United Spinal Association: Empowering People with Spinal Injuries and Diseases

In the US, around 12,000 people suffer from new spinal cord injuries ever year. Add to that the number of people who are diagnosed with spinal cord related illnesses such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Post-Polio, and Spina Bifida each year. These injuries and diseases have forced millions to be confined to wheelchairs, or worse, to their beds for the duration of their lives. Aside from the people affected by spinal cord injuries and diseases (SCI/D) , the people who are hit the hardest are the people who look after them – their families and primary caregivers.

The United Spinal Association is a non-profit organization that provides much needed help and support to people afflicted with these debilitating injuries and diseases as well as to those who help them through their daily activities. The main goal of the organization is to advance and promote policies that would give people with SCI/D more independence and civil rights. Some of the advocacies they are pushing for are better, more affordable healthcare and preservation of social security benefits just to name a few.