SMD - Society for Manitobans With Disabilities

Accessibility

Apple must improve its UI, disability expert warns - by Jonny Evans (Macworld). "Apple may design the best products in the world, but they don't meet the needs of people with disabilities, a leading disability consultant will warn in February. Anthony Tusler, former coordinator of the technology policy division at the World Institute on Disability will launch a partnership with the US Academy of Art University on February 21. He wants industrial designers to use universal design concepts created to make life easier for people with disabilities. He accuses Apple of not pointing enough innovation at making its products usable by such folk: 'A company like Apple, for example, puts little of its trademark flair and ingenuity into accessiblity issues,' he says."
http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=13627&Page=1&pagePos=1

Custom Wheelchairs: The Trend from Functionality to Individuality - "Wheelchairs have been around for hundreds of years, but early wheelchairs were intended only to help a disabled individual move from point A to point B. As society progressed and disabled individuals became more integrated, the role of the wheelchair began to change as well. Wheelchairs are now considered not only a means of transportation but also as a way to allow users to express their individuality. Users can find custom-made high quality ultra-light high-performance wheelchairs as well as accessories that enable them to individualize their look and style. The move from functionality to individuality is discussed."
http://i-newswire.com/pr55113.html

The Elaine Anne Lift: A Father's Invention - by Alan F. Troop (New Mobility). "In 1983, Cliff Wolfe was perfectly happy with his work as a road construction consultant. He'd never given a thought to the problems that drivers with disabilities faced or the small range of mobility options available to them. But when his daughter Elaine Anne -- recently graduated from high school -- broke her neck in the shallow end of a swimming pool that summer, and her life began to change, so did Cliff's. Though he never intended to go into manufacturing, let alone into the mobility business, Wolfe, unavoidably affected by the accident that left his daughter a C7 quadriplegic, set about inventing both the Elaine Anne lift -- the only lift of its kind -- as well as the SUV adaptation to accommodate it."
http://newmobility.com/review_article.cfm?id=1096&action=browse

International Wheelchair Standards Organizing Committee Formed - by Marc Krizack (Disability World). "Whirlwind Wheelchair International and its two main international partners, The Center for International Rehabilitation of Chicago and Motivation of England, have formed an organizing committee to promote appropriate standards for products, services, and training in the provision of wheelchairs in developing countries."
http://www.disabilityworld.org/12-01_06/wheelchairstandards.shtml

Advocacy

And The War Is On! - by HolLynn D'Lil (Ragged Edge). "Disability civil rights activists in California staged a Sacramento street-theater protest as their first response to a proposed November 2006 ballot initiative that they say will destroy the ability to enforce California civil rights laws protecting the architectural accessibility rights of disabled Californians. Sponsored by the California Building Industry Association (CBIA) and the California Restaurant Association, the proposed initiative, misleadingly labeled 'The Opportunity To Repair Act of 2006.' was submitted to the California Attorney General in late December."
http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/departments/closerlook/000771.html

New pro-euthanasia group name row - "Britain's leading euthanasia campaign group has changed its name to Dignity in Dying, sparking protests from experts in palliative care. The Voluntary Euthanasia Society hopes the name change will aid campaigning on all end of life medical treatment. But the Association of Palliative Medicine accuses the organisation of trying to suggest dignity in terminal illness can only be won by euthanasia. It has written to Trade and Industry Secretary to oppose the change."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4638766.stm

Exit strategy - "She is the brains behind the bill to legalise doctor-assisted death in England and Wales, insisting that the most vulnerable people will be better protected. Alison Benjamin talks to the chief executive of Dignity in Dying."
http://society.guardian.co.uk/health/story/0,,1693767,00.html

'Little Acts of Degradation': Ragged Edge Online launches Project Cleigh - by Cal Montgomery (Ragged Edge). "Dear Ragged Edge Reader: I'm writing to ask you for help with my New Year's resolution this year. I'm hoping that you will write me with your stories about those little acts of degradation to which other people subject us. Those little reminders to us that we need to know our place in the world, and any ways you have come up with to respond to them. I don't know for sure yet what I'm going to do with them. Well, I'll write, of course, and report back. But I'm not sure yet what form that writing will take. I only know that I need to write about the phenomenon of the many indignities we are subjected to when we go out our front doors or let the world -- through TV, radio, internet, newspapers, magazines, books, and so on -- come in. I've only got a clear sense of urgency and a clear sense of inspiration. I'm building from a conversation with Mary Johnson, and I'm calling this one Project Cleigh after Carol Cleigh, one of the strongest activists I know."
http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/departments/closerlook/000713.html

Employment

2006-2007 CNIB Young Professionals International Program - "The CNIB Young Professionals International (YPI) program gives Canadian youth the chance to apply their education and work overseas for a paid six-month, career-related internship that promotes Canadian culture and values and contributes to our development agenda. This year, CNIB/Blindness International has applied to both Foreign Affairs Canada and to CIDA (The Canadian International Development Agency) for support of this program. If funding is approved, we will place participants in national and regional organizations around the world."
http://www.workink.com/display.asp?Page_ID=9&News_ID=102

DMConnection.com - "The intent of this site is to provide a one-stop resource for job seekers and employers interested in the disability management (DM) and rehabilitation sector. DMConnection is sponsored through the financial support of the National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR) and the Government of Canada (Human Resources and Skills Development Canada). It is our vision to become the premier place of connection for people in the disability management and rehabilitation career fields in Canada - matching DM practitioners with leading-edge employers, rehabilitation specialists with employment opportunities, suppliers of services and products with targeted customers, and current and relevant information with those who need to stay on top of what is happening in these developing career fields."
http://www.dmconnection.com/

'My mental illness puts bosses off' - "The government is unveiling plans to get thousands of people - including many with mental illnesses - off incapacity benefit and into work. Ministers hope the changes will improve lives as well as save money, but how easy will it be for mentally ill people to find work? Bruce Murray says he would love to get a job but has been unable to get off incapacity benefit because of the mental illness he has suffered from for more than 20 years."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4641222.stm

Vertical Mentoring Workshop for Students who are Blind - Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics - "DO-IT, as part of our AccessSTEM project, is a partner in a worthwhile effort to encourage the participation of individuals who are blind to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It is directed by Dr. Richard Ladner, Boeing Professor in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington. The Vertical Mentoring Workshop for Students who are Blind in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) will be held July 26-28, 2006 at the University of Washington, Seattle. Further information can be found on the website at http://www.cs.washington.edu/vmwb/."
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Newsflash/nf.12.19.05.html

Ethics

Clinic assists doctor's suicide - "A retired doctor has taken her own life with the help of doctors at a controversial Swiss clinic. Dr Anne Turner, from Bath, had a progressive and incurable degenerative disease called supranuclear palsy. She travelled to the Dignitas clinic in Zurich on Tuesday, where doctors gave her drugs with which to end her life. Dr Turner, 66, who invited the BBC to travel with her to Switzerland, could only walk with a stick and faced a future in a wheelchair."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4625538.stm

Epilepsy doctor allowed to work - "A doctor who wrongly diagnosed hundreds of children with epilepsy has been told he can continue to practise medicine. Over a 10-year period, Dr Andrew Holton misdiagnosed more than 600 children at the Leicester Royal Infirmary. The General Medical Council described his performance as 'seriously deficient', but ruled he could still practise, subject to conditions."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/4652652.stm

The parents who kill and are spared jail - "In December, Andrew Wragg . . . a former member of the SAS, walked free from court despite pleading guilty to the manslaughter of his severely disabled son Jacob. Jacob, who had Hunter's syndrome, was a 'spirited, happy and unique' ten-year-old, who lived with his family in Worthing, West Sussex. His father smothered him to death in March 2004. Wragg, who had been cleared by a jury of murder, received a two-year prison sentence for manslaughter, suspended for two years. A month before, Wendolyn Markcrow also walked free from court after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of her disabled son Patrick at their Buckinghamshire home. The court heard how Markcrow had used painkillers to tranquillise Patrick, who was 36, and then suffocated him with a plastic bag. She claimed her local authority had refused numerous requests to help her care for her son. She received the same sentence as Wragg - two years in prison, also suspended for two years."
http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/news/newsfoc_feb_2006.htm

The choice no parent ever wants to make - "Each year 1,800 pregnancies are terminated due to abnormalities but it is rarely discussed. Vivienne Parry talks to men and women who have faced this agonising decision."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1694855,00.html

General Interest

One eye on China: Back in the People's Republic - by Stephen Hallett (BBC). "Stephen Hallett has spent much of his adult life in China, where he now works as the China Project Director for the BBC World Service Trust. In a series of six articles for Ouch, each month he'll be offering his viewpoint on disability and life for disabled people in the world's most populous country."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/closeup/china/260106.shtml

Christopher Reeve Foundation Quality of Life Grants - "The Christopher Reeve Foundation provides Quality of Life Grants to organizations nationwide that help improve opportunities, access and day-to-day quality of life for individuals living with disabilities, primarily paralysis, and their families. Grants supporting the needs of persons living with spinal cord injuries, their families and caregivers are available in the following thirteen categories: accessibility, advocacy, arts, assistive technology, children, counseling, education, employment, health promotion, independent living, practical service, sports and recreation, and therapeutic riding."
http://communitydispatch.com/artman/publish/article_3334.shtml

CSD and Augustana College Collaborate for Sign Language Interpreter Program - "A new sign language interpreting program — a bachelor of arts degree — will become available at Augustana College beginning with the fall 2006-07 semester. Augustana College and CSD, a deaf and hard of hearing service provider, have entered into a four-year partnership in which both parties will share costs involved in the implementation of the new degree. Previously, the only interpreter training program (ITP) available in Sioux Falls was at Southeast Vocational Technical College. While that two-year program is being phased out, Augustana College is now making an ITP available as a four-year degree. This is a significant difference, as the industry continues to move towards interpreters holding bachelor's degrees, where in the past a two-year degree was sufficient."
http://www.c-s-d.org/default.aspx?tabid=284

Donner Awards Now Accepting Applications from Outstanding Non-profit Organizations: $70,000 in Annual Awards Promote Excellence in the Sector - (The Fraser Institute). "Applications are now being accepted for the 9th Annual Donner Canadian Foundation Awards for Excellence in the Delivery of Social Services (Donner Awards). The Donner Awards are Canada's largest non-profit recognition program. Administered by The Fraser Institute on behalf of the Donner Canadian Foundation, the Donner Awards were established in 1998 to recognize and encourage best practices in non-profit management and to increase public confidence and support for Canada's non-profit sector."
http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/shared/readmore.asp?sNav=nr&id=707

Of Cups and Cures - (New Mobility). "Long ago and far away I raised many a cup to welcome in the new year. But I wasn't so much celebrating the new year as I was trying to drown out the old one. For me the cup seemed half empty. I was not a happy camper. My dark period began when I regained consciousness after the plane crash that paralyzed me at the age of 20 and brightened -- ironically -- when I finally admitted to myself, at 26, that I was powerless to do anything about it. Nothing I could do or say would change the fact that I would be paralyzed for life. Although this kind of resignation is seen by some as giving in or giving up, it freed me to accept who I was and begin making the best of the life I had. That change of mind began to open doors and spawn new dreams. When you think about it, it's perfectly logical. You can't dream new dreams until you let go of the old ones."
http://newmobility.com/review_article.cfm?id=1098&action=browse

Military Sports Programming Key Element at BlazeSports America National Disability Sports Conference - (U.S. Newswire). "The 2006 National Disability Sport Conference will include a track on using sports in the rehabilitation of the more than 13,000 American soldiers who received a permanent disability in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Hosted by BlazeSports America, the fifth annual National Disability Sports Conference (NDSC) will be held March 10-13, 2006 at the University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia. U.S. Disabled Athletes Fund president Andrew Fleming remarks, 'Sport is a crucial element in the rehabilitation process. As these men and women return home we want them to have the opportunity to pursue sport in their communities. NDSC will educate community recreation leaders on how to bring sport to this new part of their communities.' Session topics include Integrating Disabled Sports into Local VA Hospitals, The US Olympic Committee Military Program and roundtable discussions on Successful Military Sports Program Development and Acquiring Adapted Sports Equipment."
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=58715

The Paul G. Hearne Award for Disability Rights - (Disabled People's International). "The American Bar Association Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law is pleased to announce that nominations for the sixth annual Paul G. Hearne Award for Disability Rights are now being accepted. Each year, an award is presented to an individual or an organization that has performed exemplary service in furthering the rights, dignity, and access to justice for people with disabilities."
http://v1.dpi.org/lang-en/resources/details.php?page=466

Shea's Story - by Peter Ewart (Women's Health Network). "Shea's Story' is a four-part series, written by Peter Ewart, on the struggles facing Shea Ankner, a single mother who is blind and who is raising two young children in the VLA neighborhood of Prince George, BC. Last year, Shea was cut off the small amount of money she was receiving to pay for a home support worker. The series depicts the effects that this cut has had on Shea's life, as well as discusses the issues facing disabled people every day in British Columbia in the face of a top-down, seemingly mindless government bureaucracy." (story is about a third of the way down)
Part 1–A Long Struggle
Part 2–Raising Children You Can't See
Part 3–Stonewalled
Part 4–Challenging the Bureaucracy
http://www.cwhn.ca/hot/news/default.html

Wheelchair Curling Makes its Paralympic Debut in Torino - (CanPara). "Curling is a game of great skill and strategy. The first World Cup in curling for wheelchair players was held in January 2000 in Sursee, Switzerland. Wheelchair curling will have its debut at the Torino 2006 Paralympic Games. The sport is generally open to individuals who are non-ambulant or can only walk short distances. This includes athletes with significant impairments in lower leg/gait function (i.e., spinal injury, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, double leg amputation etc) who usually require a wheelchair for daily mobility. Each team must be comprised of mixed gender players."
http://www.canparaplegic.org/national/level2.tpl?var1=story&var2=20060131122232

Government

Plan to cut disability roll unveiled - (UPI). "Britain's government released a package of carrots and sticks Tuesday aimed at getting more than 1 million people off government support. The centerpiece of the plan is an effort to change disability benefits to an 'employment and support' allowance by 2008, putting at least 1 million people back to work, the Times of London reported. The number of people collecting disability has almost quadrupled since 1979 from 760,000 to 2.7 million. Under the plan, those on disability will be reassessed to determine if there is some job they can do. For example, the blind will no longer automatically be considered unable to work. Everyone collecting benefits, except for those deemed completely disabled, will be required to engage in job interviews, training and work-related activities or face a cut in benefits. The program unveiled by Work and Pensions Secretary John Hutton includes requiring single parents whose children are at least 11 to make more efforts to find work and provides special training and benefits for people over 50 who are unemployed."
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060124-083015-3300r

Canada

Disability group urges pay increase - (The Toronto Star). "Mental health workers and advocates say the province's financial safety net for people who are unable to work because of mental illness is full of holes. The Schizophrenia Society of Ontario and the Ontario Psychiatric Association are calling for a 10 per cent increase to the disability support program in the province's spring budget. The groups say current rates for people with disabilities — including those with severe mental illnesses — are well below the poverty line."
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&pubid=968163964505&cid=1138359320533&col=968705899037&call_page=TS_Ontario&call_pageid=968256289824&call_pagepath=News/Ontario

Pensioners get their meeting - by Arthur Williams (Prince George Free Press). "B.C. NDP employment and income assistance critic Claire Trevena, NDP MLAs Bob Simpson and Michael Sather, local Liberal MLA John Rustad and city councillor Bryan Skakun met with three local disabled people, Tuesday, to discuss issues facing people living on disability pensions in the province. Steven Willment, Theresa-Marie Fornier and Sylvia Pavlink shared their experiences struggling to survive on disability income assistance of $876 a month. 'The average person doesn't realize what it's like to like on that little,' Willment said. 'We need real action.' Willment, who shared his story with the Prince George Free Press in December, called the meeting after publicly challenging Minister of Employment and Income Assistance Claude Richmond to attend. Richmond declined the invitation. Willment said the current income assistance provided leaves disabled people living at half the poverty line."
http://www.pgfreepress.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=26&cat=23&id=579296&more=

Guide to Government of Canada Services for People with Disabilities - "Welcome to the on-line edition of Services for People with Disabilities: Guide to Government of Canada Services for People with Disabilities and their Families."
http://www.pwd-online.ca/pwdcontent.jsp?&lang=en&contentid=28

United States

Statement of Yavonka Archaga, Executive Director, Resources for Independent Living, Baton Rouge, Louisiana - Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Oversight of the House Committee on Ways and Means - "Chairman Ramstad, Ranking Member Lewis, and all other members present, thank you for giving me this opportunity to testify here today on this vital issue. Resources for Independent Living for Independent Living, Inc. (RIL) is a Center for Independent Living, which has been serving the Greater New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas for over 15 years. . . . Once the devastation of Hurricane Katrina became so apparent within days after its landfall, our Center's services were transformed by the overwhelming unmet needs identified by individuals with disabilities. Although the shelters provided housing and food for individuals with disabilities, RIL had to fill in the 'gaps'."
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=view&id=4575

US creates blame-free adverse event reporting - by Patricia Guthrie (CMAJ). "New legislation that allows clinicians to disclose mistakes anonymously is expected to increase reporting of medical errors in the United States. The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 enshrines in federal law what many hospital systems and organizations already have in place, a 'root cause analysis' that scrutinizes critical incidents, reports and shares findings, and makes improvements without pointing fingers at doctors and others. The law also prohibits employers and accrediting organizations from taking action against health care providers who disclose errors, except in cases where the law may have been broken."
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/174/1/19

Health

Feeding Minds - "The Mental Health Foundation launched its food and mental health campaign on Monday 16th January 2006. Research we have done with Sustain shows how the composition of our food has changed due to intensive farming and modern food production techniques. It also shows that eating patterns and the way we prepare our meals has changed. This means that many people now eat a diet which is deficient in certain key nutrients that are essential to healthy brain function. Feeding Minds considers the evidence linking diet to depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimers and ADHD in particular. There is much research still to be done to establish direct links between what we eat and the causes (or treatment) of these diseases, but the evidence that does exist suggests a strong correlation between them."
http://www.youreable.com/TwoShare/getPage/01News/01Current/Jan06/Feeding%20Minds

New Yorkers in grip of diabetes epidemic - by Jamie Wilson and Sarah Boseley (The Guardian). "New York is in the midst of a diabetes epidemic with more than one in eight of the city's population developing the condition, according to a report in the New York Times. The problem, which affects an estimated 800,000 New Yorkers, has become so acute that doctors are warning diabetes could overwhelm the city's health service, leaving schools struggling to cope with more diabetic children and increasing the number of people with disabilities."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1682746,00.html

Pain Clinic Services To Be Expanded - "Wait times for pain management will be reduced through a $5.6-million investment over four years to expand pain treatment services, Health Minister Tim Sale announced today. Currently, the Pain Clinic is housed at the Health Sciences Centre. To reduce the wait for services, a satellite pain clinic will be developed at the Pan Am Clinic to assess and treat less complex cases."
http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/press/top/2006/01/2006-01-11-02.html

Legal

Online Handbook Addresses Criminalization of People with Mental Illnesses - "A new online resource is available for mental health organizations and advocates who want to improve the response to people with mental illnesses who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The Criminal Justice/Mental Health Advocacy Handbook is a how-to guide that walks users through a well-organized series of five steps with concise pages, documented with examples from various states and localities. The first step explains how and why people with mental illnesses are overrepresented in the criminal justice system and summarizes the keys to improving outcomes for them."
http://www.bazelon.org/newsroom/2006/1-12-06-Criminalization-Handbook.html

Chapman v. California Department of Education - "Senate Bill SB 517, sponsored by Senator Gloria Romero, was signed into law today by Governor Schwarzenegger, allowing thousands of students with disabilities in the high school class of 2006 who meet all other graduation requirements to graduate regardless of whether they pass the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). The bill was a collaborative effort in response to a long-standing class action lawsuit on behalf of special education students in California. Disability Rights Advocates, a non-profit law center in Berkeley, filed the underlying class action lawsuit, Chapman v. California Department of Education in Alameda County Superior Court, in 2002, challenging the CAHSEE as an invalid and discriminatory exam as applied to students with disabilities."
http://www.dralegal.org/cases/education_testing/chapman_v_ca.php

Statement on the Supreme Court's Decision in Goodman v. Georgia - "In a narrow decision that leaves many questions unanswered, the Supreme Court has ruled that Congress has the authority to apply the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to state prisons, at least insofar as it reaches conduct that could also be challenged under the Fourteenth Amendment. 'People with disabilities remain concerned about whether the Supreme Court will uphold critical rights under the ADA. Just today, Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH) raised these issues in the confirmation hearing of Samuel Alito, who is nominated to replace Justice O'Connor on the Supreme Court. Justice O'Connor was often the swing vote in disability rights cases. Last year she voted to uphold Congress's power to apply the ADA to state courthouses in Tennessee v. Lane. by contrast, Judge Alito has interpreted Congress' powers to legislate in an extremely narrow way."
http://www.bazelon.org/newsroom/2006/1-10-06-GoodmanStatement.html

United States Attorney Announces Resolution of Lawsuit With National Amusements, Inc. - "United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan today announced the filing of an agreed-upon consent order that resolves a lawsuit with National Amusements, Inc., filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The trial on the civil suit, filed in December 2000 by the United States against the company, was scheduled to begin today. The lawsuit challenged the construction of stadium-style movie theaters that fail to provide persons who use wheelchairs with seating locations and lines of sight comparable to the general public. 'One of the vital missions of the Department of Justice is the enforcement of our Nation's civil rights laws. by requiring that patrons who use wheelchairs have equal access to seats with comparable views to those available to other theater patrons, the Americans with Disabilities Act ensures that people with disabilities can attend and enjoy performances like anyone else,' stated U.S. Attorney Sullivan."
http://www.aapd.com/News/disability/natlamusements.htm

Medical

An Update On Medications Used In The Treatment Of Attention Deficit Disorder - by John Ratey, M.D. (ADD.org). "The use of medication to treat adults with Attention Deficit Disorder is a happy intersection of neuroscience and availability of a drug to fit the supposed problem. To the best of our knowledge the major problem in the attention system in the brain of the person who has the diagnosis of ADHD, or of ADD without the H, is a difference in their dopamine system. Current research shows that there may be as many as 13 different genes that vary from the so-called normal genes that are involved in making up what we call the attention deficits. These genes, which are called alleles as they are alternatives to the most common variety of gene, are mainly involved with the dopamine system. This is reflected in the fact that there is not enough dopamine around to support the system to work in a consistent and predictable manner."
http://www.add.org/articles/updatemed.html

The family business - by Adam Marcus (The Scientist). "Merck owes its victory in a recently concluded Vioxx trial in New Jersey largely to the testimony of J. Michael Gaziano, a Harvard cardiologist who expressed his doubts that Vioxx, and not stress, triggered the 2001 heart attack in Frederick 'Mike' Humeston, who argued otherwise. It turns out that Gaziano's brother, Todd, a prominent constitutional law scholar at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington, DC, has also sat on the defendant's side of a civil courtroom."
http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/18832/

National Trauma Registry: Injury Hospitalizations Highlights Report, 2002-2004 - "This highlights report provides an overview of patients hospitalized due to trauma in all acute care facilities in Canada for the 2002-2004 fiscal years (April 1, 2002 to March 31, 2004). This report is intended to supplement the release of the electronic reporting application for the trauma registry. Trauma e-Reports enables registered users to easily query data, customize tables and figures, and export information. Through the 2005 Injury Hospitalizations Highlights Report and Trauma e-Reports, CIHI hopes to improve access to comprehensive and comparative trauma data and better support the work of Canada's trauma and injury prevention stakeholders."
http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=PG_330_E&cw_topic=330&cw_rel=AR_8_E

Nature Suggests a Promising Strategy for Artificial Bone - " Researchers supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health, report they have harnessed the unique physics of sea water as it freezes to guide the production of what could be a new generation of more biocompatible materials for artificial bone. As published in the January 27 issue of the journal Science, the researchers used this novel technique to produce a thinly layered composite, or hybrid, structure that more closely mimics the natural scaffolding of bone. The scientists said their initial, proof-of-principle scaffolds are desirably ultra lightweight and up to four times stronger than current porous ceramic implant materials."
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jan2006/nidcr-27.htm

UBC / Canadian Blood Services Researcher Invents Device to Boost World Supply, Quality of Blood Platelets - "Cancer and open-heart surgery patients, disaster victims, organ or bone marrow transplant recipients, and others who require life-saving blood platelet transfusions will benefit from equipment invented by a researcher at the University of British Columbia's Centre for Blood Research (CBR). The device has the potential to minimize the loss of donated platelets and effectively increase platelet supply by up to 20 per cent, in Canada alone. The instrument, called a Dynamic Light Scattering Platelet Monitor (DLS-PM), is the first to measure the quality of blood platelets -- a key blood component that is transfused specifically to improve clotting and stop bleeding."
http://publicaffairs.ubc.ca/media/releases/2006/mr-06-011.html

Media Arts

At the movies - by Michael Klein (Deaf Today). "A long-in-the-works film project is finally going before the cameras here, starting this week: Universal Signs, a silent film whose actors use sign language (it's subtitled for the hearing). The film, shot mostly in black-and-white, dramatizes the experience of deaf people by telling the story of a depressed, lonely man (played by Anthony Natale, a deaf actor who was the son in Mr. Holland's Opus). Also in the film are Sabrina Lloyd (Numb3rs, Sports Night) and Lupe Ontiveros (Real Women Have Curves, Desperate Housewives). It's backed by Creative Access, a local group that advocates for quality-of-life issues for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. Producer/writer/director Ann Calamia and producer/director of photography Catherine Miller run Doylestown's HNH Multimedia Productions."
http://www.deaftoday.com/v3/archives/2006/01/at_the_movies.html

Law Student Creates Book on Living with Disability - "Carol Krause is learning to accept life with disability. In the fall of 2005 her book called Between Myself and Them: Stories of Disability and Difference was released. She collected a series of stories from persons with a range of disabilities and viewpoints, and edited them for the book. For the first time, adults in their 20s share their real experiences living with disability. This collection of first-person narratives and dialogues is grouped into sections pertaining to different aspects of the writers' lives, including education and work, family and relationships, health and wellness, self-image and sexual relations and includes photographs of the contributing authors."
http://www.canparaplegic.org/national/level2.tpl?var1=story&var2=20060110100535

Looking for a great disability and development film? "Emmanuel's Gift" comes pretty close - by Barbara Duncan (Disability World). "As a media person, after two or three days of a disability conference replete with plenary sessions, break-out rooms, workshops, and at least 99 tiny-fonted powerpoints with pie-charts and arrows, I always start wondering why more presenters don't use videos to illustrate their ideas. Then, to stay awake, I make little lists of which videos might have made particular presentations more memorable. In conferences about disability in developing countries, this is a more difficult exercise because on this topic there just aren't that many good films or videos out there yet. There are some that sell a particular organization's approach or project, some that give glimpses of what life is like in a particular country, but few that leave the viewer feeling they now understand something about both the complexity of problems facing people with disabilities in poor countries and their possible solutions. "Emmanuel's Gift" does that, and a lot more in, unfortunately, 80 minutes."
http://www.disabilityworld.org/12-01_06/emmanuelsgift.shtml

Middle-aged, blind and now world stars - by Alice O'Keeffe (Guardian). "An album by a middle-aged blind couple from Mali, which was picked by The Observer Music Monthly as one of last year's top 20, has been nominated for two BBC World Music Awards and a Grammy in the US. Described as 'rock from Africa', Dimanche à Bamako, by Amadou and Mariam, is an infectious combination of African and Western influences which has already sold half a million copies worldwide."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/news/story/0,,1681691,00.html

Policy/Research

Ad Hoc Committee Negotiating First-Ever Convention On Rights Of Disabled Persons Opens Three-Week Session - "The United Nations Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities opened its seventh session this morning, as it prepared to commence a second full reading of the draft text. During its three-week session, which is scheduled to conclude on 3 February, the Committee is expected to review the entire draft of the convention, based on the 34-article text proposed by the Committee's Chair (document A/AC.265/2006/1). Among the issues to be discussed are equality and non-discrimination, raising awareness regarding disability, accessibility, right to life, equal recognition before the law, access to justice, liberty and security of the person, liberty of movement, personal mobility, living independently and being included in the community."
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/soc4688.doc.htm

Disabled youth plead for inclusion at UN meeting on disability rights treaty - "Disabled young people from Bangladesh, China and the United Kingdom today urged a United Nations committee drafting the first-ever convention on disability rights to address the exclusion and neglect of an estimated 150-200 million disabled children around the world. 'Even if we come from different backgrounds and different cultures, we have to face the same exclusions,' said Nazma Akter, of Bangladesh, one of the six young representatives of the organization Save the Children addressing the General Assembly's Ad Hoc Committee on the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities."
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=17201&Cr=&Cr1=

Building Bridges: A Manual on Including People with Disabilities in International Exchange Programs - Editors: Susan Sygall & Cindy Lewis (Mobility International). "This comprehensive manual features practical suggestions and creative ideas for including, recruiting and accommodating people with disabilities in international exchange programs. Building Bridges also addresses cross-cultural issues and international service projects."
http://www.miusa.org/publications/books/bb_html

Lex Frieden: Prepared for Disaster - by Roxanne Furlong (New Mobility). "During the immediate days following the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, a dedicated group of individuals, led by Lex Frieden, director of Independent Living Research Utilization in Houston, Texas, set up a phone-in clearinghouse to help storm victims with disabilities. Frieden's own experience during Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 had prepared him for this critical moment. He was keenly aware of the need for shelter, equipment, medical attention and nourishment that thousands of people with disabilities from the Gulf Coast were experiencing. He also knew how to lead, having held numerous key positions, including senior vice president of The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research; first director and current chair of the National Council on Disability; co-author of the national policy that became the Americans with Disabilities Act; and past president of Rehabilitation International. But it is as director of ILRU that Frieden jumped into action to assist independent living centers and individuals with disabilities in the devastated region. In doing so, he helped thousands of people and earned the gratitude and respect of the disability community. That is why New Mobility is pleased to honor Lex Frieden as our Person of the Year."
http://newmobility.com/review_article.cfm?id=1097&action=browse

National Council on Disability ADA Employment Study Online Discussion Announcement - "The National Council on Disability is currently conducting a study that will gather information from a wide range of sources and stakeholders regarding the issues that persons with disabilities encounter in seeking and maintaining employment. Rutgers University Program for Disability Research is facilitating this discussion for NCD via an online bulletin board. Please read the following invitation from Rutgers University for information about joining in."
http://www.aapd.com/News/empissues/NCDadastudy.htm

National Organization on Disability on Emergency Preparedness Initiative - "As part of our new '12 Months of Preparedness Outreach, Awareness, and Education Series' and as a service to first responders, emergency managers and people with disabilities, N.O.D.'s Emergency Preparedness Initiative is very excited to be releasing the new 'Interactive Map of Disability & Emergency Preparedness Resources.' This unique tool provides an accessible, interactive clearinghouse directory of regional, state, and local disability-related emergency management resources."
http://www.aapd.com/News/emergency/disprepared.htm

NIDRR Releases Proposed Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2005 Through 2009 - "People with disabilities, their families and advocates, and researchers and service providers will have an opportunity to review and comment on a draft long-range plan prepared by NIDRR. In its plan, NIDRR emphasizes five 'domains' as areas for expanded research efforts in the next five years in support of people with disabilities: employment; participation and community living; health and function; technology for access and function; and disability demographics."
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/new.html

Rehabilitation

DM successes net benchmarking opportunities - "Toronto and St. John's: Two recent successes on the disability management front are Canadian Pacific Railway's (CPR) Toronto rail yard and the City of St. John's, Newfoundland. Both recently achieved higher than 80 per cent in NIDMAR's Consensus Based Disability Management Audit (CBDMA). 'We were delighted that we scored so high, because this is a formal audit,' says Linda Nkemdirim, manager of CPR's Occupational Health Services. 'It was a good confirmation that we're heading in the right direction. I think that it helps our organization to hear that kind of confirmation from time to time.' The CBDMA helps organizations determine how well they are doing in the area of disability management. 'The NIDMAR program helps us keep ahead of the curve rather than following it,' says Jim Wilson, labour chair of CPR's core union-management Disability Management Committee. 'We're successful because of the cooperation we have between labour and management. The program almost preaches joint cooperation'."
http://www.nidmar.ca/news/5BulCPRStJ2.pdf

The Dawn of a New Era - by Steve Percy (Rehab Management). "The competitive arena of the rehabilitation industry encourages physical therapists to pursue new entrepreneurial options. The 1980s and 1990s brought to our profession exciting, new, and aggressive therapeutic concepts neatly classified as 'sports medicine rehabilitation.' During these decades, the necessity to quickly return high-profile injured college and professional athletes back to full playing status gave birth to the development of these philosophies. Modern surgical and therapeutic techniques were implemented along with the application of new modalities, which catapulted us to a whole new level of understanding of the human body and its recuperative powers."
http://www.rehabpub.com/features/1022006/5.asp

Low-Level Heat Wrap Therapy Safely Reduces Low Back Pain, Improves Mobility in the Workplace - (AScribe Newswire). "The use of continuous low-level heat wrap therapy (CLHT) significantly reduces acute low back pain and related disability and improves occupational performance of employees in physically demanding jobs suffering from acute low back pain, according to a Johns Hopkins study published in the December 2005 issue of The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 'With recent concerns around the safety of oral pain medications, both patients and physicians are considering alternative treatment options for acute low back pain,' said Edward J. Bernacki, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of medicine at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the study's principal investigator. 'The dramatic relief we see in workers using CLHT shows that this therapy has clear benefits for low back pain and that it plays an important role in pain management. Physicians and other health care providers in an occupational environment

can tell patients that CLHT is a safe and effective alternative for treating acute low back plain'."
http://newswire.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/behold.pl?ascribeid=20060119.090023&time=09%2036%20PST&year=2006&public=0

Visualizing solutions - Assistance team trains educators on how to reach autistic children - by Diane Strand (The MidWeek). "With autism, a picture is worth more than a thousand words. Many autistic children do not learn by hearing—they learn visually, through pictures and similar devices. Autism is a 'spectrum disorder.' That means symptoms and behaviors can be all over the map, and degrees of disability can range from mild to profound. A parent may have two autistic children, one functioning at a much higher level than the other. 'Their brains work differently,' said Brennan. 'They do better visually rather than by hearing.' Children who are fidgeting while awaiting an appointment, can follow pictures in a book that show what happens as they wait and what they are waiting for. Pictures can teach them how to play with a dump truck. 'There are many different techniques and different ones for different kids,' Brennan said. If a school has five students with autism, each may look very, very different. Some could be almost independent and others need many more resources."
http://www.midweeknews.com/local/articles/011806-solutions.html

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Technology

Braille notebook allows blind to use computers - "The National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec), aided by a research team at Prince of Songkla University, has developed a Braille notebook – a special notebook computer for the blind. The Braille notebook is a portable computer on which users can key in Braille. Those who are visually impaired can use the notebook to key in information, which can be printed either in Braille or in normal text format. The device could be an important tool to allow the blind to work but is rather expensive at around Bt280,000 per unit. Realising this, the Assistive Technology Centre at Nectec, which oversees the local development of assistive technology, has decided to work on it further to bring down the cost of the device. Programme manager Wantanee Phantachat at the Assistive Technology Centre said the centre has allotted Bt5 million to the research team at Prince of Songkla University for the development. The development is underway and it is expected that a Thai Braille notebook prototype will be available by next year."
http://nationmultimedia.com/2006/01/09/byteline/index.php?news=byteline_19605266.html

Blurring the Lines: Merging Speech and VoIP - by Philip Britt (Speech Technology Magazine). "Late-at-night homeseekers in the Fredricksburg area of Virginia pass a home with a Coldwell Banker Elite "for sale" sign. They don't have to wait until the next day to get more details. If they call the real estate agency's phone number and enter the code listed on the sign, they will hear information about the particular listing spoken using text-to-speech synthesis. If the details further pique their interest, they can leave a message for the proper agent simply by dialing a three-digit extension. If they call any of CB Elite's three locations during business hours, simply dialing that three-digit extension connects potential home buyers to the agent's desk, regardless of which location is his or her 'home' office. This is an example of one of the most potent combinations of two of today's fastest growing telecommunications technologies: speech synthesis and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) delivery."
http://www.speechtechmag.com/issues/11_1/cover/12762-1.html

Chief Architect of Section 508 Joins Industry Leader in Adaptive Technologies; ITG Hires Doug Wakefield to Lead the Delivery of Standardized Technology Access and Operability Solutions - "Integration Technologies Group (ITG) announced today that Doug Wakefield, the Chief Architect of Section 508, has joined its Accessibility Solutions Group, which provides technology access and operability to disabled employees of government and private sector organizations. The collaboration brings together the Federal Government's largest provider of Section 508 standards-based solutions and assistive technology equipment with the leader in the development of the law's functional and performance standards. Mr. Wakefield is a pioneer in the federal marketplace for Section 508. Section 508, an amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, mandates that federal agencies ensure any information technology used in those agencies must be accessible to people with disabilities. Technology that is not accessible to employees with disabilities interferes with their ability to obtain and use information quickly and easily. Section 508 helps eliminate barriers in information technology and subsequently, enables new opportunities for people with disabilities."
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20060119005343&newsLang=en

First mainstream Handheld PC for the Blind - "HP and VisuAide have shown the Maestro, the first mainstream handheld PC for the blind and visually impaired. Built on the HP iPAQ Pocket PC h4150 platform, Maestro is the most affordable and compact personal digital assistant yet available to the visually impaired. Maestro features text-to-speech technology and a tactile keyboard membrane over its touch screen so the visually impaired can use essential information-access and communication applications without using a stylus. Scheduled to begin shipping in September, Maestro takes advantage of wireless communication networks, such as Bluetooth wireless technology, and can be operated with or without an external keyboard (Braille or standard). Also, the device readily integrates other VisuAide or third-party applications offering users the latest innovations in handheld PCs."
http://www.gizmag.com/go/3012/

'Fortune 500' Program Designs Next-Generation Products - "From automatic jar openers to remote controls for washer and dryers, a new program at the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technology Transfer (T2RERC) at the University at Buffalo is helping major corporations produce next-generation consumer products that are 'more usable and accessible to all,' including persons with disabilities and the elderly."
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/517461/

Is the Game Over for Speech Recognition? - by Robin Springer (Computer Talk). "Speech recognition is finding its way into video games, but not from an accessibility standpoint. Instead, speech is being integrated to enhance the experience for hard-core gamers. Manufacturers publicize speech recognition as a new game play option, not as a way for an individual with a disability to join his friends in a social activity. Typical speech-enabled video games utilize speech for approximately 10 to 15 percent of game play; not enough to make a product accessible, but could it be enough to encourage manufacturers to start thinking about the disability market?"
http://www.speechtechmag.com/issues/11_1/usingspeech/12761-1.html

New Disability Website to Be a Platform for Assistive Technology - "Dr. Gene Emmer of Med Services Europe announced the launch of 'New Disability' (http://www.NewDisability.com) a website dedicated to products for the disabled community. According to Dr. Emmer, New Disability is to be a platform to advance the commercialization of assistive technology."
http://www.businessportal24.com/de/article/6b2d594f60ff4e7cfd639768764c06b6

New Wheelchair or New Solutions - "Informed evaluations help experts determine appropriate wheelchair seating solutions for patients' individual requirements. It is a typical weekday afternoon, and the Seating and Positioning Clinic staff are awaiting their next patient, who wheels through the door. The man, perched on the edge of his wheelchair, legs rolled out onto the legrest hangers, ribcage resting on his armrest, struggles to lift his chin off his chest. With a gruff voice, he says, 'I need a new chair. This one hasn't fit since I got it 3 years ago from my local vendor!' We are faced with the typical complex question: Does he indeed need a new chair or can modifications and adjustments make this chair fit him. This article will try to address a common scenario by discussing simple, cost-effective interventions to typical postural challenges."
http://www.rehabpub.com/features/1022006/3.asp

Sign of the Times - "San Diego State University now has something in common with movies like 'King Kong' and 'Lord of the Rings' — the university is using similar 3-D computer motion tracking technology that brought characters like Gollum and Kong to life to study how the human mind processes signed languages. The new Laboratory for Language and Cognitive Neuroscience is taking the most comprehensive approach to researching signed languages in the country. Led by Director Karen Emmorey, a professor in SDSU's School of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences in the College of Health and Human Services, the lab is already funded by four multiple-year grants from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation totaling more than $4.5 million."
http://www.deaftoday.com/v3/archives/2006/01/sign_of_the_tim_1.html

X-tation brings independence - Computer aids disabled users in job search - by Rachel Kipp. "Searching for a job at the Marion WorkOne office now will be a more independent process for residents with disabilities, thanks to a new computer work station equipped with a variety of adaptive technology. Developers Easter Seals Crossroads describe the computer, or X-tation, as a 'Swiss Army knife' because it has a multitude of components to aid users with visual, hearing and mobility limitations and learning disabilities, said Wade Wingler, manager of assistive technology for the Indianapolis-based company."
http://www.chronicle-tribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060110/NEWS01/601100311/1002

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Conferences
( Conferences listed for the first time in DRD)

Canadian

CHI 2006 - April 24-27, 2006 | Montreal, Quebec. "CHI [Computer-Human Interaction] 2006 is your chance to explore in depth the latest work by researchers and practitioners in your area, as well as experience the breadth of work that is going on elsewhere in the field. The many plenary and social events provide opportunities to network with members of your community and others who impact your work. Not only will CHI 2006 offer you a broader perspective on the complete human-computer interaction landscape, but it will also assist you in bringing new ideas back to your own work and community."
http://www.chi2006.org/

7th National Conference on Shared Mental Health Care - May 11-13, 2006 | Calgary, Alberta. "Our conference focus is on case studies and learning from our success as we plan for the future. This is a hands on conference and you will bring home practical tools and learnings that you can use in your daily work. Conference Highlight: The Canadian Collaborative Mental Health Initiative will be sharing results from two years of research on the current state of CMHC and presenting a series of interactive toolkits for providers, educators, consumers, family/caregivers and policy makers. CCMHI will also be unveiling an action plan to implement CMHC principles outlined in the Collaborative Mental Health Charter."
http://www.shared-care.ca/calgary_conf.shtml

2006 Canadian Disability Studies Association - 3rd Annual Conference - May 27-28, 2006 | Toronto, Ontario. "The conference theme is: 'The City: A Festival of Knowledge'. Submissions are invited on the conference theme, as well as on other topics covering all aspects of disability. This can include community activism, arts, culture as well as studies
from all academic disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. Individual abstracts as well as proposals for panel sessions, workshops and performances are welcome."
http://www.disabilitystudies.ca/ccdsnews.htm#cdsaconfinfo2006

10th International Child Neurology Congress - June 11-16, 2006 | Montreal, Quebec. "On behalf of the Organizing Committee of the 10th World Congress of the International Child Neurology Association, I would like to invite all those with a professional interest in pediatric neurological disorders to attend the Congress in June 2006 here in Montreal. Close to 1000 health professionals are expected to attend this premier international gathering in pediatric neuroscience."
http://www.icnc2006.com/

9th World Down Syndrome Congress - August 22-26, 2006 | Vancouver, British Columbia. "Welcome to the home page of the 9th World Down Syndrome Congress, being held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, from August 22 - 26, 2006. At present, you will find details in regards to the City of Vancouver. Further information will be available shortly. Please visit the site often for updates and additional information."
http://www.venuewest.com/2006/wdsc/

Alzheimer Society of Canada 28th National Conference - Alzheimer Research and Innovation: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow - Nov. 6-8, 2006 | Toronto, Ontario. "In 2006 it will be 100 years since Dr. Alois Alzheimer first described Alzheimer Disease. To mark this, we will showcase advances in research and innovation at the 28th Alzheimer Society of Canada National Conference. Alzheimer Research and Innovation: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow will be a special event in this 100th anniversary year and we're expecting up to 800 delegates to this exciting conference -- leading researchers and academics, health-care professionals, people with Alzheimer Disease, caregivers and policy makers."
http://www.alzheimer.ca/english/newsevents/conference-intro.htm

Festival of International Conferences on Disability, Aging & Technology - June 16-19, 2007 | Toronto, Ontario. "Welcome to the site of the Festival of International Conferences on Disability, Aging and Technology. FICDAT will include four important conferences running concurrently as well as many joint events."
http://www.ficdat.ca/en/festival.php

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

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U.S.

43rd Annual International Conference of the Learning Disabilities Association of America - March 1-4, 2006 | Jacksonville, Florida. "The LDA 43rd Annual International Conference will now be held in Jacksonville Florida. All events and sessions will be held at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront Hotel. We invite you to join us for another outstanding four days of the best research and findings in learning disabilities, including specific workshops on Medical issues, Mental Health, Technology, Teacher Preparation, Early Childhood, and much, much more. Preliminary conference program books, detailing the entire conference will be available in late September."
http://www.ldaamerica.us/conference/index.asp

Pac Rim Conference 2006 - March 13-15, 2006 | Honolulu, Hawaii. "With its beginnings dating back to 1985, the Pacific Rim Conference has evolved into one of the top rated international educational offerings for and from persons with disabilities, family members, researchers, service providers, policymakers and nationally recognized professionals in the various disciplines in the diverse field of disabilities. The 2006 Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities

is tentatively scheduled for March 13, 14 & 15 2006. All other information regarding the 2006 conference is tentative, and may be subject to change."
http://www.pacrim.hawaii.edu/

Accommodating Students With Disabilities on State Assessments: What Works? - March 19 - 21, 2006 | Savannah, Georgia. - "The No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act are examples of legislation that has had a profound impact on the assessment of students with disabilities in K-12 settings. Experts in the field of school testing have been caught between the need to ensure that test scores from assessments are valid and reliable and the need to provide accommodations that improve the accessibility of state assessments. ETS, the College Board, the Council for Exceptional Children, and the National Institute for Urban School Improvement are hosting a conference that will provide a forum for practitioners and leading researchers to discuss current issues associated with accommodating students with disabilities on state standards-based assessments."
http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.c988ba0e5dd572bada20bc47c3921509/?vgnextoid=d2c8175081707010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=19e5be3a864f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD

21st Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference - March 20-25, 2006 | Los Angeles, California. "The Center has advanced to the stage of conducting the longest-running and largest annual university sponsored conference on technology and persons with disabilities. This annual conference serves as a major training venue for professionals around the world involved in the field of disability and technology. "
http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/2006/genconfinfo06.htm

Revolutions in Sign Language Studies Linguistics, Literature, Literacy - March 22-24, 2006 | Washington, D.C. "Gallaudet University Press Institute, the educational division of Gallaudet University Press, the Office of the Dean, Gallaudet University Graduate School and Professional Programs, and the Gallaudet Research Institute, will sponsor the international conference Revolutions in Sign Language Studies: Linguistics, Literature, Literacy. The Conference will feature an assembly of international scholars renowned for their research on linguistics, sociolinguistics, literature, literacy and Deaf people, and all other aspects of the study of sign languages."
http://gupress.gallaudet.edu/gupiconference/index.html

26th Annual Anxiety Disorders Association of America Conference - March 23-26, 2006. | Miami, Florida. "The ADAA Annual Conference is the only conference devoted exclusively to anxiety disorders. It provides education for health care professionals, individuals with anxiety disorders and their families, and the media about the nature and management of anxiety disorders. The theme for the 26th Annual Conference is, Understanding Risk and Resilience in Anxiety Disorders: Implications for Research and Clinical Care. This year's theme will examine individuals at risk for the development of an anxiety disorder as a result of a variety of biological, psychological, or environmental factors as well as those already manifesting difficulties and in addition, explore factors that affect the response to treatment

and chronicity of these disorders. Our invited keynote speaker will be Dennis Charney, M.D., Mount Sinai School of Medicine."
http://www.adaa.org/conference&events/AnnualConference.asp

Power Up 2006 Conference and Expo - April 10-11, 2006 | Columbia, Missouri. "Power Up 2006 Conference and Expo is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, April 10 and 11, 2006. Power Up Conference and Expo has a mission of strengthening the capacity of people with disabilities, educators, independent living staff, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, physical therapists, information technology technicians, librarians and media specialists, and service providers. Power Up features a variety of sessions which provide up-to-date information on disability related policy, assistive technology services and devices, independent living issues, educational policy and practices, and information technology accessibility to enhance and promote independence of people with disabilities."
http://www.at.mo.gov/Powerup2006/powerup.shtm

Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion, & Disability. 6th Annual Conference - April 17-18, 2006 | Columbus, Ohio. "As a modern land grant university an important part of Ohio State University's mission is outreach and engagement, serving the community through a variety of activities. During the tenth anniversary year of the Americans With Disabilities Act the Multiple Perspectives On Access, Inclusion And Disability conference was created to help fulfill this mission."
http://ada.osu.edu/conferences/default.htm

The 12th Annual Adult ADHD Conference - Science and the Human Spirit: Changing Lives of Adults with AD/HD - May 3-7, 2006 | Orlando, Florida. " ADDA is the world's largest organization dedicated to changing the lives of adults with AD/HD. ADDA's mission is to provide hope, empowerment, and connections worldwide by bringing together science and the human experience for both adults with AD/HD as well as the professionals who serve them. One of the ways ADDA realizes its mission is through our annual conference. The ADDA conference has helped thousands of adults with AD/HD improve the quality of their lives. Our annual conference is programmed especially for adults with AD/HD, their families, and the professionals who work with them."
http://www.add.org/conferences/2006_conference/index.html

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Overseas

2006 International Conference on Disability, Virtual Reality and Associated Technologies - September 18-20, 2006 | Esbjerg, Denmark." Welcome to the International Conference Series on Disability, Virtual Reality and Associated Technologies website. Here you will find all the information for the upcoming ICDVRAT 2006 conference, 18-20 September 2006, plus archive information from previous ICDVRAT conferences, including full conference proceedings of all past conferences."
http://www.icdvrat.reading.ac.uk/

International Forum on Disability Management - October 8-10, 2006 | Brisbane, Australia. "The Centre of National Research on Disability and Rehabilitation Medicine (CONROD) at The University of Queensland and Griffith University have been invited to host the 3rd International Forum on Disability Management in Brisbane from 8 to 10 October, 2006. The forum will build on initiatives and progress following the first forum 'Work Retention Strategies in a Global Society' held in Vancouver 2002 and the second forum 'Disability Management works' held in Maastricht in 2004. The forum will be in the format of Plenary Sessions and Workshops."
http://www.ifdm.com.au/index.html

ARATA 2006 National Conference - Connecting People & Community Through Technology - October 17-20, 2006 | Perth, Australia. "On behalf of the conference organising committee, it is my pleasure to invite you to Fremantle, Perth for the ARATA 2006 National Conference 'Connecting People and Community Through Technology', to be held from Tuesday 17th until Friday 20th October, 2006. The 2006 conference aims to enable participants to understand how the application of technology can allow inclusion of all people into everyday activities, home, school, work and leisure by:
Increasing awareness of the potential of technology
Presenting new developments and research
Sharing information and exchanging ideas
Providing resources, product information and a trade. "
http://www.e-bility.com/arata/conf.php
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