NRRTS Backs Complex Rehab Pavilion at Medtrade

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.”