Disability and Human Development, College of Applied Health Sciences. It was established in 1997 with the primary aim of identifying people with disabilities who are at risk for developing numerous health complications (i.e., secondary conditions) and providing them with the knowledge and skills necessary for promoting their own independence, equal opportunity, quality of life, and longevity. Building upon core funding from the University of Illinois at Chicago, the CHP has been able to successfully compete for federal funding from the National Institutes on Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).
The following federally funded projects are located in the CHP:

• National Center on Health, Physical Activity, and Disability (NCHPAD),
• Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Recreational Technologies and Exercise Physiology for People with Disabilities (RERC RecTech),
• Personalized Health Promotion Program for Persons with a Physical Disability (PEPRx),
• Health Empowerment Zones for Persons with Mobility Disability (HEZ),
• Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project on Obesity and Secondary Conditions in Youth with Disabilities (DRRP),
• Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Aging with Developmental Disabilities (RRTC) - Longitudinal Health & Intellectual Disability Study (LHIDS),
• Illinois Disability and Health Program (ILDHP), and
• Universal Design and Health Promotion (UDHP).

For more information, please visit http://uic-chp.org/.