OPAF TO ATTEND STUDENT CONFERENCE AT SMITH COLLEGE

OPAF TO ATTEND STUDENT CONFERENCE AT SMITH COLLEGE

Julie Besaha

11/10/2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 10, 2003
Contact: Julie Besaha
(202) 223-2878

OPAF TO ATTEND STUDENT CONFERENCE AT SMITH COLLEGE

Washington, DC - As part of its official representation of O&P in
community and philanthropic circles, the Orthotic and Prosthetic
Assistance Fund (OPAF) will be attending Clear a Path to a Safer World:
Addressing the Tragedy of Land Mines, a conference to be held this
week, November 14-18, 2003, at Smith College in Northampton,
Massachusetts. This conference is sponsored by The Polus Center for
Social and Economic Development ( <URL Redacted>, the
Office of Mine Action Initiatives and Partnerships, US State Department
(www.state.gov/t/pm/wra), and Smith College (www.smith.edu).

OPAF's presentation to the 150+ students expected to attend (from 22
regional universities) will take place during the session entitled
Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR). It will focus on the importance
of empowering young people to make a difference in society, chiefly
through public service to nonprofit organizations that serve individuals
with disabilities. The presentation will also focus on the crucial goal
of bringing more young people into the field of O&P, to grow the ranks
of the profession so that its future success, prosperity, and vitality
-- in the U.S. and overseas -- will be insured.

OPAF's involvement in this conference comes at the kind invitation of
the The Polus Center. OPAF and The Polus Center have collaborated
previously on a CBR-related public presentation sponsored by the Society
for International Development, Washington, DC Chapter and on development
of a Disability Leadership Institute to be affiliated with the
University of Leon in Nicaragua, The Polus Center, international aid
organizations, and local grassroots NGO's:
<URL Redacted>

Complete information about the Smith conference, including registration
information, can be found at: <URL Redacted>.
Registration is free. A schedule of conference events is available at:
http://www.poluscenter.org/conference/schedule.php , and a list of
organizations registered for the conference is available at:
http://www.poluscenter.org/conference/organization-register.php

More information about CBR is available through this online article,
written by the Executive Director of The Polus Center, Michael
Lundquist:
http://maic.jmu.edu/journal/6.3/focus/lundquist/lundquist.htm .

---

OPAF is a 501(c)(3) public charity, the official philanthropy of the
U.S. orthotics and prosthetics community, established in 1995 by the
Orthotic and Prosthetic National Office. Dedicated initially to
providing financial and in-kind support to the 1996 Paralympics, OPAF
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.

As a community-focused nonprofit organization, OPAF aims primarily to
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.

All contributions to OPAF are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of
U.S. law, and annual sponsorships of OPAF, its programs, and its
fundraisers are available to every individual, institution, and company
inside and beyond the O&P community. For more information about
sponsorship opportunities contact OPAF at 1666 K Street NW, Suite 440,
Washington, DC 20006, Tel. (202) 223-2878, email <Email Address Redacted> , or
visit http://www.opfund.org/support/index.html

For complete information about current OPAF programs, please contact our
offices or visit www.opfund.org.