Disability Resource Digest
Volume 7, Issue 4 April 2007
The Disability Resource Digest (DRD) is a special project of SMD Alliance. SMD Alliance is based in Manitoba, Canada and provides strategic vision and policy direction to four SMD corporations: SMD Clearinghouse; SMD Foundation; SMD Ventures; and SMD Services.
The vision shared among the corporations is of a "community that supports the independence, participation, and empowerment of persons of all abilities." Each SMD corporation pursues a complementary mandate in working toward this vision.
The DRD is prepared primarily as an informational resource for consumers, professionals and publics interested in remaining current in disability related issues. An archive of past editions of the DRD is maintained on SMD's web site (http://www.smd.mb.ca).
Published monthly (with a single summer edition for July and August), the DRD presents summaries of, and URL addresses for, notable disability-related content on the world-wide web (WWW). The DRD focuses on recently posted content but also includes coverage of other web pages of interest. The URL addresses cited in the DRD are current at the time of publication. But as those posting content on the web often revise URL addresses, the addresses in the DRD may not remain current.
The DRD is prepared for SMD Alliance by The Project Group (TPG) Consulting Cooperative Ltd., a Winnipeg-based consulting firm. Neither SMD nor TPG are responsible for the accuracy or reliability of the content cited in the DRD.
Readers interested in learning more about SMD Alliance are invited to visit: http://www.smd.mb.ca or to contact the agency by e-mail at info@smd.ca. Readers are also invited to send comments and suggestions regarding the DRD to this same e-mail address.
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - "The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" was adopted on 13 December, 2006 during the sixty-first session of the General Assembly by resolution A/RES/61/106. In accordance with its article 42, the Convention and its Optional Protocol opened for signature by all States and by regional integration organizations at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 30 March 2007. The opening began with a solemn ceremony in the United Nations General Assembly hall." This site includes a video of the ceremony as well as informal comments on the Convention, a list of signature, photos, as well as a number of videos of the high-level dialogue and press conferences.
http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/signature.shtml
Canada Signs UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - "The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, today signalled Canada's intention to be a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 'By signing the Convention, we are demonstrating our leadership and the importance we attach to the rights of persons with disabilities,' said Minister MacKay. 'The commitment of Canada's New Government with respect to issues of disability is clear. We have a strong commitment to ensuring that persons with disabilities enjoy full participation in society and can contribute to the community to their full potential'."
http://news.gc.ca/cfmx/view/en/index.jsp?articleid=288589&
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities opens for signature at the UN - (UNICEF). "A new treaty to ensure the human rights of the estimated 650 million people living with disabilities opens for signature today, during a special session of the United Nations General Assembly. Supporters hope that every nation will ratify the treaty, known as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. . . Nineteen year-old Nicaraguan Mauricio Gutiérrez González will address the special session on behalf of young people with disabilities."
http://www.unicef.org/media/files/PDF.pdf (PDF)
Disability Treaty to Correct Injustices - by United Nations (enabled online). "United Nations - A new human rights treaty that would protect the rights of the world's 650 million persons with disabilities will be opened for signature at the United Nations on 30 March. Over 40 countries have already indicated they will sign the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities when it opens for signature and ratification by States and regional integration organizations at a solemn ceremony in the UN General Assembly hall. Many more are expected to announce their intention in the coming weeks leading up to the signing event."
http://enabledonline.com/news/N_disabilitytreaty.php
Douglas Devananda to sign Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in New York today - (Asian Tribune). "Douglas Devananda Sri Lanka's Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare is in New York is scheduled to sign the new Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at a solemn ceremony to be held at the UN General Assembly hall today ( Friday, 30 March.) Fifty other countries too will be signing this Convention in New York today."
http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/5133
Eighty countries sign convention - protecting rights of the world's 650 million disabled in show of unprecedented support - (AAPD). "Eighty countries signed the U.N. convention enshrining the rights of the world's 650 million disabled people Friday in what the U.N. human rights chief called an unprecedented show of support to empower the physically and mentally impaired. The United Nations held a ceremony on Friday, the first day the convention opened, for signatures. Not only did 80 countries and the European Community sign it, but Jamaica also announced that it had ratified the convention — meaning that only 19 more ratifications are needed before the convention comes into force. At the ceremony, speaker after speaker urged speedy approval. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour announced the huge level of support at a news conference afterward, saying 'It's certainly unprecedented in terms of support for a human rights instrument, but it's apparently setting records for the signature of any convention in the United Nations.' The U.N. General Assembly adopted the 32-page convention by consensus in December, climaxing a campaign spearheaded by disability rights activists and the governments of New Zealand, Ecuador and Mexico. 'We would not be here today without the sustained efforts of the disability community,' Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro told Friday's ceremony."
http://www.aapd.com/News/international/070403ap.htm
EU to sign new UN treaty on disability rights - "The European Union will sign a United Nations convention on disability rights in New York Friday, the treaty's opening day for signature, said the European Commission. The convention aims to ensure that people with disabilities, 50 million in the EU and 650 million worldwide, enjoy the same human rights and fundamental freedoms as everyone else. 'This convention recognizes at an international level that disability is a human rights issue,' said Vladimir Spidla, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. It is the first time the EU as a whole has signed a core UN human rights convention. Its executive body, the European Commission, will sign on behalf of the bloc. The EU member states will also sign it individually."
http://insurancenewsnet.com/article.asp?n=1&neID=20070330375.4_4e0f0028d1809601
Accessibility
Amazon.com and National Federation of the Blind Join Forces to Develop and Promote Web Accessibility - (NFB). "The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and Amazon.com announced today that they have agreed to work together to promote and improve technology that enables blind people to access and use the World Wide Web. In a cooperation agreement, Amazon.com pledged its commitment to continue improving the accessibility of its Web site platform, while the NFB committed to contribute its expertise in Web accessibility technologies to help further Amazon.com's efforts."
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=174
NFPA issues Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide for People with Disabilities - (AAPD). "A new Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide for People with Disabilities was developed and issued this month by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The document provides general information to assist in identifying the needs of people with disabilities related to emergency evacuation planning. According to the U.S Census Bureau, nearly 49 million Americans had one or more disabilities in 2000. The guide addresses the need for evacuation plans to include everyone, and highlights the needs, criteria, and minimum information required to incorporate appropriate planning strategies for people with disabilities into these plans. 'Other than preventing an emergency before it happens, having a plan and practicing it is the best way to prepare ourselves for the unexpected,' said James M. Shannon, NFPA's president. 'NFPA developed this guide as a resource for creating an all-inclusive evacuation plan that considers everyone's needs for evacuation, including the needs of people with disabilities.' The Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide for People with Disabilities is available for download at no cost from NFPA's website."
http://www.aapd.com/News/emergency/070329nfpa.htm
Ottawa's disabled should keep cheap bus passes: transit committee - (CBC.ca). "A $600,000 program that gives [Ottawa's] disabled transit users discounted bus passes should continue next year even though it produces a transit budget shortfall, the city's transit committee says. Committee members decided unanimously Wednesday to recommend extending the pilot program that gives people with disabilities bus passes for $28.25 a month instead of the regular $71.25."
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2007/02/01/transit-committee.html
Advocacy
Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT) - "Get your COAT! Today, a new coalition of disability organizations was launched to advocate for legislative and regulatory safeguards that will ensure full access by people with disabilities to evolving high speed broadband, wireless and other Internet protocol (IP) technologies. The Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology, or 'COAT,' consists of over 45 national, regional, and community-based organizations dedicated to making sure that as our nation migrates from legacy public switched-based telecommunications to more versatile and innovative IP-based and other communication technologies, people with disabilities will not be left behind."
http://www.aapd.com/News/tech/070312aapd.htm
Disability groups say they face funding crisis - (Edmonton Sun). "A council representing 120 organizations providing community support for Albertans with developmental disabilities has written a letter to the government saying it faces a crisis. The Alberta Council of Disability Services says it can't hire enough staff. The council says it has an annual turnover rate of 40 percent. The group wants Community Support Minister Greg Melchin to take immediately provide funding to ease the staffing shortage."
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/03/01/3681861.html
Disability, Poverty, and Systemic SSI-Related Discrimination - (AAPD). "As a result of writing 'Disabled People and Poverty in 2007' (Information Bulletin #197A), a form of discrimination related to SSI became very apparent to me. Because I have not seen it discussed publicly, I thought you might be interested. Most folks think of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) as only the monthly check older Americans and people with disabilities receive to live in the community in their own apartments/ homes or with a spouse. They typically also think that SSI benefits are entirely from the federal government. Those assumptions are not true."
http://www.aapd.com/News/SocSecurity/070310sg.htm
Education
Disability Studies sheds new light on disabled experience - by Jennifer Markowitz (The McGill Daily). "McGill Office for Students with Disabilities Director Joan Wolforth is campaigning for a Disability Studies program at the University – but it hasn't been easy. Wolforth has been unsuccessfully seeking a sponsor among McGill's senior academics to create a Disability Studies program for 18 months. She said that the biggest obstacle she faced was not a lack of interest, but a lack of awareness of disability studies in the programs that could participate in the interdisciplinary degree."
http://www.mcgilldaily.com/view.php?aid=6002
Vouchers Eyed For Students with Disabilities - by Christina A. Samuels (AAPD). "More than half a dozen states are considering legislation to offer private school vouchers for students with disabilities. They are looking to join the ranks of four others Arizona, Florida, Ohio, and Utah that already offer that school choice option. Supporters say that such vouchers are an important safety valve for parents when public schools don't offer programs to meet those students' specialized needs. But opponents warn that parents who take advantage of those vouchers may be giving up procedural protections guaranteed to their children under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. They also argue that vouchers for students with disabilities lay the groundwork for universal voucher programs that would drain money from public education and point to Utah's experience as an example. In that state, the 2-year-old Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship entitles students with disabilities to receive up to $6,042 a year for private school tuition. Utah's governor on Feb. 12 signed into law a measure making vouchers available to all students in the state, though the program is expected to face legal challenges. ('Utah's Broad Voucher Program Could Face Challenge,' Feb. 21, 2007.) "
http://www.aapd.com/News/empissues/070328ew.htm
Employment
EEOC and Disabled Health Workers - by Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (enabled online). "Naomi C. Earp, Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), has announced the issuance of a new question-and-answer (Q&A) fact sheet on the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to job applicants and employees in the health care industry. The new publication, part of a series of Q&A documents about specific disabilities in the workplace and specific industries, is available on the EEOC's web site at http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/health_care_workers.html."
http://enabledonline.com/news/N_EEOCand.php
Employers Gain Access to Database of 2,000 Job Candidates With Disabilities - "The U.S. Department of Labor has made available to employers nationwide a free database of approximately 2,000 new job candidates with disabilities seeking work in a wide variety of fields. For the first time, federal employers now can tap into this ongoing recruitment resource online at WRP.gov, and private sector and other government employers can request unlimited searches by calling (866) 327-6669. . . The Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities, co-sponsored by the Labor Department's Office of Disability Employment Policy and the U.S. Department of Defense, compiled the database by sending recruiters to more than 250 college campuses to interview eligible undergraduate and post-graduate students."
http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/odep/odep20070472.htm
Most Workers Don't See Impact of Disability - (enabled online). "While growing number of American workers are forecasted to experience a disability during their career, more than 80 percent of workers said they believe their chances of becoming disabled are far lower than actual statistics report, according to a new survey. The 2007 Disability Awareness Survey, released today by the Council for Disability Awareness (CDA), said the majority of workers are not concerned about the possibility of becoming disabled - an accident or illness that will keep them out of work at least three months. Data from the survey underscores the need to better inform America's workforce about the likelihood of experiencing a disability, as well as the potential financial consequences that may accompany a disability. The CDA is embarking on an outreach effort to increase public dialogue about disability awareness."
http://enabledonline.com/news/N_mostworkers.php
ODEP Alliance Initiative - "The ODEP [Office of Disability Employment Policy] Alliance Initiative is a cooperative program which enables organizations committed to improving disability workplace practices to work with ODEP to develop and implement model policies, initiatives and strategies that increase recruiting, hiring, advancing, and retaining workers with disabilities. Groups that can form an Alliance with ODEP include trade and professional associations, businesses, labor unions, educational institutions, Federal, state and local government agencies and others."
http://www.dol.gov/odep/alliances/index.htm
RADAR publishes two new employment guides: RADAR is a national network of disability organizations and disabled people that represent their members by fast-tracking opinions and concerns to policy-makers and legislators in Westminster and Whitehall, and launching campaigns to promote equality for all disabled people.
- Doing Work Differently - "RADAR has published Doing Work Differently, our new guide to getting and keeping a job while managing impairment. At RADAR, we noticed that despite the changes we were seeing in the workplace, there still wasn't a lot of information around for people like us. This booklet is designed to fill the gap. We spoke to a range of people from a range of backgrounds about their experiences at work and what they had learned. Doing Work Differently brings together all that expertise and advice in a way that we hope will help other people."
http://www.radar.org.uk/radarwebsite/tabid/158/default.aspx
U.S. Department of Labor Launches Alliance Initiative to Advance Employment of People with Disabilities Through Voluntary Partnerships - "The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has launched the Alliance Initiative to advance the employment of people with disabilities. The Alliance Initiative is open to businesses, trade and professional associations, labor unions, educational institutions, government agencies at all levels and others."
http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/odep/odep20070354.htm
Ethics
Disability, Social Justice, and Emerging Technologies - by Patricia Berne (AAPD). "Every week we can hear it on the news – identification of the 'skin tone gene', a wealthy U.S. couple 'rents' an Indian woman's womb to carry their genetic child, women being exploited in the trafficking of eggs – and every day in fertility clinics, women are choosing embryos which have been selected because they are 'free' from genetic markers associated with disability. This complex web of genetic, social, and economic phenomena has been woven with threads of biotechnology, specifically, emerging assisted reproductive and genetic technologies (ARGTs). ARGTs are developing at breakneck speed, far more quickly than informed public dialogue. A social justice vision including a respect for human diversity and the lives and rights of people with disabilities must be developed and integrated into the development and applications of these powerful new technologies."
http://www.aapd.com/News/bioethics/070312cgs.htm
Swiss Court Ruling Allows Euthanasia For Mentally Ill - by Christopher Claire. "A ruling by Switzerland's highest court has opened up the possibility that people with serious mental illnesses could be helped by doctors to take their own lives. Switzerland already allows doctor-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients under certain circumstances. The Federal Tribunal's decision puts mental illnesses on the same level as physical ones. The move has been labelled as 'dangerous' as it could lead to a rapid rise in the number of people travelling to Switzerland for assisted suicide. The latest figures show 54 Britons travelled to Zurich's Dignitas Clinic to end their lives in the past four years."
http://v1.dpi.org/lang-en/resources/details?page=863
The future of neo-eugenics – by Armand Marie Leroi (EMBO Reports). " Every year, 4.1 million babies are born in the USA. On the basis of the wellknown risk of Down syndrome, about 6,150 of these babies would be expected to suffer from this genetic condition, which is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. In reality, only about 4,370 babies are born with Down syndrome; the others have been aborted during pregnancy. . . The widespread acceptance of abortion as a eugenic practice suggests that there might be little resistance to more sophisticated methods of eugenic selection and, in general, this has been the case."
http://scienceblogs.com/gnxp/upload/2006/12/eugenicspaper.pdf
General Interest
DisabilityInfo.gov receives e-gov Institute's Knowledge Management Award - "DisabilityInfo.gov, a one-stop federal Web site for disability-related information and resources, has received the e-gov Institute's Knowledge Management Award for "delivering high value to citizens in a knowledge management solution." The DisabilityInfo.gov team was honored at the Eighth Annual Knowledge Management Conference and Exhibition on April 4 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C."
http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/odep/odep20070503.htm
Government
Canada
2007 Federal Budget - "The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today tabled a balanced budget that moves to restore fiscal balance in Canada, cuts taxes for working families, reduces the national debt and invests in key priorities like improving health care and environmental protection."
http://www.budget.gc.ca/2007/index_e.html
Does the 2007 Federal Budget Address Inequality and Poverty? - (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives). "Alternative Federal Budget response to the Federal Budget" This six page report looks at a broad range of issues, but in particular it comments on the Registered Disability Savings Plan; "The new Registered Disability Savings Plan enables families to save to support children with disabilities (total cost: $140 million between 2007–08 and 2008–09). But, since caring for a child with a disability is a severe financial strain, it is likely that low- and moderate-income Canadians will be hard-pressed to set aside savings in order to make full use of this program."
http://policyalternatives.ca/Reports/2007/04/ReportsStudies1600/index.cfm?pa=BB736455
http://policyalternatives.ca/documents/National_Office_Pubs/2007/AFB_Budget_Response.pdf (CCPA's Report)
Good news budget? - Helen Henderson (The Toronto Star). "There could be some good news in Monday's federal budget for people with disabilities and their families. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is expected to announce a registered disability savings plan that would help parents set aside money to provide a future for their children."
http://www.thestar.com/Life/article/191961
Liberal Government Tables Package of Proposed Amendments to Bill 118 - (ODA Committee). "On Friday, March 18, 2005, Ontario's Liberal Government tabled a package of proposed amendments to Bill 118, the proposed Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. (See text below, about 33 pages) We now have the amendments packages for all three parties."
http://www.aodaalliance.org/oda-committee/news207.html
Ontario Alternative Budget gives Liberals a failing grade, sets out plan to rebuild public services - (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives). "The alternative budget, released today by the OAB Working Group of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, assesses McGuinty government's first term in office and finds little progress has been made to address growing income inequality and persistent poverty. The OAB finds:
as of September 2007, tuition fees will be higher than they would have been if the Harris-Eves policy of increasing tuition fees in step with inflation had remained in place;
spending on affordable housing is half of what it was in 2000; and
those on social assistance are receiving less in provincial benefits after inflation than they were when the McGuinty government was elected." See p. 10 for CCPA's assessment of the Ontario Disability Support Program."
http://policyalternatives.ca/index.cfm?act=news&call=1567&pa=BB736455&do=Article
http://policyalternatives.ca/documents/Ontario_Office_Pubs/2007/OAB2007_Budget_Document.pdf (CCPA's Report).
What The March 22, 2007 Ontario Budget Includes On Some Key Disability Issues - (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance). "Here is a quick update on the key points in the March 22, 2007 Ontario Budget as it pertains to key disability issues in which the AODA Alliance is involved. This is the last provincial Budget before this fall's provincial election."
http://www.aodaalliance.org/reform/update-032207b.asp
US
President's 2008 Proposal For Wheelchairs Would Increase Costs, Reduce Patient Access - (Medical News Today). "The President's Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 budget request includes a provision that would eliminate the ability of Medicare beneficiaries to purchase a power wheelchair when it is initially prescribed by a physician. The theory behind the President's 13-month rental proposal is that there are many beneficiaries who require power wheelchairs on a temporary basis. The Administration contends that the Medicare program and beneficiaries would achieve savings through a rental period of less than 13 months. In fact, the opposite is true. AAHomecare's Rehab and Assistive Technology Council (RATC) calculates that Medicare will pay approximately five percent more under the President's proposal. Moreover, providers of power wheelchairs will be unlikely to secure appropriate credit and financing from lending institutions to cover the up-front costs of the device and related service if additional uncertainty is added to this benefit category. This proposal would not only increase Medicare costs but also result in diminished beneficiary access."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=64279
Health/Wellness
Act on chronic diseases to avoid `crisis': Report - (Toronto Star). "Ontario must put the same effort into improving care of people with chronic diseases as it has into easing hospital wait times to stop treatment costs from skyrocketing, says the Ontario Health Quality Council. With at least 60 per cent of health costs going to patients with such chronic problems as diabetes – and the number of diabetics rising by 50,000 a year in Ontario – the dangers of not acting are staggering, the council warns. The council was created by the Ontario government in September 2005 as an independent body to monitor the province's health-care system and report to the public on its performance. 'We need to start dealing with this challenge urgently, decisively and effectively before it becomes a full-blown crisis,' said council chair Ray Hession, noting that one in three Ontarians has a form of chronic illness."
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/196327
http://www.ohqc.ca/en/yearlyreport.php (Ontario Health Quality Council Report)
Government home care spending reaches $3.4 billion in 2003–2004 - "Government spending on home care grew from $1.6 billion in 1994–1995 to $3.4 billion in 2003–2004, an average annual growth of 9.2%, according to a new report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). In comparison, over the same time period, total government health spending increased by an average of 5.7% per year. Public-Sector Expenditures and Utilization of Home Care Services in Canada: Exploring the Data is CIHI's first comprehensive report on public-sector spending on home care services—a combination of health care and support services provided in the home instead of in an institutional setting."
http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=media_22mar2007_e
http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=PG_730_E&cw_topic=730&cw_rel=AR_1648_E (Report)
Healthy Diet May Prevent Age-Related Disability - (Pak Tribune). "Researchers may have come up with another reason to eat well. A new study suggests diets rich in fruits, vegetables and dairy foods can prevent the disabilities that often come with age. The study, which followed 9,404 middle-aged Americans for nine years, found that a healthy diet seemed particularly beneficial among African-American women, who are generally at greater risk than white women of developing physical limitations as they age. Researchers found that African American women who ate the most fruits and vegetables on a daily basis were about one-third to one-half less likely than those with the lowest intakes to develop problems with activities such as walking, climbing stairs and doing household chores. High intakes of dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt showed an even stronger protective effect."
http://paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?171004
Legal
ADA Enforcement - "Through lawsuits and settlement agreements, the Department of Justice has achieved greater access for individuals with disabilities in hundreds of cases. Under general rules governing lawsuits brought by the Federal government, the Department of Justice may not sue a party unless negotiations to settle the dispute have failed. The Department of Justice issues quarterly status reports that cover selected ADA activities of the Department. Copies may be ordered by calling the ADA Information Line. You may also download an ASCII text version of each status report. Reports from 1997 and later are also available in PDF (Adobe Acrobat format)."
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/enforce.htm
Call for BC Government to Respect Court Ruling on Youth with Disabilities - (PovNet). "The BC Association of Social Workers has called on the BC Government to respect a court ruling on youth with disabilities. The Appeal Court decision means that cutting off services to youth at age 19, who have a lifelong disability but whose IQ exceeds 70, is now legally invalid and must stop."
http://www.povnet.org/node/1781 (PovNet blurb)
http://www.bcasw.org/Content/News%20and%20Media/News%20Archive.asp?ItemID=29244 (Media Release - BC Social Workers)
Sudbury Community Legal Clinic takes case to Supreme Court of Canada - (CleoNet). "The following is an excerpt from an article by Grace Kurke, Staff Lawyer at the Sudbury Community Legal Clinic: Over seven years ago, two Sudbury men, Robert Tranchemontagne and Norman Werbeski, were denied disability benefits under the Ontario Disability Support Program Act (ODSPA). Each man filed an appeal to determine whether in fact he met the definition of a "person with a disability" under the law. It has taken more than seven years, but with the help of the Sudbury Community Legal Clinic, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that the Social Benefits Tribunal (SBT) has to deal with any human rights arguments in their decisions." (Thanks to PovNet for this link.)
http://www.cleonet.ca/news/495
http://scc.lexum.umontreal.ca/en/2006/2006scc14/2006scc14.html (Supreme Court Decision)
Third Annual Tony Coelho Lecture in Disability Employment Law & Policy - "Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. delivered the Third Annual Tony Coelho Lecture in Disability Employment Law and Policy. His speech focused on opportunities to improve the Americans with Disabilities Act. Congressman Tony Coelho introduced Congressman Sensenbrenner."
http://www.nyls.edu/pages/5041.asp
Media
'Deaf Eyes' endeavors to open ours - by Diane Werts (Deaf Today). "Black culture. Southern culture. Deaf culture. The 300,000 Americans who are profoundly deaf really do share a distinct experience, and 'Through Deaf Eyes' makes it vivid for outsiders in a lively, succinct way. No handicaps here, just a 'poetical' language, a tight sense of community, and a growing pride that what once was segregated came to develop its own set of discrete characteristics worth preserving and celebrating. In just two hours' time, we plunge into the deaf perspective through a variety of evocative short films by deaf filmmakers. And we come to appreciate the challenges and joys of deaf life in America over the past 200 years, thanks to an encompassing documentary history that avoids earnestness. There's no 'problem' to be addressed here, just an identity to be understood."
http://www.deaftoday.com/v3/archives/2007/03/deaf_eyes_endea.html
Disability Matters with Joyce Bender - "Disability Matters with Joyce Bender is one of the first international talk radio shows with real-time captioning focused on the employment and empowerment of people with disabilities. Hear prominent disability leaders such as Congressman Tony Coelho, Governor Dick Thornburgh, Andy Imparato and senior executives from the private sector. Disability Matters is on the VoiceAmerica Channel (www.voice.voiceamerica.com) every Tuesday from 2:00pm - 3:00 pm Eastern Time."
http://www.benderconsult.com/radio.html
TV writer Allen Rucker confronts disability with humor - by Richard Irwin (Press-Telegram). "'FUNNY, ANGRY, and explicitly honest. 'His 'pity-me-and-I'll-choke-you' take on life should be depressing, but it isn't. It's proof that he and God share a very sick sense of humor,' writes late-night talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel. Actor Martin Mull says, 'Allen Rucker has taken his own condition and expanded it to encompass the human condition. At once hilarious, heart-warming, thought-provoking, the man in the chair is on a roll.' The two stars are talking about Los Angeles writer Allen Rucker's book, The Best Seat in the House: How I Woke Up One Tuesday and Was Paralyzed for Life. In it, the award-winning television writer talks about his rare condition called transverse myelitis. Rucker describes how at age 51 he became paralyzed from the waist down in the course of an hour and a half."
http://www.presstelegram.com/entertainment/ci_5350037
Medical
Inequitable access for mentally ill patients to some medically necessary procedures - "by Stephen Kisely, Mark Smith, David Lawrence, Martha Cox, Leslie Anne Campbell and Sarah Maaten (CMAJ). "Although universal health care aims for equity in service delivery, socioeconomic status still affects death rates from ischemic heart disease and stroke as well as access to revascularization procedures. We investigated whether psychiatric status is associated with a similar pattern of increased mortality but reduced access to procedures. We measured the associations between mental illness, death, hospital admissions and specialized or revascularization procedures for circulatory disease (including ischemic heart disease and stroke) for all patients in contact with psychiatric services and primary care across Nova Scotia."
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/abstract/176/6/779
New Treatment Vacuums Away Blood Clots: Prevents Disability - "A new technique safely and effectively removes blood clots in the body faster, reducing patient risk for pulmonary embolism and disability. The treatment was also shown to have a positive impact on patients' quality of life, relieving symptoms such as pain and swelling, as well as greatly improving their ability to be active. The "rapid lysis" technique combines a clot-dissolving drug with a clot removal device, thus improving the breaking up and dissolving of the clot, which is then vacuumed out of the vein and into the catheter, nonsurgically clearing away the deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Blood flow is restored throughout the leg, resolving symptoms."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070320104212.htm
Policy/Research
A Learning Guide to Public Involvement in Canada - by Mary Pat MacKinnon, Sonia Pitre, Judy Watling (CPRN). "CPRN has created a new tool for anyone starting from scratch to develop a public involvement project. A Learning Guide to Public Involvement in Canada was designed to be a self-managed reference tool with Web links to most of the sources cited. The guide offers an overview of the theory of public involvement and includes some practical examples. It includes a glossary, some insight into the latest trends and instruction on how to apply public involvement methods to a specific purpose."
http://www.cprn.org/en/doc.cfm?doc=1622
A Portrait of Seniors in Canada - (Statistics Canada). "This report depicts the demographic characteristics, health and wellness, living arrangements, social networks and social participation, security from crime and victimization, work patterns and related activities, income and expenditures, and lifestyles of the population aged 65 and over. It examines many of these issues, where data allow, in terms of different age groups within the senior population, for example those aged 65 to 74 and those aged 85 and over. Information are also presented for individuals in the 55 to 64 age range." (This 307 page report is available in html and pdf).
http://www.statcan.ca/bsolc/english/bsolc?catno=89-519-XWE#formatdisp
Child poverty and disability (Britain) - (Policy Hub). "On 19 March 2007, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) published a report (Disability 2020: opportunities for the full and equal citizenship of disabled people in Britain in 2020) which finds that there is a 'two-way relationship' between poverty and disability among Britain's children. The most recently available data show that 29 per cent of households with one or more disabled children lived in poverty, compared with 21 per cent of households with no disabled children. The report predicts that by 2020, a majority of people in their 50s will be disabled or self-report long term health problems (up to 58 per cent in 2020 compared with 43 per cent in 2004)."
http://www.policyhub.gov.uk/news_item/child_poverty_disabled07.asp
http://www.ippr.org/publicationsandreports/publication.asp?id=531 (irpp Report)
Multidisciplinary Research Network on Health and Disability in Europe - "The research program CHILD (Children Health Intervention Learning and Development), in the profile "Health and Learning", of the School of Education and Communication (HLK) and the School of Health Sciences (HJ) at Jönköping University, Sweden, is part of a new European Sixth Framework Programme aimed at changing the approach to disability and promoting a new model to develop health and social policies in Europe. MURINET will form a European pool of experts in health and disability research and management that will be able to combine several multidisciplinary skills within the framework of the ICF model (WHO's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health). The Kick-off meeting of MURINET took place in Milan, Italy on 28th February 2007."
http://www.uni-protokolle.de/nachrichten/id/133640/
Social Security Programs Throughout the World: Asia and the Pacific, 2006 - "These reports, which provide a cross-national comparison of the social security systems in more than 170 countries, summarize the five main social insurance programs in those countries: old-age, disability, and survivors; sickness and maternity; work injury; unemployment; and family allowances. They are published in four regional volumes (Europe, Asia and the Pacific, Africa, and the Americas), one every 6 months. Together, the reports provide important information for researchers and policymakers who are reviewing different ways of approaching social security challenges and adapting the systems to the evolving needs of individuals, households, and families."
http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2006-2007/asia/index.html
Self Help
AT Dementia website - "This website aims to provide user-friendly information about assistive technology for people with dementia. We hope this site will inform both professionals and the wider public about the kinds of devices that can help support people with dementia and their carers, and will point people in the right direction for further information and advice. The site includes a product database of assistive technology devices, and information on many of the issues that relate to obtaining and using assistive technology with people with dementia."
http://www.atdementia.org.uk/default.asp
Technology
ATIA Triumph Stories - "ATIA [Assistive Technology Industry Association] is charged by its members with raising public awareness about assistive technology and has commissioned a series of stories from individuals whose lives have been changed with assistive technology. The ATIA Triumph Stories demonstrate how assistive technology helps individuals with disabilities learn, work and live independent and successful lives. These stories serve to inspire others with disabilities and further the use of assistive technologies, inform policy makers of the real every-day value of assistive technology, and help make more people aware of the world of assistive technology."
http://www.atia.org/triumph_stories/
Brain-fed switch a world first - by Tracy Ong (The Australian). "An Australian-developed technology promises to give a degree of independence back to the severely paralysed by allowing them to control equipment using electrical impulses. The latest generation of the NeuroSwitch device is much smaller than predecessors, and uses a simple computer program that detects electrical impulses generated when the brain controls a muscle. It can be connected to almost any assistive technology. Nicholas McLoughlin, 50, a former police officer who was diagnosed with the nerve-wasting motor neurone disease in 2002, is believed to be the first person in the world to be fitted with the new device outside trials. Three stick-on sensors attached to his forearm pick up electrical signals, even though he only has slight movement remaining in his left ring finger. Apart from allowing him to operate his wheelchair, he can use the switch to do things he has had to rely on wife Naomi to do, such as tipping his chair back to prevent pressure sores, or stretching his legs."
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21433966-23289,00.html
iDAPTing to disability - by Mathura Thevarajah (The McGill Daily). "Technology has infiltrated the health field and now profoundly impacts the way in which medicine is practiced. New technological advances, together with diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation, can promote and prolong a high quality of life. That's why we need a groundbreaking research centre like iDAPT. iDAPT, the Centre for Intelligent Design for Adaptation, Participation, and Technology, will create new knowledge, treatments, and technologies to improve and enhance the lives of the elderly and those living with disabilities or injuries. It is a one-of-a-kind, $36-million facility located in downtown Toronto. In addition to research, the centre will be involved in rapid prototyping, making sure that the technologies transcend theory and become accessible and functional to those who need them."
http://www.mcgilldaily.com/view.php?aid=6005
Jay Martin: Harnessing technology to help people with disabilities - (University of Wisconsin-Madison). Like most people, mechanical engineering professor Jay Martin never really understood the challenges of living with a severe physical disability until his teenaged son, Liam, was paralyzed in a diving accident in 1999. . . . Desperate for solutions, he began to devise his own. 'I kept noticing all of these things that could be so rapidly improved through the use of engineering and design,' says Martin. . . . Martin couldn't know it then, but those private musings would become the foundation for a new research center at UW–Madison. Established in 2002, the Center for Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology (UW-CREATe) takes an engineer's approach to improving the lives of people with disabilities, the elderly and others struggling with physical ailments."
http://www.wisconsinidea.wisc.edu/profiles/Martin/
MIT Media Lab - h2.0 New Minds, New Bodies, New Identities - "The story of civilization is the story of humans and their tools. Use of tools has changed the human mind, altered the human body, and fundamentally reshaped human identity. Now at the dawn of the 21st century, a new category of tools and machines is poised to radically change humanity at a velocity well beyond the pace of Darwinian evolution. A science is emerging that combines a new understanding of how humans work to usher in a new generation of machines that mimic or aid human physical and mental capabilities. Some 150 million of us are over the age of 80, while 200 million of us suffer from severe cognitive, emotional, sensory, or physical disabilities. Giving all or even most of this population a quality of life beyond mere survival is both the scientific challenge of the epoch and the basis for a coming revolution over what it means to be human. To unleash this next stage in human development, our bodies will change, our minds will change, and our identities will change. The age of Human 2.0 is here."
http://h20.media.mit.edu/about.html
New computer software set to transform lives of deaf and hard of hearing people - (Yourable.com). "RNID the charity for deaf and hard of hearing people, has developed state of the art computer software called TalkByText, which allows individuals and businesses to communicate in real-time text, replacing the need for the traditional 'minicom'. Many deaf and hard of hearing people find it difficult to use a voice-phone and prefer to use a textphone to make calls. However, traditional textphones are expensive, old fashioned analog devices, which do not work well in modern corporate networks. In contrast, TalkbyText is a software only solution that can be installed on PC's, allowing businesses to communicate effectively with textphone users without the need for any additional, costly equipment. Unlike existing instant messaging systems, TalkByText enables people to make and receive real-time, character-by-character text calls using their PCs."
http://www.youreable.com/TwoShare/getPage/01News/01Current/Mar07/rnid
New tool makes accessible PDF viewing a breeze - by Dan Shea (Planet PDF)."In other news, Premier Assistive Technology has teamed with the University System of Georgia's Alternative Media Access Center to build a tool that improves the accessibility of alternative media documents without requiring a time-consuming file conversion process. PDF Equalizer allows users to access such documents directly in the native PDF form from the publisher. For users reading the documents, the product includes in-built features for managing notes and bookmarks and can be used to convert sections of publications into audio formats, translate text into other languages on-the-fly or organize text into logical reading order. More information on the product can be found on its page on the vendor's Web site."
http://www.planetpdf.com/enterprise/article.asp?ContentID=This_week_in_PDF_-_New_tool_makes_accessible_PDF_viewing_a_breeze&gid=7467
http://www.readingmadeez.com/PDFEqualizer.php (PDF Equalizer site)
Significant Breakthrough for Blind Students - "Freedom Scientific today announced that its PAC Mate accessible Pocket PC can now play AudioPlus books from Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D), further establishing its position as the notetaker of choice for blind students. FSReader 1.1, the latest version of Freedom Scientific's DAISY player for PAC Mate, allows users in the United States to benefit from the wealth of audio material available from RFB&D. RFB&D says that the new User Authorization Key (UAK) will be available for purchase in late April."
http://www.freedomsci.com/fs_news/PressRoom/en/2007/FSReader-for-PACMate-and-RFBD-3-21-07.asp
Travel
Access Africa - "Overland adventure is a rapidly growing choice for travellers who want to immerse themselves in the real destination rather than simply hit the tourist spots; but it's still rare to see mainstream companies actively devising tours for the physically and visually challenged. Acacia Adventure Holidays is one tour operator balancing the equation with Access Africa, a portfolio of adventures, which incorporate off the beaten track places and rich experiences in Southern Africa. The current portfolio covers Namibia, Botswana and South Africa with custom made safaris delving into the continents pristine wilderness areas ¬ the Kalahari, Okavango Delta, and Etosha National Park, to name but a few. Acacia also comes fully prepared with a range of equipment ensuring safety and peace of mind for adventurers."
http://www.youreable.com/TwoShare/getPage/01News/01Current/Mar07/access%20africa
Accessible Portugal - "Accessible Portugal online magazine is a monthly publication about holidays and tourism for disabled people. Because a wheelchair is not incompatible with holidays, because disabled people deserve to have equal opportunities; we pretend to show you some possible tours and vacations. Here, you can seize new opportunities and know a little bit more about our country at the same time. We hope that you enjoy our magazine."
http://www.accessibleportugal.com/revista/2007/March/home.html
Conferences
(New Conferences)
Canadian
Vocational Outcomes in Traumatic Brain Injury - May 24-26, 2007 | Vancouver, British Columbia. "This second biennial international gathering focuses specifically on vocational outcomes in traumatic brain injury. Presentations will cover the range of impairment from mild to severe by a group of world renowned speakers."
http://www.tbicvancouver.com/
15th Annual David Berman Memorial Concurrent Disorders Conference - May 28-30, 2007 | Vancouver, British Columbia. " This conference is designed to provide clinicians/delegates with advanced training in concurrent disorders, including in-depth exploration of integrated treatment."
http://www.interprofessional.ubc.ca/15th_David_Berman.htm
2007 RehabNet Conference - June 14-15, 2007 | Toronto, Ontario. "In Canada, there has been an increased recognition of the importance of accountability in respect to quality of patient care and patient safety in the healthcare system. However, most of the attention has been on developing methods and standards for acute care facilities and very little has been published about patient safety initiatives in rehabilitation settings. Necessary risk-taking is another important consideration as one re-integrates into their environment with a new disability. This is particularly evident for children and adolescents with physical impairments as they grow into independent adults. The 2007 RehabNet Conference is a two-day event recognizing the unique challenges around patient safety and the ethical dimensions of balancing safety measures and necessary risk-taking in rehabilitation. In relation to this year's theme 'Achieving Patient Safety, Respecting Patients' Choices', the conference will provide an opportunity for clinicians, administrators, academics and policy makers to share experiences, research and best practices on the current trends and future directions of rehabilitation."
http://www.torontorehab.com/education/rehabnet/Conference.htm
Festival of International Conferences on Disability, Aging and Technology - June 16-19, 2007 | Toronto, Ontario. "The Festival of International Conferences on Caregiving, Disability, Aging and Technology (FICCDAT) will bring together five important and different conferences all focused on enhancing the lives of seniors, persons with disabilities and their family caregivers."
Growing Older with a Disability
The 2nd International Conference on Technology and Aging (ICTA)
Advances in Neurorehabilitation
Caregivers: Essential Partners in Care
Improving Medical Device Usability (CMBES)"
http://www.ficdat.ca/
TRANSED 2007 - 11th International Conference on Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Disabled Persons - June 18-21, 2007 | Montreal, Quebec. "Canada is proud to host the 11th International Conference on Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Disabled Persons (TRANSED), to be held June 18-21, 2007, at the Palais des Congrès in Montréal under the theme 'Benchmarking, Evaluation and Vision for the Future'. The conference will review advances in research, evoke international break throughs and explore perspectives for technological innovations in order to respond to the mobility challenges of an aging population and of persons with disabilities, as part of an inclusive society."
http://www.tc.gc.ca/pol/en/Transed2007/home.htm
The 12th World Congress of the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics - Moving Beyond Disability - July 29-August 3, 2007 | Vancouver, British Columbia. "Welcome to the web page for the ISPO 2007 World Congress. The ISPO World Congress is the premiere global event for multidisciplinary prosthetic and orthotic care. The ISPO Canada National Society is pleased to welcome you to Vancouver to enjoy the scientific sessions, workshops and symposia, expansive trade exhibits, and active social programs."
http://www.ispo.ca/congress/
Mobility Cup 2007 - August 28-September 1, 2007 | Halifax, Nova Scotia. - "An international regatta for people with significant physical disabilities will sail into Halifax in 2007. The Mobility Cup regatta is North America's flagship for sailors with physical disabilities. The event was first hosted in 1991 and has been growing ever since as it travelled across Canada - but this will be its first appearance in Atlantic Canada. Mobility Cup 2007 will be run by Sail Able Nova Scotia and hosted at the Dartmouth Yacht Club. It will run from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1, to include one day's training and four of racing. Sailing will be on the Bedford Basin, a sheltered body of water two miles wide and five miles long - where the WWII Atlantic convoys would gather."
http://v1.dpi.org/lang-en/events/details?page=803
Open Forum on: "Supporting Human Diversity Through Inclusive Design – The Role of Standards" - September 13-14, 2007 | Toronto, Ontario. "The overall goal of the forum is to advance the inclusive design of emerging and future educational systems, by:
- identifying and addressing the challenges to inclusion,
- harnessing the potential benefits of emerging technologies and systems to address the needs of individuals with alternative access requirements,
- infusing inclusive design into the foundation architectures of emerging technologies so that inclusion will be a foundational characteristic of future developments, and by
- developing inclusive practices in computer mediated education that are innovative and sustainable;
such that no one is excluded from optimizing their potential through learning."
http://www.utoronto.ca/atrc/openforum.html
U.S.
United Cerebral Palsy 2007 Annual Conference: No Limits, Just Life - April 12-14, 2007 | Orlando, Florida. "This year's conference will unveil the Big Sky Project, and examine innovations in service delivery models, full integration for people with disabilities, future leadership practices, funding opportunities, and the forces that are likely to have major impacts on individuals with disabilities over the next decade."
www.ucp.org/ucp_general.cfm/1/12438
Family Voices 2007 National Conference - May 23-26, 2007 | Washington, D.C. "Family Voices invites you to join veteran and emerging family/youth leaders from around the country focusing on children and youth with special health care needs. Gain new information about critical topics such as: Medicaid policy; health information technology; family-centered care; cultural competence to improve care and systems; quality assurance; Bright Futures/wellness; transition; evidence-based outcomes, and more."
www.familyvoices.org
Postsecondary Disability Training Institute - June 12-16, 2007 | Saratoga Springs, New York. "Sponsored by the University of Connecticut Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability. This Training Institute will assist concerned professionals to meet the unique needs of college students with disabilities. Participants can select from a variety of strands and single sessions taught by experts in the field. Attendees will have opportunities to share information and to network with each other at various activities throughout the week."
www.cped.uconn.edu/07pti.htm
RESNA 2007 - June 15-19, 2007 | Phoenix, Arizona. "RESNA 2007 will feature assistive technology's leading researchers, renowned clinicians and policy experts creating a conference program with unmatched levels of knowledge and expertise. RESNA presenters and attendees will experience a surprisingly intimate conference environment where:
- information is contemporary and innovative
- uncommon questions find in-depth answers
- sharing knowledge, ideas, and experiences is easy, and
- new connections last a lifetime.
RESNA 2007 will offer an exciting Exhibit Hall featuring product demonstrations and training sessions, two days of Pre-Conference Instructional Courses, and 3 full-days of Workshops, Interactive Poster Sessions, Themed Paper Sessions and distinguished speakers."
http://www.resna.org/Conference/Conference.php
Autreat 2007 - June 25-29, 2007 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. "Autreat is a retreat-style conference run by Autism Network International, for autistic people and our families, professionals, friends and supporters. We are accepting proposals for workshops to be presented at Autreat 2007, to be held Monday-Friday, June 25-29, 2007, in metropolitan Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."
http://v1.dpi.org/lang-en/events/details?page=841
American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) 20th Biennial Convention - June 28-July 2, 2007 | St. Augustine, Florida. "The ASDC biennial conference gives parents the opportunity to attend educational workshops, discover resources, and to network. ASDC is a national nonprofit organization to empower parents of deaf and hard of hearing children through the highest quality services and programs."
www.deafchildren.org/convention.aspx
18th Annual APSE Conference, Employment for All - Show Me The Future - It 's Bigger Than You Think - July 16-18, 2007 | Kansas City, Missouri. "APSE: The Network on Employment is known for hosting the most informative and stimulating conferences on disability and employment in the country. It is the only national annual meeting that focuses exclusively on cutting edge employment practices for individuals with more challenging disabilities."
http://www.apse.org/documents/confbroFINAL.pdf
AHEAD conference 2007 - July 17-21, 2007 | Charlotte, North Carolina. "The annual international AHEAD conference brings together professionals in the fields of higher education and disability for a week of information-sharing, networking and theoretical and practical training."
http://www.ahead.org/training/conference/2007_conf/AHEAD_2007_Conference.htm
National Federation of the Blind Youth Slam - A 2007 STEM Leadership Academy - July 30-August 4, 2007 | Baltimore, Maryland. "The largest gathering of blind youth ever. This four-day academy will engage and inspire the next generation of blind youth to consider careers falsely believed to be impossible for blind people to enter. While staying at Johns Hopkins University, youth will be mentored by blind role models during fun, challenging, and inspiring activities meant to stretch the imagination, build confidence, and increase science literacy. Activities will take place with support from partners such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering, and other institutions and corporations working in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The NFB Youth Slam will culminate in an inspiring rally at Baltimore's Inner Harbor and a celebration at the center of innovation in the field of blindness—the NFB Jernigan Institute."
http://www.blindscience.org/ncbys/Youth_Slam.asp?SnID=1479761418
Pittsburgh Employment Conference for Augmented Communicators (PEC) - August 3-5, 2007 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "SHOUT, a 501( c )3 nonprofit corporation, has as its mission advocacy for employment of people who rely on augmentative communication. As part of its mission, SHOUT has hosted eight, three-day Pittsburgh Employment Conferences for Augmented Communicators (PEC@) in the past 10 years. With hundreds of attendees
drawn from four continents, PEC@ is the only conference in the world focused on employment outcomes for people who use augmentative communication."
http://www.sciconics.com/shout/index.html
Job Accommodation Network Conference 2007 - Empowering Employers to Build an Inclusive Workforce - August 6-7, 2007 | Arlington, Virginia. "Acquire knowledge and skills to accommodate employees with disabilities, comply with the ADA, and develop innovative employment practices. JAN staff and other experts will answer questions such as:
- How does an employer recruit, hire, retain, promote, and accommodate employees with disabilities?
- What strategies have employers implemented to facilitate successful and cost-effective accommodations?
- What do laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) say about employing individuals with disabilities?"
http://conference.jan.wvu.edu/
2007 Southwest Conference - October 3-5, 2007 | Albuquerque, New Mexico. "The 2007 Southwest Conference on Disability will be held October 3-5, 2007 at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Conference organizers are excited to announce that the 2007 conference will be held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the National Association on State Units on Aging."
http://cdd.unm.edu/swconf/
Ninth International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility - October 14-17, 2007 | Tempe, Arizona. "This year, the ASSETS conference will host the second annual SIGACCESS student research competition (sponsored by Microsoft Research). This is an exciting opportunity for students to participate in an ACM conference and get visibility for their research. Students wishing to participate submit abstracts of their work, and up to 25 entrants will be selected for the competition. Qualifying research must deal with issues related to computing and information technology to help persons with disabilities. Selected students will receive partial support from ACM to attend the conference. At the conference, entrants will display a poster and make a brief presentation to a panel of judges. A small number of semifinalists will be chosen by the judges to present their work in a conference session, and of those up to three undergraduate and three graduate students will be designated finalists by the judges, and entered in the Grand Finals of ACM's Student Research Competition."
http://www.acm.org/sigaccess/assets07/
Overseas
The First International Conference on Information and Communication Technology and Accessibility - April 12-14, 2007 | Hammamet, Tunisia. "The World Health Organization estimates that between 750 million and 1 billion of the world's 6 billion people have a speech, vision, mobility, hearing or cognitive impairment. Given the broad implications that accessibility has on society in general, and the global importance of IT and accessibility, a common understanding and knowledge is a necessity. Without global standards and a harmonized approach to procuring information technology, different technical standards can be adopted. by organizing this conference in Tunisia, the host of the World Summit of the Information Society 2005, the research Unit UTIC, very active in this field, and the cooperating partners would like to draw the attention of the different implied communities on the importance of Accessibility."
http://www.esstt.rnu.tn/utic/tica2007/call_paper.htm
International Convention for Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology (i-CREATe 2007) - April 23-26, 2007 | Singapore. "Rehabilitation engineering is the systematic application of scientific and engineering principles to address the needs of persons with disabilities. Rehabilitation engineering professionals play a vital role in the removal of barriers to employability and independent living opportunities among this population. Through the use of assistive technology, the employability, education, communication, daily functioning, and recreational activities of persons with disabilities are all enhanced."
http://www.i-create2007.org/
14th Deafblind International (Dbl) World Conference - September 25-30, 2007 | Perth, Australia. "The 14th Deafblind International World Conference will be held in Perth at the Burswood Entertainment Complex, from Tuesday 25th to Sunday 30th September 2007 inclusive. Exciting international and national speakers will form part of the Conference program based around the Conference theme. An estimated 1000 delegates will attend the Conference from the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe and from Asia and the countries of the Pacific. Registrants will be International, national and local health and disability professionals and service providers; World recognised experts in deafblindness; Representatives from the international blind and deafblind communities."
http://www.dbiconference2007.asn.au/
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