TRINIDAD, Colo.—NRRTS, the National Registry of Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers, announced Aug. 3 that it has signed an agreement with Nielsen Business Media to sponsor the NRRTS Complex Rehab Pavilion on the show floor at Medtrade 2009. Medtrade dates are Oct. 13-15, 2009, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
The NRRTS Complex Rehab Pavilion is a grouping of 20-plus booths sharing a common theme: equipment and services to meet the complex needs of people with disabilities who have significant mobility and postural deficits.
Along with its presence on the show floor, NRRTS is facilitating two educational programs during the conference portion of Medtrade.
The first, "Complex Rehab-Legislative and Regulatory Update," will be presented by Don Clayback, executive director of NCART, the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehabilitation Technology.
"It's a big year for health care in our country and there's a lot to be aware of and working on," said Clayback. "This session will provide an overview of current legislative and regulatory issues that impact the complex rehab business. We'll also review those that are on the horizon. What a provider needs to be doing and how to be part of the solution, versus part of the problem, will be covered."
The second program, "Consumer Self-Advocacy-The Key to the
Future of Complex Rehab," will be presented by Ann Eubank, the
executive director of the Users First Alliance, and Jeffrey
Leonard, the president of No Limits Communication Inc., publisher
of New Mobility magazine.
Simon Margolis, NRRTS executive director, described the structure and goals of the presentation:
"In order to assure that people with significant postural and mobility impairments get the complex rehab equipment and services they need, three things must happen. First, a coherent, cohesive and comprehensive legislative and regulatory agenda must be adopted and articulated by the entire complex rehab industry and profession.
"Second, the individual members of the complex rehab community must put out maximum effort to support this agenda. The third and most important to a successful outcome is that the individuals who are ultimately impacted by legislation and policy that will limit their ability to get this technology, that is, the people who rely on the technology, must understand, embrace and self-advocate for an agenda that assures continued access to the enabling technology they require."
Margolis continued, "Ann Eubank will discuss the work that the Users First Alliance is doing to collect information and data about technology access issues. Jeffrey Leonard will explore the role of the media in promoting self-advocacy on the part of people with disabilities in general and specifically the recruitment of consumers of complex rehab equipment to participate in Capitol Hill visits during CELA 2010 in Washington, D.C., in April 2010."
