 |
Portrait of an Activist: William Samuels
By Morgan Sheets  The arrival of autumn tells us that we only have a few short months to prepare for the 2008 legislative session, which is just around the corner. The Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) is excited to take the fight for parity to more states than ever. Our home state of Tennessee will be the site of a parity campaign, and with the help of dedicated activists like William Samuels, we are sure to make great strides.
Samuels is the co-founder and facilitator of Out On a Limb (OOAL), a Memphis area limb loss support group. He is actively involved in orchestrating the monthly operations of this very involved local support program as well as handling many calls and e-mail messages from individuals requesting information and support. He regularly receives calls from people looking to start support groups, and he willingly shares information and advice to assist in these efforts.
 |
William Samuels receiving ACA Volunteer of the Year award from Paddy Rossbach. |
|
Samuels is certified by the ACA as a family visitor and is often called on to speak with families and caregivers. Samuels and his wife Sherri, a certified peer visitor and an ACA representative, often work as partners.
Samuels also has been a big part of the effort to advance prosthetic parity in the state of Tennessee. In fact, the Memphis group hosted one of the ACA's first organizing meetings in the summer of 2006. Last fall, Samuels helped us reach out to potential co-sponsors and spread the word to local activists. After the bill was introduced, he coordinated grassroots support for the legislation. Sadly, the Tennessee bill was held up in committee, but we are certain that it will be successful.
Morgan Sheets is the national advocacy director for ACA's Action Plan for People with Limb Loss (APPLL) initiative. She can be reached at APPLL@amputee-coalition.org. For more information, visit www.amputee-coalition.org/advocacy/index.html 
Table Of Contents - October 2007
|
|
