Disability Resource Digest

Volume 8  Issue 9 October 2008

Accessibility

 

Community Spotlight: Seattle Children's PlayGarden – by Jessica Madrigal (NCPAD). "I believe that parents and children agree that it would be nice to visit the local playground without having to worry that it may not have all of the accessible features necessary for people of ALL abilities. One step beyond just finding it accessible would be to find that the facility also offered inclusive programs and events. Can you imagine a world where parents and children don't have to worry about safe smooth surfacing, accessible swings, or calling ahead to find out if their child's wheelchair can even access a weekend event ? I can!"

http://www.ncpad.org/yourwrites/fact_sheet.php?sheet=642

 

Equal Rights Center Announces: Zipcar Takes Lead in Making Services Accessible to People With Disabilities – (PRNewswire). "Today Zipcar, the world's largest car-sharing company, is taking the lead in making their car-sharing services accessible to people with disabilities. These efforts are the result of an agreement reached between Zipcar, the Equal Rights Center (ERC), a non-profit civil rights organization, and Rosemary Ciotti, of Washington, D.C. . . . Under this agreement Zipcar will make changes to its policies regarding the availability of hand controls for its vehicles, exceptions for assistance animals and for additional drivers. More specific information about these changes can be found on Zipcar's website after November 17, 2008."

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-19-2008/0004888963&EDATE=

 

National Federation of the Blind and Commonwealth of Massachusetts Announce Agreement with Apple to Make iTunes Fully Accessible – (NFB). "The National Federation of the Blind and Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley today announced a cooperative agreement with Apple, Inc. to make Apple's iTunes software, iTunes Store, and iTunes U more accessible to the blind. On September 9, Apple released iTunes 8, which contains significant accessibility improvements. Under today's agreement, Apple will make iTunes U (a dedicated area of the iTunes Store for content provided by colleges and universities) fully accessible by December 31, 2008, and will ensure the full accessibility of the iTunes software and the rest of the iTunes Store to blind people using both Mac and Windows operating systems by June 30, 2009."

http://www.nfb.org/nfb/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=366

 

Outreach Toolkit - Article: DTV and People with Disabilities – (dtv.gov). "The transition from analog to digital television broadcasting will be historic. After February 17, 2009, the country's full power broadcast television stations will stop broadcasting in analog and broadcast exclusively in digital, as mandated by Congress in the Digital Television and Public Safety Act of 2005. . . Some consumers have expressed concern about how the digital-to-analog converter boxes will work and whether consumers will continue to receive closed captions after the transition to digital television. FCC rules require digital-to-analog converter boxes to either pass through available analog captions or generate their own digital captions if the programming is captioned."

http://www.dtv.gov/outreach_article_disabilities.html

 

Researchers Seek to Make Standardized Tests Accessible – (NewsWise). "Standardized testing is an inescapable part of modern education; however, these tests often fail to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities. Vanderbilt University Learning Sciences Institute researchers Stephen N. Elliott, Peter A. Beddow and Ryan J. Kettler have developed a decision-making instrument called the Test Accessibility and Modification Inventory (TAMI) to address the issue of accessibility for students with special needs. 'This tool, the TAMI, should help all test developers systematically apply principles of universal design to advance the accessibility of tests for all students, not just students identified with disabilities. TAMI is helping test developers achieve their dual goals of better tests and better testing practices,' Elliott, Dunn Family Professor of Education, director of the Learning Sciences Institute and director of the Interdisciplinary Program in Educational Psychology, said."

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/544392/

 

Safe Egress and Evacuation for People with Disabilities – (eca). "The National Disability Authority has launched an important new publication titled 'Promoting Safe Egress and Evacuation for People with Disabilities'. The publication is aimed at ensuring the speedy and safe evacuation of public buildings by people with a disability, particularly in the event of an emergency. The Chairperson of the NDA, Dr. Angela Kerins commented: 'ensuring safe egress in an emergency is a complex issue requiring consideration of a broad range of factors, including the design and usage of a building, the training of staff and the provision of appropriate equipment and facilities. Those responsible for buildings must ensure safe egress for all and this requires consideration of the needs of everyone using the building, particularly the specific requirements of people with disabilities,' she said."

http://www.eca.lu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=54&Itemid=9

 

Advocacy

 

50 Arrested as ADAPT Takes Affordable, Accessible Housing Crisis to Congress – "From their base at 'DUH City', groups of ADAPT activists fanned out on the Hill to hit congressional leaders who have responsibility to help solve the housing crisis for low income people with disabilities. Visits to the offices of Rep. Barney Frank (D, MA), a longtime leader on housing issues, and Senators Chris Dodd (D, CT) and Richard Shelby (R, AL), the Chair and ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs resulted in a total of 50 arrests."

http://www.spinalcord.org/news.php?dep=1&page=0&list=1987

 

Activists launch London's new GLAD – by Cathy Reay (DisabilityNow)."A London pan-disability body, tentatively-titled the London Deaf and Disability Organisation Community Interest Company – or CIC for short, is being set up. Its chair, Andrew Little, a former director at the UK Coalition of People Living with HIV and AIDS, said the new body hopes to represent 'a strong voice for the deaf and disabled'. CIC has already set up a steering group, including Anne Novis, a trustee of the UK's Disabled People's Council, to research issues that the disabled public wanted addressing. One highlight was the need to support black and minority ethnic, refugee and migrant disability organisations."

http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/latest-news2/news-focus/activists-launch-londons-new-glad

 

The challenges facing China's disabled – (BBC). "With the Paralympic Games about to get under way, the BBC's Michael Bristow looks at how life has changed in recent years for Chinese people with disabilities. Wheelchair user Jin Yi's journey across Beijing by bus and subway shows just how seriously China is tackling disability issues. Mr Jin, an Olympic volunteer, is able to travel on public transport with the help of ramps and lifts. But he concedes that despite the improvements in accessibility, ordinary people's attitudes still need to change."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7600285.stm

 

International Day of Persons with Disabilities - 3 December – (UN). "Dignity and justice for all of us is the theme of this year's International Day for Persons with Disabilities, as well as for the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Dignity and justice for all persons are established universal principles. Since its inception, the United Nations has recognized that the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family are the foundations of freedom, justice and peace in the world. These principles, along with equality and non-discrimination, have guided the work of the United Nations for the past 60 years and are enshrined in various instruments such as the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as in treaties such as the International Covenants on Human Rights, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. These instruments are among those which make up the international human rights framework, are complementary and reaffirm that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interrelated, interdependent and mutually reinforcing."

http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=109

 

Education

 

Primary/Secondary

 

ECHOES II: Improving Children's Social Interaction through Exploratory Learning in a Multimodal Environment – "ECHOES II aims to develop an adventurous technology-enhanced-learning (TEL) environment in which both typically developing children and children with Asperger Syndrome (AS) at Key Stage 1 (ages 5-7) can explore and improve social interaction and collaboration skills. The environment will also serve as a tool for researchers, teachers, parents, and practitioners to investigate problems that children may encounter in specific social contexts and the ways in which those problems may be addressed."

http://www.fastuk.org/research/projview.php?id=1444

 

Evidence for Education – (NICHCY). "NICHCY's online Evidence for Education modules and downloadable PDF's explore the best evidence-based practices education has to offer. So who are they for, exactly? Well, they're for you, exactly--that is, if you're interested in learning more about what works in teaching children with disabilities. Each of us within the education community has a role to play in implementing practices based on the best available evidence--from state general and special education directors to district and school-level administrators, to classroom teachers, to related services providers, to policy makers, to parents--with students as the ultimate beneficiaries. What sort of information will you find here? First, you'll find an easy-to-read review of educational research relating to specific academic or behavioral interventions. You'll also find practical examples of the topic at hand. Finally, you'll find connections to more detailed resources to assist you in moving the research into practice."

http://www.nichcy.org/Research/EvidenceForEducation/Pages/Default.aspx

 

Employment

 

ADHD: Diagnosis Doesn't Always Mean Disability – (NewsWise). "Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent mental disorders among American adults, with 50 percent of childhood cases persisting into adulthood. While the condition is recognized as a disability under the Americans With Disabilities Act and the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973, few employers pay attention to ADHD in working adults. In a recent presentation, 'When diagnosis does not always mean disability: The challenge of employees with ADHD,' researcher Eric Patton, Ph.D., outlined the impact of the disorder on the workplace. 'The prevalence of adults with ADHD, and the organizational outcomes linked to the condition such as turnover, absenteeism and performance problems, are strong reasons for human resource professionals and managers to work toward accommodating these workers,' explains Patton. Despite the performance, legal and insurance cost implications, Patton says few employers demonstrate awareness of and familiarity with ADHD."

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/544289/

 

Are people with disability at risk at work? A review of the evidence – by Su Mon Kyaw-Myint and others (APO). "This report shows that workers with a disability are not an increased occupational health and safety risk. The research findings suggest that workers with a disability have on average, a lower number of OHS incidents and have lower workers' compensation costs, in comparison to other employees. Contrary to common perceptions by employers that people with disability pose an increased OHS risk in their workplace, this research shows that the opposite is true."

http://www.apo.org.au/linkboard/results.chtml?filename_num=229048

 

Disability and employment in the Australian labour market – by Kostas Mavromaras and others (APO). "The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations' Office of the ASCC commissioned the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economics and Social Research to conduct research on disability and employment under the Department's Social Policy Research Services Agreement. The project set out to identify the socio-economic conditions and the disincentives people with disabilities (in particular those with work related disabilities) face in the Australian labour market, using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. The main finding of the report is that there is a negative relationship between labour force participation and disabling conditions."

http://www.apo.org.au/linkboard/results.chtml?filename_num=231588

 

People with Disabilities in the U.S. Labor Market – by Mary Nichols (AmateurEconomists). "According to a national study by researchers at Cornell University, only 37.7% of people with disabilities in the U.S. population were in employment in 2006, compared with 79.7 percent of people without disabilities. Moreover, surveys have consistently shown the average annual earnings of employed people with disabilities to be significantly lower than those for the non-disabled employee population. In 2000 for example, people with disabilities earned an average of $33,109 compared with $43,269 for non-disabled employees."

http://www.amateureconomists.com/view_articles_detail.php?aid=98

 

Perceived Costs, Lack of Knowledge Top List of Hiring Limitations for Disability Community – (usa.net). "The recent economic downturn and alarming rise in unemployment has placed a heavier burden upon America's labor pool, of whom the nation's largest minority group, individuals with disabilities, faces crushing odds amid wide-ranging misconceptions. In fact, of the 51 million people with disabilities, only 35 percent report being employed full or part time, compared to 78 percent of those who do not have a disability. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and the Bobby Dodd Institute (BDI) is releasing 'Disability in Our Daily Lives,' a national study gauging the perception of people with disabilities in the American workplace. The research shows more than eight-tenths (86 percent) of survey respondents felt people with disabilities face hiring limitations. In fact, among numerous barriers facing this population, respondents cited cost of accommodating (54 percent), lack of knowledge about accommodations (53 percent) and insufficient knowledge of people with disabilities (49 percent) among reasons why employers are reluctant to hire from the disability talent pool."

http://pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=136183&Itemid=30

 

U.S. Department of Labor establishes alliance with U.S. Business Leadership Network to promote employment of workers with disabilities nationwide – (Department of Labor). "The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and the U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN) have formed an alliance to promote the employment of people with disabilities. This collaboration will provide USBLN members and other employers with information, guidance and access to resources that will help them to recruit, hire and advance workers with disabilities."

http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/odep/odep20081327.htm

 

U.S. Department of Labor and Major League Baseball launch 'PITCH' campaign to encourage businesses to hire people with disabilities – (PRNewswire). "The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), in cooperation with Major League Baseball, today announced the launch of the PITCH (Proving Individuals with Talent Can Help) campaign to encourage businesses to hire individuals with disabilities.  Former Major League pitcher Jim Abbott will serve as the campaign's spokesman. The campaign will include radio public service announcements, media awareness activities and appearances at the Little League World Series as well as Major League ballparks during September and October.  Abbott, born without a right hand, was an Olympic Gold Medalist in 1988. In 1993, while pitching for the New York Yankees, he tossed a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians. He pitched 10 seasons in the major leagues with the California Angels, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers."

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-02-2008/0004877045&EDATE=

 

General Interest

 

The 20th Annual Roast for Spina Bifida – (Spina Bifida Association). "Every year since 1989, the Spina Bifida Association has been changing the natural order of the way things work in Washington as we turn the tables on illustrious representatives of the 4th Estate. Join us as Washington's most prominent representatives of politics and the media grill a member of the press for an outstanding cause. Founded by Judy Woodruff and Albert Hunt, past Roast participants have included Bob Schieffer, Barbara Walters, Sam Donaldson, Bernard Shaw, Don Hewitt, Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather, Andrea Mitchell, Larry King, Tim Russert, Senator Bob Dole, Senator Orrin Hatch, Representative Newt Gingrich, Mary Matalin, the Honorable Madeleine Albright, Senator John Kerry, Senator Fred Thompson, Senator Tom Daschle, and the Honorable Tony Snow. The result is a gala evening sizzling with humor and entertainment where the elite of Washington-politicians, acclaimed representatives of the media, and many, many more mingle. The SBA Roast is a rare night when differences are set aside, in fact, when differences are cause for celebration."

http://www.roastforspinabifida.org/site/c.hoJJIVOAIpH/b.4409717/k.F447/The_Roast.htm

 

It's My History, Too! – "It's My History, Too! is a story of Albertans with developmental disabilities and their helpers. Do you know this story? Bad things happened. Good things happened. Told in their words, these stories will span the province's 100-year history. The goal is to align with Mavericks: An incorrigible history of Alberta, the permanent gallery at Calgary's Glenbow Museum. It's My History, Too! will feature mavericks - Albertans who have made a profound difference in the lives of Albertans with developmental disabilities at any time in the province's history. Mavericks led the way for people with developmental disabilities to be seen, heard, valued, and understood."

http://www.imht.ca/index.html

 

Lynch in Sync with struggle –by Kelly Mullan (DisabilityNow). "Apart from being Australian and disabled, the unassuming chief executive of London's Southbank Centre says, perhaps tongue in cheek, that he's no different from any of the people with whom he works. Before joining the Southbank in 2002 and superintending the refurbishment of the Royal Festival Hall, Michael Lynch (pictured, left) was director of the Sydney Opera House. He says that recognising his impairment has led him to a change in conscious­ness and a change in his leadership agenda. Lynch is backing Sync, a new leadership programme exploring ways for disabled people in the arts to break through the glass ceiling bisecting their career ladders. Some of the questions raised by Sync are particularly pertinent to Lynch, such as: 'Do disabled leaders need to hide their impairment to be taken seriously?'"

http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/latest-news2/news-focus/lynch-in-sync-with-struggle

 

Opening new worlds: The disability boom – (Fortune Small Business). "Despite his wheelchair, and often because of it, Dr. Glen House has always enjoyed doing what he isn't supposed to. Take the time he persuaded his neighbor in Colorado Springs, J.W. Roth, to join him on vacation in the ice fields of Taku, Alaska. The trip entailed flying to a remote lodge in a tiny ski plane that was ill-equipped for disabled passengers: Boarding was via a rope ladder. 'They said no wheelchairs,' Roth recalls. 'So we signed up.' That 2006 trip was a turning point for House and Roth. The boarding process was dicey: Roth gave House a fireman's lift up the plane's ladder, which dangled over the ice. 'If I go down, you're going with me,' House snarled on the way up. But later the pair sat in the Taku lodge, wondering how they might bring such exhilarating experiences to other disabled people. 'They're sick of doctors,' House told Roth. 'They want to know how to live forward with their conditions'."

http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/11/smallbusiness/disability_boom.fsb/index.htm?section=money_latest

 

Pols discuss raising special-needs kids –by Erika Lovley (politico). "When Alex Sessions visits his dad at the Capitol, the 14-year-old boy makes a habit of proposing marriage to Rep. Marsha Blackburn. Alex – the son of Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) – was born with Down syndrome, the same chromosomal abnormality that Sarah Palin's infant son Trig has. Alex can't bathe himself or cut his own food. At an age when a lot of kids are looking forward to getting their driver's license, he is learning to ride his first tricycle. Last summer, Sessions spent a weekend alone in the woods with Alex – an initiation requirement for the Order of the Arrow, the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America. Scouts usually perform the required tasks in silence, but Sessions and his son took to whispering."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13520.html

 

Stephen G. Marriott, L'Occitane en Provence, and IBM Corporation Receive a 2008 Helen Keller Achievement Award from the American Foundation for the Blind – (AFB). "Tonight, Stephen G. Marriott, L'Occitane en Provence, and IBM Corporation will be honored with the American Foundation for the Blind's (AFB) prestigious Helen Keller Achievement Award for their extraordinary efforts to improve the quality of life for people with vision loss. The black tie gala will be held at the New York Marriott Marquis, marking the 15th annual Helen Keller Achievement Awards."

http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?DocumentID=4429

 

Wheel to walk Canada – "Four determined men are wheeling across Canada on hand cycles on an incredible journey. They strongly believe that breakthrough Canadian research will enable them to walk again, making their grueling trek a Mission Possible. All they are asking is that Canadians donate 30 cents each. This research will also have far reaching implications for conditions such as: Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, stroke, concussive head injury, and major wounds. The importance of these findings was recently recognized by the scientific community – a huge hurdle - at the GTCbio International 4th Stem Cell Research & Therapeutics Conference in Boston where the Canadian research team was awarded the opportunity to present their findings: one of only three in the world to do so."

http://www.wheeltowalkcanada.org/research.html

 

 

Government

 

Canada

 

Election 2008 and Canadians with Disabilities – "Canadians once again are being asked to go to the polls. For Canadians with disabilities that is a challenge in and of itself. Accessibility of the electoral process for Canadians with disabilities remains a concern. CCD calls on all Parties and all Candidates to make Election 2008 the most accessible election ever. This means:

·         Polling Stations are totally accessible.

·         Persons with vision impairments are able to vote independently and verify their vote.

·         Sign language interpretation for the Deaf is available at public events.

·         Party Platforms and Websites are fully accessible.

·         Candidate offices and venues are accessible.

Building an Inclusive and Accessible Canada starts with ensuring that all, regardless of disability, are able to exercise their democratic right–the right to vote."

http://www.ccdonline.ca/election2008/pressreleases/september10.html

 

U.S.

 

Congress Approves Expansion of Disabilities Act – (RehabManagement). "According to The New York Times, the House has given final approval to Senate legislation (S 3406) to expand the definition of disability for individuals claiming discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The bill, approved by voice vote, states that the Supreme Court erred by 'eliminating protection for many individuals whom Congress intended to protect' under the original ADA, passed in 1990. The legislation was introduced in response to Supreme Court decisions in 1999 and 2002 that ruled that individuals who could compensate for their disabilities with medications, medical devices, or prosthetics did not qualify for protection under ADA."

http://www.rehabpub.com/news/2008-09-29_03.asp

 

Civil Rights, Disability, and Business Communities Applaud Senate Passage of the Americans With Disabilities Amendments Act – (AAPD). "Today, the Senate expressed overwhelming bipartisan support for the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act by unanimously passing the bill by voice vote. The bill included over 77 bipartisan co-sponsors. The bill went to the Senate floor today after it was passed overwhelmingly by the House of Representatives in late June, and has enjoyed wide support on both sides of the aisle, as well as among employers, civil rights and disability advocates, who have formed an uncommon alliance around the legislation. The ADA Amendments Act will correct narrow court interpretations that have restricted ADA coverage in the workplace, and taken away coverage for individuals with diabetes, epilepsy, serious heart conditions, mental disabilities, and cancer. The act will also clarify responsibilities for employers."

http://www.aapd.com/News/aapd/pr080912aapd.htm

 

Unusual Bed Fellows Urge President Bush to Sign the ADA Amendments Act into Law – (AAPD)." More than a hundred civil rights and disability advocates joined employers on the steps of the Capitol today to urge the president to sign the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments Act into law. The ADA Amendments Act enjoys strong bicameral and bipartisan support, as well as support among employers, civil rights and disability advocates, who have formed an uncommon alliance around the legislative fix. The bill corrects narrow court interpretations that have restricted ADA protections in the workplace, and stripped coverage for individuals with diabetes, epilepsy, and even cancer."

http://www.aapd.com/News/aapd/pr080917lccr.htm

 

Biden questions GOP disability advocates on stem cell research – by Rachel Streitfeld (CNN). "Joe Biden suggested Tuesday that advocates for people with disabilities should 'support stem cell research' – a remark that follows repeated pledges from Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin, the mother of a baby with Down Syndrome, to parents of children with disabilities that she would be 'a friend and advocate in the White House.' When asked about the issue at a Tuesday rally, Biden did not mention Palin's name, but seemed to direct a question to her. 'I hear all this talk about how the Republicans are going to work in dealing with parents who have both the joy…and the difficulty of raising a child who has a developmental disability, who were born with a birth defect,' he said. 'Well, guess what folks? If you care about it, why don't you support stem cell research'?"

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/09/biden-questions-gop-disability-advocates-on-stem-cell-research-2/

 

Newspapers Examine Advocates' Reaction To GOP VP Nominee Palin's Comments On Children With Special Needs – (MedicalNews). "The New York Times on Sunday examined the reaction of advocates and parents of children with disabilities to comments by Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, that she will be a 'friend and advocate in the White House' for families of children with special needs. Palin's infant son, Trig, was born with Down syndrome. According to the Times, some advocates are hopeful that Palin's comments will bring the 'often-marginalized subject of disabilities-rights center stage,' but other advocates are concerned that her advocacy will come in the form of preventing abortions of fetuses diagnosed with disabilities instead of lobbying for early medical and developmental assistance."

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/120929.php

 

The Presidential Candidates' Differing Stances on Disability Rights – by Nicki (healthnews). "Being a person with a disability, a presidential hopefuls' stand on disability rights is quite important to me, since it may impact my daily life as well as the lives of my friends and family. I have researched each candidate's stand on disability rights, including their prospective plans outlined on the campaign trail, as well as key votes in the Senate and the House made by them."

http://www.healthnews.com/blogs/nicki/natural-health/the-presidential-candidates-differing-stances-disability-rights-1841.html

 

 

Health/Wellness

 

Critical Condition – "Roger Weisberg's Critical Condition is a powerful, eye-opening look at the health care crisis in America. In an election season when health care reform has become one of the nation's most hotly debated issues, Critical Condition lays out the human consequences of an increasingly expensive and inaccessible system. Using the same cinema verite style he employed with Waging a Living (P.O.V., 2006), Weisberg allows ordinary hard-working Americans to tell their harrowing stories of battling critical illnesses without health insurance."

http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2008/criticalcondition/about.html

 

Health Resources-healthfinder.gov – "The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released a more user-friendly versionhealthfinder.gov The site offers quick and easy information and tools to help people stay healthy and prevent disease. Coordinated by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) and its National Health Information Center, the redesign of healthfinder.gov was informed by health literacy and usability principles and tested with more than 650 users. We're excited about the result–a consumer health Web site that's easy to understand and navigate, especially for people who have limited health literacy."

http://www.heath.gwu.edu/node/966

 

Occupational Therapy Gets People With Osteoarthritis Moving – (Science Daily). "Physical activity is the cornerstone of any healthy lifestyle – and especially for people with osteoarthritis as exercise helps maintain good joint health, manage their symptoms, and prevent functional decline. Osteoarthritis, however, often makes physical activity, such as exercise, and even performing daily activities, a challenge."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080929084301.htm

 

Legal

 

Duval County Supervisor of Elections Continues to Litigate After Being Ordered to Pay $1.4 Million to Advocated for Disabled Voters – (AAPD). "On September 4, 2008, the Supervisor of Elections for Duval County continued to delay payment of attorneys' fees and costs to three disabled voters and the American Association of People with Disabilities who won a precedent setting verdict against the supervisor in March 2004. In that verdict, the court ruled that Duval County discriminated against its disabled population and violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide voting machines for individuals who are blind or who have manual impairments that would have allowed them to vote secretly and independently. On August 5, 2008, the district court ordered Duval County, Florida to pay over $1.4 million in attorneys' fees and costs. Rather than pay these costs and expenses, Duval County appealed the case to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, Georgia. Such an appeal is likely to result in additional fees and costs in this seven-year old case."

http://www.aapddc.org/AAPDRedesign/Communications/2008DuvalCounty.html

 

Optical-scan ballots don't exclude disabled – (BaltimoreSun). "Alyssa Fieo of the Maryland Disability Law Center writes, 'We all support a voting system that is secure and accurate' ('Paper ballots prompt concern for disabled,' Sept. 25). She also reminds us that under federal law, the system must be accessible to people with disabilities, including voters who are blind or who have a dexterity disability, and enable them to cast their ballots privately and independently. After this November, thanks to the unanimous vote of the General Assembly, Maryland voters will once again vote on paper ballots. Voters who cannot mark their own ballots by hand will have touch-screen machines to help mark their paper ballots. The only assistance they might require would be in transferring their machine-marked ballots, in privacy sleeves, to the optical scanners that will count them."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/letters/bal-ed.le.letters30s21sep30,0,2741292.story

 

Quebec woman with disability wants travel companion to fly for free – "A Montreal woman who uses a wheelchair and needs a travel companion to fly says she's upset two major Canadian airlines are fighting a court decision that would allow her assistant to board for free. Natalie Cinman, 25, has a genetic brittle-bone disease and must be accompanied by an assistant when she flies because she needs assistance to settle into her seat and travel comfortably. Her travel companion may have to pay for a seat if Air Canada and West Jet are successful in fighting a Federal Appeals Court decision in May that upheld a ruling from the Canadian Transportation Agency requiring airlines to provide 'one person, one fare' for people with disabilities. Airlines were given one year to comply with the ruling. Both airlines filed a request with the Supreme Court of Canada in August to appeal the federal decision and agency ruling, which applies to passengers required to travel with an attendant because they are functionally disabled, or obese and need two seats. Cinman, who flies frequently for work, said the airlines are being unreasonable."

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/09/10/mtl-nataliecinman0910.html

 

Ruling upheld for teen with learning disability – by Jennifer Stewart (TheCanadianPress). "The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld the acquittal of a Nova Scotia teenager charged in a Dartmouth hit and run in 2004 because he didn't understand his rights due to a learning disability. The teen, now 20, was charged with a slew of offences, including dangerous driving causing bodily harm, following an Aug. 8, 2004, crash that critically injured Ronnie James McPhee. The majority of the high court agreed with a lower court judge who declared the 15-year-old's police statement inadmissible. Justice Morris Fish, writing for four of the seven Supreme Court judges, placed the onus on the police to determine a person's ability to understand their instructions."

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1078392.html

 

Media

 

Heavy Load – " Heavyload are Brighton's answer to The Ramones. A punk outfit subject to the combustible flux of ego, ambition, fantasy, expectation and desire that fuels any emerging band. But they’re also uniquely, made up of musicians with and without learning disabilities. Over the last 10 years they have managed to survive through their combination of raucous energy, attitude and sheer volume but now they are about to hit the big time with a feature length documentary (Heavy Load) being made about their journey from social care to stardom, and back again, and their mission to demonstrate that disability rocks. There are few genres left in music that have yet to be defined. Heavyload have unwittingly created a brand new one.

http://www.heavyload.org/about.html

 

 National Federation of the Blind Condemns and Deplores the Movie Blindness – (NFB). "The National Federation of the Blind, the nation's oldest and largest organization of blind people, today announced its strong objections to the forthcoming Miramax film release Blindness and announced that its members would protest at cinemas across the nation when the movie opens on October 3. The film is based on a novel by Portuguese author José Saramago, in which the inhabitants of an unnamed city suddenly go blind. Fearing that the mysterious blindness is contagious, the government quarantines the blinded citizens in an abandoned asylum, where moral, social, and hygienic standards quickly deteriorate and the blind extort valuables, food, and sex from one another. Only one woman, played in the film by Julianne Moore, remains able to see, feigning blindness to remain with her husband. She is

portrayed as physically, mentally, and morally superior to the others because she still has her sight."

http://www.nfb.org/nfb/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=368

 

The PAIN Exhibit – "The PAIN Exhibit is an educational, visual arts exhibit from artists with chronic pain with their art expressing some facet of the pain experience. The mission of the PAIN Exhibit is to educate healthcare providers and the public about chronic pain through art; and to give voice to the many who suffer in abject silence."

http://www.painexhibit.com/homepage.html

 

VSA arts Announces Sound Ricochet: an International Music and Writing Exchange – (PRNewswire). "VSA arts is launching an international music exchange program where students ages 8-14 share their musical traditions with each other through video. Sound Ricochet is designed to be carried out in an environment that is inclusive of both students with and without disabilities. Participating classrooms create four video segments with written descriptions of their cultural relevance. VSA arts will then compile the videos onto a DVD that will be distributed amongst the classrooms."

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-22-2008/0004871827&EDATE=

 

Medical

 

Acute Multiple-Sclerosis Relapses Rarely Result in Permanent Disability: Presented at ANA – by Andrew Wilner, MD (DocGuide). "Acute relapses in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) rarely lead to disability, according to a retrospective chart review presented here at the American Neurological Association (ANA) 133rd Annual Meeting. Loren Rolak, MD, Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, Wisconsin, explained that many patients with MS fear they 'might wake up paralyzed' from an acute relapse. To assess the likelihood of severe disability from an acute relapse, Dr. Rolak examined the clinical course of 1,078 patients with relapsing-remitting MS over the last 14 years from his own database of patients with MS treated at Marshfield Clinic."

http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/852571020057CCF6852574CE006FA213

 

FDA 'fast track' granted to BioMS Medical for lead drug, dirucotide for the treatment of multiple sclerosis – (MedicalNews). "BioMS Medical Corp has announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States has granted fast track designation for the Company's lead drug, dirucotide (MBP8298), for the treatment of secondary progressive MS (SPMS). Dirucotide (MBP8298) is currently being evaluated in a U.S. pivotal phase III trial, named MAESTRO-03, at 68 sites with approximately 510 patients. Fast track designation is an FDA status reserved for products that are intended to treat a serious or life-threatening condition and that demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for that condition. Fast track designation can potentially facilitate development and expedite the review process."

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=41198

 

Japanese Research on CFS Treatments – (CFIDS). "Since 1992 various ministries of the Japanese government, including the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan and the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, have sponsored comprehensive research to uncover the molecular mechanisms of fatigue. Recently a study group of Japanese investigators from various fields have been investigating CFS specifically. The following information is from studies into various treatments for CFS (adapted from the book Fatigue Science for Human Health by Yasuyoshi Watanabe, MD, PhD). A report on their research into the cause of CFS was published in the summer 2008 issue of the CFIDS Chronicle."

http://www.cfids.org/bonus/japantreat.asp

 

Policy/Research

 

Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, 2007 – "Since 1956, the Social Security program has provided cash benefits to people with disabilities. This annual report provides program and demographic information about the people who receive those benefits. The basic topics covered are

·         beneficiaries in current-payment status;

·         workers' compensation and public disability benefits;

·         benefits awarded, withheld, and terminated;

·         disabled workers who have returned to work;

·         outcomes of applications for disability benefits; and

·         disabled beneficiaries receiving Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, or both."

http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/di_asr/2007/index.html

 

Moms of kids with disabilities more likely than dads to have jobs affected – (CanadianPress)." When it comes to the jobs of the thousands of Canadian parents caring for a child with a disability, it's mothers - not fathers - who pay the price, a new report says. Three out of five parents of children with disabilities say their employment was affected by their children's condition, said the survey, released Thursday by Statistics Canada. However, when asked whose job was affected most, 64 per cent of parents reported it was the mother. Only eight per cent of survey participants said the father's job was most affected. About 25 per cent of mothers and fathers believed their jobs were equally affected. For parents, changes included anything from cutting the number of work hours to changing shifts to turning down a promotion or even quitting a job. 'The adjustments to their employment was the largest way they were impacted,' said Statistics Canada spokeswoman Krista Kowalchuk. It was the first time the agency examined the impact that children with disabilities have on their families."

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iBl4_JbDIfvUiV0sXIdlChWXrf6A

 

Participation and Activity Limitation Survey 2006: Families of Children with Disabilities in Canada – (StatsCanada). "Over the last few years, increased attention has been paid to the issue of disability. With rising disability rates and more children being diagnosed with activity limiting conditions, an increasing number of Canadian parents are coping with the challenges that arise from caring for a child with disabilities. These challenges are diverse in nature, and can affect every aspect of family life. Previous research has found that families of children with disabilities experience higher levels of stress, illness, and marital strain compared to families without children with disabilities (Dowling and Dolan, 2001). Further, as children with disabilities may require a greater amount of their parent's time, families face the additional challenge of having to balance caregiver responsibilities with other life commitments such as work, leisure, and personal relationships. Using data from the 2006 Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS), the following report examines how caring for a child with a disability impacts the family unit, and more specifically, the parents who care for them. This report explores issues such as household income, health and stress, employment and finances, marital relationships, and childcare arrangements. Further, this report explores the availability of financial and care giving supports as well as issues relating to transportation."

http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/89-628-XIE/89-628-XIE2008009.htm

 

Participation and Activity Limitation Survey 2006: Tables (part IV) – (StatsCanada). "The Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS) is Canada's national survey that gathers information about adults and children whose daily activities are limited by a physical, mental, or other health-related condition or problem. This document presents data tables associated to the seventh report 'The 2006 Participation and Activity Limitation Survey: Families of Children with Disabilities in Canada'. It is important to note that these tables and report are based on child-level data. This means that all numbers (or percentages) in fact represent the number (or percentage) of children with disabilities whose responding parent gave a certain response to the survey. For the purpose of these tables and report, the expression 'number (or percentage) of parents of children with disabilities' is used throughout the tables and report. Also, it is important to note that the child is the respondent, and parents are answering on their behalf. Therefore, it can not be inferred from these tables and accompanying report that the findings are representative of all parents of children with disabilities. Furthermore, what we refer to as 'parent' could have been whoever served as the child's guardian during the time of data collection."

http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/89-628-XIE/89-628-XIE2008010.htm

 

We launch hate report – (DisabilityNow). "Disability Now, Scope and the UK's Disabled People's Council have published their report on disability hate crime, Getting Away with Murder. Written by Disability Now's news editor, Katharine Quarmby, the 50-page report looks at all aspects of disability hate crime. It highlights the wide gap between official data on disability hate crime and the results of self-reporting surveys by a growing number of disability organisations; the disparity between sentencing for disability hate crimes and other forms of hate crime; and the language used to describe disabled people ('vulnerable') and the crimes against them ('bullying'). The report also looks at examples of best practice, often conducted by disabled people locally, to fight disability hate crime; and the progress made at national level to make the criminal justice system more responsive to disabled people."

http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/latest-news2/news-focus/we-launch-hate-report

 

Welfare's second class – by Ewin Hannan (TheAustralian). "Graeme Innes sounds frustrated. Active in the disability field for 30 years, the nation's Disability Discrimination Commissioner knows all about governments failing to practice what they preach when it comes to moving the disabled off welfare and into work. 'The public service effort on this has been pathetic,' Innes tells The Australian. 'Even if you accept the conservative numbers, the number of people with disabilities employed in the public service has dropped significantly over the past 10 or 15 years. The Government just has to turn that around.' Innes has an ally in Bill Shorten, the former union leader and Labor's Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities. 'Disability has been a major public policy failing at the federal level for a long time now,' Shorten says."

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24344567-28737,00.html

 

Rehabilitation

 

Music-Play Project Fosters 'Response-ability' in Children with Autism – (NewsWise)." In a room dubbed the E-WoMP (exploratory world-music playground) that serves as the centerpiece of the Music-Play Project housed at Florida State University's College of Music, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are making impressive gains in creativity, emotional regulation and social participation. FSU ethnomusicologist Michael B. Bakan likes to call such gains 'response-ability.' He's the director of the innovative medical ethnomusicology program, which uses an array of unusual musical instruments from around the world for improvisational music-play activities that help create a unique therapeutic environment. 'Our program emphasizes ability and personhood over disability and 'treatment' and accepts that there are different ways of interacting, just as there are different ways of making music in different cultures,' said Bakan, an associate professor in the College of Music. 'The Music-Play Project fosters the growth of response-ability, and in turn, happiness, because it gives children the chance to contribute to the co-creation of culture who too often are characterized as being incapable of doing so'."

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/543928/

 

Self-Help

 

Braille Reading Pals – (NFB). "Braille Reading Pals is an early literacy program [this is an online program] that gently encourages and rewards parents for reading daily with their blind or low vision children ages 0-7 (or older if the children have developmental delays) who are not yet reading. Sponsored by the Jernigan Institute, this free two-month program begins November 1 and concludes December 31."

http://www.nfb.org/nfb/NOPBC_BRL_Reading_Pals.asp

 

Sports/Recreation

 

About equestrian – (Canada.com). "Dressage competitions for riders with disabilities started in Scandinavia and in Great Britain in the 1970s. In 1987, the first dressage World Championship was held in Sweden, and the sport was introduced into the Paralympic Games schedule in 1996. - The competition in 2008 will be staged at the Hong Kong Equestrian Venue at Sha Tin in the same arena used for the Olympic Games. There will be 73 riders from 28 countries. - Dressage is a multi-disability sport, open to athletes with a physical disability, such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, amputation or paralysis, or visual impairment.

Events are mixed and grouped in grades according to the athlete's functional profile. Grade Ia is the most seriously impaired, Grade IV the least."

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/sports/story.html?id=6ab21c02-2983-4e73-bea0-46ccd50dbf46

 

Book Review: The Cultural Politics of the Paralympic Movement: Through an Anthropological Lens – by Howe, D., Hargreaves, J., & McDonald, I (NCPAD). "Expansion of the Paralympic Games has somewhat mirrored expansion of the mainstream Olympics and the event now constitutes an internationally significant sporting festival. This book examines the development of the Paralympics and discusses the argument about whether the Games are justifiably used as a vehicle for the empowerment of people with disabilities. David Howe, a successful Paralympian himself, investigates the economic, social, cultural, and political processes shaping the Paralympic movement on a local and global scale, and develops a new theory of the relationship between sport, the body, and the culture of disability."

http://www.ncpad.org/newsletter/newsletter.php?letter=80&section=1200

 

Growth of Paralympics Helps Change the World's View of Disability – (NCPAD). "The final stretch of summer is ending this year with an exciting two weeks of Paralympic competition. Underway this week in Beijing, the Paralympic Games involve more than 4,000 athletes with disabilities from 148 different countries. Eager sports fans who enjoy the height of international competition will appreciate the dedication and determination of these fine athletes, many of whom had to overcome enormous physical and attitudinal barriers to reach Beijing. Many athletes had to spend their own money or raise their own funds for several years to get to the Games, which is what makes the Paralympics such a unique event. There are no hand outs, no sponsorships, no big city lights -- just raw talent and sheer determination to overcome insurmountable odds to achieve a dream"

http://www.ncpad.org/director/fact_sheet.php?sheet=641

 

Paralympic dream reignited – (mencap). "As the Beijing Paralympics draw to a close, athletes with a learning disability are hopeful that they will be able to compete at the 2012 Games. Renewed optimism came as the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said that it had made progress with its efforts to re-include athletes with an 'intellectual disability' in all Paralympic and IPC-sanctioned events. The IPC introduced a blanket ban on athletes with a learning disability from its events following the Sydney 2000 Games. It was revealed that 10 members of Spain's gold medal-winning basketball team had falsely claimed to have a learning disability."

http://www.mencap.org.uk/news.asp?id=4197&pageno=&year=&menuId=90

 

Remembering Beijing – by Paul Schulte. "Well after quite a whirlwind Paralympics in Beijing, I'm back home safe and sound in Florida. It was an incredible time. China put on a Paralympics that many said was the best ever. And I agree. All in all I had a fantastic time. The Stadiums were gigantic and filled with fans at every competition. Transportation, Housing, and Meals were more than I could have hoped. I lived what Michael Phelps described as doing nothing but eating, sleeping, and swimming (basketball for me).Unfortunately, I didn't come home with 8 golds. In fact, I didn't come home with Bronze or Silver either."

http://www.paulschulte.com/c/?q=node/753

 

Team Everest: A Himalayan Journey – "'Team Everest: A Himalayan Journey' chronicles a remarkable group of trekkers on an expedition to the world's highest mountain. If they succeed in their quest, the team will be the largest group of people with disabilities ever to reach Mount Everest Base Camp. Five men in wheelchairs and their teammates–representing a range of disabilities–trek 21 days through the high Himalaya. From their departure in the Sherpa village of Lukla, the team will attempt to reach an altitude of over 17,500 feet in one of the most inaccessible regions on earth. A Nepali support team is engaged to help push, pull, and carry members over the rugged, steep terrain. In this part of the world, the altitude and intense cold can stop even the most experienced hikers in their tracks. Yet if the team reaches Base Camp, expedition leader and amputee, Gary Guller, will make a bid for the summit of Everest. With stunning footage from the kingdom of Nepal, 'Team Everest' offers a heartwarming story of personal ambition, as it dares us to reach beyond our perceived limitations and explores our unlimited capacity to dream."

http://www.teameverestthemovie.com/the_journey.php

 

When ability is a disability – by Peter White (BBC). "The Paralympic Games is probably the only place in the world where you can be discriminated against for being able-bodied. As soon as the Games began, we had the first example of this. Australia's Jess Gallagher planned to take part in a number of events, including the sprints and long jump, and had hopes of gold, but they were dashed when she was told she could see too much. This really is the one place where you could be devastated by being told that your sight was better than you thought it was."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/olympics/2008/09/when_ability_is_a_disability.html

 

Technology

 

MonAMI - mainstreaming on AMbient Intelligence – "The MonAMI project will demonstrate that accessible, useful services for older persons and persons with disabilities living at home can be delivered in mainstream systems and platforms. This will be done in close cooperation with users and by involving key mainstream suppliers throughout the whole process. Ambient intelligence stands for an environment where people are surrounded by intelligent intuitive interfaces that are embedded in all kinds of objects and an environment that is capable of recognising and responding to the presence of different individuals in a seamless, unobtrusive and often invisible way."

http://www.fastuk.org/research/projview.php?id=1426

 

Former Army Parachutist Implanted with World's Smallest Neurostimulator to Treat Chronic Pain – (rehabmanagement). "St Jude Medical Inc, St Paul, Minn reports the first patient implant of an Eon Mini, the world's smallest, longest-lasting, rechargeable neurostimulator to treat chronic pain of the trunk or limbs and pain from failed back surgery. A 26-year-old patient was implanted with the neurostimulator, a medical device which is slightly larger than a US silver dollar. Similar in function and appearance to a cardiac pacemaker, the neurostimulator delivers mild electrical pulses to the spinal cord, which interrupt or mask the pain signals' transmission to the brain. The patient, Adam Hammond, is a former member of

the Army Golden Knights Parachute Team. Hammond was skydiving while on leave in 2006 when his parachute did not deploy correctly. He hit the ground in excess of 45 miles an hour."

http://www.rehabpub.com/news/2008-09-17_02.asp

 

UN Asia-Pacific forum focuses on technology for people with disabilities – (UN.org). "The United Nations today kicked off an initiative to improve access to information and communication technology (ICT) for persons with disabilities in Asia and the Pacific, including using a computer keyboard or being able to see information on the Internet – things most people take for granted. The four-day training, which began in Incheon, Republic of Korea, brings together policymakers from Cambodia, Indonesia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam together with ICT accessibility experts from the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Germany, United States, Japan, Thailand and the Republic of Korea."

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=28341&Cr=Asia&Cr1=Technology

 

Conferences

( New Conferences)

 

Internet Event - The RERC on Telerehabilitation - State of the Science Conference – November 17-21, 2008 | Internet. "You are invited to join us each day for live, interactive sessions on current issues related to telerehabilitation. Each morning we'll host an on-line whitepaper presentation and open discussion with an invited panel of experts immediately following. Of course, your participation in these discussions is possible from the location of your choice via the World Wide Web."

http://www.rerctr.pitt.edu/RERC_TR_SOS/

 

Canadian

 

Guide Dog Users of Canada - 2008 Conference and AGM – November 1, 2008 | Montreal, Quebec. "Guide Dog Users of Canada has historically held all of its annual general meetings in Toronto. This year, we would like to try something a little different, and to that end, our annual conference and general meeting will be held in Montreal."

http://www.gduc.ca/en/about/agm/2008

 

Toronto ABI Network Conference 2008 - November 3-4, 2008 | Toronto, Ontario. "Success for individuals living with the effects of brain injury can take many forms; this may mean becoming as independent as possible, resuming old interests or acquiring new ones, achieving at school, engaging in paid or non-paid work and enjoying meaningful relationships among family, friends and the community. Rehabilitation professionals across the continuum of care play a key role in establishing collaborative relationships with clients and family members to assist them in navigating the system and achieving their personal goals following brain injury."

http://www.abinetwork.ca/conference2008/

 

 

The 3rd National Spinal Cord Injury Conference and the 16th Interurban Spinal Cord Injury Conference – November 6-8, 2008 | Toronto, Ontario. "Toronto Rehabilitation Institute is pleased to announce that the 3rd National Spinal Cord Injury Conference and the 16th Interurban Spinal Cord Injury Conference will be held as one national event on Spinal Cord Rehabilitation: Innovation, Impact and Future Directions at the Hilton Toronto Hotel on November 6, 7, 8, 2008. The conference will include a pre-course, plenary sessions, poster displays and concurrent workshops that are intended to promote collaboration and exchange among attendees in a variety of formats."

http://www.torontorehab.com/education/scic08index.htm

 

NADD 25th Annual Conference A Quarter Century of Awareness: Assessment, Treatment & Policy Advances (ID/MH) – November 12-14, 2008 | Niagara Falls, Ontario. "The theme of the program for this year is A Quarter Century of Awareness: Assessment, Treatment & Policy Advances (ID/MH). Everyday, we are flooded with important new health information and are challenged to keep pace with the many new developments in prevention and intervention. This conference will highlight important areas of physical and mental health and well being for people with intellectual disabilities and will focus on the collaboration and integration of physical and mental health care in promoting collaborative efforts among professionals and family members. As you know this has always been a theme of NADD conferences."

http://www.thenadd.org/pages/conferences/25th/index.shtml

 

The 2008 CASE Conference - Working Matters – November 13-14, 2008 | Vancouver, British Columbia. "CASE is proud to co-host this event in partnership with the BC Association for Community Living. The CASE Conference attracts leaders in the field of supported and customized employment, and is highly valued by leaders in the field as a high quality networking and professional development event."

http://supportedemployment.ca/en/conference/

 

NEADS Conference 2008 - "Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow." –  November 14-16, 2008. | Ottawa, Ontario. "The National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) is pleased to announce our 2008 national conference, 'Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow.' It will take place at the Delta Ottawa Hotel and Suites from November 14-16, 2008. The conference will focus on solutions to drive change. This year's event will be an exciting opportunity for students, consumer advocates, service providers, employers and all others interested in exploring key issues of equal access to post-secondary education and employment for students and graduates with disabilities. We welcome delegates from across Canada and around the world. The 2008 conference is being organized by a Conference Planning Committee, comprised of NEADS board members and chaired by Agnes Tomkow, NEADS Alberta Representative. The 2008 conference will welcome guest speakers including Steven Fletcher, Member of Parliament and Sandi Bell, Canadian Human Rights Commissioner."

http://www.neads.ca/conference2008/en/info.php

 

*    Louis Braille: From Literacy to Liberty 2009 Canadian Federation Of The Blind Convention Louis Braille Birthday Bash – May1-3, 2009 | Victoria, British Columbia. "Celebrate the 200th birthday of Louis Braille at the fourth annual Canadian Federation of the Blind Convention."

http://www.cfb.ca/

 

U.S.

 

The National Conference on Disability Inclusion and National Service: Acting Today to Shape the Future – October 16-18, 2008 | Alexandria, Virginia. "The National Conference on Disability Inclusion and National Service: Acting Today to Shape the Future, will take place October 16-18, 2008 at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center in Alexandria VA. This conference is designed to bring together key members for the national service network and the disability community to focus on issues related to the actively engaging people with disabilities in national service and community volunteerism. It is anticipated that this conference will draw more than 500 individuals from across the country. This opportunity will allow you to share information about your organization and connect with agencies with similar interests and goals."

http://www.serviceandinclusion.org/index.php?page=ncd_ex_op

 

IDA 59th Annual Conference - October 29-November 1, 2008 | Seattle, Washington. "The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) is a scientific and educational nonprofit organization concerned with dyslexia and related language and learning difficulties. The IDA Annual Conference focuses on the latest advances in these and related fields. IDA is interested in a broad spectrum of research and practical presentations along these lines. The objective of the conference is to bring up-to-date information to a diverse audience that includes educators,

researchers, physicians, psychologists, social workers, speech-language pathologists, administrators, parents, persons with dyslexia, and others."

http://www.interdys.org/AnnualConference.htm

 

11th Annual Accessing Higher Ground - Accessible Media, Web and Technology Conference – November 11-14, 2008 | Boulder, Colorado. "Disability Services at the University of Colorado at Boulder presents Accessing Higher Ground: Accessible Media, Web and Technology Conference for Education, for Businesses, for Web and Media Designers Accessing Higher Ground focuses on the implementation and benefits of Assistive Technology in the university and college setting for people with sensory, physical and learning disabilities. Other topics include legal and policy issues, including ADA and 508 compliance, and making campus media and information resources - including Web pages and library resources – accessible."

http://www.colorado.edu/ATconference/

 

The Network of Autism Training and Technical Assistance Programs (NATTAP) - Second Annual International Autism Training and Technical Assistance Conference – November 19-21, 2008 | Columbus, Ohio. "The 2nd annual NATTAP Conference will gather educators, service providers and parents from across the United States and from around the globe. The objectives of the conference are to review current systems models for addressing the needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), promote use of best practice in research and intervention and provide methods for capacity building – all of which contribute to the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for individuals ages 3-21. The 2008 NATTAP Conference

will provide a forum for the continued exchange of ideas and promising practices that will provide common solutions to the common problems in ASD."

http://www.nattapconference.org/view.php?nav_id=1

 

Assistive Technology: Improving Lives Daily - A conference for people with disabilities, families and professionals – November 20, 2008 | Warwick, Rhode Island. "Assistive technology can play a critical role in the life of a person with a disability. A wide range of presentations and an exhibit hall offering product demonstrations and information will provide conference participants with the opportunity to learn what a powerful impact assistive technology can have in improving the lives of people with disabilities."

http://www.techaccess-ri.org/Conferences/2008/2008Conf.html

 

33rd Annual TASH Conference - Social Justice in the 21st Century – December 3-6, 2008 | Nashville, Tennessee. "This year's theme is Social Justice in the 21st Century: achieving the full and equal participation of every member of society in a way that is shaped to meet each member's unique needs. Social justice provides a vision that all members are valued, physically and psychologically safe, and enjoy all aspects of life in their community. We achieve social justice for people who have significant disabilities in a variety of ways. This year's TASH conference will focus on the issues and trends in today's world as they relate to the bringing about social justice for people who have significant disabilities and their families."

http://www.tash.org/2008tash/index.htm

 

Technology, Reading & Learning Diversity 2009 – January 22-24 2009 | San Francisco, California. "The mission of TRLD 2009 is 'Opening Doors to Universal Learning.' Universal Learning embodies the idea of equitable and flexible access to concepts and ideas for all students, all people. The digital age we live in creates a level playing field and multiple opportunities for all learners to achieve."

http://www.trld.com/about/mission/index.html

 

ATIA 2009 - January 28-31, 2009 | Orlando, Florida. "The ATIA Conference serves as a leading conference for the Assistive Technology community offering attendees the opportunity to participate in discussions with industry experts, learn about new technologies, best practices, and a host of specialized services. Assistive Technology products and technologies will be represented in various presentations, demonstrations and/or exhibits. In addition, hands-on labs will provide an opportunity to experiment with and evaluate the latest assistive technology devices and software."

http://www.atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3280

 

*         First World Congress on Spina Bifida Research and Care. – March 15-18, 2009 | Orlando Florida. "The Spina Bifida Association (SBA) is pleased to announce the First World Congress on Spina Bifida Research and Care. This meeting promises to be the premier forum for a unique gathering of international Spina Bifida researchers and care specialists. For the first time, the international leaders in the medical and scientific community from the fields of neurosurgery, neurology, urology, developmental pediatrics, orthopedics, epidemiology, and other arenas will come together to discuss the future of care for this

challenging and complex birth defect. Don't miss your chance to be a part of this amazing event…the future is now."

http://medicalconference.spinabifidaassociation.org/site/c.gnKOKTOtHqE/b.3512717/k.BE78/Home.htm

 

*    The 24th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference –

March 16-21, 2009 | Los Angeles, California. "The 24th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference will be held March 16-21, 2009 at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott & Renaissance Montura Hotels. Please join us as we celebrate 24 years of leadership in the technology and disability fields. We will be presenting experts and trends in assistive technology and persons with disabilities, while also highlighting adaptive technology for aging and international practices. The Call for Papers opens Monday, August 25th and closes Friday, October 17th. For additional information about Call for Papers or to submit a proposal please visit our Call for Papers page."

http://www.spinalcord.org/news.php?dep=1&page=33&list=1963

 

*    Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion, and Disability Annual Conference – April 28 -29, 2009 | Ohio State University Columbus Campus. "The Ninth Annual Multiple Perspectives conference continues the university's efforts to bring together a diverse audience to explore disability as both an individual experience and social reality that cuts across typical divisions of education & employment; scholarship & service; business & government; race, gender & ethnicity. This year's theme 'Change, Challenge & Collaboration' reflects the critical place in history we occupy. Between last conference and this call for papers the United Nations has adopted the Convention on Disability, Congress passed a new GI bill and the Higher Education Opportunity Act which include a significant focus on disability; the Access Board is proposing changes in Section 508, the Department of Justice is in the final stages of a comprehensive review and update of the regulations for the ADA's Titles II and III; and the ADA Amendments of 2008 are working their way through Congress. The theme and the quotes below are offered as a guide to framing your proposals and considering your topics from a fresh perspective."

http://ada.osu.edu/conferences/2009Conf/callforpapers09.html

 

*    Pacific Rim International Forum – May 2-3, 2009, | Honolulu, Hawaii. "With its beginnings dating back to 1985, the Pacific Rim International Conference on Disabilities has evolved into one of the top rated international educational offerings for and from persons with disabilities, family members, researchers, service providers, policymakers, community leaders, advocates, and nationally recognized professionals in the various disciplines in the diverse field of disabilities."

http://www.pacrim.hawaii.edu/

 

Overseas

 

Adaptive Content Processing Conference 2008 – November 6-7, 2008 | Amsterdam, Netherlands. "We are delighted to invite you to the ACP '08 Conference to be held in the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam on 6/7th November 2008. The conference is jointly hosted by the EUAIN Network, the ProAccess Project and the Federation of Dutch Publishers and is held as part of the Amsterdam World Book Capital celebrations. New technologies are changing the way in which we create, produce and consume content. Over the last few years, the publishing industry in Europe and beyond has been active in responding to the growing demand for more accessible, adaptive content. The publication of the recent green paper on Copyright in the Knowledge Economy demonstrates the central role of these issues."

http://www.euain.org/?q=node/10

 

4th International State-of-the-art Congress "Rehabilitation: Mobility, Exercise & Sports" –April 7-9, 2009 | Amsterdam. Netherlands. "The theme of the 4th congress underlines the development taking place in our research since 1991: from a strongly manual wheelchair-oriented focus back than, towards the much broader perspective of mobility restoration, active lifestyle, exercise, training and sports in the context of rehabilitation practice today."

http://www.move.vu.nl/links/rehabmove2009/program/

 

*    Eighteenth International World Wide Web Conference – April 20-24, 2009 | Madrid, Spain. "The International World Wide Web Conferences Steering Committee (IW3C2), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and Madrid municipality cordially invite you to participate in the 18th International World Wide Web Conference (WWW2009) to be held in Madrid, the charming and cosmopolitan Spain´s capital. The World Wide Web Conference is the global event that brings together key researchers, innovators, decision-makers, technologists, businesses, and standards bodies working to shape the Web. Organized by IW3C2 since 1994, the WWW conference is the annual opportunity for the International community to discuss and debate the evolution of the Web. The conference will feature a range of presentations on world-class research, as well as stimulating talks, workshops, tutorials, panels, and late-breaking posters."

http://www.www2009.org/

 

19th IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics – July 5-9, 2009 | Paris, France. "Every four years, the World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics represents a unique and irreplaceable event attended by experts from around the world to discuss the latest findings in the field of ageing. The 19th congress, which is taking place in Paris in 2009, is particularly important, as it coincides with an ideological u-turn. Lifespan extension and the

growing number of elderly people, once considered as catastrophic, are now viewed as an indisputable progress."

http://www.gerontologyparis2009.com/site/view8.php