~To empower, educate and connect those living without both arms or all four limbs. |
|
{ Skills for Life 51/2 Updates }
|
|
Executive Director's Message
We are only TWO WEEKS AWAY from our Virtual SFL workshop!
There is still time to register for Skills for Life 5 1/2! But please make sure you register for the virtual event & create your Whova account ASAP. More information can be found in the below section regarding the Whova platform. Please follow all the steps listed below or on our registration website to ensure you are able to attend and access the workshop on October 15-16, 2021. We currently have 195 registered attendees of which 55 are missing both arms or all four limbs and 90 are healthcare providers. Attendees are coming from 11 countries, 26 US states, and Quebec is leading the charge in Canada!
Please make sure to thank our SFL sponsors! Without them this virtual workshop would not be possible so please show your appreciation by sending them a quick message and stopping by their virtual booth at SFL 5 1/2. Keep reading for more information on on Skills for Life workshops, Ronnie's 4th annual bowling tournament and more!
We are excited to connect with everyone virtually THIS year and look forward to seeing everyone in person NEXT year in 2022! Mark those calendars for SFL 6 in Houston, TX October 5-9, 2022.
|
|
|
Skills for Life 5 1/2 Virtual Bilateral Upper Limb Loss Workshop will take place online October 15-16, 2021. Click here to register or the above button. The event website will be updated and modified regularly to reflect current status.
All information about the virtual event such as registration, agenda, speakers and exhibitors are available on our event website at: https://whova.com/web/skill_202102/. Please don't forget to create your Whova account. You won't be able to join without doing this step. See more information in Whova section below.
|
|
Continuing Education
The Skills for Life 5 1/2 Virtual Bilateral Upper Limb Loss Workshop has been approved for:
|
|
|
How to set up your Whova Account
& Next Steps
Step 1: Register. See SFL 5 1/2 section above or click here.
Step 2: Create a Whova Account. You will need to enter your name, and then enter the same email address you used to register. You will also be prompted to enter and confirm a password for your account.
Step 3: Setup your Whova Profile. Once you are logged into your account, please take the time to fill out your profile which includes your work affiliation & job title (if any), upload a fun photo, and provide a brief bio. This will help everyone learn more about their fellow attendees!!
Step 4: Download the Whova App on your smartphone or tablet.
Please make sure to do ALL of the above steps at least one week prior to the event so you can get familiar with the platform ahead of time. You must create a Whova account and set up a password, you will not be able to join without doing this step.
|
|
Whova Tutorials & Guides
Please make sure to click on the below guides for Whova Tutorials to help ensure a seamless Virtual Skills for Life event.
|
|
Sponsor Appreciation
Our Skills for Life events, whether they are virtual or in person, have costs associated with them. Without our sponsors, we would not be able to hold these events that help keep us connected with one another. Please make sure to visit our sponsor thank you section below as well as visit their websites. There are hundreds of organizations and events these organizations support throughout any given year and we are extremely grateful they feel so strongly about our community and show up big time when supporting those missing both arms or all four limbs!
Learn More About or Awesome Sponsors Below:
● The Amputee and Limb Loss Rehabilitation Program at TIRR Memorial Hermann prepares patients and their families to cope physically and psychologically with the traumatic or surgical loss of a limb or a congenital limb deficiency. The rehabilitation process includes a pre-prosthetic program and prosthetic training when appropriate. The clinical treatment team of the Amputee and Limb Loss Rehabilitation Program at TIRR Memorial Hermann is internationally recognized, particularly for their work with patients with upper-limb and multiple amputations.
● Visit the Hanger Clinic virtual booth at Skills for Life 5 1/2 to learn more about the amazing events, activities and resources we have to support the bilateral upper limb loss community! More information can be found on our website.
● Open Bionics currently has grants available for quad amputees wanting to get a Hero Arm. We have a foundation that has received over $700,000 to date, and have a team that works with every individual who wants to get a Hero Arm. For more info people can register their interest on our webpage.
● Unlimited Tomorrow prides ourselves on making the highest quality, lowest cost prosthetic arms in the world for those missing one or both arms. Learn more about our revolutionary TrueLimb product.
● Ottobock has been researching and developing products to help people maintain or regain their freedom of movement for over 100 years. Our Professional & Clinical Services team is the largest in the industry and our goal is to provide the best possible education, fitting and product support to clinicians, technicians, and individuals utilizing our innovative technology.
● Arm Dynamics provides comprehensive, upper-limb-focused prosthetic rehabilitation care to amputees and those with bilateral limb differences. Please stop by our virtual booth to learn more about how we maximize each patient’s rehabilitation and empower our patient’s to regain their independence and live a normal, active lifestyle.
● Whether you have an acquired amputation or are someone with lifelong limb difference, you know what comes naturally to you. Coapt’s Complete Control pattern recognition technology is a system that gets built into your myoelectric prosthesis and enables more natural, intuitive control of the arm. It uses modern machine learning techniques to learn your personal muscle patterns and easily translates those into prosthesis movements, just the way you intend. Please visit COAPT at the virtual Skills For Life exhibit booth!
● US ISPO is the United States National Member Society of the International Society of Prosthetics & Orthotics. US ISPO is a multidisciplinary membership organization that promotes access to appropriate and equitable rehabilitation, devices, and other assistive technology. Anyone with a vested interest in our mission can join. US ISPO became the organizing sponsor for Skills for Life 3 in 2011 which brought an international reach. We continued to be the organizing sponsor for SFL 4 & 5 as well and we remain a proud partner of this event today.
● Handspring is a prosthetic clinic that specializes in upper limb prosthetics, rehabilitation, and enhancing quality of life for all individuals with limb differences. We also are experienced in lower extremity prosthetics as well which makes life easier for patients who seek care for bilateral arms and legs. If you would like to see some of the things we have done, check out our website as well as our YouTube channel.
● Fillauer Motion Control has been a provider of upper-limb myoelectric prosthetics for over 45 years. We take pride as leaders in the industry in helping return independence to those who have lost a limb. For more information about our products including the Utah Arm, ETD, ETD2 or the Taska Hand visit our virtual exhibit booth and our website. ● The Amputee Coalition is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization on limb loss/limb difference, dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for individuals living with limb loss/limb difference, and their families. We strive to improve patient care through access to education, support, and advocacy to help our community live well with limb loss/limb difference, raise awareness about limb loss prevention, and ensure everyone has a voice in matters affecting their ability to live full, thriving lives. Come join our National Conference this week!
● Össur is celebrating 50 Years of Life Without Limitations and 10+ years of sponsoring the Skills for Life Workshops! We are proud to work alongside the inspiring O&P professionals and occupational therapists all over the world to develop advanced upper limb technology of tomorrow while delivering exceptional prosthetic solutions today. Please visit our virtual exhibit booth and our website to learn more about our i-Limb, i-Digits and LivingSkin products.
● Point Designs produces durable full finger and partial finger prostheses for people with partial hand loss to improve their independence. We are proud to support the bilateral upper limb loss community and Skills for Life! Please visit our virtual exhibit booth and our website to learn more.
|
|
Makerspace: Submit a Problem &
We Will Try Our Best to Solve It!
Is there something you want to do on your own, but just can’t? Let us help you figure out a different way! Maybe a solution already exists that we can share with you? But, if not, here are some neat opportunities to come up with a solution. Share your challenges with us between now and virtual SFL 5 1/2 in October 2021. You will then be assigned to work with a team over the next few months. At SFL 6, October 2022 (in person), solutions to projects from SFL 5 1/2 will be presented/delivered. Limb loss individuals will also have the opportunity to share additional or new problems at SFL 6. If you are interested in submitting a project idea or participating as a maker (prizes!), contact Levin Sliker at levin@pointdesignsllc.com.
We have had some pretty cool applications over the past few months, so submit your challenges and let's see if we can help find a solution.
|
|
Ronnie's 4th Annual Bowling Tournament
Ronnie is hosting his 4th Annual Bowling Tournament in Livingston, TX February 12-13, 2021. Mark your calendars and start looking up airfare now for a weekend of fun and fellowship. You don't have to know how to bowl (or even like bowling) to come join in the fun. There is always a good life hack tip to be shared too! You might find a new and easier way to open a coke (or beer) bottle? It is for a great cause and it is incredibly awesome to watch those with bilateral upper limb loss bowl those strikes!
As many of you know, we offer scholarships to attend the Skills for Life events, but did you know we also offer financial assistance to attend Ronnie's bowling tournament? Click here to fill out your application today. We are excited to watch this event grow every year and would love to have you come join the fun in 2022!
|
|
Mark Your Calendars!! Skills for Life 6 will take place in Houston, TX October 5-9, 2022. The in person workshops only happen every 3 years (minus global pandemics). It is such an amazing reunion when we get together after so much time apart! If you learned a new trick or gained new insight from a SFL workshop in the past, please consider PAYING IT FORWARD by attending SFL 6 in person in 2022. By sharing your experiences and knowledge, you will be helping someone who may just be getting started on their limb loss journey and allow them see that they are not alone. There are many new individuals who join our SFL community between workshops and they will greatly benefit from your knowledge and experience. More information on hotel, program, activity day, and other aspects of the workshop will be coming after the conclusion of SFL 5 1/2.
We know companies are planning their 2022 budget around this time so make sure to Click Here to learn more!
|
|
Calling ALL Artists for SFL 6!
Calling ALL crafts people, artists, designers, jewelry makers, wood workers, creators, builders, and business owners who might be interested in providing something to auction or raffle off at Skills for Life 6 in 2022! This gives you a little over a year to think about it and create something (or multiple things) as a way to raise funds for the 501c3. We have never had an auction/raffle at the SFL workshops before so this will be our first, but certainly not our last, so consider being a part of this first time endeavor!
Enhancing Skills for Life, 501c3 helps provide financial assistance to those in our Skills for Life community either through scholarships to attend an event (to connect with others missing both arms/all four limbs) or through our various programs like the workshops, peer mentors, zoom tips & tricks, and education/resources.
|
|
Shawn Swanson Johnson, OT (co-chair)
Kristi Turner, OT (co-chair)
|
|
Diane Atkins, OTR
John Dombo
Wendy Hill, OT
|
|
Scott Hosie, CP
Danielle Melton, MD
Eric Nelson
Levin Sliker, PhD
|
|
Fanny Schultea, CP
Mike St Onge
Patricia Tully, OT
|
|
Mike St Onge, Chair
Jeff Mulvogue, Treasurer
Annae Jones, Secretary
|
|
John Dombo
Harold Sears, PhD
Gerry Stark, CP
|
|
Steve Kaestle
Karen Lundquist
Mara Herschbach
|
|
Thank you SFL 5 1/2 Sponsors!
|
|
Help us continue to provide meaningful connections! |
|
|
|
Financial Assistance
Limb loss individuals may apply for scholarships to attend Skills for Life workshops or other events where there are opportunities for face to face interaction with individuals missing at least both arms or all four limbs (Amputee Coalition National Conference, Quad Squad Muster, Camp No Limits, etc). Financial aid requests need to be completed and submitted online by clicking HERE. COVID-19 financial aid is also still available for those in need. Please be as thorough as possible in your applications and provide good contact information as follow up emails or phone calls may be necessary.
|
|
ESFL is an AmazonSmile Charity
Consider choosing Enhancing Skills for Life as your 501c3 charity on AmazonSmile! When customers shop on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to Enhancing Skills for Life. When first visiting AmazonSmile, you will be prompted to select a charitable organization. Why not choose Enhancing Skills for Life? Click HERE to change your current AmazonSmile charity to ESFL today!
|
|
Combined Federal Campaign
If you are a Federal employee (contractors and retirees too) and interested in workplace giving? Consider choosing Enhancing Skills for Life as one of the charities you support. The CFC giving campaign opened on September 1, 2021. You can search for us by entering Enhancing Skills for Life as the name, filter by cause (Health Care) or by entering our CFC#: 60813. If you are interested in seeing what our ESFL campaign looks like online, you can view them by clicking "watch charity videos" and "read charity stories".
|
|
Contact Us | 713-240-8336 | Email
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
