By Yelena Brusilovsky, Vice President, Commercial Sales for Edgepark
Every year, the United Spinal Association community recognizes International Wheelchair Day on March 1. This year, we are thrilled to extend this celebration and dedicate the entire month of March to wheelchair awareness.
At Edgepark, we honor the incredible strength and passion of wheelchair users across the country. We are dedicated to providing the essential medical supplies that empower those with spinal cord injuries to live their lives, uninterrupted.
Expanding advocacy efforts to honor wheelchair awareness beyond a singular day will serve as a purposeful reminder that advocacy is not a onetime effort — it’s a collective, ongoing movement. Every story shared, every barrier identified, and every policy changed helps shape a more accessible and inclusive future.
Advocacy That Moves Policy Forward
This month, we are especially proud of the progress achieved through industry advocacy efforts, which have led to important policy wins. While we celebrate these victories for expanding access to products and helping ensure people with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D) can maintain the highest levels of independence, health and personal fulfillment, we also recognize that there is still much more work to be done.
A prime example of the progress being made is simplified access to sterile intermittent catheter kits. Effective January 1, 2026, the new Medicare LCD officially removes the requirement for patients with a spinal cord injury to document at least two urinary tract infections within a single year to qualify for sterile kits. By recognizing that an SCI diagnosis — at any level — is itself a qualifying condition, the policy shifts the focus toward preventing infections rather than waiting for them to occur.
These medical supplies are a necessity — not an option — for maintaining quality of life and avoiding potential life-threatening complications. Over the past several months, our teams have worked tirelessly to prepare for these CMS changes by updating our processes, educating clinicians and ensuring that those who rely on these kits can access them with fewer obstacles.
We are committed to ensuring this community feels the impact of this progress immediately and consistently. Because when policy evolves, we must evolve with it to ensure our customers are empowered to live their lives to the fullest.
Our Voices Are Stronger Together
This is the type of momentum we love to see in our industry. United Spinal Association has long championed equitable access to healthcare, employment opportunities, and innovative solutions that support independent living. For decades, wheelchair users among the SCI/D community and their advocates have championed healthcare policies that recognize autonomy, dignity and the right to manage one’s own care. As a national sponsor of United Spinal Association, we share a deep commitment to supporting continued legislative and policy changes that simplify and increase access. We will continue pushing for simplified and increased access to quality care, and we will continue to lend our voice to this special community.
This Wheelchair Awareness Month, we honor the advocates, leaders, and everyday champions who continue to drive change. Independence is not just a goal — it’s a right. Together, we’re moving closer to a future where people with SCI/D and all wheelchair uses “can realize their full potential and live life at its fullest.”
About Edgepark
Edgepark is a leading provider of supplies direct-to-home, committed to caring and providing patients solutions that make it easy to choose and receive the products needed to live their best life. Learn more at Edgepark.com or follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn.
About Yelena Brusilovsky
Yelena Brusilovsky serves as the Vice President of Commercial Sales for Edgepark. She is a passionate advocate for the home healthcare industry, payer relations, and market access. Follow her on LinkedIn.