inMotion Magazine

Strong 37 when they actually drive change that has real impact for our community. Should we refer to April as National Limb Loss and Limb Difference Action Month? Is it time to change the way we  commemorate this month? Many organizations have realized that merely raising awareness about an issue or a community isn’t enough. Commemorative ribbons and t-shirts cost money, and while they’re a show of unity, they may accomplish very little in terms of impact, change, or protection for a community. Instead, organizations across the country are moving beyond merely raising awareness during these commemorative months to giving advocates, volunteers, and community members activities to do that create impact and change in their communities. These activities can range from advocacy activities that encourage federal and state legislatures to change laws … fundraising for research toward better treatments and medical outcomes … changing medical evaluation processes that help with amputation prevention … or changes to Medicare and private insurance regulations that ensure better coverage. All things that truly help people. You’ll see on our website ( amputee-coalition.org) that we’ve included a calendar of things you can do during the month of April to help us evolve this month from being merely about awareness and education to sparking action and change that helps support everyone with limb loss and limb difference, as well as others in our community. Tell us what you think! We would love to hear from you on this topic – if you have any thoughts or ideas about how we can rethink Limb Loss Awareness Month and make sure our entire community feels included and inspired to act, please email us at news@amputee- coalition.org. We’ll also talk about this on our social media channels in April, so feel free to join the dialogue on Twitter and Facebook. We’ll be sure to feature some of your answers and ideas in a future issue of the magazine and look forward to growing the original idea behind Limb Loss Awareness Month to further influence action! Ad nture YOUR WAYPOINT FOR ADAPTIVE ADVENTURES IN PARK CITY, SALT LAKE AND MOAB, UTAH www.discovernac.org