Twin Cities Hosted Two National
Organizations’ Conferences
by David Hadlich
The last week of June
was a busy one as Minneapolis played host to both the 25th National
Veterans Wheelchair Games, and the Spina Bifida Association of
America’s 32nd Annual Conference.
25th National Veterans Wheelchair
Games
The Minneapolis Convention
Center served as the venue for many of the events for the Wheelchair
games, including the opening and closing ceremonies. The host chapter
of this year’s events
was the Minnesota Chapter-Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the
Minneapolis VA Medical Center served as the host VA facility. This
year’s games attracted 498 participants, and an estimated
3000 people attended. Veterans came from all 50 states and two
territories. The events ranged from archery and bowling to basketball
and softball.
All participating athletes had a significant permanent neuromuscular-skeletal
disability such as a spinal cord disorder, polio, amputation, etc.
In order to be classified into one of seven levels (eight for swimming)
to allow a level playing field in the various events, each athlete
was given a special medical examination for the purpose of determining
their individual level of muscular function. The games are unbelievably
competitive and are not without controversy. But the level of camaraderie
is equally impressive, with friendships (and grudges) that are renewed
yearly.
Next year’s games are to be held in Anchorage, Alaska, from
July 2-8, 2006. For more information, call Ginny Schmidt, NVWG
Project Coordinator for the Paralyzed Veterans of America at 202-416-7705.
32nd
Annual Spina Bifida Association of America Conference
Just down the street, at the
Hyatt Regency and the Millennium Hotel, the folks from the Spina
Bifida Association of America, in association with the International
Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus were busy with their
annual conference. Spina Bifida is the most common permanently disabling
birth defect, and more than 70,000 people in the United States are
currently living with Spina Bifida.
Attracting almost 800
participants from as far as Hong Kong and New Zealand, the theme
of “Building Bridges to Advance Understanding” offered
more than 65 special presentations over four days. Topics ranged
from School Problems for Children with Spina Bifida, to Hydrocephalus
in Africa: Lessons for the Developed World. Subjects in many break-out
sessions were targeted and limited to specific niche groups. A session
on Sexuality for Adults with Spina Bifida was limited to adults with
Spina Bifida, as to encourage an open and candid dialogue.
Next year’s conference
is slated for Atlanta, Georgia, from June 25-29, 2006. For more
information, please call the Spina Bifida Association of America
at 1-800-621-3141.
Spina Bifada Association and
the Paralyzed Veterans of America provided some information for this
article.
