Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Celebrates SCI Awareness Month and Hispanic Heritage Month with Spanish Webinar Series

SHORT HILLS, N.J., Sept. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation National Paralysis Resource Center (PRC) announced today the launch of three Spanish-language webinars in celebration of SCI Awareness Month and Hispanic Heritage Month.

"Developing a webinar series for our Spanish-speaking audience was an important step in creating an educational opportunity and cultivating representation in the Spanish-speaking paralysis community. We wanted to ensure a safe space for people living with paralysis, their loved ones, and caregivers to learn more about the PRC programs and services; while working with organizations that could provide critical information during these times," says, Freddy Perez, the Associate for Community Outreach.

Our speakers come from a variety of organizations. On September 15, 2020, we have Yessica M. Guardiola-Marrero of the Northeast ADA Center. The Northeast ADA Center (NEADAC) is one of the ten ADA Regional Centers that make up the ADA National Network, funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. The goal of the NEADAC is to provide information guidance and training on the implementation of all aspects of the ADA across communities, businesses, and individual lives. Ms. Guardiola-Marrero will be talking about the 30^th Anniversary of the ADA, along with its impact on the lives of Hispanics living with physical disabilities.

A week later, on September 22, 2020, we have Betzaida Ramos, Executive Director of Movimiento para el Alcance de Vida Independiente (MAVI), a former Quality of Life Grant Recipient. MAVI is an independent living center with more than 32 years' experience providing services to people with diverse disabilities in Puerto Rico. Ms. Ramos will be talking about the importance of Independent Living Centers, its services, and the critical role they play during moments of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lastly, our Reeve Spanish Webinar series will wrap up on September 29, 2020, with the National Coalition for Latinx with Disabilities (NCLD). NCLD is a 100% volunteer, national organization dedicated to affirming, celebrating, and collectively uplifting Latinxs with disabilities through community building, advocacy, protection of rights, resources, and education. Dr. Lisette Torres and Catalina Galvan will be discussing key issues affecting the Hispanic community and how-to self-advocate.

The three webinars will cover important topics such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and its impact on Hispanic communities, the importance of the independent living movement and its critical services during a pandemic, as well as ways to advocate for a variety of issues that are important to the Hispanic community. These webinars will be exclusively in Spanish, and we ask our community to join us. Registration details can be found by visiting our events page, www.ChristopherReeve.org/Events

The Paralysis Resource center houses many resources that are available in Spanish. From our Paralysis Resource Guide, to wallet cards, to blogs, there are valuable sources of information that can be helpful. Our Information Specialist team includes a Spanish-speaker who is available to respond to questions related to paralysis, including spinal cord injury, transverse myelitis, stroke, multiple sclerosis and other conditions. Visit our Spanish webpage, www.paralisis.org, for more information.

September 15, 2020 ? 3:00pm ET- Decimotercero Aniversario de la ADA ? ¿Qué significa la ADA para los latinos con discapacidades físicas? (30th Anniversary of the ADA ? What does the ADA mean for Latinos with Physical Disabilities?) | Speaker: Yessica M. Guardiola-Marrero of Northeast ADA Center

September 22, 2020 ? 3:00pm ET- Servicios de Vida Independiente en Puerto Rico (Independent Living Services in Puerto Rico) | Speaker: Betzaida Ramos Charriez of Movimiento para el Alcance de Vida Independiente (MAVI)

September 29, 2020 ? 3:00pm ET- Nuestra voz puede cambiar vidas (Our Voice Can Changes Lives) |Speakers: Dr. Lisette E. Torres-Gerald & Catalina Galvan of the National Coalition for Latinx with Disabilities (NCLD)

About the Reeve Foundation
The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by advancing innovative research and improving quality of life for individuals and families impacted by paralysis. We meet all 20 of the Better Business Bureau's standards for charity accountability and hold the BBB's Charity Seal. The Paralysis Resource Center (PRC) is a program of the Reeve Foundation and is funded through a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living (cooperative agreement number 90PRRC0002-03-00). For more information, please visit our website at www.ChristopherReeve.org or call 800-539-7309.

Media Contact:
Freddy Perez
973-933-7208
[email protected]

SOURCE Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation