Upcoming Event -- Making Connections: Annual Meeting of Members & Conference

Making Connections: Annual Meeting of Members & Conference Saturday October 20, 2012 9am-3pm This conference includes MS education, annual meeting of members, research update and a health & resource EXPO. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to visit the exhibitors to learn about health, recreation, independence products and services and to network and share experiences with others living with MS. Updates on MS research at all 4 sites. DCU Center, Worcester MA: The Hope of Emerging Therapies in Multiple Sclerosis with Elliot Frohman, MD, Director, MS Program, Dept. of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Augusta Civic Center, Augusta ME: MS & Rehabilitation: What’s New that can Help You? with Alexius E.G. Sandoval, MD, Rehabilitation Medicine, EMMC Executive Court Banquet Facility, Manchester NH: MS Research: What’s on the Horizon with Nicholas LaRocca, PhD, Director of Health Care Delivery and Policy Research at the National MS Society. The Essex, Essex VT: Mapping the Way: Directions in MS Research with Ann Cabot, DO, Concord Hospital Neurology Associates Registration deadline: October 12, 2012 Cost: $10 per person. This program includes lunch. Limit 2 adult guests per registrant. For persons with MS: When registering please indicate if you would like complimentary admission To register: Call 1-800-344-4867 Register online Because MS affects more than just the individual diagnosed, our programs welcome friends and family members unaccompanied by a person with MS. If you cannot attend but would like to vote by proxy, fill out the proxy form. This program is handicapped accessible This program not suitable for children. Adults with MS and their adult guests

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Federal Focus - September 2012

Register Today: National Forum on Disability Issues The Society is one of more than seventy organizations sponsoring the 2012 National Forum on Disability Issues—the only national Presidential candidate event focusing solely on issues specific to the disability community. The Forum will take place in Columbus, Ohio on September 28th. What can you do to help with this exciting event? First, you can urge the candidates to attend the Forum. President Barack Obama, Presidential Nominee Governor Mitt Romney and Ohio Senate candidates U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and challenger Josh Mandel have all been invited, but it would really help for them to hear from the public about the importance of this Forum. Candidates will share their positions and answer questions on a wide range of disability issues including employment, health care, long-term services and supports, education, transportation, housing, and research. To read sample example invitations to the candidates and send your own, go to this site. Second, you can RSVP and listen to the live webcast on September 28th from 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM EST. It’s important to listen and get educated. Over 14.7 million Americans with a disability voted in the 2008 election. With one out of every five Americans living with a disability today, our voices will play a critical role in the 2012 election. Congress Returns Next Week after Recess For the past month, members of Congress have been home for August recess in their states. This is always an important time for constituents to meet with their members and particularly this year, since it’s an election year. MS activists across the country have been meeting with members, reminding them of funding priorities for the MS community, especially MS research funding and the Lifespan Respite Care Program that supports family caregivers. Check out some of the great pictures here and here. Thanks to the MS Activists who took time to schedule and attend these meetings—your advocacy is critical to our continued success! Upon their return to Washington next week, Congress will only have a few legislative days left before the election in two months. During this time, Congress is expected to vote on a ’Continuing Resolution’ that would keep the government and its departments and programs operating past the beginning of the new fiscal year (October 1) and into early next year. This means that final funding levels for our 2012 priorities--MS research in the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and funding for the Lifespan Respite Care Program--won’t be determined until after the new year. Lifespan Respite Grants Announced The federal Lifespan Respite grants were announced last week and are going to the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Iowa, Massachusetts, Nevada, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Iowa is a new grantee and the remaining states have received grants in the past, with the new funding serving to sustain and grow their programs. The Lifespan Respite Care Program was enacted in 2006 and provides funding for states to establish or enhance statewide systems that coordinate and increase family caregivers’ access to respite services. A recent National Alliance for Caregiving survey reminded us that while important to keep loved ones at home for as long as possible, caregiving can be strenuous. The survey found that caregivers of people with MS spend an average of 24 hours a week on caregiving responsibilities, 64% were emotionally drained, and 22% had lost a job due to caregiving. To help provide proper support and respite for family caregivers, MS activists advocate for appropriations for the Lifespan Respite Care Program every year. These grants are a product of their success!