SCIS Mission Statement
SCIS was founded to promote four basic principles:
- Truth - The public knows very little about the
true nature of spinal cord injury (SCI). This disconnect between
public understanding of the condition and the suffering of the severely
disabled reduces the urgency with which we seek a cure. SCIS
seeks to reveal the uncensored truth about SCI and its side
effects. By educating about the public health emergency of
paralysis and correcting incorrect information often disseminated by
the disabled community itself, SCIS hopes to advance and empower cure
research.
- Cure - Spinal cord injury cure research is
critically underfunded. SCIS aims to channel your charitable
donation directly to the most promising researchers with as little
overhead as possible. We have no paid employees and donate
directly to the laboratories of the top researchers with the goal of
moving curative therapies to clinical trial as soon as
possible.
- Quality of Life - SCIS
supports and encourages all quality of life initiatives including
disabled sport, outdoor activity and travel. However, we promote
these activities delicately, as we acknowledge that only some of the
spinal cord injured community can participate due to differing levels
of disability. SCIS believes that it is incumbent upon the most
able of the paralyzed community to advocate on behalf of the most
disabled.
- Equality - The disabled
community is probably the most discriminated against minority in today's
society. The stats (75% unemployment rate, 25% below the poverty
line, 20% with a college education) do not lie. SCIS supports any
initiatives that aim to reverse the embedded disadvantages and prejudices
that the disabled face in today's society. With or without a cure
to spinal cord injury, SCIS seeks a society free of discrimination,
barriers and exclusion so that both able-bodied and disabled can
realize their potential for happy, fulfilling lives.