Thursday Open Line


We are partway through National Rehabilitation Awareness Week, which runs from September 20 to 26. One of goals of the annual event is to salute the determination of the nation’s 56.7 million residents who confront their disabilities as they go about their daily lives. Another is to say thanks to the thousands of rehabilitation professionals, such as the nation’s 204,000 physical therapists, who help those in need adapt to and overcome their disabilities. About 19 percent of the population is living with some form of disability; half of them age 65 and older. Nearly 31 million have difficulty walking or climbing stairs, and 12 million require assistance with daily routines at home, such as dressing, bathing or preparing meals. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.