Thinking about a summer get-away?

According to the nonprofit Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality, St. John’s initiative is the first large-scale effort by a Caribbean destination to address the issue of accessibility.

As part of the effort, a group of individuals with SCI and other mobility impairments were invited to test newly designed accommodations at Estate Concordia, an eco-resort on the south side of the island. The resort’s amenities include wide doorways and spacious bathrooms with accessible utilities as well as wheelchair-friendly walkways. Assistive and adaptive recreational equipment is designed to assist guests in enjoying many of the island’s activities, including swimming, snorkeling and sailing.

For more information, see www.maho.org/AccessibleEcoTents.cfm.

Mark Your Calendar!

The Seventh Annual Spinal Cord Injury Educational Conference will take place August 28, 2006, at the Phoenix Airport Marriott. The theme of this year’s conference is “Local Heroes.”

The conference is aimed at individuals with spinal cord injuries, family members and professionals. Consumers who register prior to August 15 can attend the conference for free, along with one personal care assistant. Registration fees for consumers and assistants who register after August 15 are $55 per person.

Fees for professionals are $79 prior to August 15 and $134 afterwards. For more information, see www.azspinal.org or contact Vangie Mortensen or Amy Rocker at 602-239-5929.

Voices & Visions: Attention Artists with Brain Injury

Did you know that the Brain Injury Association of Arizona (BIAAZ) is interested in displaying the creative art of people with brain injuries?

BIAAZ invites all artists with brain injury—young and old—to donate or lend their framed prose and artwork suitable for display at the BIAAZ office in Phoenix and on the association’s website. To view some of the art that is currently on display at the BIAAZ, visit www.biaaz.org. Go to the “Our Community” section and click on the “Voices and Visions Gallery” for a visual feast of artwork and poetry.

Are you an artist or writer who has survived a brain injury? Perhaps you would like to lend or donate some of your creative work to BIAAZ and share your vision with the community. For further information, please contact Mattie Cummins at BIAAZ at (602) 508-8024 or mattie@biaaz.org.

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