Multiple Sclerosis Information

Helpful Information for Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (meaning many scars) is a disease that affects the brain and the spinal cord. The brain sends messages through the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body to tell the body what to do. When a person has MS, the covering (myelin) that protects the nerves in the brain and the spinal cord is scarred so that the message cannot always get through. Symptoms of MS vary greatly depending upon where the sclerosed patches are formed in the central nervous system. They might include eye trouble, speech problems, partial or complete paralysis of any part of the body, tingling sensation, poor coordination, unusual fatigue, and loss of bladder and bowel control.

In our Archives

The CODI Archives have a wealth of information pertaining to Multiple Sclerosis. For statistics about Multiple Sclerosis, check out the Digest of Disability Data in our CODI Archives. Since the onset of MS may begin in college-age students, college educators may find "Teaching College Students with Disabilities" useful. This chapter is from the "Reasonable Accommodations Faculty Guide" put out by Georgia Southern University.

What Problems Do People with Disabilities Have? and Why? gives a good overview of disability caused by MS.

Organizations and Projects Dedicated to Helping People with MS

The best source of information and support is the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Contact them at 205 East 42nd Street, New York, New York 10017 (212) 986-3240

• MS Central Support -- website that is devoted to issues of Multiple Sclerosis.