Section Member News
Catherine “Cat” Howland, University of Kansas, Research and Training Center on Independent Living (RTC/IL)
The Research and Training Center on Independent Living (RTC/IL) has recently launched an interactive Internet clearinghouse, www.disabilityprepared.ku.edu. It is designed for people in health, safety, and disability fields to learn about and share their best practices for serving the disaster-related needs of vulnerable populations. Corresponding social media (a forum, Facebook page and Twitter feed) also attract people with disabilities and organizations and agencies serving them. Users receive weekly tips and information on current issues, along with updates posted on the website’s forum. For more information about the website and how to participate, see the booklet Disability Prepared: From communities like yours … To communities like yours, available at www.disabilityprepared.ku.edu (left column).
A new introductory core curriculum, by Catherine “Cat” Howland, RTC/IL, for county-level trainers to use and modify with their own local information will be available on KS-TRAIN (https://ks.train.org) in June. TRAIN is an online educational system for health and safety workers both in Kansas and nationally. Planning for Disaster-Related Risk and Functional Needs of People with Disabilities: Train-The-Trainer (course #1026720) is a free one-hour course. It identifies seven risk factors associated with disasters and the health and safety of people with disabilities and how to prepare accordingly.
Jeffrey Reznik, Ph.D, U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Library of Medicine Announces New Traveling Exhibition, “Life and Limb: The Toll of the Civil War”
Exhibition on Display at NLM through July 1, 2011
The National Library of Medicine, the world's largest medical library and a component of the National Institutes of Health, announces a new traveling banner exhibition, "Life and Limb: The Toll of the Civil War." An expanded version of the traveling exhibition, which opens in the 150th anniversary of the start of that war, is also on display at NLM, on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, through July 1, 2011, in the History of Medicine Division.
More than three million soldiers fought in the Civil War (1861-1865). More than half a million died and almost as many were wounded, but survived. Hundreds of thousands were permanently disabled by injuries or surgery, which saved lives by sacrificing limbs. These men served as a symbol of the fractured nation and remained a stark reminder of the costs of the conflict for long after the war. This exhibition brings their experiences to light.
"Life and Limb" describes the damage caused by the weapons of the time, the treatment of wounds, and their consequences for the young men who survived. The narrative highlights aspects of life after the amputation of a limb, from military service in the Veterans Reserve Corps to civilian life and the use of artificial limbs. The exhibition Web site features digitized images and documents, as well as educational resources for high school and undergraduate students and references for further research: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/LifeandLimb/exhibition.html.
Rebecca Klein, MS, John Hopkins School of Public Health, APHA Food and Environment Working Group
New Goals for APHA 2011 Less Trash! Less Plastic!
The 2011 APHA Annual Meeting theme "Healthy Communities Promote Healthy Minds and Bodies" gives APHA members an opportunity to build on the 2009 and 2010 themes of Water and Social Justice as public health priorities.
Green Goals. The APHA Food and Environment Working Group, the Environment Section's 100th Anniversary Committee, and APHA are setting goals to reduce waste and promote a sustainable, just, and healthy food and water system.
Got Trash? We encourage everyone at APHA 2011 to increase efforts to reduce trash, especially paper and plastic.
The Diversion Rate (the recycling/trash ratio) in DC at APHA 2007 was 34%.
The Diversion Rate in Denver at APHA 2010 was 52.75%.
Can we achieve a Diversion rate of 75% at APHA 2011?
-- The DC Convention Center’s water fountains and food service sinks provide filtered water! Bring your own refillable bottle to the conference to cut down on plastic waste.
-- Plan events using local resources and services that encourage wise use of water and other resources. If you need advice or suggestions, contact us: apha.fewg@gmail.com
-- Buy food sourced from sustainable producers and distributors.
-- If using disposables, use compostable products and use the facility compost program. Label containers so compostables do not go into the waste stream.
--Take advantage of the DC Conveniton center's Green Inititiatives: http://www.apha.org/meetings/highlights/environment.htm
-- Learn more about APHA 2011 Environmental Initiatives: http://www.apha.org/meetings/highlights/environment.htm
Be an Ambassador of public health and social justice in your own community. Share information about the social justice, public health and environmental problems caused by bottled water and water privatization, especially disposable plastic water bottles. Use the "Resources and References" below and on the Food and Environment Working Group’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=134564799935654&topic=6959
Share ideas for waste reduction at APHA 2011 programs, scientific sessions, events and exhibits. Send your questions and suggestions to Ellie Goldberg ellie.goldberg@gmail.com and join the conversation on the Food and Environment Working Group’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/APHA.food.and.environment.
The APHA Food and Environment Working Group is a multi-disciplinary collaboration across APHA Sections, housed in the Food & Nutrition and Environment Sections. Colleagues work together to protect public health by promoting and cultivating a safe, healthy, just and sustainable food system.
If you would like to work with us toward these goals, contact Rebecca Klein, rklein@jhsph.edu, Working Group membership is open to all APHA members.