Make Change Happen - a Column by Paula Hardin

There is a Shortage of Anatomical Donation of MS Brains

Multiple sclerosis damages human brains, so MS researchers often study mice brains. How can multiple sclerosis be cured or prevented without studies of human brains? Researchers need the anatomical bequests of MS brains. Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center Harvard University specifically collects and studies brains (and brain tissue),…

Accessible, Affordable Housing Is Not Optional

Accessible housing is not optional for people with disabilities. Poverty and disability too often combine for too many people. It is one thing to know this double whammy exists intellectually. To see the impact in a person packs a visceral punch that cannot be denied. Think of how profoundly…

‘Disabled? You Seem Perfectly Fine to Me!’

The casual remark, “You seem perfectly fine to me!”Ā bothers me (and others) becauseĀ eligibility forĀ Social Security Disability benefits requires proving we are not fine. In fact, we must prove that we are disabled, which is no small burden when we “seem perfectly fine.” ‘Looking’ disabled An acquaintance of mine…

Disability Activism Beats Doing Housework

I now introduce myself as a disability rights activist. I began to pay attention to local politics and related activities last fall. Our city redevelopment plans are charging along, without any city staffer to pay attention to the needs of the disabled. As such, I’ve been making the…

The Cluttered Consequences of Multiple Sclerosis Fatigue

Multiple sclerosis causes debilitating fatigue. The following photographs show,Ā without censorship, what my fatigue leaves undone. The homes of everyone I know have living rooms without sweaters tossed over the back of chairs. Their floors are not an obstacle course. They do not have piles of mail, notes, drills,…

ABLE Act Improvements Reintroduced in Congress

The ABLE Act improvement bills were reintroduced into CongressĀ this week and referred to committee on April 4.Ā The billsĀ died in committee in 2016 before an active campaign could garner enough attention in that election year. I urge all readers in the U.S. toĀ call yourĀ representatives and senators to encourage them to…

Exploring Methods to Manage MS-Related Fatigue

FatigueĀ isĀ the bane of my existence. Clutter qualifies as my lifestyle. If I can’t see something it may as well beĀ lost. I spend about 50% of my day trying to find things I have put “someplace safe.” The other half I spend looking for something IĀ just had…

Like the ADA, the ABLE Act Has Significant Potential

When the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law in 1990, there seemingly were as many opponents as there were proponents. All these years later, the standards and expectations of that landmark legislation have become second-nature in mainstream America. Concerns about costs and consequences were…

ABLE Act Webinar Set for Nov. 15

The National Disability Institute manages the website www.ablenrc.org that has good information. I watched all the ā€œwebinarsā€Ā and found them informative. A new one is going to be broadcast Nov. 15, 1:00-2:30 CST Ā (event number 660 742 928), Ā and likely will be archived with the rest of the webinars…