AzSCIA TRANSPORTATION SERVICE The Arizona Spinal Cord Injury Association offers accessible transportation services to assist you in all your personal transportation needs! Just imagine - your own personal driver that will deliver you from your door to your appointments and back to your home Unlike other transportation services, you don't have to wait for your return trip to your home and you can make multiple stops. Want to see Arizona but you're on a budget? We charge by the hour, not per person. So if you are considering a trip, gather a few of your friends for a bigger savings. One van can fit three large electric wheelchairs, or four regular wheelchairs plus four ambulatory. If you are a not-for-profit organization seeking "contract" transportation....we can help you too! Call us at 602-507-4209 or 602-703-2199! We can make your Wheels Toward A Dream Trip a reality! Share plans with us for your outing and we will help make your trip come true. Arizona is a very beautiful state so start making your plans today! Call us today. Thank you for letting AzSCIA help you with your transportation needs. Donations are accepted. All funding supports the AzSCIA Transportation Programs. BANNER PHOENIX WHEELCHAIR SUNS The Banner Phoenix Wheelchair Suns are members of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) and have been extraordinarily successful, consistently ranking among the top teams in the nation. They play 25-30 games a year and make more than 30 appearances, a grueling schedule, but one that allows the teams to impact a wide range of diverse audiences. Since 1988, the Banner Phoenix Wheelchair Suns have been competing successfully on the court. At the same time, off the court, they have been bringing their messages of personal determination and public awareness of disability issues to a wide variety of receptive audiences. Their message is simple and to the point: the challenges of a disability can be conquered; participation in recreational activities, even highly competitive ones, is possible and meaningful; a greater concern with safety issues is important and necessary. And, they're a heck of a basketball team. Banner Phoenix Wheelchair Suns: ● are coed ● are from 18 years old to over 50 ● have 12-15 players on the traveling squad ● have a range of disabilities (not all our members use chairs all the time) ● are highly skilled athletes ● are committed to delivering their unique messages to an ever-widening audience ● welcome your inquiries... THE PROGRAMS For K-12 - "It's OK to be Different" This school program begins with a short presentation on the capabilities of people with disabilities. The team explains that people with disabilities can accomplish a great deal, that their "differences" are not significant and should not be a barrier to friendships and person-to-person interaction. To illustrate their point, the Banner Phoenix Wheelchair Suns challenge teachers, staff, students, or administrators to a short game of wheelchair basketball. The Banner Phoenix Wheelchair Suns, of course, easily defeat the school team. The program ends with a discussion on "It's OK to be Different." (Time: 50 minutes) For Junior High and High School Students - "Drive Safe Campaign - We don't want you on our team." After a short game of wheelchair basketball between the Banner Phoenix Wheelchair Suns and a school team of volunteers, players discuss how being in a wheelchair impacts one's life. They explain how they were injured, specifically relating what they were doing when the accident occurred - driving while impaired, speeding to get to an appointment, turning to speak to a friend in the back seat, being distracted from the road. This hard-hitting, down-to-earth discussion hits home with this age group. The presentation is especially relevant to driver's education classes, and includes radio and television PSAs, posters and "driver safe" postcards. (Time: 50 minutes) For Organizations, Associations, Civic Groups and Clubs - "Disability Awareness and Education" A discussion of the issues an opportunities facing people with disabilities is the focal point of this program, all wrapped around an entertaining wheelchair basketball game between the Banner Phoenix Wheelchair Suns and a local team comprised of celebrities and other community leaders. Often, the game is used as a fund-raising event for a local charity. This venue provides an opportunity to discuss recreational and mentoring activities for people with disabilities, as well as the relationship between participation in sports and one's physical and mental awareness. (Time: one-two hours) Junior Wheelchair Basketball This team, organized by players and coaches from the Banner Phoenix Wheelchair Suns, in collaboration with the Mesa Association of Sports for the Disabled, is a great opportunity for young boys and girls, 12-18, to explore and challenge their abilities. In addition to providing an important physical and emotional outlet, the program also creates wonderful mentoring experiences for the adult and junior team members. Wheelchair Clinics The Banner Phoenix Wheelchair Suns have developed a series of clinics designed to teach people in wheelchairs how to use their chairs in a variety of everyday situations. The program promotes greater confidence and independence, and can answer specific questions and concerns. Some of the topics covered during the clinics include: ●Transferring activities - from your chair to furniture, vehicles, and the floor or ground; ●Mechanics of the chair - making adjustments to and maintaining your chair for maximum efficiency; ● Managing your environment - opening and closing doors, using elevators, escalators and stairs, drinking at water fountains, using payphones, managing curbs, ramps and other terrain, performing wheelies (forwards, backwards and circles). Handling falling out of the chair and other obstacles, and other issues; ● traveling with your chair - airports, bus and train stations, automobiles. Clinic are scheduled at various locations and times and are subject to change. Please call the Arizona Spinal Cord Injury Association at 602-239-5929 or toll free at 877-778-6588 for more information about these free clinics or visit the Calendar section of the website. MOVEMENT & SPASTICITY SCREENING CLINICS Tight, Stiff Muscles? You might have a condition known as spasticity. If left untreated, spasticity, can become painful and affect your activities of daily living, many times resulting in unwanted orthopedic surgery. To help prevent these issues we are now offering participants FREE monthly multi disciplinary spasticity screenings by neuro therapy teams. You may pre-register for this screening event via phone. There are five programs throughout Arizona. Please call the location most convenient for you. Valley of the Sun Rehabilitation Hospital 13460 N. 67th Ave ., Glendale, AZ 85304 Call Eric Muse, PT at 623-334-5470 Scottsdale Rehabilitation Hospital 9630 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ85260 Call Julie Barth, OT at 480-551-5447 Yuma Rehabilitation Hospital 901 W. 24th St., Yuma, AZ 85364 Call Out-patient Therapy at 928-314-8812 Rehabilitation Institute of Tucson 2650 N Wyatt Dr., Tucson, AZ 85712 Call 520-322-3663 (First Wednesday of the month) Mountain Valley Regional Rehab Hospital 3700 N. Windsong Dr., Prescott Valley, AZ 86314 Call Anamarie at 928-775-7783 PEER MENTORING PROGRAM The purpose of the Spinal Cord Peer Mentoring Program is to assist individuals who have experienced the trauma of spinal cord injury and the long process of healing and readjustment to help others in similar situations. The Spinal Cord Peer Mentors are volunteers who have accepted their situation, developed healthy coping strategies, and have the intense desire to help others in similar situations. Though not a professional counselor, the Spinal Cord Peer Mentor will be trained to provide support, encouragement, and to be a vital resource during the recovery process. For more information about the Peer Mentor Program, please contact Karen Halgren at 602-507-4209. SUPPORT GROUPS Flagstaff Support Group First Tuesday of the month 2:00PM - 3:30PM Northern AZ Health Care training facility in the Fort Valley Shopping Center Facilitator: Al White 928-527-8567 or bosco8567@msn.com Prescott Valley Support Group First Thursday of every month 6:00PM Mountain Valley Regional Rehabilitation 3700 N. Windsong Dr., Prescott Valley, AZ Facilitator: Jo Crawford, 928-759-8800 Tucson Support Group Last Monday of the month 5:30PM - 7:30PM Various locations-depending on meeting topic- social or educational Facilitator: Peter Hughes Coachhughes50@hotmail.com, 619-249-1885 or Jessica Stebbins, Jessicamstebbins@gmail.com, 520-795-3430 SCI Women’s Support Group Second Tuesday of every month 6:30PM – 8:00PM Disability Empowerment Center, Arizona Spinal Cord Injury Association, 5025 E Washington St #110, Phoenix, AZ 85034 Facilitator: Karen Halgren at 602-507-4209, karen@azspinal.org Men’s Disability Discussion Group Third Thursday of every month 5:30PM - 7:00PM Disability Empowerment Center, 5025 E Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85034 Facilitator: Don Price at 602-980-3232, donp@abil.org VOICE (West Valley) Support Group Second Thursday of every month 2:00PM - 4:00PM Glendale Public Library, 5959 W Brown Street in Glendale Facilitator: Janene Werner at 602-814-9717, voicejw@yahoo.com COMPASS (East Valley) Support Group Third Friday of every month 2:00PM - 4:30PM Granite Reef Senior Center, 1700 N Granite Reef Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85257 Facilitator: Pauline Staples at 602-241-1006, plstaples@msn.com