National Rehabilitation Awareness Celebration
September 18-24, 2011

Fifty million reasons are why the National Rehabilitation Awareness Celebration week is important.  Well, more like 49,700,000 reasons.  According to the U. S. Census Bureau, about 49.7 million Americans have a disability, which includes people of all ages. About two-thirds of these individuals have a severe disability.

I will hazard a guess that you, the reader of this article, either know or knew someone with a disability.  If you are reading this article there is a good chance that you are working or have worked in the health field, or have a loved one who has a disability, or you yourself might have a disability.

Disabilities come in all sizes of packages.  A person less than six feet tall will have a more difficult time playing basketball than a normal sized basketball player.  A person born and raised in Greenland might have a more difficult time with the summer sun and heat than someone born and raised in Southern Georgia.  A person in a wheelchair might have more difficulties using the stairs than a walking person.  A child raised in an impoverished area might have more difficulty in life's advancement than a child of a millionaire from America.  A person with no sight might have a more difficult time reading a book than a person with 20/20 eyesight.

Most everyone has some form of disability.  Nobody is 'normal' and yet the accumulation of everybody creates a normal idea.  The parts make a whole and everybody is a part, the same sized part, when put together, makes the whole of civilization. 

At some time in our life, we all need assistance from others.  This goes for a mother assisting a child, a friend helping out a friend, a wife lending love and affection to her husband, a stranger lending another stranger a hand, a worker assisting a customer.  Everybody needs some assistance. 

For some, the need of assistance is just more noticeable.  During the week of September 18-24, the National Rehabilitation Awareness Foundation is sponsoring the National Rehabilitation Awareness Celebration.  The National Rehabilitation Awareness Foundation (http://www.nraf-rehabnet.org/) was established by Allied Services in 1996. Its mission is to educate people about the benefits and impact of rehabilitation; develop programs which aim to increase opportunities for the nearly 50 million Americans with disabilities, and help those who are disabled live up to their fullest potential through rehabilitation.

Rehabmart, although not connected with the National Rehabilitation Awareness Foundation, has a similar mission statement to carefully select products that promote independence, improve function, and make an innovative impact on the lives of the people using the products. We strive to connect our customers with products that often become "Tools for the Job of Living", the copyrighted tag line for our company.

The two people who founded Rehabmart are both Occupational Therapists.  Hulet Smith, OTR/L and Mike Price, OTR, started Rehabmart in 1998 stemming from a mutual desire to serve patients, families, and caregivers by offering a wide selection of innovative rehabilitation products, superb customer service, and value oriented discount pricing.

A look at the many various products for the many different types of physical and mental conditions can easily be done by surfing through the Rehabilitation Products category.

      The One-Handed Kitchen Helper Kit has specially selected products help anyone who functions with the use of only one hand.  Click Kitchen Gadgets to view similar products.

       The Pistol Grip Remote Toe Nail Clipper has a long handle and pistol grip, make clipping toenails possible with less bending and the trigger action provides increased leverage.  To view more personal hygiene products, go to the Personal Hygiene page. 

           The DeRoyal® Ultralign + Lumber Sacral Orthosis BackSupport back support is constructed of a hook receivable material with soft, breathable liner that provides a cooler, lighter fit.  To view other types of back supports, please go to the Back Supports page.

           The Delta Swim System utilizes the water's resistance and rehabilitation can be directed at a specific area or muscle grouping, as full range motion is possible. Delta's are also used to help maintian a vertical position in the water thus assisting with deep water walking, running and aerobic exerices.  To view more aquatic therapy products, please go to the Aquatic Therapy  page.

          The Hausmann Table Model Powder Boardhas a patient cut out and a oval shape that offer sitting patient full range of motion in a horizontal plane.  To view other rehabilitation tables, please go to the Work Tables for Therapy and Rehabilitation page.

 

      The Midland Pediatric Folding Parallel Bars are a space-saving unit that is ideal for pediatric departments and schools.  Midland Manual Parallel Bars are designed to fit your department's area needs.  To view other parallel bars, please go to the Parallel Bars page.

 

In the end all you can be is your normal self.  A person, an individual, a part of the whole.  A special individual with their own gifts and abilities, and a person who also might need some assistance from others or devices.  A part of a universal whole.  As the full moon brightens from the light of a huge sun, the sun needs the combination of the small molecules of hydrogen, helium, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen to survive. 

Disabilities, and help, come in all sizes of packages. 

Bill Stock
Library Editor for Rehabmart
and
Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Team Leader & CEO