OPAF NEWS - OPAF REPRESENTED ON INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH TEAM

Tamara Bibby

Description

Title:

OPAF NEWS - OPAF REPRESENTED ON INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH TEAM

Creator:

Tamara Bibby

Date:

3/4/2003

Text:

ORTHOTIC AND PROSTHETIC ASSISTANCE FUND, INC.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2003

Contact: Jeff Reznick
(202) 223-8878

Read this announcement online at:
www.opfund.org/announcements/index.html#7

OPAF REPRESENTED ON INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH TEAM ORGANIZED BY THE POLUS
CENTER FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Washington, DC - At the invitation of The Polus Center for Social and
Economic Development, Dr. Jeff Reznick, OPAF's Executive Director and
Senior Research Fellow, represented the Fund last month on a research
team engaged in developing a Disability Leadership Institute to be
affiliated with the University of Leon, Polus Center, international aid
organizations, and local grassroots NGO's. Reznick joined experts from
various disability fields from both North and Central America to conduct
interviews with Nicaraguan disability groups who will play central roles
in planning and implementing the institute. The purpose of the institute
will be to:

1. raise local, regional, and international awareness concerning the
needs for persons with disabilities to have increased social,
educational, and economic opportunities;
2. provide technical assistance to disability programs, institutions,
and organizations in the planning and development for inclusion of
persons with disabilities in various education and economic initiatives;
and
3. connect through networking forums persons with disabilities,
advocates, public officials, and others interested in disability issues.

Funded in part by the Patrick Leahy War Victims Fund, a U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) program, the Disability Leadership
Institute will be engaged in supporting people with disabilities toward
full participation in community life. It is anticipated that the
institute will not only promote leadership but also simultaneously
address a variety of access issues that impact social and economic
opportunities and human rights for individuals with disabilities.

Look for an exclusive article about Reznick's contributions to the
research team in the May 2003 issue of the O&P Almanac, the
award-winning monthly magazine for the orthotics and prosthetics
profession. Published by the American Orthotic and Prosthetic
Association (AOPA), the O&P Almanac offers in-depth coverage of current
professional, government, business, and reimbursement activities
affecting the orthotics and prosthetics industry. To learn more about
AOPA and the O&P Almanac please visit < <URL Redacted>>
www.aopanet.org.

The Polus Center for Social & Economic Development, Inc. is a
Massachusetts based 501(c) non-profit umbrella organization that
supports a wide variety of human service initiatives on the national and
international level. Over the years, The Polus Center has broadened the
scope of its mission beyond the provision of direct care services to
include planning and development consultation services on the national
and international level. Working in Massachusetts since 1979, The Polus
Center has been instrumental in the development of alternative service
models that support people with disabilities at work, and at home. Many
individuals who have spent years in institutional care are now
competitively employed, and have homes in the community of their choice.
For more information about The Polus Center please visit
<URL Redacted>

For more information about OPAF's own direct-service programs and its
representation of O&P in community and philanthropic circles, please
visit www.opfund.org or contact OPAF directly at 1666 K Street NW, Suite
440, Washington, DC 20006, Tel. (202) 223-2878, Email <Email Address Redacted>

For complete information about OPAF's upcoming service programs and
fundraising events, please visit:
www.opfund.org/announcements/index.html#2

---

The Orthotic and Prosthetic Assistance Fund is a nonprofit organization,
a 501(c)(3) public charity, established in 1995 by the Orthotic and
Prosthetic National Office. Dedicated initially to providing financial
and in-kind support to the 1996 Paralympics, the Fund now generates its
own initiatives through partnerships with individuals, organizations and
institutions engaged in raising public awareness of disability and
improving the quality of rehabilitation medicine, science and
technology. OPAF aims primarily to offer programs that enable
individuals with physical disabilities-especially those served by
members of the orthotics and prosthetics community-to enjoy the rewards
of personal achievement, physical fitness, and social interaction.

                          

Citation

Tamara Bibby, “OPAF NEWS - OPAF REPRESENTED ON INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH TEAM,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 25, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/220853.