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PARAPLEGIA NEWS FEBRUARY 2021 Accessible & Autonomous Emerging transportation options Virtual Reality Therapy program helps veterans Smart Security Keep your tech gadgets safe contents FEBRUARY 2021 VOL. 75 NO. 2 ON THE COVER Paralyzed Veterans of America Texas Chapter National Director Anne Robinson is diligent in protecting the smart device security inside her home. Photo by Harry Robinson/Illustration by Kerry Randolph/© Getty Images Stephen Brashear/Bill Oxford 2424 18 18 24 FEATURES 18 Where To? 30 Virtual Therapy Rory A. Cooper, PhD, & Brad Dicianno, MD Brittany Martin Autonomous vehicles are still in various stages of Virtual reality is helping veterans with SCI/D development, but they hold great promise to help in St. Louis to improve their mental and people with disabilities travel faster, safer and physical health. more easily. 24 Halt The Hackers Amanda Laverman Smart home technology and smart devices provide convenience and independence, but it’s important to manage security risks. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE ... 6 Contributors 35 Newsbeat 46 Index of Advertisers 6 Editor’s Desk 42 Sports & Rec 47 And Finally ... 9 PVA Chapter Roster 43 PVA Service Office Roster 11 PVA Points 46 Classified Ads Visit us online at pnonline.com If you like wheelchair sports and recreation, you’ll love our sister publication — SPORTS ’N SPOKES! Preview online at sportsnspokes.com “People who initially begin a stretching routine may find their range is limited from longtime seated positions, but all wheelchair users would benefit from stretching on a daily basis.” — Arthur Jason De Luigi, DO, MHSA 38 30 38 DEPARTMENTS Now in its 75th year and the official publication of Paralyzed Veterans of America, PN is a national, monthly magazine that covers news, health, research, lifestyle and issues of interest and concern 8 PVA From the Top to veterans and others with spinal-cord injury and disease. Anyone interested in submitting an article to PN should consult the Contributors Guidelines found on our website at pnonline.com. David Zurfluh PN neither endorses nor guarantees any of the products or services advertised in the magazine. Readers should thoroughly investigate any product or service before making a purchase. 10 Reasons & Remarks PN STAFF Tom Fjerstad TOM FJERSTAD STEVE MAX Editor Advertising Representative Ext. 100 / [email protected] 215-284-8787 [email protected] SHERRI SHEA 13 On The Hill Operations Manager ANN GARVEY Heather Ansley, Esq., MSW Ext. 102 / [email protected] Art & Production Director Ext. 103 / [email protected] ANDY NEMANN Assistant Editor KERRY RANDOLPH Ext. 112 / [email protected] Production and Graphics/Web Assistant 16 Innovations Ext. 104 / [email protected] Lisa Van Loo JOHN GROTH Editorial Coordinator SUZI HUBBARD Ext. 105 / [email protected] Circulation Coordinator Ext. 109 / [email protected] BRITTANY MARTIN 38 Health Smarts Editorial Coordinator EDITORIAL, BUSINESS, AND Jennifer Best Ext. 110 / [email protected] ADVERTISING OFFICE 7250 North 16th Street, Suite 100 CHRISTOPHER DI VIRGILIO Phoenix, AZ 85020-5214, USA Web Content Manager Tel: 602-224-0500 44 Veteran Advisor Ext. 106 / [email protected] pnonline.com / [email protected] Raymond Ty McWhorter, NSO PN (ISSN 0031-1766) is published monthly by Paralyzed Veterans of America, Inc., 7250 North 16th Street, Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85020-5214. Periodicals postage paid at Phoenix, Ariz., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PN, 7250 North 16th Street, Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85020-5214. Subscription rates: $26 annually. Foreign orders: $38 (U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank). © 2021 Paralyzed Veterans of America, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without permission is prohibited. FEBRUARY PARALYZED VETERANS Editor’s OF AMERICA DESK NATIONAL OFFICE 801 Eighteenth Street, NW Washington, DC 20006, USA 202-872-1300 • www.pva.org PVA OFFICERS PN. David Zurfluh If you love technology, you’re going to love this issue of President We can once again count on our friend, Rory Cooper, PhD, and his Charles Brown h’s Human Engineering Research team at the University of Pittsburg Senior Vice President Where To? on page 18 is co-authored by Cooper and Brad Laboratories. Hack Albertson Dicianno, MD, and sheds light on the topic of self-driving cars and the Vice President work being done to ensure people with disabilities are included in the Robert Thomas planning stages of this potentially life-changing technology. Vice President logy, I recently expanded my per- Speaking of life-changing techno Tammy Jones sonal use of smart home tech, and numerous items in my home can Vice President now be controlled via the Amazon Echo Dot. However, one thing I didn’t Kenneth Ness think too much about was protecting those devices from hackers. Vice President ve thought about how these devices If you have a similar setup or ha Tom Wheaton Halt The Hackers on page 24. Get some could make your life easier, read Treasurer great tips from Paralyzed Veterans of America member Anne Robinson, Marcus Murray who uses a vast array of this technology. The article also contains some Secretary rds — something I struggle to do. easy ideas for creating strong passwo Al Kovach Jr. There’s plenty of other great content this month. Enjoy! Immediate Past President PVA NATIONAL OFFICE Carl Blake Executive Director Shaun Castle Deputy Executive Director Len Selfon General Counsel Cheryl Topping Chief Financial Officer Peter Gaytan Associate Executive Director Veterans Benefits Heather Ansley contributing to this issue… Associate Executive Director Government Relations Mark Lichter Director: Architecture & Facilities Cheryl Vines Director: Research & Education Liz Deakin Director: Communications Amanda Lisa Van Loo Laverman (p. 16) Fabio Villarroel (p. 24) Director: Sports & Recreation 6 | PN February 2021 DAVID ZURFLUH NATIONAL PRESIDENT PVAfromtheTOP Even trying to do something simple close Valentine’s Day to your home could be problematic this year. Depending on where you live, you may still I must confess before doing research on be facing severe dining restrictions or limited Valentine’s Day, I wouldn’t be able to answer a entertainment opportunities. question on its history. So, I did a little digging, However, don’t despair or let pessimism and here’s a brief, summarized version. enter your heart. Just reimagine and figure out There were three St. Valentines, who were a different way to make Valentine’s Day fun. each martyred for practicing their Christian Just be grateful you’re not living in the times of faith. The first two were killed during the time the Roman soldier. of the Roman Empire in Europe, and the third Below are ideas I’ve researched to help was killed in a Roman prov- make Valentine’s Day a joyous one for you and ince of Africa with others. The your loved one. If you have kids, you may have If you’re like me and exact details are unknown. the chance to include them, too. The first St. Valentine, who have someone special was martyred around 270 AD, Cooking performed clandestine mar- ■ Have a Parisian night (French food, wine, in your life, you try riages for Roman soldiers. Mar- desserts and coffee). to find something to riage for soldiers was forbidden ■ Create a waffle bar with your favorite top- because of the emperor’s belief pings and fruits. enjoy as a couple. it would distract a soldier from ■ Bake cookies or other goodies. his duties and loyalty to him. ■ Take an online cooking class for couples. Disobedience resulted in exe- cution for those caught. Drinking St. Valentine wore a very distinctive ■ Take a mixology class online. purple amethyst ring so soldiers wanting to ■ Do your own wine and chocolate tasting get married could distinguish him from others (try it while watching a movie). and approach him covertly to arrange their clandestine marriages. Legend says that after Non-Food Ideas performing the ceremony, St. Valentine would ■ Take a hike/roll. cut out a heart from parchment paper and give it to the couple to discreetly display and cel- ■ Play tourist in your hometown. ebrate their love each year. ■ Go for a drive. If you’re like me and have someone spe- ■ Make a scrapbook. cial in your life, you try to find something to ■ Write love letters and read them aloud to enjoy as a couple. One past Valentine’s Day, each other. we took an early morning flight from Seattle ■ Do a massage/spa day. to San Francisco (a one-and-a-half hour flight ■ Watch a sunset. with one carry-on), hopped on the train from ■ the airport to downtown, saw the sights, ate a Watch the stars at night through romantic dinner, took an Uber back to the air- a telescope. port and caught a late flight back home. ■ Make a game night (board games or cards, This year, however, the novel coronavirus no video games). (COVID-19) pandemic has put up a few obsta- ■ Try a do-it-yourself tarot reading. cles. Vaccines are on their way to all of us, but a ■ Build a bonfire. romantic trip like the one we took isn’t a prac- tical option for many people because of the Whatever you choose to do, just remember risk of flying, attractions being shuttered and to make it your day as a couple and fall in love restaurants and bars being closed. again together. ■ 8 | PN February 2021 pva chapter roster ARIZONA GEORGIA MISSOURI SOUTH DAKOTA Arizona PVA Southeastern PVA Gateway PVA North Central PVA 5015 N. 7th Ave., Ste. 2 4010 Deans Bridge Rd. 1311 Lindbergh Plaza Center 209 N. Garfield Phoenix, AZ 85013 Hephzibah, GA 30815 St. Louis, MO 63132 Sioux Falls, SD 57104-5601 800-621-9217 706-796-6301 314-427-0393 800-505-4782 602-244-9168 706-796-6338 314-427-4183 (fax) 605-336-0494 www.azpva.org www.gatewaypva.org 605-332-8656 (fax) ILLINOIS CALIFORNIA Vaughan PVA NEBRASKA TENNESSEE Bay Area & Western PVA 2235 Enterprise Dr., Ste.