Disability Resource Digest

Volume 7, Issue 6 June 2007

The Disability Resource Digest (DRD) is a special project of SMD Alliance. SMD Alliance is based in Manitoba, Canada and provides strategic vision and policy direction to four SMD corporations: SMD Clearinghouse; SMD Foundation; SMD Ventures; and SMD Services.

The vision shared among the corporations is of a "community that supports the independence, participation, and empowerment of persons of all abilities." Each SMD corporation pursues a complementary mandate in working toward this vision.


The DRD is prepared primarily as an informational resource for consumers, professionals and publics interested in remaining current in disability related issues. An archive of past editions of the DRD is maintained on SMD's web site (http://www.smd.mb.ca).


Published monthly (with a single summer edition for July and August), the DRD presents summaries of, and URL addresses for, notable disability-related content on the world-wide web (WWW). The DRD focuses on recently posted content but also includes coverage of other web pages of interest. The URL addresses cited in the DRD are current at the time of publication. But as those posting content on the web often revise URL addresses, the addresses in the DRD may not remain current.


The DRD is prepared for SMD Alliance by The Project Group (TPG) Consulting Cooperative Ltd., a Winnipeg-based consulting firm. Neither SMD nor TPG are responsible for the accuracy or reliability of the content cited in the DRD.


Readers interested in learning more about SMD Alliance are invited to visit: http://www.smd.mb.ca or to contact the agency by e-mail at info@smd.ca. Readers are also invited to send comments and suggestions regarding the DRD to this same e-mail address.

ACCESSIBILITY

Accommodation and Compliance Series - "The Accommodation and Compliance Web Training Series brings JAN's nationally acclaimed training to your computer! The Series unites national experts on job accommodation and disability employment law to provide one-hour training opportunities via Webcasts. The Accommodation and Compliance Training Series provides a convenient opportunity for human resource managers, compliance officers, disability and diversity managers, and other professionals to discover ways to enhance an organization's ability to accommodate and employ people with disabilities. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for the training events. All Webcasts are on the second Tuesday of the month and begin at 2 pm EST. They are one hour long."
http://www.jan.wvu.edu/Teleconf/

DOJ Issues New Installment of ADA Technical Assistance Materials - "On December 5, 2006, February 27, 2007, and May 7, 2007, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice issued installments of a new technical assistance document designed to assist state and local officials to improve compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in their programs, services, activities, and facilities. The new technical assistance document, which will be released in several installments over the next ten months, is entitled 'The ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments.' The Tool Kit is designed to teach state and local government officials how to identify and fix problems that prevent people with disabilities from gaining equal access to state and local government programs, services, and activities. It will also teach state and local officials how to conduct accessibility surveys of their buildings and facilities to identify and remove architectural barriers to access."
http://www.aapd.com/News/adainthe/070509ncd.htm

Have the Drive of Your Life at the Mobility Roadshow - (Youreable). "Honda (UK) is the latest motor manufacturer to join the starting grid at this year's Mobility Roadshow that takes place on 19, 20 and 21 July at Kemble Airfield near Cirencester. With a number of adapted vehicles available to test drive either as driver or passenger, Honda joins Chevrolet, Citroen, Ford, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Saab, smart, Toyota and Vauxhall, along with other marques from distributor groups. Motability, a regular participant in this annual mobility event, will for the first time be offering test drive vehicles - drive-from-wheelchair Chrysler Voyagers fitted with the latest innovations in adaptations."
http://www.youreable.com/TwoShare/getPage/01News/01Current/May2007/mobility%20roadshow

Keep the Books Talking - (NFB). "A half-million Americans stand in danger of losing their public library. They are the nation's blind, and their library is Talking Books, through which the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress (NLS) provides 500,000 Americans with free audio recordings of about as many books. Unlike the 'books on tape' that are sold at retail bookstores, these recordings are unabridged, extensive and diverse -- and are designed for people who have no other way of reading print. Unfortunately, today's Talking Books technology is ready to meet its maker. The program currently uses half-speed audiotapes that patrons listen to on special devices. These tape players, like the Talking Books record players that preceded them, are obsolete, and are no longer even being manufactured. To bring the program into the 21st century, the NLS hopes to digitize its entire library and create new players. It has spent 17 years researching, building and testing new products, and it is ready to manufacture a fully accessible flash-drive player. The Library of Congress has asked Congress to appropriate about $76.4 million to produce the players and digitize thousands more books."
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=184

Updated WCAG 2.0 Working Draft Published - "An updated working draft of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0), addressing the accessibility of Web content for people with disabilities, was published on May 17, 2007. An overview of WCAG 2.0 provides links to a the WCAG Quick Reference document, as well as a high-level summary, WCAG 2 FAQ, the working draft, and other helpful documents. The updated working draft incorporates substantive changes made in response to public comments. Those interested in commenting on this draft should refer to the Call for Review. Deadline for comments is June 29, 2007."
http://trace.wisc.edu/news/archives/000244.php

ADVOCACY

Celebrating a Disability Rights Milestone: Ed Roberts' 504 Victory Speech - "Following is the text of a speech by Ed Roberts, one of WID's [World Institute on Disability] founders, at the 504 sit-in victory rally in San Francisco, April 30, 1977. We have chosen to reprint it to commemorate the 30th anniversary of this landmark event. Ed's speech captures his spirit, his vision and his commitment to the disability rights movement that was then in its infancy. The San Francisco sit-in, still the longest such action in a U.S. federal building, was part of a national cross-disability protest to force the Carter administration to sign regulations to enable the enforcement of section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The provision made it illegal for any federal agency, federal contractor or other entity receiving public funds to discriminate against anyone 'solely by reason of ...handicap.'"
http://www.wid.org/news/celebrating-a-disability-rights-milestone-ed-roberts-504-victory-speech/

"Every child, no matter how severe their disability, can learn about themselves" - by Katie Baldwin (YorkshireEveningPost). "A new tool to help teach puberty and sexuality to children with learning disabilities has already scooped a top award and now interest is building across the country. Katie Baldwin met the team behind it. SEX education can be controversial enough – with the differing views of parents and wider theories about how much children should be taught and at what age, it can be something of a minefield. When those children have learning disabilities, these issues can be magnified. Worries over how much they will understand and what they may do if given this knowledge seems to have meant that these groups of children were learning very little about sex and relationships."
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/features?articleid=2864117

Mother refuses aged care for her young daughter with disability - by Sharon Kennedy (abc.net.au). "When Susan Ball was told that the only option for her young daughter was a nursing home for the aged, she refused to accept that option. Now she's helping to set up a foundation which will provide a new form of accommodation for young people with disability. Anna was born with a ring chromosome 22 disorder, a disability was so rare, only 30 cases existed in the world at the time. Her mother was told that Anna would not 'walk or talk or perhaps even be a vegetable.' 'Our job was to ignore that prognosis,' says Susan. 'At the end of the day, it's about the quality of life…what can you do to make a difference and a quality life.' The family moved from Queensland to Victoria where Anna could learn Makaton, a symbolic language that was easy for her to learn and easy for others to understand."
http://www.abc.net.au/water/stories/s1927257.htm?backyard

United Cerebral Palsy Releases State Medicaid Rankings - (Ability Magazine). "United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) reports that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities being served by Medicaid are not getting the community-based supports they need in every State. The report, The Case for Inclusion 2007, ranks all 50 States and the District of Columbia. At the top of the list are: (1) Arizona, (2) Alaska, (3) Vermont, (4) Massachusetts, and (5) California. . . . At the bottom are (51) Mississippi, (50) Texas, (49) District of Columbia, (48) Ohio, and (47) Illinois. 'Every American wants the opportunity to live and work in their community,' said Stephen Bennett, President and CEO of United Cerebral Palsy. 'The top-performing states in our rankings do a better job promoting independence and productivity in safe, quality community settings, but we still have far too many people with disabilities not getting the service and supports they desperately want and need. We can and should do better.'"
http://www.abilitymagazine.com/news_Medicaid_Ranking.html

EDUCATION

Accreditation Concerns Remain for Gallaudet - by Susan Kinzie (deaftoday). "Gallaudet University's accreditation is still at risk months after protests shut down the campus in Northeast Washington for several days in the fall. An accreditation team visiting this week noted that progress has been made under the new administration but that serious concerns remain, according to President Robert Davila. The school has until November 2008 to achieve compliance, Davila said. Davila took office in January with enormous challenges: He came to a school paralyzed by protests over the woman who had been named the next president. Now, as teams of professors and administrators work together on plans to quickly improve the chronically low graduation rates, enrollment issues and ways of measuring student progress, the school is under scrutiny from several agencies at once."
http://www.deaftoday.com/v3/archives/2007/05/accreditation_c.html

Recording For The Blind & Dyslexic Launches Innovative Learning Through Listening® Support Website For Educators - "Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D), the nation's educational audiobook library for students of all ages who cannot read standard print effectively because of a learning disability, visual impairment or other physical disability, in an innovative collaboration with the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), announces the launch of a new, fully accessible educator support website at www.learningthroughlistening.org. The free service, entitled Learning Through Listening, is offered 24/7 as a powerful resource to assist all educators seeking to integrate listening skills into their classrooms, and is not limited to educators whose schools have RFB&D institutional memberships or whose students are enrolled as RFB&D individual members."
http://www.rfbd.org/mediaprltlsw.htm

EMPLOYMENT

Entering The World Of Work: What Youth With Mental Health Needs Should Know About Accommodations - (dol.gov). "Starting a job can be difficult for any young person. If you happen to have a hidden disability, such as a mental health impairment, a new workplace can be overwhelming. If you have ever felt this way, you are not alone. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15-44 is major depressive disorder (and this is only one type of mental health impairment). Along with questions about the job itself, you may have questions about when and how to disclose your disability. You may wonder if it is appropriate to ask for modifications in your new work setting. This fact sheet provides guidance to assist you with a successful transition into the workforce by answering questions regarding disclosure, accommodations and resources."
http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/transitioning.htm

Remploy to focus on mainstream - "Remploy has announced that they will be closing 32 of their 83 factories across the UK, and merging another 11. They will instead focus their funding on supporting disabled people into mainstream employment. RADAR is supportive of the direction that Remploy is proposing, which involves investing more in supporting disabled people to get and keep open employment, and less in subsidised factories. We believe that all disabled people have the right to undertake employment according to our abilities, regardless of impairment."
http://www.radar.org.uk/radarwebsite/tabid/165/default.aspx

Workplace SOLUTIONS - "Neil Squire SOLUTIONS is offering their assistive technology and ergonomic expertise directly to major corporations, businesses of all sizes and public enterprises and institutions. As the workforce ages and demands of the workplace change, valuable employees are more likely to develop conditions that involve impairment of their physical abilities – some relatively mild, some that present serious challenges. At the same time, many jobs require long hours at computers - resulting in ailments such as repetitive strain is taking an increasing toll on productivity and compensation costs."
http://www.neilsquire.ca/section.asp?catid=121&subid=130&pageid=512

ETHICS

Critical Care Without Consent Ethicists Disagree on Experimenting During Crises - by Rob Stein (washingtonpost.com). "The federal government is undertaking the most ambitious set of studies ever mounted under a controversial arrangement that allows researchers to conduct some kinds of medical experiments without first getting patients' permission. The $50 million, five-year project, which will involve more than 20,000 patients in 11 sites in the United States and Canada, is designed to improve treatment after car accidents, shootings, cardiac arrest and other emergencies. The three studies, organizers say, offer an unprecedented opportunity to find better ways to resuscitate people whose hearts suddenly stop, to stabilize patients who go into shock and to minimize damage from head injuries. Because such patients are usually unconscious at a time when every minute counts, it is often impossible to get consent from them or their families, the organizers say. "
http://www.aapd.com/News/bioethics/070529wp.htm

Genetic Testing + Abortion = ??? - by Amy Harmon (The New York Times on the web). "Sarahlynn Lester, 32, considers herself a supporter of abortion rights. She gives money to the National Abortion Rights Action League and volunteers for Planned Parenthood. But as a woman who continued a pregnancy after learning that her child would have Down syndrome, she also has beliefs about the ethics of choosing, or not choosing, certain kinds of children. 'I thought it would be morally wrong to have an abortion for a child that had a genetic disability,' . . . And many are finding that, while they support a woman's right to have an abortion if she does not want to have a baby, they are less comfortable when abortion is used by women who don't want to have a particular baby."
http://www.aapd.com/News/bioethics/070514nyt.htm

Haunting Echoes of Eugenics - by Andrew J. Imparato and Anne C. Sommers (washingtonpost.com). "In its preamble, the recently unveiled U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities recognizes 'the inherent dignity and worth and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.' We wonder what Oliver Wendell Holmes would have said about that. This month marked the 80th anniversary of the disgraceful Supreme Court decision in Buck v. Bell, which upheld Virginia's involuntary sterilization laws. In his majority opinion, Holmes declared: 'It is better for all the world, if instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime, or to let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind . . . Three generations of imbeciles is enough.' Although eugenics was eventually dismissed as 'junk science,' it didn't happen before states authorized more than 60,000 forcible sterilizations and segregated, institutionalized, and denied marriage and parental rights to those deemed 'genetically unfit.' Though society may be inclined to regard Holmes's detestable opinion in Buck v. Bell as a relic of a time past, eerie similarities exist in contemporary remarks of the well-respected."
http://www.aapd.com/News/aapdinthe/070519wp.htm

GENERAL INTEREST

CIGNA Provides Consumer Tools and Information in Support of Disability Insurance Awareness Month - "In about the time it takes to read this sentence, at least one person has suffered a disabling injury. According to the National Safety Council, a disabling injury occurs every four seconds. While such an injury might hinder a person's mobility or ability to participate in regular activities, importantly, it can dramatically affect a person's financial well-being if he or she is unable to continue working. Nearly three in 10 workers entering the workforce today will become disabled before retiring. And, disability causes nearly one half of all mortgage foreclosures. Although many people have life insurance to protect them, disabilities are much more likely than death to cause mortgage foreclosure."
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,102260.shtml

His disability led to a significant ability - by Jere Longman (The New York Times). "As Oscar Pistorius of South Africa crouched in the starting blocks for the 200 meters, the small crowd turned its attention to the sprinter who calls himself the fastest man on no legs. He wants to be the first amputee runner to compete in the Olympics. And he is forcing international track officials to confront whether the technology of his prosthetics gives him an unfair advantage over sprinters using their natural legs. His first strides last Sunday were choppy, a necessary accommodation to sprinting on a pair of j-shaped blades made of carbon fiber and known as Cheetahs. Pistorius was born without the fibula bone in his lower legs and with other defects in his feet. He had both legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old. At 20, his coach says, he is like a five-speed engine with no second gear."
http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/story/575844.html

The World on Wheels - The Disability Lexicon - (onMilwaukee.com). "I usually detest 'how tos', as I've already made clear. But sometimes, they really are needed. For instance, how to install a smoke alarm. How to solve a Rubix Cube. How to resist hanging yourself during a frustrating workday. Those are a few possibilities, but today's topic is: How to determine the proper adjective to use when describing a person with a disability. The language lexicon has been evolving since the dawn of time, and hopefully, so have people's understanding and attitudes about these conversational nuances. Basically, it's not real complicated. Simply use 'person with a disability' or 'person who has (insert disability here).' It's all about emphasizing the person rather than the disability. If you should have a Freudian slip and use only an adjective, 'disabled' is the safest, simplest and most accurate."

GOVERNMENT

CANADA

Deaf people not well served by Liberals - (deaftoday). "The province is failing in its role in ensuring all citizens are treated equally by dismantling American Sign Language programs and support services for deaf and hard of hearing children. The erosion of these services - in favour of oral or auditory-verbal programs - flies in the face of a court decision in 1989 that extended the right to the deaf to have ASL taught in classrooms. Some deaf students walked out of class at deaf schools across Ontario last week to press for their rights and to raise awareness of the issue. Advocacy groups sought audiences with Ontario and Ottawa by holding rallies at Queen's Park and on Parliament Hill."
http://www.deaftoday.com/v3/archives/2007/05/deaf_people_not.html

Ontario fights lawsuit over disability support program – (cbcnews)."A class-action lawsuit filed against Ontario on behalf of disabled people seeking government support should be thrown out, government lawyers will argue in court this week. The lawsuit, which must still be certified to proceed, was launched last year on behalf of all applicants to the Ontario Disability Support Program, which currently provides about $1,000 a month to 177,000 Ontario residents who can't work because of a severe disability."
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2007/05/29/ot-disability-070529.html

U.S.

Updates Expected for Americans with Disabilities Act - by Rodd Cayton (pe.com). "In 1990, Congress set out to ensure that disabled people could shop, work or ride a train as easily as everyone else. It appears, at least in some quarters, to have been a successful effort. Proposed new rules to the Americans With Disabilities Act due this summer, advocates said, should probably be focused on clarifying who counts as disabled under the law and getting businesses and government entities to comply, rather than adding new requirements. The U.S. Department of Justice will propose new rules related to the act sometime in the next few months, spokeswoman Cynthia Magnuson said. Proposed requirements being considered include:
• Visible workplace alarms, which would allow deaf and hard-of-hearing employees to be made aware of an emergency situation.
• Additional wheelchair-accessible seating at stadiums, theaters and other entertainment venues, spread out at varying distances from the stage or screen.
• One in every six accessible parking spaces to be van accessible, up from one of eight.
• TTY, or text telephone, equipment in all buildings with four or more public telephones.
• Wider doorways and entrances to galley kitchens, public restrooms, hotel rooms and public housing."
http://www.aapd.com/News/adainthe/070529pe.htm

HEALTH/WELLNESS

Dalys System For 'Measuring' Disability Needs To Be Replaced - "DALYs (disability-adjusted life years) - the frequently used indicator for relative effects of public health interventions which specifically incorporate disability - need to be updated or replaced, says a Viewpoint in this week's edition of The Lancet. Dr Daniel Mont, Disability and Development Team, The World Bank, Washington DC, USA, says that the notion of disability embodied in DALYs does not accord with that in the World Health Organisation's (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). He says: 'Disability and health are difficult concepts to measure. In fact, the appropriate measure of disability depends on the reason behind its measurement.'"
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=70466

LEGAL

Washington High Court Rejects Regulation Reduced Aid for Disabled in 'Shared Living' - (BNA). "A Washington Medicaid regulation that reduces the amount of paid care for disabled residents living with caregivers violates federal law, the state's supreme court ruled May 3 (Jenkins v. Washington Department of Social and Health Services, Wash., No. 78652-6, 5/3/07). The Washington Supreme Court said that the Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) regulation, which reduces the number of hours of paid aid available to disabled individuals by 15 percent when they are in a 'shared living' arrangement, was invalid because it violated the federal comparability requirements in 42 U.S.C. §1396."
http://www.aapd.com/News/medicaid/070510bna.htm

MEDIA

CBC yanks disability docs - by Jenny Yuen (NowToronto). "After a decade on the air, the CBC announced recently that it will axe its weekly disabilities documentary TV show, Moving On. Declining ratings are being blamed, but the Canadian Media Guild (CMG), the union representing workers at the show, says the cancellation reflects just how far off the radar disabilities issues have fallen. Says CMG spokesperson Karen Wirsig , 'The political pressure is off, unfortunately. It's in that context that the show is being cancelled, and it's a tragedy.' Three producers and a number of administrative staff will be reassigned to local or regional news and current affairs programs, which will have different disability themes, according to CBC spokesperson Jeff Keay. He adds that the network sees this approach as the best way to gain increased exposure for disabilities issues."
http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2007-05-31/news_story11.php

Clearly, Frankly, Unabashedly Disabled - by Mireya Navarro (The New York Times on the web). "When Josh Blue won NBC's 'Last Comic Standing' last season, he did so with riffs like this: 'My right arm does a lot of crazy stuff. Like the other day, I thought someone had stolen my wallet.' It's funny only if you know that Mr. Blue has cerebral palsy. The public image of people with disabilities has often hinged on the heroic or the tragic. But Mr. Blue, 28, represents the broader portrait of disability now infusing television and film. This new, sometimes confrontational stance reflects the higher expectations among many members of the disabled population that they be treated as people who happen to have a disability, rather than as people defined by disability."
http://www.aapd.com/News/disability/070514nyt.htm

Disability film fest focuses on achievers - by Brenda Payton, (insidebayarea.com). "Just a few years ago, a reporter told Liane Yasumoto that the International Disability Film Festival, held each year in Berkeley, wasn't worth a story. 'No one wants to go and get depressed,' Yasumoto quoted the reporter as saying. Now, the festival is attracting media attention and a growing audience. Two weeks before the 27th festival this year, someone from New York City was already inquiring about the date of next year's. 'It's growing. It's exciting,' Yasumoto said. This year, the festival received 45 entries from 10 countries. Thirteen were chosen as award winners. 'More than ever, there is a diverse representation of the types of disabilities — polio, learning disabilities, little people, blindness, Down syndrome. We didn't plan it that way. I think a person new to the field would be entertained and educated,' Yasumoto said."
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_5985138

Freedom Machines - (ICDRI). "Freedom Machines, an award-winning PBS documentary, is an engaging overview of the vital role of technology and universal design in the lives of children and adults with a range of disabilities. A terrific resource for policymakers, designers, teachers, and facilitators to help others step back and look at the big picture: the powerful effect on human lives of the choices we make in our designs. Available now in an enhanced bilingual (English-Spanish) DVD, Freedom Machines is now a state-of-the-art fully accessible digital product with talking menus, audio description, captions, additional chapters and web-enabled resources."
http://www.icdri.org/Assistive%20Technology/FreedomMachines.htm

From the Creators of Normal People Scare Me, comes a Film about Siblings & Disabilities: The Sandwich Kid - (Ability Magazine). " Keri Bowers, co-director of the hit film, Normal People Scare Me; a film about autism, has teamed up with her son Jace to share the story of brothers and sisters functioning in their daily lives with a sibling having a variety of disabilities, including cerebral palsy, mental retardation, Downs syndrome, autism, and others. 'The Sandwich Kid' is the vehicle to bring this underreported issue to light."
http://www.abilitymagazine.com/news_Sandwich_Kid.html

Performing Arts Studio West Opens Brilliant New Play - Even If They Do Say So Themselves - (Ability Magazine). "The National Cesspool! is PASW's third original musical and combines a talented ensemble cast, traditional Broadway show elements and the fast paced style of contemporary music videos. It is a brilliant showcase that exemplifies the acting, singing, dance and technical talents of the studio's clients and staff.' says PASW founder John Paizis. . . . PASW is a privately owned, state funded acting, music, dance and production studio staffed by entertainment industry professionals that offers classes and work opportunities to performers with developmental and other closely related disabilities. The only facility of its kind in the world, PASW opened its doors in 1998 and has served hundreds of performers with skill development (both creative and technical), live performance opportunities, talent management and placement. PASW clients have appeared in over 650 roles in theater, film, television, commercial, industrial, voice-over and print ad projects – in just the last four years!"
http://www.abilitymagazine.com/news_PASW.html

MEDICAL

Death and Disability from Brain Injury Reduced, Emory Researchers Report – (HealthNewsDigest.com). "A study by Emory University researchers that found giving progesterone to trauma victims shortly following brain injury may reduce the risk of death and the degree of disability was recently highlighted in the April 2007 Annals of Emergency Medicine. About 1.5 to 2 million people in the U.S. sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year, leading to 50,000 deaths and 80,000 new cases of long-term disability. It also is a major cause of death and disability among children and military personnel. Despite the enormity of the problem, scientists have failed to identify effective medications to improve outcomes following a TBI. In fact, no new medical therapies have been developed for traumatic brain injuries in over 30 years."
http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Research_270/Death_and_Disability_from_Brain_injury_Reduced_Emory_Researchers_Report.shtml

Medical, disability costs may exceed war outlay - (The Register-Guard). "The cost of fighting the Iraq war has reached nearly $400 billion, and the Congressional Research Service of the U.S. Library of Congress estimates that the price tag goes up each week by another $2 billion. However, providing medical and disability benefits to seriously wounded Iraq war veterans for the next 40 years could add another $350 billion to $700 billion to the total cost of the war, according to a study by Linda Bilmes, public policy lecturer at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Four U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs rehabilitation centers - in Richmond, Va.; Tampa, Fla.; Minneapolis, Minn.; and Palo Alto, Calif. - already have been upgraded to regional polytrauma rehabilitation status. This means they can provide acute, intensive rehabilitation for tens of thousands of wounded veterans who, in past wars, would not have survived their injuries."
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2007/05/27/a1.warcost.0527.p1.php?section=cityregion

POLICY/RESEARCH

Foucault and the Government of Disability - by Shelley Lynn Tremain (mentalhelp.net). "The Question is not what is real, but which reality is important. Michael Foucault, the prolific French philosopher cum sociologist, was all about difference and the means by which people were marginalized in history and by society. Curiously, he never wrote about 'disability' although he was at his most prolific in the decades that saw the birth of the modern 'disability movement'. Shelley Tremain, editor of a new reader, Foucault and the Government of Disability, seeks to rectify that lack through a series of chapters that attempt to apply Foucault's thinking to the debate over the meaning of physical and cognitive difference. Like the work of Foucault itself, the contributions to this volume are enticing, frustrating, and ultimately, unsatisfactory. Shelly Tremain's long chapter introducing the volume, for example, is the best of the bunch. It offers a superb introduction to Foucault and his writing. It fails, however, in its application, almost wholly ignoring the history of 'sociopolitical conceptions of disability' to focus on Foucault's concerns over legitimization and power. 'For during the past two centuries, in particular, a vast apparatus, erected to secure the well-being of the general population, has caused the contemporary disabled subject to emerge into discourse and social existence,' she writes."
http://mentalhelp.net/books/books.php?type=de&id=3636

Reading and Writing Disability Differently: The Textured Life of Embodiment - "Mixing rigorous social theory with concrete analysis, Reading and Writing Disability Differently unpacks the marginality of disabled people by addressing how the meaning of our bodily existence is configured in everyday literate society. Tanya Titchkosky begins by illustrating how news media and policy texts reveal dominant Western ways of constituting the meaning of people, and the meaning of problems, as they relate to our understandings of the embodied self. Her goal is to configure disability as something more than a problem, and beyond simply a positive or a negative, and to treat texts on disability as potential sites to examine neo-liberal culture. Titchkosky holds that through an exploration of the potential behind limited representations of disability, we can relate to disability as a meaningful form of resistance to the restricted normative order of contemporary embodiment."
http://www.fabula.org/actualites/article18998.php

SSI Annual Statistical Report, 2005 - "Since 1974, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program has guaranteed a minimum level of income for needy aged, blind, or disabled individuals. Each year, we issue a report that presents data on the SSI program and the people who receive benefits from it. The report covers such topics as federal benefit rates and total annual payments, federally administered payments, work incentives, applications, outcomes of applications, awards, denials, and suspension of benefits." (released May, 2007)
http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/ssi_asr/2005/index.html

SSI Disabled Recipients Who Work, 2006 - "Since its implementation in 1974, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program has included certain provisions to encourage blind and disabled recipients to work while allowing them to retain their eligibility and exclude a portion of their income from counting against their SSI payment. This report provides data on all SSI blind and disabled recipients who work, those who retain eligibility for special cash benefits when their earnings exceed the substantial gainful activity level, those who retain Medicaid eligibility when their earnings make them ineligible for any cash payments, and those who participate under work incentive provisions." (released April, 2007)
http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/ssi_workers/2006/index.html

UN experts examine disability issues, family support - (UN.org). "Families of persons with disabilities should be equipped with the resources to provide adequate care and avoid institutionalization, several experts said at a panel discussion today at the United Nations. 'Governments need to assist families with persons with disabilities, making them able to support their disabled members,' said Alexei Tulbure, Moldova's Permanent Representative to the UN, who will chair the next session of the Commission on Social Development in 2008. 'We must do everything in our power to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, using families to achieve this goal,' he said. Most Eastern European countries with economies in transition had significant problems in supporting families with persons with disabilities, Mr. Tulbure said. Moldova had some 12,000 children – many of them with disabilities – in institutions because their parents could not afford to take care of them or had left for other countries in search of work."
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=22557&Cr=disabilities&Cr1=

REHABILITATION

Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development (44:2, 2007) - Special Topic issue on Pain and Pain Management. Below is a sampling of some of the articles:
• Effects of depression and pain severity on satisfaction in medical outpatients: Analysis of the Medical Outcomes Study
• Prevalence and correlates of posttraumatic stress disorder and chronic severe pain in psychiatric outpatients
• Efficacy of selected complementary and alternative medicine interventions for chronic pain
http://www.rehab.research.va.gov/jour/07/44/2/pdf/contents.pdf (this is a listing of articles - all are available in full-text. There are 16 articles in total).

TECHNOLOGY

Bionic ear inventor wins German award - (The Age). "The inventor of the Cochlear bionic ear, Melbourne University scientist Professor Graham Clark, has been awarded Germany's highest accolade in neuroscience. Professor Clark will receive the 2007 Klaus Joachim Zulch prize for his research into neuroscience and the Cochlear implant, giving hearing to the deaf. He shared the prize with Dr John Donoghue who leads the brain science program at Brown University in the United States."
http://www.deaftoday.com/v3/archives/2007/05/bionic_ear_inve.html

Emerging Technology Overview Available - (trace). "This new resource provides a glimpse into the future of information and communications technologies (ICT). The images and references in this overview provide a sense of how future technology could impact disability access research, development, and policy. Instead of creating a compendium of the latest technology advances, Trace staff selected items for inclusion in this overview because they illustrate significant changes that consumer groups, researchers, product developers, standards bodies, and government regulators should be aware of. Included are technologies currently in research and development, some that have been demonstrated in the laboratory as prototypes, and products that are already commercially available."
http://trace.wisc.edu/tech-overview/

The face that launched a thousand chips - by Laura Crimaldi (Boston Herald). "A 5-year-old quadriplegic girl from Italy is now just a 'clicca' away from using her computer thanks to the innovative work of a University of Massachusetts at Lowell electrical engineering student inspired by the wheelchair-bound child's darling face. 'She has this million-dollar smile, a great smile,' said UMass-Lowell graduate Michael Darish, 50, of Andover, who kept a picture of a beaming Anna Magliano in the laboratory where he spent 1years developing voice recognition technology for the spunky girl. Two years ago, Anna's father, Andrea Magliano, wrote to the Assistive Technology Program at UMass-Lowell seeking voice-activated technology to help his daughter master her computer's mouse. Anna, who was paralyzed in a car accident at age 2 and who uses a breathing tube, had been using a head-pointing device called 'Tracker Pro' to control the computer cursor, but she struggled with the all-important click, drag, drop feature, Darish said."
http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=1003433

Training and Reminder System for Persons with Attention Disorders - "The WatchMinder2 is the second generation of the WatchMinder, an assistive device to help people with attention deficit disorder (A.D.D.), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (A.D.H.D.), learning disorders, (L.D.) and chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. The watch is a valuable tool for clinical trials research and improves subject compliance. It can be programmed as a medication reminder for home health care patients or the elderly and can assist in weight loss, smoking cessation and behavior modification programs. The watch is also beneficial to deaf and hard of hearing persons, stroke survivors and their caregivers, and to persons with Alzheimer's and memory dysfunction. The watch is useful for developing independent living skills."
http://www.biof.com/onlinestore/watchminder.asp

Web Interface Offers a "New Voice" to People with Speech-Limitations - (Ability Magazine). "A new calling service available to those with speech limitations allows individuals to place phone calls and communicate via a Web-based assistive service. With Sentient Solutions' new service, called Sitris, subscribers are able to select from a variety of natural sounding individualized voices. According to Sentient Solutions, Sitris' feature of offering voices to fit the subscriber's personality is credited for positive initial responses from users who suggest they are being provided with a renewed sense of confidence, independence and privacy when using the telephone. With more than 2 million Americans living with a range of vocal disabilities, Sitris is marketed to benefit persons with Cerebral Palsy (CP), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), laryngectomees, a stroke, brain trauma, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), motor neuron disease, or anyone who struggles to be understood when using the telephone."
http://www.abilitymagazine.com/news_sitris.html

CONFERENCES

(New Conferences)

CANADIAN

2007 RehabNet Conference - June 14-15, 2007 | Toronto, Ontario. "In Canada, there has been an increased recognition of the importance of accountability in respect to quality of patient care and patient safety in the healthcare system. However, most of the attention has been on developing methods and standards for acute care facilities and very little has been published about patient safety initiatives in rehabilitation settings. Necessary risk-taking is another important consideration as one re-integrates into their environment with a new disability. This is particularly evident for children and adolescents with physical impairments as they grow into independent adults. The 2007 RehabNet Conference is a two-day event recognizing the unique challenges around patient safety and the ethical dimensions of balancing safety measures and necessary risk-taking in rehabilitation. In relation to this year's theme 'Achieving Patient Safety, Respecting Patients' Choices', the conference will provide an opportunity for clinicians, administrators, academics and policy makers to share experiences, research and best practices on the current trends and future directions of rehabilitation."
http://www.torontorehab.com/education/rehabnet/Conference.htm

Festival of International Conferences on Disability, Aging and Technology - June 16-19, 2007 | Toronto, Ontario. "The Festival of International Conferences on Caregiving, Disability, Aging and Technology (FICCDAT) will bring together five important and different conferences all focused on enhancing the lives of seniors, persons with disabilities and their family caregivers."
• Growing Older with a Disability
• The 2nd International Conference on Technology and Aging (ICTA)
• Advances in Neurorehabilitation
• Caregivers: Essential Partners in Care
• Improving Medical Device Usability (CMBES)
http://www.ficdat.ca/

TRANSED 2007 - 11th International Conference on Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Disabled Persons - June 18-22, 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 18-22, 2007, at the Palais des Congrès in Montréal under the theme 'Benchmarking, Evaluation and Vision for the Future'. The conference will review advances in research, evoke international break throughs and explore perspectives for technological innovations in order to respond to the mobility challenges of an aging population and of persons with disabilities, as part of an inclusive society."
http://www.tc.gc.ca/pol/en/Transed2007/home.htm

The 9th International Conference on Low Vision - July 7-11, 2008 | Palais des Congrès de Montreal, Quebec. "In 2008, the 9th International Conference on Low Vision will be held from July 7 to 11 in Montréal, one of Canada's major cities. The Institut Nazareth & Louis-Braille (A Rehabilitation Centre specialized in visual impairment) and the University of Montréal's School of Optometry will oversee the organization of this Conference in partnership with the CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind) under the auspices of the International Society for Low Vision Research and Rehabilitation (ISLRR). The Organizing Committee is already at work to make this conference both informative and entertaining. The Conference will feature plenary and concurrent sessions during which distinguished academics and researchers will present the results of their work on vision science research, services of rehabilitation and psychosocial aspects of reintegration. An exhibition and poster sessions will also be held."
http://www.opto.umontreal.ca/vision2008/

The 12th World Congress of the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics - Moving Beyond Disability - July 29-August 3, 2007 | Vancouver, British Columbia. "Welcome to the web page for the ISPO 2007 World Congress. The ISPO World Congress is the premiere global event for multidisciplinary prosthetic and orthotic care. The ISPO Canada National Society is pleased to welcome you to Vancouver to enjoy the scientific sessions, workshops and symposia, expansive trade exhibits, and active social programs."
http://www.ispo.ca/congress/

Mobility Cup 2007 - August 28-September 1, 2007 | Halifax, Nova Scotia. - "An international regatta for people with significant physical disabilities will sail into Halifax in 2007. The Mobility Cup regatta is North America's flagship for sailors with physical disabilities. The event was first hosted in 1991 and has been growing ever since as it travelled across Canada - but this will be its first appearance in Atlantic Canada. Mobility Cup 2007 will be run by Sail Able Nova Scotia and hosted at the Dartmouth Yacht Club. It will run from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1, to include one day's training and four of racing. Sailing will be on the Bedford Basin, a sheltered body of water two miles wide and five miles long - where the WWII Atlantic convoys would gather."
http://v1.dpi.org/lang-en/events/details?page=803

Open Forum on: "Supporting Human Diversity Through Inclusive Design – The Role of Standards" - September 13-14, 2007 | Toronto, Ontario. "The overall goal of the forum is to advance the inclusive design of emerging and future educational systems, by:
• identifying and addressing the challenges to inclusion,
• harnessing the potential benefits of emerging technologies and systems to address the needs of individuals with alternative access requirements,
• infusing inclusive design into the foundation architectures of emerging technologies so that inclusion will be a foundational characteristic of future developments, and by
• developing inclusive practices in computer mediated education that are innovative and sustainable;
. . . such that no one is excluded from optimizing their potential through learning."
http://www.utoronto.ca/atrc/openforum.html

International Open Forum on "Supporting Human Diversity Through Inclusive Design" - September 17-21, 2007 | Toronto, Canada. "This International Open Forum on 'Supporting Human Diversity Through Inclusive Design' is being held in conjunction with the September 2007 International Plenary Meeting of the IT Standardization for Learning, Education and Training, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC36, the international standards committee responsible for information technology standards in the fields of learning, education and training, i.e. 'e-learning'. This International Plenary Meeting will bring together delegates from over 22 countries as well as liaison organizations to Toronto from 17th to 21st of September 2007. This two-day Open Forum serves as an opportunity for a wider public debate on the challenges for international standards development for inclusion in elearning and to promote better awareness of the need for the same globally, across Canada and in Ontario."
http://openforum.elsacc.ca/

U.S.

Postsecondary Disability Training Institute - June 12-16, 2007 | Saratoga Springs, New York. "Sponsored by the University of Connecticut Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability. This Training Institute will assist concerned professionals to meet the unique needs of college students with disabilities. Participants can select from a variety of strands and single sessions taught by experts in the field. Attendees will have opportunities to share information and to network with each other at various activities throughout the week."
www.cped.uconn.edu/07pti.htm

RESNA 2007 - June 15-19, 2007 | Phoenix, Arizona. "RESNA 2007 will feature assistive technology's leading researchers, renowned clinicians and policy experts creating a conference program with unmatched levels of knowledge and expertise. RESNA presenters and attendees will experience a surprisingly intimate conference environment where:
• information is contemporary and innovative
• uncommon questions find in-depth answers
• sharing knowledge, ideas, and experiences is easy, and
• new connections last a lifetime.
RESNA 2007 will offer an exciting Exhibit Hall featuring product demonstrations and training sessions, two days of Pre-Conference Instructional Courses, and 3 full-days of Workshops, Interactive Poster Sessions, Themed Paper Sessions and distinguished speakers."
http://www.resna.org/Conference/Conference.php

Autreat 2007 - June 25-29, 2007 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. "Autreat is a retreat-style conference run by Autism Network International, for autistic people and our families, professionals, friends and supporters. We are accepting proposals for workshops to be presented at Autreat 2007, to be held Monday-Friday, June 25-29, 2007, in metropolitan Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."
http://v1.dpi.org/lang-en/events/details?page=841

American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) 20th Biennial Convention - June 28-July 2, 2007 | St. Augustine, Florida. "The ASDC biennial conference gives parents the opportunity to attend educational workshops, discover resources, and to network. ASDC is a national nonprofit organization to empower parents of deaf and hard of hearing children through the highest quality services and programs."
www.deafchildren.org/convention.aspx

18th Annual APSE Conference, Employment for All - Show Me The Future - It 's Bigger Than You Think - July 16-18, 2007 | Kansas City, Missouri. "APSE: The Network on Employment is known for hosting the most informative and stimulating conferences on disability and employment in the country. It is the only national annual meeting that focuses exclusively on cutting edge employment practices for individuals with more challenging disabilities."
http://www.apse.org/documents/confbroFINAL.pdf

AHEAD conference 2007 - July 17-21, 2007 | Charlotte, North Carolina. "The annual international AHEAD conference brings together professionals in the fields of higher education and disability for a week of information-sharing, networking and theoretical and practical training."
http://www.ahead.org/training/conference/2007_conf/AHEAD_2007_Conference.htm

Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning - July 23 - 26, 2007 | Wakefield, Massachusetts. "In today's schools, the mix of students is more diverse than ever. Educators are challenged to teach all kinds of learners to high standards; a one-size-fits-all approach to education simply does not work. If you are a state, district or school leader, attend this four-day institute to learn how to address the diverse needs of student populations. Imagine that students who have always been left behind finally have the opportunity to learn ... and to love learning. The solution, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provides a blueprint for creating flexible goals, methods, materials, and assessments that accommodate learner differences."
http://www.cast.org/pd/institute/index.html

National Federation of the Blind Youth Slam - A 2007 STEM Leadership Academy - July 30-August 4, 2007 | Baltimore, Maryland. "The largest gathering of blind youth ever. This four-day academy will engage and inspire the next generation of blind youth to consider careers falsely believed to be impossible for blind people to enter. While staying at Johns Hopkins University, youth will be mentored by blind role models during fun, challenging, and inspiring activities meant to stretch the imagination, build confidence, and increase science literacy. Activities will take place with support from partners such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering, and other institutions and corporations working in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The NFB Youth Slam will culminate in an inspiring rally at Baltimore's Inner Harbor and a celebration at the center of innovation in the field of blindness—the NFB Jernigan Institute."
http://www.blindscience.org/ncbys/Youth_Slam.asp?SnID=1479761418

Pittsburgh Employment Conference for Augmented Communicators (PEC) - August 3-5, 2007 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "SHOUT, a 501( c )3 nonprofit corporation, has as its mission advocacy for employment of people who rely on augmentative communication. As part of its mission, SHOUT has hosted eight, three-day Pittsburgh Employment Conferences for Augmented Communicators (PEC@) in the past 10 years. With hundreds of attendees
drawn from four continents, PEC@ is the only conference in the world focused on employment outcomes for people who use augmentative communication."
http://www.sciconics.com/shout/index.html

Job Accommodation Network Conference 2007 - Empowering Employers to Build an Inclusive Workforce - August 6-7, 2007 | Arlington, Virginia. "Acquire knowledge and skills to accommodate employees with disabilities, comply with the ADA, and develop innovative employment practices. JAN staff and other experts will answer questions such as:
• How does an employer recruit, hire, retain, promote, and accommodate employees with disabilities?
• What strategies have employers implemented to facilitate successful and cost-effective accommodations?
• What do laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) say about employing individuals with disabilities?"
http://conference.jan.wvu.edu/

Midnight Sun Assistive Technology Conference 2007 - August 7-9, 2007 | Anchorage, Alaska. "Assistive Technology of Alaska (ATLA) in collaboration with various statewide partners in government, education, independent living, and vocational rehabilitation is proud to host the Midnight Sun Assistive Technology Conference to be held in Anchorage from August 7th, 8th, and 9th. Prior to the conference, the California State University Northridge (CSUN) Center on Disabilities will make available their Assistive Technology Applications Certificate Program (ATACP) on August 5 - 6 which offers current knowledge and skills to service providers, educators, professionals and private individuals in the rapidly growing field of Assistive Technology. The Midnight Sun Assistive Technology Conference will provide the opportunity to see first hand the latest in assistive technologies (AT), practices, and services for people with disabilities. The conference will serve as a unique opportunity for vendors, professionals, private individuals, and service providers to exchange and gather information on the world of AT. Whether you are an AT supplier, service provider, or are just interested in seeing the latest in AT, you'll want to join us in the land of the Midnight Sun for this one of a kind opportunity, all while visiting the beauty of Alaska."
http://www.akatconf.com/

2007 Southwest Conference - October 3-5, 2007 | Albuquerque, New Mexico. "The 2007 Southwest Conference on Disability will be held October 3-5, 2007 at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Conference organizers are excited to announce that the 2007 conference will be held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the National Association on State Units on Aging."
http://cdd.unm.edu/swconf/

Ninth International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility - October 14-17, 2007 | Tempe, Arizona. "This year, the ASSETS conference will host the second annual SIGACCESS student research competition (sponsored by Microsoft Research). This is an exciting opportunity for students to participate in an ACM conference and get visibility for their research. Students wishing to participate submit abstracts of their work, and up to 25 entrants will be selected for the competition. Qualifying research must deal with issues related to computing and information technology to help persons with disabilities. Selected students will receive partial support from ACM to attend the conference. At the conference, entrants will display a poster and make a brief presentation to a panel of judges. A small number of semifinalists will be chosen by the judges to present their work in a conference session, and of those up to three undergraduate and three graduate students will be designated finalists by the judges, and entered in the Grand Finals of ACM's Student Research Competition."
http://www.acm.org/sigaccess/assets07/

OVERSEAS

2007 Clin d'oeil Festival - June 29-30, 2007 | Rheims, France. "Good morning, welcome to the new site of the 2007 Clin d'oeil Festival. For the 3d time the pluridisciplinary meetings will welcome deaf artists from all over Europe to put on shows, artistic exhibitions, professional stands and screen films in and out of audiovisual competition."
http://www.clin-doeil.eu/lang2/index.html

Virtual Rehabilitation 2007 - September 27-29, 2007 | Venice, Italy. "[I]t is with great pleasure that I welcome you in Venice for the event of 'Virtual Rehabilitation 2007', the 6th International Workshop on Virtual Rehabilitation. After the previous experiences in USA and Switzerland, the traditional sequence of meetings will continue in Venice with the purpose to overview the most recent advances in technology and their application to neurorehabilitation."
http://www.aristea.com/iwvr2007/

14th Deafblind International (Dbl) World Conference - September 25-30, 2007 | Perth, Australia. "The 14th Deafblind International World Conference will be held in Perth at the Burswood Entertainment Complex, from Tuesday 25th to Sunday 30th September 2007 inclusive. Exciting international and national speakers will form part of the Conference program based around the Conference theme. An estimated 1000 delegates will attend the Conference from the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe and from Asia and the countries of the Pacific. Registrants will be
• International, national and local health and disability professionals and service providers;
• World recognised experts in deafblindness;
• Representatives from the international blind and deafblind communities."
http://www.dbiconference2007.asn.au/

Techshare - October 4-5, 2007 | London, United Kingdom. - "The Techshare conference highlights the role of technology in the everyday life of people with disabilities. Techshare 2007 will be held on 4-5 October at Novotel London West, London, UK. With Pre-conference workshops held at the same venue on 3 October. The conference is aimed at professionals who work in the disability field, or have an interest in technology. Packed with presentations and workshops, Techshare is a fantastic opportunity to meet with experts and other professionals in your field. Techshare has in the past been an event just for those interested in technology and sight loss, but for 2007 we are broadening out the event to cover all disabilities."
http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/PublicWebsite/public_abouttechshare.hcsp

19th IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics - July 5-9, 2009 | Paris, France. "Every four years, the World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics represents a unique and irreplaceable event attended by experts from around the world to discuss the latest findings in the field of ageing. The 19th congress, which is taking place in Paris in 2009, is particularly important, as it coincides with an ideological u-turn. Lifespan extension and the
growing number of elderly people, once considered as catastrophic, are now viewed as an indisputable progress."
http://www.gerontologyparis2009.com/site/view8.php