Disability Resource Digest
Volume 6, Issue 7 July/August 2006
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.
ACCESSIBILITY
Photosensitive Epilepsy Analysis Tool (PEAT) - (Trace). “Photosensitive seizures can be provoked by certain types of flashing in web or computer content. Hazardous, seizure-inducing content has been broadcast on television causing mass seizures in children. As Web content becomes more dynamic and television-like it is important that it not cause similar problems. Some mouseover behaviors can also cause large areas of the screen to flash. Web designers and computer software developers should avoid the use of content that could potentially cause seizures. The Trace Center’s Photosensitive Epilepsy Analysis Tool was developed to provide a tool to Web developers to identify potentially seizure inducing material.”
http://trace.wisc.edu/peat/Responding to disabled people’s needs in the residential environment - by Rob Imrie (Economic and Social Research Council). “Disabled people have the worst housing circumstances and the lowest incomes of all social groups. Most live with another family member, often because they are unable to gain access to housing which meets their particular needs. One reason is that builders have limited knowledge of disabled people and there is no requirement for them to consult with disabled people about the content of building projects. This project explores the different dimensions of disabled people’s relationship to housing and design quality. It stresses the need for user involvement at every stage of a project so that builders are encouraged to build real ‘homes’ for the disabled, rather than houses that simply meet prescriptive physical standards and rules.”
http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/ViewAwardPage.aspx?AwardId=1353Universal Design Homes Help the Disabled and Those Who Aren’t - by Laura Mazzeo (WBOC). “Imagine buying a home now that will help you out as you grow older. It is a new trend in housing called universal design or ‘aging in place.’ The idea is to make homes accessible so that you can live there even with a disability down the road. Builder Steve Hull of Tull/Ramey Builders showed a house in Seaford that has been designed to accommodate the changing needs of its residents as they grow older. The sloped sidewalks are a substitute for stairs. Inside, the doors and hallways are wider and the sinks are lower. But the one single feature that sets these homes apart is that everything is on one level. So whether you are inside or outside the home, you will not find a single step. Tull said the goal is to appeal to the baby boomers who may be in good health now but are planning to spend many years in the same home.”
http://www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=5193314&nav=MXEFUnited States Access Board Annual Report (2005) - “The U.S. Access Board is an independent Federal agency committed to design that is accessible to persons with disabilities. The Board maintains design criteria covering access to the built environment, transit vehicles, telecommunications, and electronic and information technology under several different laws, including the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Other Board services include technical assistance and training on its accessibility guidelines and standards and enforcement of design standards covering federally funded facilities. The Board also promotes accessibility through targeted outreach, dissemination of information, and sponsored research.”
http://www.access-board.gov/about/annualreport/report.htm (html)Usability and Accessibility in ICT - “The Accessibility Practice of Bloor Research is offering a free download of a report on ‘Accessibility and Usability in Information and Communication Technology’.” (Note: A no-cost registration is required to download the report).
http://www.it-director.com/article.php?articleid=13330http://www.it-analysis.com/form/download.php?cid=8561 (Report)WebAIM Site Redesign: A case study in accessible design - “WebAIM is pleased to present a new web site design, structure, and functionality - launched in June 2006. We hope this site will be more useful to you. Much of the site content has been updated and we now offer additional community tools, such as our online forums and our blog. The WebAIM site has changed significantly since 1999 when our first site went online. This can be seen in archived site versions from the years 2000 - external link and 2002 - external link and from our previous site design - external link which had been in use since Fall of 2003.”
http://webaim.org/articles/siteredesign/Section 508 Checklist - (WebAim). “One of WebAIM’s most popular resources, the Section 508 Checklist, has recently been updated.”
http://www.webaim.org/standards/508/checklist.phpWhat’s new with the Accessible Procurement Toolkit - (Assistive Devices Industry Office (ADIO)).”It was noted that some entries in the Accessible Procurement Toolkit’s (
www.apt.gc.ca) procurement clauses database were actually describing implmentation or usage advice rather than procurement requirements that could be applied in a purchasing document. For that reason, a new link has been added for products or services where such advice is available. Look for the Advice link. The Search page has been substantially revised. You can now search for entries in the Products/Services, Requirements, Advice, and Environmental factors database by keyword. The keyword-search Results page has also been updated: keywords are highlighted for easy identification. A new series of drawings have been added to the toolkit to help illustrate some universal design concepts as they apply to products and services. Links to these new resources appear in the requirements of a product, where appropriate. The Design Resources page has direct links to the new information.”
http://www.apt.gc.ca/http://www.at-links.gc.ca/as/as091e.asp (ADIO’s Accessible News #27)
ADVOCACY
Disabled, homeless, neglected - by Carol Goar (Toronto Star). “Within five minutes, Sarah Shartal, a lawyer who works with street people, can usually tell whether a client is eligible for disability benefits. It takes the Ontario government 10 months to make the same determination, assuming all of the applicant’s paperwork is in order. That includes an eight-page application, a 14-page report to be completed by a medical professional, proof of identity, proof of financial need and proof of the individual’s inability to work. These forms aren’t available at any public institution. An applicant has to request them from a welfare officer, get them filled out within 90 days, then be reachable by phone. Given that most homeless people don’t have a doctor, don’t have a phone, don’t have bank records and don’t have identity papers, the vast majority — even those with debilitating conditions — never get disability benefits. That means they never get off the streets.” (This report, Failing the Homeless . . .,is linked to under “Policy/Research”)
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1151013012000&call_pageid=968256290204&col=968350116795How to tell stories of people with disabilities without reverting to the pity/hero/inspiration models - by Susan M LoTempio (Poynteronline). “How to tell stories of people with disabilities without reverting to the pity/hero/inspiration models. . . . The next time you’re about to assign or report a story about an issue or person with a disability, ask yourself if you are automatically going for the pity, hero or inspirational angle. What is a better story, the one that would give readers a more accurate picture of the disability experience in your community?”
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=58&aid=104987Human rights complains still revolving around race and disability - by Erin Henderson (680News). “Ontario’s human rights commission says as a society we’ve come pretty far in bridging the gaps between different socio-ethnic groups, but not far enough. Commission Chief Barbara Hall says there’s still plenty of barriers facing members of our society, especially when it comes to people with disabilities. ‘Year after year, disability is consistently one of the highest sited grounds in complaints before the commmission’.”
http://www.680news.com/news/local/article.jsp?content=20060629_142306_6112http://www.ohrc.on.ca/english/publications/2005-2006-annual-report.shtml (OHRC Annual Report)
Outcry against Bill 107 grows: more than 50 organizations call on Premier for change - (source: DAWN Ontario). “Former Human Rights Commissioner and member of 1992 Cornish Task Force Advisory Committee Tom Warner joined community leaders at a press conference this morning to release an open letter to Premier McGuinty. The letter was signed by more than 50 organizations representing racialized communities, seniors, gays and lesbians and people with disabilities. It sets out growing concerns over Bill 107, the government’s human rights reform legislation, and condemns the Premier’s plan to hold public hearings on the legislation in the summer when people are less able to attend and boards are unable to meet to approve submissions. The groups are calling on the Premier to hold the hearings in the fall and be prepared to make the necessary changes.”
http://dawn.thot.net/bill107_outcry.htmlhttp://dawn.thot.net/bill107_openletter.html (open letter)
EDUCATION
Towards greater attention for disability in international policies for basic education - Position paper of the DCDD education working group - (DPI). “By the year 2015 all children everywhere must have access to basic education - that is one of the Millennium development targets of the United Nations. Many efforts are indeed made to reach children who are neglected, but children with disabilities seem to be ‘invisible’. DCDD advocates an inclusive approach in which basic education is set up and organized in such a way that ALL children are reached. This means paying more attention to children with disabilities in basic education.”
http://v1.dpi.org/lang-en/resources/details.php?page=662http://www.dcdd.nl/?action=article&id=2012 (full report)
GENERAL INTEREST
Electroboy craves Coke - by Andy Behrman (Ouch). “I had a history of what the doctors called “rapid cycling” - tremendous euphoria and desperate lows. . . . The constant ‘cycling’ was driving me insane and the psychiatrists all believed that ECT would put an end to these cycles. I put my life in the hands of these silver-haired doctors. . . . That week, I have three more ‘rounds’ of ECT and then return home to recuperate, but later relapse and end up going through the same procedure nineteen more times in the next year. . . . I’m bed bound. Destined to watch CNN and drink Diet Coke for the rest of my life. It takes literally three years until I’m no longer confused and ‘in a haze.’ . . . And then, miraculously, I start feeling better. I’m not sure what it is. I’m able to go for walks, do simple chores, even write. And all I can think is that it’s not the ECT, it’s not the medication, it’s not the therapy, it’s the Coke.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/features/electroboy/index.shtmlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/features/audio/electroboycoke.ram (audio version)
Learning to spot a disability - by Bill Dannenmaier (The Dickson Herald). “I have had three blind students in my classes. The first was a young man in a statistics course. At the beginning of the term, he asked if he could tape my lectures and received immediate permission. Knowing he was blind, I changed my teaching style: I talked through every formula and problem I put on the board. I remember stopping in mid-lecture one day. I had forgotten to talk through an equation. I apologized to him, saying, ‘Sorry, I forgot you couldn’t see.’ ‘That’s all right, Dr. D.,’ he replied, ‘It’s a compliment.’ He earned an “A” from me on test results, most didn’t. He must have been one highly intelligent young man’.”
http://www.dicksonherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060623/MTCN0205/306230053/1302/MTCN02One eye on China: Challenging Disability - by Stephen Hallett (Ouch). Stephen Hallett has written a series of articles on disability in China. “Stephen was born in Dar-es-Salaam, grew up in Oxford and Cape Town and has spent much of his adult life in China. He works as China Project Director for the BBC World Service Trust, developing radio training for disabled people in China. He thinks that partial sight has helped give him a clearer insight into the lives of the Chinese people.” The articles listed below are found on the Ouch page and are listed in reverse chronological order.
• Questions, questions
• One eye on China: Learning disability in the people’s republic
• One eye on China: Challenging Disability
• One eye on China: Mind the Gap
• One eye on China: Mainly for Show
• One eye on China: Back in the People’s Republic
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/writers/stephenhallett/
Out into the world - by Eric E. Harrison (Northwest Arkansas’ News Source). “There are two campuses at 28 th Street and Fair Park Boulevard in Little Rock. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is bigger and more visible. But also at that intersection, unheralded and practically unseen, except for the white statue of a lion out front, is Lions World Services for the Blind, where visually impaired people from all 50 states and 57 countries are learning how to live independently and develop new careers.”
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Style/157572/
Government
CANADA
Enforceable Standards Key To Making Ontario Accessible - (Ministry of Community and Social Services). “One year ago, the McGuinty government proclaimed the landmark Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, which requires the province to develop accessibility standards that will remove barriers for people with disabilities. Accessibility standards are the building blocks of accessibility, helping to ensure real, measurable and effective change takes place in a timely manner. Accessibility standards will set out what must be done to remove and prevent barriers – and when. Each standard is to be implemented in stages of five years or less, leading to an accessible Ontario by 2025.”
http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/mcss/english/news/backgrounders/060613.htmOpening More Doors for Ontarians with Disabilities - (Ministry of Community and Social Services). “The McGuinty government is developing three new accessibility standards to target barriers in information and communications, the built environment, and employment for people with disabilities, Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of Community and Social Services and Minister Responsible for Ontarians with Disabilities, announced today.”
http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/mcss/english/news/releases/060613.htmUS
National Council on Disability Statement: Voluntary Voting System Guidelines - (National Council on Disability). “Consistent with its legislative mandate as an independent federal agency, NCD provides advice to the President and Congress by making recommendations on how to enhance the quality of life for all Americans with disabilities and their families. In Inclusive Federal Election Reform (www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2001/electionreform.htm), NCD made recommendations to Congress and the President on how to improve the accessibility of voting systems. This NCD statement shows alignment of those recommendations with the current efforts of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), established under the Help America Vote Act of 2002, to establish guidelines for accessible voting systems. As more fully described below, NCD calls on the EAC to make voting systems more accessible to people with disabilities by requiring privacy protections for paper ballots, comprehensible audio for electronic voting machines, and paper ballots that are accessible to voters with poor vision.”
http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2006/voluntary_voting.htm (NCD Statement)
http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/bulletins/2006/b0606.htm (NCD Bulletin)
National Council on Disability Government Performance and Results Act Annual Report to the President and Congress Fiscal Year 2005 - “The National Council on Disability (NCD) is pleased to submit its Annual Performance Report to the President and Congress—Fiscal Year 2005, as required by the Government Performance and Results Act (31 USC Sec. 1116). As a unique independent federal agency and leader in the development and analysis of disability policy, NCD conducted a wide variety of activities in Fiscal Year (FY) 2005, with an authorized budget of $3,021,070. This report compares actual performance with the projected levels of performance set out in NCD’s annual performance plan. As a public policy agency making recommendations to the President and Congress, NCD is pleased to inform you that the findings of this report show a positive link between the allocated resources and NCD’s performance. NCD’s assessment review showed that it was successful in meeting its goals and achieving its intended results.”
http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2006/gpra2005.htm (html)
http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2006/pdf/gpra2005.pdf (pdf)
Health
Access to Health Care Services in Canada: January to December 2005 - (Statistics Canada). “Waiting for care has been and continues to be a major issue in the health care sector. Recently provincial and federal ministries of health have adopted a range of policies and strategies to address lengthy waits for care. In 2004, First Ministers agreed to develop a 10-year plan to improve access and reduce waiting times in several key areas including hip and knee replacements and cataract surgery. The plan called for the establishment of benchmarks for medically acceptable waiting times with regular reporting to track progress towards these targets. . . . Statistics Canada has been reporting on patients’ experiences waiting for care, including how long they wait, since the introduction of the Health Services Access Survey (HSAS) in 2001 . . . This survey was designed to provide national and provincial level estimates of patients’ experiences accessing health care services including waiting times for specialized services. The survey has now been incorporated into the Canadian Community Health Survey and currently represents the only national level information on waiting times.”
http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/82-575-XIE/82-575-XIE2006002.pdf (pdf)
Health Care Access Survey Results - (Health Wellness). “While access to quality and timely health care is a leading indicator of population health, many studies have revealed that people with disabilities are more likely to go without needed care. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that health care services are accessible to people with disabilities and the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) outline the technical requirements for physical access. Assessing a clinic for all of the technical requirements of the ADAAG requires looking at hundreds of items, and it can be a time consuming process. The RRTC: Health & Wellness is partnering with the Northwest ADA & IT Center in order to create a useful and user-friendly tool called the Outpatient Health Clinic Access Profile (OHCAP). The first step in developing OHCAP was to get input from people with disabilities on the barriers to accessing health care and what was important to them in accessing health care facilities. To do this the RRTC: Health & Wellness developed a short Internet survey. With the help of our partners at Independent Living Resources Utilization, the survey was distributed nationally though multiple listservs and consumer organizations in the fall of 2005. Initially the survey creators hoped to get at least 100 responses to the survey. After about two weeks, over 950 responses to the survey were received. The overwhelming response to the Health Care Access Survey indicates that the accessibility of health services is clearly an important topic for people in the disability community. It also provides valuable information that will inform the creation of OHCAP. We have briefly summarized the results in the following document.”
http://www.healthwellness.org/rrtc/results/index.htmHealth care in Canada by region - by Pauline Comeau (Canadian Medical Association Journal). “It’s not just the numbers, it’s what you do with them. This, says Glenda Yeates, president and CEO of the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), is the true value of the information in Health Care in Canada 2006, CIHI’s 7th annual report on the state of Canada’s health system.”
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/175/2/142http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/reprint/175/2/142 (pdf)
Improving care for chronic illness - (Bandolier). “Chronic illness is common. Depending where you go to access statistics, it is as many as a third to a half of people in the USA, 90 to 125 million people with at least one chronic illness, with a fifth (50 million in the USA) with two or more chronic illnesses. Chronic illness is very expensive, and asthma, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and mood disorders account for up to half of all healthcare expenditures in more developed countries. Use of healthcare resources by someone with a chronic illness can be five times higher than by a healthy person. Much chronic illness is in the community, and delivering the right care to the right patient in the right way could have significant benefits.”
http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/band141/b141-6.htmlRecipe to prevent disability ‘flawed’ - by Adam Dudding (stuff.co.nz). “The [New Zealand] government wants to dose the nation’s flour with a synthetic vitamin to prevent birth defects. But a surprising alliance of bakers and scientists say the proposals are a mess. You wouldn’t want to have a child with a neural tube defect. Ask Lyall Thurston. A little over 23 years ago, something went wrong with the month-old embryo that would become Thurston’s son Simon; the neural tube failed to close completely and when Simon was born he had spina bifida. Simon, paralysed from the waist down and reliant on a wheelchair, is now working on his second degree at Victoria University - and his father is on a mission. Thurston, spokesman for the disability charity CCS, knows there is a simple, cheap and proven way to save others from the horrendous litany of medical interventions required throughout Simon’s life. All that is needed to prevent 70% of neural tube defects (NTDs), a range of conditions that includes spina bifida, is for a mother to boost her body’s levels of folate, a B vitamin, in the months before and after conception. (The ideal dose is 400 micrograms per day.) And the best way to do that, says Thurston, is to put folic acid into all the nation’s flour. That way mothers with planned and unplanned pregnancies are captured.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3741387a7144,00.htmlNational Center for Health Statistics: Injury Data and Resources - (source: LII) “The purpose of this Web site is to provide an overview of injury morbidity and mortality data and statistics available from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and other sources and to provide details on injury surveillance methodology and tools to assist in data analysis.”
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/injury.htmThe Politics of Canadian Health Care in a New Conservative Era - by Tom McIntosh (CPRN). “In his presentation, ‘The Politics of Canadian Health Care in a New Conservative Era’ McIntosh described for his international audience how Stephen Harper’s new government is tightly focussed on its ‘Five Priorities.’ He explained how the health priority – Care Guarantees – would mean formal recourse for citizens experiencing long waits for certain health services [which may include private delivery or travel to available service elsewhere].”
http://www.cprn.org/en/doc.cfm?doc=1503The Taming of the Queue III – Wait Time Measurement, Monitoring and Management: Where the Rubber Meets the Road - by Tom McIntosh, Renée Torgerson (CPRN). “A third symposium on wait times took place recently in Ottawa: The Taming of the Queue III - Wait Time Measurement, Monitoring and Management: Where the Rubber Meets the Road. Participants heard a mixed review of the benchmarks: that significant progress is being made, but also that cutting wait times in targeted areas has trade-offs. Here are some examples: the Alberta Bone & Joint Health Institute has cut its waiting list for hip/knee surgery from 82 weeks to 11, by instituting an integrated approach based on a continuum of care. On the other hand, the participants also heard that benchmarks to cut wait time in priority areas could mean increased wait times in other areas; that the current priorities favour baby boomers and might neglect the needs of children and Aboriginal People. The symposium also heard that the Prime Minister’s promise to guarantee wait times could mean a legal battle if benchmarks aren’t met in time.”
http://www.cprn.org/en/doc.cfm?doc=1483
LEGAL
Ontario Court Ruling Strikes Down Lower Court’s Ruling on Autism Therapy - (DAWN Ontario). “Ontario Court of Appeal rules that the province’s refusal to fund therapy for autistic children older than five does not constitute age discrimination.”
http://dawn.thot.net/autism-ruling5.htmlPivotal Time for Human Rights, Chief Commissioner Reports - “On releasing the Commission’s 2005-2006 Annual Report today at Queen’s Park, Chief Commissioner Barbara Hall commented that, ‘This is a pivotal time for human rights in our province.’ The Chief Commissioner highlighted a number of issues where progress is being made as well as areas where more work needs to be done to protect and promote human rights for the people of Ontario:
• The Commission commends the government for passing Bill 211, the Ending Mandatory Retirement Statute Law Amendment Act, which comes into effect this December, but it still has concerns about provisions that limit access of older workers to benefits and worker’s compensation.
• While advances are being made in removing barriers for persons with disabilities, such as the Tribunal decision ordering announcements of TTC subway stops for riders with visual disabilities, the Commission emphasized that a number of laws and policies such as Ontario’s Building Code and the Coroners Act, need to be harmonized with the Human Rights Code.
• The Commission is particularly concerned by the rise of Islamophobia being experienced by Arab and Muslims communities. The Commission’s Policy and Guidelines on Racism and Racial Discrimination, released last summer, recognizes the detrimental effects of racism on Aboriginal, Islamic and other racialized communities, and builds on the Commission’s earlier investigation into the effects of racial profiling.
• Important progress was made this past year in addressing some of these issues, including training with senior command and equity staff from police services across the province at the invitation of the Ontario Police College. The Commission also reached settlements with two school boards who will begin collecting data – a key element of the Commission’s Policy – in order to monitor and safeguard against the discriminatory impact of safe school legislation and policies on racialized students and students with disabilities.
Chief Commissioner Hall added that, ‘I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that we address systemic issues that prevent groups from participating fully in society. We all lose when we exclude others’.”
http://www.ohrc.on.ca/english/news/e_pr_annual-report06.shtml
MEDICAL
Crucial immune cells derived from stem cells - by Phil Cohen (New Scientist). “For the first time human embryonic stem cells have been coaxed into becoming T-cells, suggesting new ways to fight immune disorders including AIDS and the “bubble boy” disease, X-SCID.”
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9481?DCMP=NLC-nletter&nsref=dn9481Disabled medicine - by Katherine Manders (Canadian Medical Association Journal). “The disability experience is unique. Because the number of medical students with physical disabilities is so small, each school’s experience in dealing with the unique needs of such students is limited. I disclosed my own disability before entering medical school, and afterward found myself unprepared for the need to become an advocate for myself and those who will follow me. Hardest has been the emotional effect over time. This alone was my impetus to write, so that other students in a similar position have a voice.”
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/174/11/1585http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/reprint/174/11/1585 (pdf)
First official UK death from chronic fatigue syndrome - by Rowan Hooper (New Scientist). “Chronic fatigue syndrome has been given as an official cause of death for the first time in the UK. CFS, which is also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), has occasionally been recorded on death certificates in the US and Australia but it is far from being accepted as an organic disease. On Tuesday, coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley of Brighton and Hove Coroners Court, UK, recorded the cause of death of a 32-year-old woman as acute aneuric renal failure (failure to produce urine) due to dehydration as a result of CFS. The deceased woman, Sophia Mirza, had suffered from CFS for six years.”
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9342-first-official-death-from-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-.htmlLab-grown cartilage fixes damaged knees - by Tom Simonite (New Scientist). “Tissue engineering can effectively fix damaged knee cartilage, researchers have shown for the first time. Cartilage cells donated by patients were grown on scaffolds in the lab before being implanted back into their knees. More than a year later analysis showed the cartilage had matured successfully, even in patients with osteoarthritis. Tissue engineering uses a mixture of biology, chemistry and materials science to grow tissues in the lab just like those in the body.”
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9483?DCMP=NLC-nletter&nsref=dn9483New Scientist’s Special Report on Stem Cells - “Fast-forward to the end of the 21st Century: surgeons can create new organs to order, regrow crippled spines and hearts and reverse the damage of Parkinson’s disease or diabetes with ease. Immune rejection and waiting lists for replacement organs are consigned to history. Stem cells may have the potential to fulfil this promise and much more, but there are still many technical, ethical and political obstacles to overcome before real therapies are possible.” This special report includes all of New Scientists articles on the matter including Bush’s decision to veto the Stem Cell Bill as well as an “Expert Guide” including “Briefing Notes,” links and “Pick of the Archive.”
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/sex/stem-cells?DCMP=NLC-nletter&nsref=stem-cells
MEDIA
I don’t need no doctor - (Ouch). “In I don’t need no doctor, a 2 part series broadcasting on Radio 2, we find out how disability fits into the cut throat, highly glamorised world of the music business. Presenter of the programme and BBC disability affairs correspondent Peter White, visits a range of those disabled artists who have made it to the top including Blaine Harrison from up and coming band The Mystery Jets, who was born with spina bifida. From music history: Teddy Pendergrass, now quadriplegic, and Rick Allen from Deff Leppard who lost an arm in a car accident. He asks them about Touring, performing and getting that big record deal when disabled. Is it possible, and more importantly, Is it worth it?”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/tvradio/doctor.shtmlRetardis: Doctor Who and disability - by Laurence Clark (Ouch). “A lot of us men in our thirties have been coming out of the closet these past few weeks. You see, after years of liking a show that was widely thought to be geeky and camp, it finally looks like Doctor Who is going to be cool. But as a thirty-something man who is also disabled, I’m interested too in how disabled people have been used and portrayed during the programme’s forty year history.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/features/laurence_doctorwho.shtmlSee Hear - “In 1981, See Hear was born. The series had open subtitles, and was presented in sign by Martin Colville, who was hearing, and by Deaf presenter Maggie Woolley. Programmes were broadcast during Sunday lunchtime. As time went on, discussions, chat shows and special editions shot on location abroad were included, alongside the usual magazine.” Ouch, the BBC companion site notes that See Hear’s website for “the long[est] running TV show for Deaf and hard of hearing people . . . [i]ncludes a regularly updated blog about the show and other Deaf titbits ... plus a signed video trailer for tomorrow’s show.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/seehear/about/history4.shtml
POLICY/RESEARCH
APEC e-Inclusion: Bridging the Digital Divide for People with Disabilities - (Assistive Devices Industry Office (ADIO)). “The APEC TEL (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation - Telecommunications and Information Working Group) 33 Workshop “APEC e-Inclusion: Bridging the Digital Divide for People with Disabilities” was held in Calgary on April 23. The workshop’s intent was to facilitate cooperation between APEC economies to promote e-Inclusion for persons with disabilities. It addressed a key digital divide issue and will contribute to the development of the Asia Pacific Information Society by promoting greater inclusion of persons with disabilities in the information society, benefiting the region’s economy and improving quality of life. Four background papers written in support of the workshop: two from Canada, one from Australia and one from Japan. The moderator came from Australia and both keynote speakers were Canadians, one representing the disability community and the other from industry. Workshop presenters came from nine economies representing both the disability community and industry. Most of the presentations made during the workshop can be found on the Web at www.apectel33.ca.”
http://emc2.onware.ca/prothos/onware.x/conf/000000205/documents/index.p?!=public=11541180980539=18=29385320&Type=eIPD (e-Inclusion workshop documents)
http://www.at-links.gc.ca/as/as091e.asp (ADIO’s Accessible News #27)
Building Blocks for Strong Communities: Key Findings and Recommendations - by Mark Goldenberg (CPRN). “Last month, Prime Minister Stephen Harper praised voluntary, neighbourhood-based groups as the very core of healthy cities. Speaking to the World Urban Forum in Vancouver he cited services such as ‘fundraising for recreational projects, producing community newsletters and even fighting City Hall’ as examples of some of the ‘building blocks that give rise to the goals and successes of our provinces, our territories and, ultimately our country.’ As the prime minister stated, Canada’s small- and medium-sized community organizations (SMOs) are key determinants of the strength of our communities and the quality of our lives. Despite this, we know less about them and provide much less public support for them than for their private sector kin, the SMEs (small- and medium-sized enterprises). A path-breaking publication from Imagine Canada and CPRN argues this should change.”
http://www.cprn.org/en/doc.cfm?doc=1505Disability-Related Policy in Canada - (source: Assistive Devices Industry Office (ADIO)). “The Disability-Related Policy Website is a tool of the Disability and Information Technologies (Dis-IT) Research Alliance, headed by Deborah Stienstra at the University of Manitoba, and the community of disability organizations in Canada. The Dis-IT Research Alliance is a group of researchers, community members, and industry representatives who are looking at how new technologies shape the lives of Canadians with disabilities, both by creating new benefits and barriers, in terms of employment, post-secondary education, retail and public services, and democratic participation. The project is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The goals of the website are to “build the capacity of the disability community to engage with federal and provincial/territorial governments in policy discussion and development related to disability supports,” and to “strengthen capacity of the community and governments to more effectively draw on the knowledge base of the disability community about disability supports needs, issues, best practice and policy options.” These goals were expressed by disability organizations at meetings hosted by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) and the Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL) in March 2004.”
http://www.disabilitypolicy.ca/about/index.phpDisability Research Information Survey - “Disability information is important for improving policy and serving a wide variety of needs including those of people with disabilities, advocates, volunteers, service providers and others. This survey is intended to generate knowledge on the views of the disability community regarding availability, use and value of research and information in Canada. This electronic survey will only take 10 minutes or less of your time. Please be assured that your privacy and confidentiality will be upheld.”
http://209.128.7.162/IntWeb.dll?IMODE=2&PROJECT=GGISURVEYS.DRIP4 (standard web browser)
http://209.128.7.162/IntWeb.dll?IMODE=2&PROJECT=GGISURVEYS.DRIP3 (screen-reader)
Disabled Students and Multiple Policy Innovations in Higher Education - by Sheila Riddell (Economic and Social Research Council). “Higher education has been through a period of major change since the late 1980s. The massive expansion in the number of places and policies aimed at widening access for socially disadvantaged groups have, to some extent, increased the diversity of the student population, although disabled people and other groups remain under-represented. The introduction of teaching and research assessments has fostered competition between institutions and applied new pressures to staff. This project will examine how multiple policy innovations in higher education interact with policies aimed at wider access for disabled students. . . .The findings will inform higher education policy and practice throughout the UK.”
http://tinyurl.com/gzjbd (Note: the URL has been shorted using tiny url’d due to its length)
Draft DPI Statement on Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYS) - (DPI). “DALYS were introduced in 1993 as way to measure the global burden of disease and the effectiveness of health interventions. It is now also used as a measurement of development in the same way that mortality and life expectancy have been used, in the past, to indicate a country’s economic and social standing. DPI believes that the DALY measurements are fatally flawed and should not be used”
http://v1.dpi.org/lang-en/resources/details.php?page=560The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) - “The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funds research and training in social and economic issues [including many projects related to disability]. We have an international reputation both for providing high-quality research on issues of importance to business, the public sector and government and for our commitment to training excellence, which produces world-class social scientists. We are an independent organisation, established by Royal Charter, but receive most of our funding through the Government’s Office of Science and Innovation. Our budget of more than £100 million funds over 2,500 researchers in academic institutions and policy research institutes throughout the UK. We also support more than 2,000 postgraduate students. The quality of life and economic well-being of the UK and its citizens are just two of the many, policy-relevant issues addressed by our portfolio of research and training activities. Comparative and international perspectives are strongly encouraged. For example, UK economic performance is increasingly dependent on the global economy, and economic distribution - both within and between countries and regions - is a major issue for social science research.”
http://www.esrc.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/index.aspxFailing the Homeless: Barriers in the Ontario Disability Support Program for Homeless People with Disabilities - (Street Health). “Ontario disability benefits are failing homeless people who have disabilities. The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) is intended to assist low-income people with disabilities, but many disabled homeless people are unable to access this program. . . . This report describes the experiences of homeless people with disabilities who could not access the ODSP. It identifies key barriers and delays in the ODSP system and makes a number of recommendations to help ensure that homeless people with disabilities can access the ODSP benefits they are entitled to. It also highlights gaps in the overall disability benefits system.”
http://www.streethealth.ca/Downloads/FailSum.pdf (Summary Report - pdf)
http://www.streethealth.ca/Downloads/FailFull.pdf (Full Report - pdf)
Income For Living? - “In May 2003, Human Resources Development Canada released the details of the Market Basket Measure or MBM for 2000. When the Council took its first look at the details, we thought that the MBM was a promising tool that would likely add a valuable dimension to the poverty debate. The Council [National Council on Welfare] believes that a fair market basket measure could add a helpful perspective to assessing the adequacy of Canada’s income support programs, particularly welfare. A major drawback to the MBM is the fact that we only have data for 2000. Without several years of information to look at, we cannot assess whether and how the new measure will help us to understand trends over time. It will take several years, therefore, before the Council will have a clearer picture of the MBM. The release of a new poverty measurement led the Council to revisit the poverty line debate and what it means for low-income Canadians. This report looks at what the new MBM and the existing commonly-used poverty line, the low income cut-offs or LICO, tell us about the situation of low-income people in four provinces. We look at four types of low-income families in the largest city in each of Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia and look at what their incomes would be if they were on welfare and if they had paid work. In doing our calculations, we looked at the effects on take-home pay of taxes and income support programs in each of the four provinces. . . . This project looks at the incomes for the four family types in our regular publication Welfare Incomes. The four family types are a single employable person; a single person with a disability; a single parent with one child two years old; and a couple with two children ages 10 and 15.” (Spring, 2004 - Thanks to CSRL for this link).
http://www.ncwcnbes.net/htmdocument/reportIFL/repIncomeForLiving.htm
Low Income in Canada: 2000-2002 Using the Market Basket Measure - (Human Resources and Social Development Canada). “The Market Basket Measure (MBM) is a recently-developed measure of low income based on the cost of a specified basket of goods and services. Three years of data based on this measure are now available. Therefore, an examination of the persistence of low income for various groups over the 2000 to 2002 period can be featured in this report. . . . Five socio-demographic groups among working-age adults have been identified as being disproportionately at risk of experiencing persistent low income - lone parents with at least one child under age 18; unattached individuals aged 45-64; persons with work-limiting physical or mental disabilities; persons immigrating to Canada within the past 10 years; and, Aboriginal Canadians living off-reserve. Two of these groups — unattached persons 45-64 and persons with work-limiting disabilities — had statistically significant improvements in their low income situation between 2000 and 2002. Changes for the other three groups were not statistically significant.”
http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/pkrf/publications/research/2002-000662/page00.shtmlhttp://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/pkrf/publications/research/2002-000662/SP-628-05-06e.pdf (pdf)
The Needs Of People With Psychiatric Disabilities During And After Hurricanes Katrina And Rita: Position Paper And Recommendations - (National Council on Disability). “In Fall of 2005, the destructive forces of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita wreaked an emotional as well as a physical toll on residents of the Gulf Coast region. Millions of Americans from across the country reached out to hurricane survivors, opening their homes and their hearts. Government employees at local, state and federal levels worked long and hard to help evacuate and rescue people in the Gulf Coast. Many of these people are still in the Gulf Coast helping to rebuild communities. In the months since the hurricanes devastated the Gulf Coast, media coverage of the hurricane survivors has waned. However, for hurricane survivors with psychiatric disabilities, the hurricanes’ destruction resulted in ‘trauma that didn’t last 24 hours, then go away. ... It goes on and on.’ Some of these challenges were unavoidable. As one government official said, ‘No one ever planned for ‘what happens when your social service infrastructure is completely wiped out.’ Nonetheless, many of the problems could have been avoided with proper planning. As a result of its research, NCD found that much pre-Katrina disaster planning did not contemplate the needs of people with psychiatric disabilities, and as a result, many people died or unnecessarily suffered severely traumatic experiences. This paper includes the following major findings and recommendations, as well as various specific recommendations for emergency management officials and policymakers at the local, state and federal levels.”
http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2006/peopleneeds.htm
The Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector in Ontario: Regional Highlights from the National Survey of Nonprofit and Voluntary Organizations - by Katherine Scott, Spyridoula Tsoukalas, Paul Roberts, David Lasby (Canadian Council on Social Development & Imagine Canada). “The nonprofit and voluntary sector is a vital contributor to our social and economic quality of life in Ontario. The sector delivers many critical services to communities across the province and plays a key role in bringing together and engaging citizens. Unfortunately, many organizations in Ontario face serious capacity challenges which impede their ability to fulfill their mission. The NSNVO data provides insight into the characteristics and challenges of nonprofit and voluntary organization in Ontario, and presents us with an opportunity to address those challenges.”
http://www.ccsd.ca/home.htm (CCSD home)
http://www.ccsd.ca/pubs/2003/fm/regional_reports/nvso_2006.pdf (pdf)
On The Front Lines Of Toronto’s Community Service Sector: Improving Working Conditions And Ensuring Quality Services - by Community Social Planning Council of Toronto and Family Service Association of Toronto “For many thousands of Toronto residents, the services provided by community-based non-profit organizations are life-changing, life-affirming, even life-saving. These organizations provide such services as home care for the sick and elderly, shelter for victims of abuse and homeless people, settlement assistance for immigrants and refugees, training and other employment supports for the jobless, and a variety of other services for vulnerable groups. The people who work on the front lines are committed to meeting the needs of their clients, providing high quality services and building stronger communities. They believe in what they do and they go the extra mile on behalf of individuals and groups who are often marginalized from mainstream society. But the conditions in which they work are becoming increasingly difficult.
• Some of them, for example, are given notice of possible layoff every year because of the insecurity of funding for their agency.
• To make a living in a low-wage sector, some travel long distances, at their own expense, to work for two or more agencies.
• Many smaller agencies can’t afford to pay benefits or provide pension plans. There is often little prospect of training or advancement.
• Some workers don’t have adequate space or privacy to meet with clients.
• Wages are not competitive with municipal, education and health workers. Wages are stagnating, while workloads are growing and inflation is rising.
• Lack of pay equity among workers doing similar work is an issue, as is discrimination against workers from racialized groups within the sector.
• Client waiting lists are growing longer and needs are becoming more complex, causing tension and staff burnout.
This is what life on the front lines of the community service sector looks like, according to research conducted by the Family Service Association of Toronto and the Community Social Planning Council of Toronto.”
http://www.socialplanningtoronto.org/Index3.htm http://www.socialplanningtoronto.org/CSPC-T%20Reports/Reports.htm (CSPC-T Reports -”Front Lines of Toronto’s Community Service Sector” is second from the top)
Out of the Shadows at Last: Transforming Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addiction Services in Canada - (Government of Canada). “The Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology released ‘Out of the Shadows at Last’, its fifth and final report on mental health, mental illness and addiction in Canada. The report is the culmination of over three years of extensive study and makes more than 100 recommendations designed to improve services for Canadians dealing with mental health issues.”
http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/ParlBus/commbus/senate/com-e/SOCI-E/press-e/08may06-e.htm (media release)
http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/ParlBus/commbus/senate/com-e/SOCI-E/rep-e/rep02may06-e.htm (html version)
http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/ParlBus/commbus/senate/com-e/SOCI-E/rep-e/pdf/rep02may06part1-e.pdf (Part 1 pdf - please note Part 1 is 300 pages long)
http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/ParlBus/commbus/senate/com-e/SOCI-E/rep-e/pdf/rep02may06part2-e.pdf (Part 2 pdf - please note that Part 2 is 259 pages long)
Towards a New Architecture for Canada’s Adult Benefits - by Ken Battle, Michael Mendelson and Sherri Torjman (Caledon Institute of Social Policy). “Since its creation in 1992, the Caledon Institute of Social Policy has worked to modernize Canada’s social security system. We have made the case for major changes not only to individual social programs, but also to the basic structures and functions − the ‘architecture’, to use the current vogue term − of social policy. This paper advances our work on the modernization agenda in a large area of Canadian social policy that has for the most part defied successful reform − income security programs and supportive services for working-age adults, which Caledon has dubbed ‘adult benefits.’ The first part of the paper explains why current programs −especially welfare and Employment Insurance, the two core adult benefits − fail to meet the needs of working-age Canadians, and argues that fundamental and comprehensive reform is required. The second part offers our thinking on how to build a new architecture for adult benefits.”
http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/PDF/594ENG.pdf
REHABILITATION
Randomised, controlled trial of alternating pressure mattresses compared with alternating pressure overlays for the prevention of pressure ulcers: PRESSURE (pressure relieving support surfaces) trial - by Jane Nixon, Gillian Cranny, Cynthia Iglesias, E Andrea Nelson, Kim Hawkins, Angela Phillips, David Torgerson, Su Mason, Nicky Cullum (BMJ). “To compare whether differences exist between alternating pressure overlays and alternating pressure mattresses in the development of new pressure ulcers, healing of existing pressure ulcers, and patient acceptability.”
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/332/7555/1413
SELF HELP
Crip College - (source: Paralinks). “Hi, my name is Christian Bagg and I’ve created this web site to share some of my stories about life in a chair, as well as to help spread the knowledge that we’ve all gathered in our everyday lives. This is intended to be a nice little resource centre for the aspiring wheelie. No matter the disability, we can all learn from each other. Have a look.”
http://www.cripcollege.com/Dating 4 disabled - “Dating 4 disabled is a disabled dating service and online community for disabled individuals. Our online community for the disabled will help you meet new friends, date, chat, blog and more.”
http://www.dating4disabled.com/DaVita: Recipes - (source: LII) “Collection of recipes suitable for diets of those suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetes, and those undergoing kidney dialysis. Includes recipes for ‘low protein, low sodium, low to moderate potassium, and low phosphorus’ diets and ‘moderate to high protein, low sodium, low potassium, and low phosphorus’ diets. From a company that provides dialysis services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney failure.”
http://www.davita.com/recipes/Review of Stepping Out of the Box Web Site - by Michael Burks (The International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet (ICDRI)). “This is without question one of the most inspirational web sites anywhere. Dedicated to teaching people about dealing with spinal cord injuries (SCI), it is a fantastic site. It is not devoted strictly to technical matters but the much more important matters of what is inside a person and how they can not only survive a spinal cord injury, but thrive.”
http://www.icdri.org/Reviews/SteppingOutOfTheBox.htmhttp://www.krisannpiazza.com/ (Stepping Out of the Box)
Tell Us Your Story: How You Rose Above Disability - (Beliefnet). “Beliefnet wants to put together a collection of stories and photographs of people with disabilities and faith. We want to hear your stories of inspiration and courage. Maybe you’ll find yourself in an upcoming feature on Beliefnet!”
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/196/story_19631_1.html
TECHNOLOGY
AT&T Awards $1 Million AT&T AccessAll Grant to Community Technology Centers’ Network to Provide Technology Resources for People with Disabilities - “The AT&T Foundation, the philanthropic arm of AT&T Inc., today announced a $1 million grant to the Community Technology Centers’ Network (CTCNet) to provide new technology resources for people with all types of disabilities, including learning disabilities. In collaboration with the Alliance for Technology Access (ATA), CTCNet will upgrade technology services and equipment to benefit people with disabilities at community technology centers nationwide.”
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/07-31-2006/0004406657&EDATE (News Release)
http://www.ctcnet.org/ (CTCNet)
Gadgets get the feel of the tactile world - by Paul Marks (New Scientist). “When it comes to interacting with computers, our sense of touch has been all but ignored. It’s the first sense we develop in the womb, yet for most of us rumbling games controllers or vibrating cellphones are just about the only devices that make use of it. That is set to change. Gadgets that stimulate our sense of touch, known as haptic devices, were once too expensive for most people to afford. Now the cost is coming down, and more revolutionary haptic contraptions are just over the horizon. . . Haptic devices will add a new dimension to communications, entertainment and computer control for everybody, and for people with visual impairment they promise to transform everyday life.”
http://www.newscientisttech.com/article/mg19125606.000?DCMP=NLC-nletter&nsref=mg19125606.000New gadgets help blind, but at a cost - by Aman Bathej (Star Telegram). “James Gashel held the small device a foot and a half above an Italian restaurant menu. He pushed a button and click, the electronically produced sound of a camera’s shutter. Thirty seconds later, a computerized voice began announcing the dinner selections. ‘Ravioli with meatballs,’ it told Gashel, executive director for strategic initiatives at the National Federation of the Blind. Then, the price: ‘Nine point nine five.’ The gadget, the Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader, has been the highlight of the federation’s annual convention this week in Dallas. Proponents say the mobile device, which can scan and read printed materials, represents a milestone in assistive technology. The device combines a digital camera and text recognition software and can read most documents. The product began selling Saturday at the convention for about $3,500.”
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/business/14961060.htmPromethean Releases Assistive-Technology Pointing Device Designed Specifically to Meet the Needs of Special Needs and Primary Education Students - (Yahoo Finance). “Promethean, a global leader in interactive learning technology, has released Activwand, a new device designed specifically to engage special needs and primary education students. The Activwand complements Promethean’s Activpen as another means to interact with the Promethean Activboard. Because the 21 inch Activwand makes it easier for special needs students and primary learners to reach and touch the Activboard interactive whiteboard, it enhances pupil engagement with the lesson and develops motor skills.”
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060705/cgw038.html?.v=61Target marketing via RFID to debut in Seattle - (PC Welt). “Some cafes and retail stores in Seattle next week will begin individually marketing products and services to bypassers in Seattle using RFID (radio frequency identification) technology. The first target group is visually and hearing-impaired individuals who can benefit from positioning and navigation applications added to the system.”
http://www.pcwelt.de/news/englishnews/NetworkingTelecommunication/112242/
WELLNESS
Exercise and disability: Physical activity is within your reach - (MayoClinic.com). “Exercise may present special challenges when you have a disability — but it’s not impossible. Get creative as you consider your options. Perhaps you have a physical disability. Or maybe you have a chronic condition that limits your mobility. You’re adjusting to your disability — but your doctor recommends you get more active. Take the recommendation to heart. Exercise can help you manage your weight, maintain your independence and improve your quality of life. Here’s help exploring your options.”
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/SM00042RRTC: Health & Wellness Consortium - (Health Wellness). “The RRTC on Health and Wellness is a Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) to conduct research and training to support the health and wellness of persons with long term disabilities.”
http://www.healthwellness.org/Wellness programs are worth every dollar you spend - “Health-care costs aren’t the only reason to have wellness programs. However, many companies dropped wellness programs in recent years as they turn to managed care health insurance plans. This is short-sighted because managing health-care costs is one of four reasons wellness programs make economic sense. In addition to reducing demand for medical services, wellness programs provide economic benefit by reducing absenteeism, reducing on-the-job injuries and workers’ compensation costs, and reducing disability-management costs.”
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/1997/03/31/focus5.htmlWomen With Disabilities Achieve Wellness Despite Barriers - (eMaxHealth). “Maintaining good health is especially challenging for our nation’s 26 million women with disabilities, say experts at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Barriers to accessing health care and lack of knowledge about wellness in the context of disability have resulted in substantially higher rates of diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and depression among women with physical limitations. ‘We have plenty of evidence that women with disabilities face incredible barriers to maintaining their health,’ said Dr. Margaret Nosek, executive director of the Center for Research on Women with Disabilities at BCM. ‘What we need to do now is let the women and those who care about them know that wellness is possible despite physical limitations’.”
http://www.emaxhealth.com/4/6231.html
CONFERENCES
(Conferences listed for the first time in DRD)
CANADIAN
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 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.htmThe 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/U.S.
2006 Call For Proposals - 28th International Conference on Learning Disabilities - Research in Context: A Capital Idea for 200 - October 20-22, 2006 | McLean, Virginia. “The Council for Learning Disabilities (CLD) invites proposals from the full range of professionals who serve individuals with learning disabilities, including classroom teachers, administrators, speech/language pathologists, diagnosticians, researchers, higher education teacher preparation faculty, consultants, and others.”
http://www.cldinternational.org/Conference/conference.aspASSETS 2006 Conference on Computers and Accessibility - October 23-25, 2006 | Portland, Oregon. “The ASSETS series of conferences is aimed at providing a technical forum for presenting and disseminating innovative research results that address the use of computing and information technologies to help persons with disabilities.”
www.acm.org/sigaccess/assets06/2006 TASH Conference - Call for Presentations - November 8-11, 2006 | Baltimore, Maryland. “The TASH Board and 2006 Conference Committee invite you to submit proposals for presentations that support and contribute to valued outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Proposals are sought that address how policy, research and practice converge to produce the full inclusion and active participation of individuals with disabilities in school, community, and employment settings. For 31 years, TASH members have advocated for and implemented progressive policy, practices, and research to ensure that all people - regardless of their label or perceived level of disability - have the supports they need to lead valued lives. TASH is dedicated to disseminating information that reflects value-based and evidence-based strategies to pursue equitable access, participation and full inclusion in school, community, and work for people labeled with disabilities - particularly those who are at most risk of being excluded from community life.”
http://www.tash.org/2006tash/index.htm
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 8-11, 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 11 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 Assistive Technology in the Spotlight - October 10-12, 2006 | Hong Kong. “From 10 to 12 October 2006, Hong Kong will be the venue for the first Assistive Technology Conference entitled ‘Assistive Technologies: Expanding a Universe of Opportunities for People with Disabilities’. The conference is the first in a series of three and is hosted by Assistive Technology News (ATN) and Concurrent Technologies Corporation Foundation (CTCF) with assistance from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Disabled Persons’ International and the Asia Pacific Centre on Disability. The aim of the conference is to expand the awareness of Assistive Technology (AT) products in the Asia-Pacific. Targeted audiences are individuals working in the areas of disability in the Asia-Pacific Rim and persons with a disability.”
http://www.paralympic.org/release/Main_Sections_Menu/News/Current_Affairs/2006_07_31_a.htmlARATA 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.phpMobility for all - The use of Ambient Intelligence in addressing the mobility needs of people with impairments: the case of ASK-IT - October 26-27, 2006 | Nice, France. “The ASK-IT International conference marks the two year point of this EU research funded project and the conference will provide the opportunity to take stock of the progress made in ASK-IT so far. It will also provide a unique occasion for different stakeholders, whether it be telecom providers, industry, user representatives, research institutes or local authorities, to gather together to discuss the role of Information Communication Technology in aiding and improving the everyday lives of mobility impaired people. It will include high level speakers and experts from around the world who will look at various issues, such as making content accessible, accessible tools and Ambient Intelligence. The conference will provide state-of-the-art information on accessibility initiatives in Europe and beyond.”
www.ask-it.org/conference/ASKIT_Callforpapers.php
DPI 7th World Assembly - “Asserting Our Rights, Celebrating Our Achievements and Building Our Future: Towards A Society For All” - December 1-4, 2006 | Johannesburg, South Africa.
http://www.dpi.org/en/events/events.htm