Advocates for People with Permanent Disability Fight over Hotel Pool Access

In a recent effort, advocates of permanent disability rights group have recently unveiled plans to boycott some of the nation’s leading hotels due to their delaying tactics over the enforcement of federal guidelines that require the installation of permanent wheelchair lifts that would allow disabled guests to access the swimming pools.

Said guidelines had been actually set forth in 2010, but last January, the U.S. Department of Justice made a few revisions requiring hotels to install pool lifts that are permanently installed right next to a pool until  March 15. However, said due date was subsequently moved to May 21 and eventually until January 31, 2013. 

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) believed that hotel owners had a lot of time to install the amended permanent pool lifts to give easier access to disabled guests but failed to do so.

Aside from the AAPD, other permanent disability group advocates like the National Council on Independent Living, ADAPT and the National Disability Rights Network (NRDN) is calling supporters to avoid booking meetings, conventions, or leisure stays at hotels that are not observing the provided guidelines.

The main targets of the boycott include hotels that are represented among the executive leadership of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), one of the world’s largest lobbying associations. Several large hoteliers named are Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, Fitzpatrick Hotel Group, and the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.

On the other hand, the trade association has claimed that installing permanent lifts would impose undue cost upon smaller hotels. Allegedly, the equipment costs between $2500 and $6,500 per pool. Said estimated amount is just for the equipment alone. Maintenance, education of employees and higher insurance premiums are not yet included to the amount. The AHLA also affirmed that a permanent pool lift could increase the risk of injury due to misuse by children in unattended pools.

Disability group advocates said that it would be already insulting for the coalition if the hotel owners ask for further extensions of the due date. Meanwhile, hotel owners claimed that they still remained willing to work with the disability rights coalition to come up with an effective solution which would benefit them both.

Therefore, a Los Angeles permanent disability lawyer said that although things are obviously getting more complicated these days, he believes that both parties will overcome said misunderstanding once they meet halfway.

A Million People Prefer to View Their Accounts through the SSA’s Online Service

In a recent press release, Social Security Administration (SSA) commissioner, Michael J. Astrue, announced that in less than a couple of months time, a million people have already accessed the agency’s online service to view their social security accounts statement.

Commissioner Astrue previously declared that the agency’s Social Security Statement is a huge success since it achieved its thrust of providing Americans with an easy access to their social security statements. Account holders can now obtain an estimation of their possible benefits in the future. Astrue further suggested that all policy holders should check their statements via online each year.

The online statement facility was developed by the agency to provide estimates for retirement, long-term, and permanent disability, as well as survivor benefits. For young wage earners, it likewise provides accurate information regarding their earnings. Therefore, they may be able to know whether their earnings are posted to their social security statement on time. Way back in snail mail days, seeing young wage earners’ earning details was far possible. 

The implementation of the agency’s online statement on its database was made effective last May 1. This popular electronic service of the agency has promoted ease and convenience for wage earners.

In a statement released by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), most users are giving the online statement an excellent score of 89. In fact, this new online service is already becoming competitive with the other top-rated virtual services offered by the agency such as the retirement estimator and online application for retirement. The ACSI is responsible in tracking trends in customers’ satisfaction and in giving significant progress insights for private and government agencies.

Although the online service is easily accessible to anyone, users must be 8-years of age and must have a social security number, a valid e-mail address, and a U.S. mailing address, reminded by the SSA in its official press release page.

For better guides on the different kinds of social security benefits, a Los Angeles disability lawyer can provide some important reminders, specifically applicable to new applicants.

Simple Head Bump Can Cause Permanent Disability

According to a Chicago neurologist, a simple bump on the head can cause permanent disability to a person even months after the injury occurred.

The neurologist at Loyola University Medical Center, Jose Biller, claimed that a person who slipped on ice and accidentally bumped her head began experiencing weakness in her right leg and right arm a couple of months after the incident. Right after the accident, the patient wasn’t even concerned about her head bump.

Biller immediately ordered a magnetic resonance imaging scan for the patient. The scan result revealed a large subdural hematoma – a form of traumatic brain injury. It is a mass of blood scattered within the outermost layer of brain.

A person with a subdural hematoma compressing the brain is close to danger of suffering from permanent disability or cognitive deficiency, similar to disabilities caused by stroke and other disabling conditions, explained Biller. He added that a subdural hematoma is generated by head injuries that cause blood vessels between the surface of the brain, called arachnoid mater and the dura mater that envelopes the brain, to stretch and tear.

Subsequently, Biller referred the patient to another neurosurgeon in Loyola, Dr. Douglas Anderson, who specializes in performing emergency surgery. Dr. Anderson drained the hematoma by drilling two holes in the patient’s skull. The patient’s hematoma was about a couple of inches long and approximately one and a half inch thick. After the procedure, the patient made a full recovery.

Subdural hematomas are commonly caused by severe head injuries that cause internal bleeding, which quickly fill the brain area. Whereas, less severe head injuries can also cause subdural hematoma, but they might not show symptoms for several days or even weeks due to slow bleeding, Biller added.

If the condition of a patient becomes worse and ends up as permanent disability, a patient can be entitled for permanent disability benefits. However, under the Social Security Administration (SSA) guidelines, permanent disability is strictly defined in the context of total disability.

In simpler terms, a claimant or an applicant must be considered totally and undeniably disabled to receive benefits. In such case, it would be best to consult a Los Angeles permanent disability lawyer first before filing a claim, going further, and exerting too much effort for something uncertain.

Social Security Administration Joins Americans in Celebrating Memorial Day

As Americans celebrated Memorial Day, the Social Security Administration (SSA) in great honor joined the celebration of the said very important event in U.S. history.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday celebrated each year in the United States every last Monday of May to honor the brave men and women who died while serving the country and protecting its freedom.

As a part of their rejoicing, SSA commissioner Michael J. Astrue announced that the agency opens its door to employment opportunities for veterans who have at least seven years of experience as a licensed lawyer.

Although the examination has been closed to all other applicants, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced that 10-point preference eligible veterans who are interested in becoming an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) for SSA can still take the test. In fact, at the SSA’s official press release page, the OPM provided the website where interested veterans may gain further information regarding the job opportunity.

Commissioner Astrue stated that the agency is committed in employing more veterans as a sign of support for President Obama’s Veterans Employment Initiative. He added that the agency is very much honored to have veterans in their workforce and to help the agency fulfill its mission.

At present, the agency in fact has hired some 210 veterans, including 91 disabled veterans which make up the 34% of the total new hires. Many of the said veterans handle disability benefit claims and help reduce the agency’s backlog of permanent disability cases.

There is no doubt that any Los Angeles permanent disability lawyer will agree with Commissioner Astrue in saying that hiring more veterans is another major factor in providing an excellent service at a time when the agency’s fund is draining. This is so since such veterans have longer years of experience and more gained knowledge as they journey through their golden age.