Disability Resource Digest
Volume 6, Issue 9 October 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
Action Alert: Closed Captioning Threatened! - "On Wed. Sept 13, 2006, the FCC issued one of the worst decisions it has ever issued on closed captioning. The Order is on the web site shown below. Basically the order grants two requests for exemptions from the requirement to closed caption, a requirement in place since 1996 and that has ensured more and more closed captioning on television. In taking this action, the FCC states that it is 'inclined favorably' to grant new exemption requests to organizations that do 'not receive compensation from video programming distributors from the airing of [their] programs,' and who also say they 'may terminate or substantially curtail [their] programming' or '[curtail] other activities important to [their] mission' if forced to caption."
http://www.aapd.com/News/telecomm/060915aapd.htmFirefox Accessibility - (WebAim). "In recent months, two words have been spoken together with great excitement and enthusiasm. Those words are 'Firefox' and 'Accessibility'. Firefox is quickly becoming a top choice for those interested in developing accessible content and those wishing to access web content in a more user-friendly and accessible manner. Firefox- external link is a cross-platform, stand-alone web browser developed by an open source community that is coordinated through the Mozilla- external link project. With a current market share of well over 10% (currently over 26% for the WebAIM site), the Firefox browser is becoming a more popular browsing application, especially in the development community - and now in the accessibility community as well."
http://webaim.org/articles/firefox/Google Accessible Search - "Accessible Search is an early Google Labs product designed to identify and prioritize search results that are more easily usable by blind and visually impaired users. Regular Google search helps you find a set of documents that is most relevant to your tasks. Accessible Search goes one step further by helping you find the most accessible pages in that result set."
http://labs.google.com/accessible/http://labs.google.com/accessible/faq.htmlSurvey Reveals Only 14 Percent of America's Best Colleges Compliant with Web Standards - "Hannon Hill Corporation, makers of web content management solutions, today announced survey results revealing only 14 percent of America's Best Colleges ranked by US News & World Report are compliant with HTML/XHTML web standards recommended by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The key benefits to maintaining a W3C standards-compliant website include having better accessibility for a wide range of disabled users and improved search engine rankings. 'Given that standardized tests like the SAT and GRE are major evaluation criteria American colleges depend on for selection processes, it only works to their benefit to apply standardized practices to official college websites,' said David Cummings, founder and CEO, Hannon Hill Corporation. 'By upholding W3C website standards, colleges take the same approach to making a website accessible as they would to making physical walkways and structures accessible to persons with disabilities. And to understand how these guidelines aid accessibility, it's important to understand how individuals with disabilities might interact with the web'."
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20060926005171&newsLang=enUpdate of the 508 Standards and the Telecommunications Act Guidelines - "The Board is conducting a review and update of its access standards for electronic and information technology covered by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. These standards, which were published in 2000, cover products and technologies procured by the Federal government, including computer hardware and software, Web sites, phone systems, fax machines, and copiers, among others. This effort will also cover Board guidelines for telecommunications products and equipment covered by section 255 of the Telecommunications Act."
http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/update-index.htmWe've found the solution, now let's create the problem - by Ian Macrae (BBC). "What does Sir Alf Ramsey have in common with the 9 surviving moonwalkers, the Fab Four and the Atlantic slave trade? Well, they're all the subjects of books which Ian Macrae has recently read despite the fact that they aren't available to purchase in an accessible form for blind people, like myself, or anyone else who has problems reading standard print text. Of all the books published each year, 95% are not and will never be made accessible, that means readable by print disabled people. Admittedly among these will be things no one would ever want to read like weighty tomes only of interest to three people who're experts on municipal street lighting, or else rubbish like the Da Vinci Code. But that still leaves a hell of a lot of books."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/features/macrae_books.shtmlWorld View - by Yannis Vardakastanis (Disability Now). "The European Union (EU) has just agreed to a budget of a307b for its European Structural Funds (ESF) for 2007 to 2013. The funds are aimed at promoting partnerships between the least developed countries and regions, to improve their competitiveness, social cohesion or strengthen cross-border cooperation. The ESF can be used, for example, by member states to build infrastructures, such as motorways, schools, hospitals and transport communication systems. The funds are available for employment and social inclusion projects – some of which are targeted at disabled people. The European Disability Forum (EDF) has campaigned for two years to ensure disabled people benefit from this funding. In particular, EDF has campaigned to guarantee that the funds will not be used to create new forms of discrimination, such as inaccessible public buildings or infrastructures. We can congratulate ourselves as we have succeeded."
http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/people/opinion/columnists/yannis_sept_2006.htm
ADVOCACY
ADAPT Actions Net Important Meetings With Top Officials - by Dave Reynolds (Ragged Edge). "About 500 activists with the disability rights group ADAPT (American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today) were busy this week in the nation's capital, using peaceful demonstrations to say 'No More Excuses!' to housing and healthcare officials, and to push for affordable and accessible housing and changes to Medicaid that would help people with disabilities to live in their own homes rather than nursing homes or other institutions. Unlike in previous years, the officials were quick to agree to meet ADAPT's demands, thereby keeping the group from resorting to more confrontational civil disobedience techniques such as sit-ins and traffic shut-downs, and dealing with massive arrests."
http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/ide/progress/002851.htmlDisabled Activists Win Battle for Independent Care - (National Public Radio). "Earlier this summer, federal officials announced what they call the boldest change in the way the government pays for long-term care since the invention of Medicare and Medicaid. Washington will now provide $2 billion to states that help people leave a nursing home - instead of paying for them to live in one. That decision came because of a highly unlikely alliance between a group of disabled activists in wheelchairs who came to Washington trying to get themselves arrested at the White House gates -- and the Bush administration aide who ended up listening to them."
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6076125EMPOWERMENT: Don't Get Mad, Do Something! - "AAPD encourages you to complain about your concerns and issues as a consumer and as a tax-paying civic-minded advocate for a better world for people with disabilities. A well-written and timely letter of complaint and/or a filing with a federal or state agency accomplishes many things. Not only does a business learn about a problem, and could take remedial steps, but you may resolve a longstanding problem. Also, you may indirectly help multiple other consumers who did not take the time to make a complaint. Federal and state agencies may better administer and enforce their rules, or learn of a trend, when they hear from you about your specific problem."
http://www.aapd.com/docs/complaints.phpThe Federal Government must Renew the Women's Program! - (DAWN Ontario). "The federal government must very soon decide whether the Women's program will be renewed, or whether it will and disappear. This program is essential to ensure the survival of hundreds of women's equality-seeking groups, a thus to ensure that politicians and policy makers are informed of key issues affecting women. In a society where women continue to be marginalized within key political, social and legal institutions, it is essential that a strong and autonomous women's movement exist to promote recommendations for a progressive realization of women's human rights."
http://dawn.thot.net/swc_womens_program.html
AGING
Computers that adapt as their users' age - (theMatureMarket.com). "Eric Dishman calls it a 'demographic tidal wave,' and its effects are being felt worldwide. Dishman, chairman of the Centre for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) and General Manager of Health Research and Innovation Group at Intel Corporation, is referring to the exploding worldwide population of 'seniors'– people who are age 60 or above. The United Nations estimates that the worldwide senior population was 600 million in the year 2000. This number is expected to double to 1.2 billion by 2025, and surge to over 2 billion by 2050. As more people live and work longer, they also are likely to experience more age-related changes in their vision, hearing and dexterity. Some functional losses are accelerated by the onset of age-related degenerative diseases and ailments, including hypertension, osteoporosis, diabetes and macular degeneration. Disabling conditions, including arthritis and orthopedic impairments, tend to manifest themselves as the body ages. These types of changes can affect a person's capacity to use and interact with computing devices and environments. Companies like HP and Microsoft are addressing the needs of the aging workforce by making computers easier to use."
http://www.thematuremarket.com/SeniorStrategic/computers-adapt-users-age-7564-5.htmlPreventing Falls May Be Key to Avoiding Disability in Elderly - by Patricia McAdams (Health Behavior News Service). "Physical inactivity, depression and falls all increase risk of developing a disability in later life. But targeting falls may be a particularly effective way to reduce the nation's disability levels, according to a new study. Fall-prevention efforts that combine education about risks with exercise, home safety and health assessments offer the most promise, at least in the short run, found researchers led by Vicki Freedman, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Freedman and her colleagues compared three strategies to reduce late-life disability: increasing physical activity, identifying and treating depression and avoiding falls. Their findings, published in the current issue of the The Milbank Quarterly, arise from a review of more than 100 intervention studies."
http://www.hbns.org/getDocument.cfm?documentID=1342EDUCATION
SECONDARY/PRIMARY EDUCATION
Early childhood teachers often ill prepared to care for children with disabilities - "While the majority of preschool classrooms have at least one child with a disability, teachers often have little or no training in education and caring for these children. A survey of those overseeing early childhood teacher preparation programs reveals that even though early intervention and special education is part of many programs' missions, coursework and training often fall short, according to new research published in the Journal of Early Intervention."
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=91402&AA_EX_Session=ddf309eb49cef0f55a1017b52fe14f5bhttp://www.fpg.unc.edu/%7Eimages/pdfs/snapshots/snap31.pdf (pdf report)
New York Board Says JRC Cannot Use Aversives On Students, For Now - "The New York State Board of Regents, which oversees public education for students in the state, ruled last week to continue its policy -- at least on a temporary basis -- banning the use of aversive treatments of students in New York schools and schools outside the state that accept New York students. The Board started the ban in June in response to news reports that staff at the Judge Rotenberg Education Center in Canton, Massachusetts were subjecting dozens of New York students sent there to punishments such as electric skin shocks, sleep deprivation, food deprivation, and noxious sprays for such behaviors as 'nagging', 'failure to maintain a neat appearance', 'interrupting others', and 'slouching in chair'. New York contracts with the Rotenberg Center to house and educate about 150 youths, most of which have developmental or other disabilities."
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/archives/06/09/22/092206nymajrc.htmParent Tool Kit! - "We've been telling you about the tool kit that OSEP (the Office of Special Education Programs) has created to bring together the most current and accurate information on how to improve instruction, assessment, and accountability for students with disabilities. Now we're pleased to announce that there's a companion Parent Tool Kit on same subjects, but full of resources written especially for parents."
http://www.nichcy.org/new.htmProvince Partners With Rick Hansen On School Programs - "The Province will team up with the Rick Hansen Foundation to help bring out the best in B.C. students and teach students about the issues people with disabilities face every day, Education Minister Shirley Bond announced today on the first day of school. 'Rick Hansen is a true Canadian hero and I'm excited about bringing his positive message into our classrooms,' said Bond. 'It is important that we encourage our children to reach their full potential and also make our children aware of disability issues. Children will then share what they learn with their peers, their families and eventually with their own children.' Students will learn about their role in making their communities more inclusive and accessible to people with disabilities. They will learn about determination and overcoming challenges, and will develop valuable life skills such as leadership and teamwork that will help them to contribute to the development of their communities."
http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2006EDU0092-001074.htmReading and the Brain - "Hosted by Henry Winkler, who has had his own struggles with reading, Reading and the Brain explores how brain scientists are working to solve the puzzle of why some children struggle to read and others don't. Startling new research shows the answer may lie in how a child's brain is wired from birth. This program is the newest episode of Launching Young Readers, WETA's award–winning series of innovative half-hour programs about how children learn to read, why so many struggle, and what we can do to help."
http://www.readingrockets.org/shows/brainhttp://www.readingrockets.org/shows/watch (streamed video version)
Welcome to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs' (OSEP's) IDEA website - "This site was created to provide a 'one-stop shop' for resources related to IDEA and its implementing regulations, released on August 3, 2006. It is a 'living' website and will change and grow as resources and information become available. When fully implemented, the site will provide searchable versions of IDEA and the regulations, access to cross-referenced content from other laws (e.g., the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), etc.), video clips on selected topics, topic briefs on selected regulations, links to OSEP's Technical Assistance and Dissemination (TA&D) Network and a Q&A Corner where you can submit questions, and a variety of other information sources. As items are completed and added to this site, we invite you to grow and learn with us as we implement these regulations."
http://idea.ed.gov/explore/homeEMPLOYMENT
Bicyclists aim to encourage hiring disabled persons - by Karen Jowers (Air Force Times). "A 300-mile bike ride from New York to Washington, D.C., is aimed at encouraging companies to hire more workers with disabilities. Those numbers of disabled workers are increasing daily as military personnel wounded in the war return to civilian life. And with the improvements in medical technology, many wounded warriors are able to function at a high level. The bike ride begins at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge on Oct. 1, also the beginning of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. As he cycles to the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, Jeff Klare, chief executive officer of Hire Disability Solutions, will collect résumés from people with disabilities in each town where he makes a stop. Their résumés will be posted on his company's Web career center."
http://www.airforcetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2125053.phpHot job market opens for the Disabled – by Kelly Cryderman (Calgary Herald). "Cerebral palsy has weakened Kelly Phillips' legs, making crutches her constant accessory. She is also legally blind and has problems seeing small print and long distances. Due to her disabilities, it's been tough for the 28-year-old Calgarian to find work. But after years of being dismissed -- 'they will have the first interview and then I won't get called back for a second one' -- life is changing on the job front. Phillips and others believe thousands of disabled Albertans are finding new work opportunities in the current powerhouse economy."
http://ab.workink.com/display.asp?Page_ID=18Labor Department Awards Nearly $5 Million in Grants to Advance Self Employment Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities - "U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced grants of nearly five million dollars for pilot projects and research to develop systems models designed to increase self-employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. 'Self-employment and entrepreneurial pursuits could provide many individuals with disabilities good opportunities to optimize their talents and earn a good living for themselves and their families,' said Secretary Chao. 'These $5 million in grants further President Bush's New Freedom Initiative goal of helping workers with disabilities pursue their career dreams and give our nation the benefit of their participation in the workforce'."
http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/odep/ODEP20061604.htmPilot programme of traineeships for people with a disability - "The European Parliament is offering paid traineeships to people with a disability, as a positive action measure aimed at facilitating the integration of disabled people in the workplace. These traineeships are open both to graduates of universities or equivalent institutions and to people whose qualifications are below university level. The main purpose of this programme is to offer a number of people with disabilities a meaningful and valuable work experience, and an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the activities of the European Parliament."
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/parliament/public/staticDisplay.do?id=147&pageRank=4&language=ENETHICS
Depressed 'could get help to die' - (BBC). "Assisted suicide could be offered to Britons who are chronically depressed rather than terminally ill, says the head of a controversial Swiss group. Ludwig Minelli says his organisation, Dignitas, is asking the Swiss Supreme court to allow a change in the law. Existing laws have already allowed Dignitas to help 54 Britons to die and Mr Ludwig said another British man was due to follow next week. Speaking at the Lib Dem conference, he urged the UK to drop its suicide laws. His appeal comes after an attempt to relax the current ban on assisted dying was blocked by the House of Lords in May, although it is expected to be reintroduced. Mr Minelli's appearance at a Lib Dem fringe meeting in Brighton was the first time he has spoken about Dignitas in the UK. He was joined at the meeting by Sophie Pandit, whose mother, Anne Turner, died at the Zurich clinic in January."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/5364400.stmEugenics - (Ragged Edge). "'During the last century, upwards of 66,000 people considered 'defective' -- those with mental retardation, mental illness, criminal histories, physical disabilities -- are documented to have been sterilized in the United States, Canada and other Western countries. It was all part of a popular movement called eugenics,' wrote Dave Reynolds in 2001. 'And most of it was done legally.' And it might be making a comeback today. Read Reynolds' Eugenics: Making a Comeback? In the March/April 1998 issue of Ragged Edge, Tom Lee wrote about Nobel Laureate James Watson's beliefs on the matter (You probably won't like James Watson's ideas about us). And then there's celebrity bioethicist Peter Singer. 'Peter Singer advocates for infanticide for children with significant disabilities with precisely that term,' says Prof. Alex Lubet. Read Advocate for Infanticide. Singer's appointment to the Princeton University Center for Human Values in 1999 provoked anger among disability activists."
http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/departments/spotlight/002852.htmlPriest with disability opposes stem-cell initiative - by Jennifer Brinker (Review). "As someone who has lived with a spinal cord injury for almost 14 years, Father Michael Esswein has been able to accept his injury and continue to live life to the fullest. So it should come as no surprise that the priest objects to a Nov. 7 proposed ballot measure that would constitutionally protect human cloning and embryonic stem-cell research in Missouri. The Catholic Church has rejected embryonic stem-cell research because it involves the creation - through human cloning - and destruction of human life to obtain the needed cells. The Church supports an alternative and harmless method of research using adult stem cells from human beings who have been born."
http://www.stlouisreview.com/article.php?id=11465
GENERAL INTEREST
Ahhh, Sweet Sixteen - (New Mobility). "As I write this, it is July 26, the 16th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. That's right, the so-called 'Disabled Bill of Rights' just turned sweet 16, and wouldn't you know it, the landmark law is behaving just like a teenager. First off, Ada lies about her age. She's actually only 14, since she wasn't recognized, legally speaking, until 1992. And even then it took a couple of years before the general public noticed she had arrived. For practical purposes, you could say she is more like 12, not even a teenybopper. But hormones being what they are these days, and judging from all the irritability that follows her, it looks like she's beginning to have a problem with PMS."
http://newmobility.com/review_article.cfm?id=1195&action=browse
Contest crafts future with no limits - by Helen Henderson (Toronto Star). "Think zany. Off-the-wall. Left field. Spunk. Now design a new world. One hundred years from now, will our brains have programmed our bodies to float, skimming through life centimetres above the fray? Will our bodies be merely virtual projections, making doors and walls superfluous? Will anybody be thought of as disabled? Already, people who move and communicate and process information in different ways have tons of talents to share. But often they don't get the chance because the way things are designed gets in the way. So what if things were different? In 2106, what will the world be like for someone labelled 'disabled' in 2006? That's the idea behind a 'Back to the Future Youth Contest' sponsored by the Canadian Association of Independent Living Centres to celebrate its 20th anniversary."
http://tinyurl.com/hrwjg Disability means adjusting to new me - by Linda Knapp (Seattle Times). "It's been a year since I fell into a coma, half a year since surgery to implant a cochlear hearing system, and a few months since restarting this column. A lot has happened since I started writing again. ... During this past year's life-rattling experiences, a turning point occurred this summer when I finally accepted that my disabilities aren't going to go away, no matter how much I exercise my eyes, alter my computer screen or find the right phone or cane. Those efforts certainly help, and I can improve, but I will never be able to ride a bike, skate, ski or play hopscotch again, at least not with any skill. I am a different person, and that has been hard to accept. Recovery for me now is all about revising my self-image without losing self-esteem."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003261097_ptgett16.htmlHistoric First: Aaron Fotheringham Accomplishes Wheelchair Back Flip - (New Disability). "Aaron Fotheringham is one of a small, but growing group of elite wheelchair athletes. Aaron is a 'wheelchair skateboarder', or as he prefers to call himself, a 'Hardcore Sitter'. Wheelchair skateboarders do with their wheelchairs, what other athletes do with their skateboards. They make spectacular leaps and jumps from amazing heights and try not to injure themselves in the process. But Aaron has accomplished feats in his wheelchair, which no person has ever done before. Last year, he astonished the community with a mid-air 180 degree turn. Then last month, at the age of 14, Aaron became the first person in history to do a back flip somersault in a wheelchair."
http://www.newdisability.com/aaronpressrelease.htmInterview with Vasi Stoica - (New Disability). "On 10 2006 September Vasile Stoica completed a grueling summer-long Pan-European trek, alone and using only the push power of his hands in a manual wheelchair. What did he do to celebrate his 5'250 KM (3,250 mile) adventure? After a 5 day break, he began the next leg of his journey, a 2'200 KM (1,350 mile) trek from Spain to Dusseldorf, Germany where he plans to arrive on 18 October 2006 in time for the Rehacare Disability Exhibition."
http://www.newdisability.com/interviewwithvasi.htmIs disability a challenge? - (BBC). "The UN says there are at least 60m disabled people in Africa. But are they being catered for by the societies they live in? Disabled people are often excluded from schools and therefore have limited opportunities to find work. For many begging becomes a sole means of survival. But some disabled people are taking control of their future, according to the UN body African Decade of Person With Disability."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5372212.stmNUPGE mourns loss of disability rights activist Carol McGregor - "Carol McGregor, a long time disability rights activist and the National Union's representative on the Canadian Labour Congress Disability Rights Working Group, passed away Sept. 23 after a short battle with cancer. She will be missed by her many friends in the National Union and her home component, the Ontario Public Services Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE), where she served as chair of OPSEU's Disability Rights Caucus. Carol was well known as a strong advocate for injured workers."
http://www.nupge.ca/news_2006/n28se06b.htmPower of the word: fellowship in the deaf culture - by Kristin E. Holmes (The Philadelphia Inquirer). "The deaf fellowship group that meets every month at the Burlington Center Mall started out two years ago with no deaf members. Teresa Killingsworth and a few sign-language students met at the Chick-fil-A to talk and practice their signing. One day, a deaf man saw them, and through him the word began to spread. Today, the club gathers every third Monday for two hours. Deaf and hearing members chat about faith, families and their lives."
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/living/religion/15505421.htmToys "R"Us toy guide for differently-abled kids. - (PRNewswire). "For more than a decade, Toys 'R' Us has released its Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids, an easy-to-use toy selection guide for parents and friends of children with disabilities. The 2006 edition is now available for free in all Toys 'R' Us, U.S. retail locations and online at http://toysrus.com/differentlyabled. Since its inception in 1994, thousands of parents, relatives, friends and professionals have relied on the guide to help them determine which toys are suitable for a child's particular abilities."
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-25-2006/0004438577&EDATE=Turning the tables - by Claire Jennings (BBC). "Claire is a waitress at Dans le Noir in London - the theme restaurant where customers eat in the dark and the waiting staff are blind. She tells us her experiences in a job she thought she'd never have. I suppose most people wouldn't see waitressing as anything to get excited about but having been blind since I was 14, I had put rushing around a restaurant with plates of hot food in the same unobtainable job bracket as brain surgery and cabbie! However, because Dans le Noir serves its food in the total darkness, blindness is an advantage, which makes a refreshing change. The drive behind this idea seems to have got a bit blurred though. Sometimes it's pitched on the sheer novelty factor of how different food tastes when you can't see what you're eating. At other times, the restaurant is promoted as a voyage into the world of the blind. Either way, it's certainly an experience."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/features/clairej_danslenoir.shtmlGovernment
CANADA
$2-Million Conversion Celebrates Opening First Assisted Living In Grand Forks [B.C.] - "Provincial and federal funding partners today celebrated the opening of Boundary Lodge, a $2.3-million conversion of a former licensed care facility, which is now Grand Forks' first assisted living development for lower-income seniors and individuals living with disabilities. 'For Canada's New Government, the Province of B.C., and the community of Grand Forks, this opening shows how well we have worked together to make this care facility a reality,' said the Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Agriculture and Minister Responsible for British Columbia, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development. 'For a good number of our seniors and citizens living with disabilities, this project provides accessible, comfortable, quality housing, at an affordable cost and a chance at a better life.' The units help to fulfil the Province's commitment to develop 5,000 new beds and units for seniors and people with disabilities by December 2008."
http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2006FOR0121-001155.htm
Agencies Chosen To Serve Most Vulnerable - "Contracts worth $7.5 million have been awarded to 32 community-based service providers to deliver life-skills and advocacy services to the most vulnerable income assistance clients as part of the Employment and Income Assistance Ministry's new Community Assistance Program (CAP). The ministry will launch its new CAP program on Oct. 2, 2006. CAP will provide approximately 5,000 multi-barriered clients annually with services to improve their quality of life and connections to supports within their communities. Services will be flexible and tailored to the needs of each individual client."
http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2006EIA0018-001129.htmHealth Canada Support to Canadians with a Disability in Limbo - "As you may be aware, the Public Health Agency of Canada of Health Canada is withholding any contribution program that supports healthy active living for Canadians with a disability. What you may not be aware of is that, as a result, the Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability will cease to exist this fall. The Alliance has worked in partnership with the Canadian government for 17 years to break down barriers to full community participation. Together we have trained physical educators, service providers and community leaders to be inclusive, operated 6 national youth exchanges for teens with a disability, developed a national clearing house that connects people with activities in their community and continues to be seen as THE Canadian voice dedicated to physical activity and disability."
http://www.workink.com/display.asp?Page_ID=9&News_ID=109
US
Clay Aiken Expected To Head Disability Committee - "American Idol star Clay Aiken is set to be appointed to President George W. Bush's White House disability committee. The singer, who finished a runner-up to Ruben Studdard on the second season of the hit TV talent contest, is a winner in Bush's eyes after years of working with handicapped and disadvantaged kids in his native North Carolina."
http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2006/09/07/clay_aiken_expected_to_head_disability_cSchwarzenegger vetoes benefit increase for disabled workers - "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation Tuesday that would have doubled benefits for newly disabled workers, contending the bill would have undercut 'many of the economic gains now powering California's economy.' But the measure's supporters said it would have eased one of the worst aspects of the workers' compensation overhaul pushed through by the Republican governor in 2004. 'Gov. Schwarzenegger said himself that he didn't want injured workers to suffer from benefit cuts,' said Art Pulaski, executive secretary-treasurer of the California Labor Federation. 'It's a shame he refused to rectify the damage he caused'."
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/15558816.htmHealthInstant Expert: Mental Health - (New Scientist Special Report). "When the heart breaks down, it beats erratically or not at all. A bone can chip or snap. But when the complex network of neurons in our brain malfunctions, the result can be a near-endless variety and combinations of mental illnesses." New Scientist Special Reports contain current news stories, 'expert guide links', an archive of related articles and recommendations for some relevant books.
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/mental-healthPeople with Disabilities Are Less Healthy than those without Disabilities - "For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a report of state-level data on the number of people with disabilities, and the wide range of health differences that exist between people with disabilities and those without. The new report, The Disability and Health State Chartbook, 2006 – Profiles of Health for Adults with Disabilities, will be unveiled at CDC's National Health Promotion Conference scheduled at the Hilton Atlanta Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia from September 12-14, 2006. Disability prevalence ranges substantially among the states -- from a low of 11.4 percent to a high of 25.8 percent among people with disabilities. People with disabilities make up about 20 percent of the U.S. adult, non-institutionalized population."
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r060912.htm
LEGAL
Burke loses four-year court battle over artificial feeding - by Priya Kotecha (Disability Now). "A disabled man who fought for four years to challenge medical guidance [withholding and withdrawing life-prolonging treatments] that allows doctors to remove artificial food and drink has lost his final chance to persuade the courts to back his fight. Leslie Burke, who has cerebellar ataxia, had hoped the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) would overturn last September's Court of Appeal decision, which ruled in favour of the General Medical Council (GMC) guidance. The guidance gives doctors the right to remove artificial food and drink from a patient who can no longer communicate, if it is seen to be in their 'best interests'. But the ECHR refused to hear his appeal because it was not convinced there was a real threat his food would be stopped and was satisfied UK law favoured prolonging life wherever possible."
http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/search/z06-09-Se/burke.shtmlLegal Precedent Set for Web Accessibility - Federal Judge Sustains Discrimination Claims Against Target; Precedent Establishes That Retailers Must Make Their Websites Accessible to the Blind Under the ADA - "A federal district court judge ruled yesterday that a retailer may be sued if its website is inaccessible to the blind. The ruling was issued in a case brought by the National Federation of the Blind against Target Corp. (Northern District of California Case No. C 06-01802 MHP) The suit charges that Target's website ( http://www.target.com/ ) is inaccessible to the blind, and therefore violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the California Unruh Civil Rights Act, and the California Disabled Persons Act. Target asked the court to dismiss the action by arguing that no law requires Target to make its website accessible. The Court denied Target's motion to dismiss and held that the federal and state civil rights laws do apply to a website such as target.com."
http://sev.prnewswire.com/multimedia-online-internet/20060907/CGTH05107092006-1.htmlMEDIA
Christopher Voelker: Image Maker - by Jean Dobbs (New Mobility). "Christopher Voelker's photography shatters stereotypes. Since 1994, Voelker has shot 21 covers for New Mobility, including several provocative images for the annual 'Sex, Wheels and Relationships' issue. The NM photographs are important -- they show that people with disabilities are vibrant, sexual, funny, whole -- but Voelker is also changing the way people view disability by working as a prominent photographer in elite entertainment circles. A C6-7 quad since 1977, Voelker has built a thriving business photographing film, television and music celebrities, from Christina Applegate to Billy Zane, becoming the first wheelchair user to attain the status of Hollywood image maker."
http://newmobility.com/review_article.cfm?id=1194&action=browseTheatre review: Babylon Heights - (BBC). "During the filming of 1935 Hollywood movie, The Wizard of Oz, it is rumoured that actors of restricted growth, drafted in to play the munchkins, used copious amounts of alcohol and other substances, and threw sex parties in their California hotel. During an interview in the 60s, Judy Garland remarked 'they were drunks'. This lifestyle allegedly lead to the suicide of one actor. Babylon Heights, a new play by Dean Cavanagh and Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh, takes this legend to be reality, and provides us with a dark and humorous account of what might have happened behind the scenes. The play is set in a California hotel room, where 4 actors with restricted growth, 3 men and a woman, are staying. Charles (John Fitzpatrick) is gradually corrupted by opium addict Bert (Dermot Magennis), gold-digger Philomena (Rachel Rath) and the sexually predatory Raymond (David Heap) leading to his ultimate demise."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/features/babylon_heights.shtmlMEDICAL
Brain growth link to schizophrenia - (New Scientist). "A gene mutation that alters the shape of the brain in some people with schizophrenia could help explain why the disease often strikes at adolescence."
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19125644.800?DCMP=NLC-nletter&nsref=mg19125644.800Interview With Fibromyalgia Pain Specialist Dr. Daniel Clauw, MD - (ImmuneSupport.com). "The 2006 Pain Awarenesss Month campaign site is featuring free access to audio recordings of a series of interviews with pain specialists, at http://www.painawarenessmonth.org/ Of special interest is the September 14 interview with Professor Daniel Clauw, MD, from the University of Michigan. An expert in Fibromyalgia, Dr. Clauw discusses the diagnosis and treatment of Fibromyalgia, and the results of his research with FM patients. "
http://www.immunesupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm/id/7324Nicotinamide may help people with multiple sclerosis - "Researchers have found a possible way to protect people with multiple sclerosis (MS) from severe long-term disability: increase nervous-system levels of a vital compound, called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), by giving its chemical precursor - nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3. Current therapies for MS mainly address the relapsing-remitting phase of the disease, but some of these have severe side effects, and most patients eventually enter a chronic progressive phase for which there is no good treatment. Using a mouse model of MS, researchers in the Neurobiology Program at Children's Hospital Boston found strong evidence that nicotinamide may protect against nerve damage in the chronic progressive phase, when the most serious disabilities occur. Their findings appear in a cover article in the September 20 Journal of Neuroscience."
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=20211Researchers: Woman's Severely Damaged Brain Responds To Directions - by Dave Reynolds (Ragged Edge). "Researchers using new brain imaging technology are opening a window into the awareness levels of people with the most severe of brain injuries, and providing hope that they will someday be able to communicate with others. Their research is also casting doubt on the accuracy of the 'vegetative state' diagnosis. For a report published this month by the journal Science, neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Owen, head of Cambridge University's Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan the brain of a 23-year-old woman who has been diagnosed in a 'vegetative state' since she was injured in a July 2005 car accident."
http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/ide/progress/002850.htmlVitamin Shots May Prevent Long-Term Disability In Patients - by Yvonne Lee (All Headline News). "A study finds that vitamin shots may prevent long-term disability in multiple sclerosis patients. Scientists have not yet found an effective treatment for the chronic progressive state of MS, when serious disability most commonly occurs. In the Children's Hospital Boston study, researchers gave mice a form of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide. This treatment reduced the risk of nerve degeneration in mice with MS-like symptoms."
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7004929203POLICY/RESEARCH
Amnesty International Applauds UN Agreement of Disability Treaty - "Amnesty International warmly welcomes the agreement reached on 25th August by the UN General Assembly's Ad Hoc Committee on the text to create a new core human rights treaty to better promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities. The International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, once formally adopted by the General Assembly and entered into force after ratification by the necessary number of UN Member States, will be a key tool in assisting millions of people with disabilities in achieving recognition of their dignity and the effective protection of their human rights."
http://www.amnesty.ie/user/content/view/full/6355CDC: Among disabled, Southerners less healthy - by Mike Stobbe. "Southerners with disabilities are in worse health than are people with disabilities in other parts of the country, according to a federal report released Tuesday. The report also showed that smoking, obesity and physical inactivity rates were consistently higher among people with disabilities than the able-bodied. Question: Were most of the surveyed people disabled and then developed unhealthy behaviors, or did they become disabled after - or perhaps as a result of - engaging in unhealthy behaviors? That's a chicken-and-egg puzzle that has not yet been solved, said John Crews, lead scientist with the CDC's disability health team. 'There's a lot that we don't know about this population,' he said."
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/local/15502630.htmCarnegie Mellon, Pitt Receive $15M to Found Center to Improve Quality of Life - "Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) have been awarded a 5-year, $15 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish an engineering research center that will develop technologies to help older adults and people with disabilities live independently and productively. Researchers at the new Quality of Life Technology Engineering Research Center (QoLT ERC) will create a scientific and engineering knowledge base enabling the development of intelligent systems that co-exist and work with people, particularly those with impairments. These intelligent systems could include devices that a person carries or wears, a mobile system that a person rides or that accompanies a person, or an environment equipped with instruments to aid people. These devices and systems will be able to monitor the health and activity levels of people living alone, prompt failing memories, or control household appliances."
http://www.rehabpub.com/news/2006-09-27_01.aspCracks in the Foundation: Solving the Housing Crisis in Canada's Poorest Neighbourhood - "In May 2005 – thanks to a grant from the Vancouver Foundation – Pivot Legal Society commenced research on the extent of the housing crisis in Vancouver through one-on-one meetings with residents of Vancouver's poorest neighbourhood, the Downtown Eastside (DTES). This report is the culmination of those research efforts. Driven by the philosophy that people living in housing crisis best know the issues they face and the barriers that prevent them from accessing quality housing, and built on a foundation of over 160 sworn statements (called 'affidavits') [54 of the 'affiants' were on disability assistance] taken from residents of the DTES, this report aims to educate, empower, and advocate for legal and policy reform on key housing issues in Vancouver."
http://www.pivotlegal.org/pdfs/CracksinFoundation.pdfManitobans With Chronic Disease: How Many? How Can We Tell? - (Manitoba Centre for Health Policy). "Do you have a chronic disease? For over half of you, the answer is yes. Six out of ten Canadians have a chronic disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or asthma. In the past, public health departments focussed mainly on preventing contagious diseases—things like cholera, typhoid or measles. Times have changed. The contagious diseases of the past are under control, while chronic diseases are on the rise. So chronic diseases are the main focus of public health departments today. To prevent them, we need to know how widespread they are, who is at risk of getting a chronic disease, and how disease patterns are changing over time. However, getting this information is not straightforward. One way of finding out is by surveys. Another method is to look at healthcare data: records of physician billings, hospital admissions and prescribed drugs. And that is what this study does. MCHP was asked by Manitoba Health to see how well healthcare data can identify Manitobans with chronic illnesses."
http://www.umanitoba.ca/centres/mchp/reports/reports_06/chronic.disease.htmlhttp://www.umanitoba.ca/centres/mchp/reports/pdfs/2005-2008/chronic.disease.pdf (Report)
http://www.umanitoba.ca/centres/mchp/reports/pdfs_summaries/2005-2008/chronic.disease_summ.pdf (Summary)
Study: Disability and well-being - (Statistics Canada: The Daily). "Canadians born with a disability are likely to be happier than individuals who experienced a disability later in life, according to a new study that explores the determinants of subjective well-being among people with disabilities. The study found that well-being, measured as self-reported levels of happiness, is independent of the type of physical disability. However, people with mental disabilities have lower levels of well-being than those with physical disabilities. Also, people with more severe disabilities are less happy than those with less severe disabilities. Overall, about 21% of people with disabilities reported being 'very happy', 65% 'pretty happy', and the remaining 14% 'not too happy'. This study, published recently in the journal Social Science & Medicine, was based on data from the 1991 Health and Activity Limitation Survey. It focused on individuals with disabilities who were not living in an institution. The sample consisted of individuals whose everyday activities were limited because of a physical or mental condition. These conditions included mobility, seeing, hearing, speaking, agility and mental disabilities. This study was unique in that it used national data, considered various types of disabilities, and controlled for a broad range of socio-demographic factors related to happiness. Psychologists, sociologists and, more recently, economists, have studied subjective well-being in detail."
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/060912/d060912d.htmSubmission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, 2006 - "We call upon the federal government to ensure that Budget 2007 includes a broad comprehensive disability strategy that moves past tax measures and concentrates on programme expenditures. Beyond the focus on the universal child care benefit and the undefined nature of the space creation initiative, the needs of children with disabilities may once again be overlooked without very specific direction to community groups and governments."
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=91786&AA_EX_Session=8b9e3ac730676eee358919a7d418a9f3http://www.specialinkcanada.org/Brief.pdfSELF HELP
New site helps disabled surf net - (BBC). "A new website has been launched to help silver surfers, housebound and disabled people get online. It grew from Stockport Creative Writing group which was formed to help the over 50s in creative writing and poetry. But the group found that many requests to join came from housebound and disabled people who could not attend its meetings so Createwrt.net was born. The site offers podcasts and audio streaming as well as special software for the partially sighted."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/5375838.stm
TECHNOLOGY
Breathing Uneasy: Vent Users at the Performing Arts - by Paul Kahn (New Mobility). "Many years ago, shortly after I had started using a ventilator, I was sitting in my wheelchair near the back of a theater. As the lights dimmed and the play was about to start, a woman a few rows in front of me turned around and hissed angrily, 'Who's snoring back there?' The embarrassment of that moment has stayed in my mind ever since. Fortunately, in the close to 19 years I have been using a vent -- now a Respironics PLV 100 -- there haven't been many others like it. But the fact is, ventilators make noise. The air intake whooshes, and the safety alarm that triggers if the pressure in the system is too high or low or the battery fails, is very sensitive. The noise, except for the shrill alarm, isn't very loud, so in most circumstances it doesn't matter. But in a concert hall or theater, where you're supposed to be quiet for the sake of performers and audience, it can still make me self-conscious and afraid of annoying people."
http://newmobility.com/review_article.cfm?id=1193&action=browse
Deaf to 'hear' PA system on phone - (Yourable). "A group of research students at IBM has developed a system to make public announcements available to people on a mobile phone. Called LAMA, the service was originally conceived to improve communications for deaf people. Its designers hope that it will soon be in use in busy public places like airports, railway stations and hospitals. LAMA was developed at IBM's laboratory at Hursley in Hampshire. As someone enters a place where the LAMA - or Location Aware Messaging for Accessibility - system is running, it is recognised by their mobile phone which will then display a list of the services on offer. After a user has signed up for the service, public address announcements will be delivered to their handset in their chosen format. This would often be a text message, but could also be an image or a vibrating alert."
http://www.youreable.com/TwoShare/getPage/01News/01Current/Sept2006/pa%20system%20for%20deafEnableMart and Assistive Technology - "There is an increasing need for accessible technology to allow individuals to customize the products and technologies they use. Everyday products are not always made with every person in mind. According to a Research Report Commissioned conducted by Forrester Research, Inc., in 2003, as the United States population ages, more US workers and computer users will notice changes in their abilities and experience difficulties and impairments. At the same time, older US workers will remain in the workforce long past previously expected retirement ages. Maintaining productivity among US workers, regardless of abilities, difficulties, and impairments, will become an increasingly vital economic issue for US businesses as the population continues to age. Add to these trends the growing use of computers for work, information, and communication, and it becomes clear that future computer users will demand and expect greater accessibility in computers—regardless of their abilities."
http://www.enablemart.com/articleDetail.asp?id=87Funding targets children, adults with special needs - (The Ring). "The University of Victoria's Assistive Technology Team (UVATT) figures prominently in two grants totalling $265,000 awarded by the B.C. government in July to the Garth Homer Foundation. UVATT is a group of UVic faculty, students and staff who design, build and test customized devices for people with disabilities or special needs."
http://ring.uvic.ca/06sep07/uvatt.htmlGPS helps lead the way for the blind - by Laura Bruno (USA Today). "No more driving in circles for hours. No more danger of spending the night in the woods. Global Positioning Systems typically are credited for saving the direction-challenged from going off course while driving or hiking. Not in John Hess' case. Hess, who is blind, is having fun getting lost for the first time, thanks to a portable GPS attached to his belt. Hess, 41, of Madison, N.J., avoided traveling off the beaten path. He and his guide dog, Willie, stuck to well-practiced routes. 'I hated walking around Morristown,' Hess says of a neighboring town. 'There was never anyone around to ask for directions when I needed someone. Now, I've gotten adventurous'."
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2006-09-18-blind-GPS_x.htm?POE=TECISVANCDAE Tips and Tools: OpenOffice.org Writer - (NCDAE). "This document is intended as a discussion of the accessibility of OpenOffice.org Writer. OpenOffice.org is a free, open source office suite, comparable to Microsoft Office. Although it is often called Open Office, the correct name of the suite of tools is OpenOffice.org, often abbreviated OOo. Several government agencies (including the state of Massachusetts), institutions and individuals use OpenOffice.org as their primary office suite.
There are at least two things that can be done to increase the accessibility of OOo Writer documents:
1. Improve the native accessibility of the OOo Writer ODT file.
2. If you export the ODT file to another format (usually DOC, PDF or HTML), ensure that the exported file is accessible as well.
Note: On a PC, most of the accessibility features in MS Word and OOo Writer are very similar. But on a Mac, there are a couple of very important accessibility features available in Writer that are not available in Word (the most prominent feature missing in Word on a Mac is probably the ability to add alt text to images). In other words, OOo for Mac has the potential to create documents that are more accessible than documents created in MS Office for Mac."
http://ncdae.org/tools/factsheets/writer.cfmNew Software Combines Tools for Learning Disabilities With Speech Recognition - (TickerTech.com). "Assistive Technology distributor EnableMart introduces Claro Software's ClaroRead learning programs and highlights its capability to integrate with Dragon NaturallySpeaking. When used together, ClaroRead and Dragon NaturallySpeaking create a powerful tool that assists struggling readers in proofreading dictated text. ClaroRead places a toolbar at the top of any Windows application to aid users in creating, reading, viewing, checking, and scanning text. Used alone, Claro is beneficial to individuals with dyslexia and non-readers because of features like advanced spell checking, homophone support, word prediction, and audio feedback. When coupled with Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred or Professional Edition, ClaroRead becomes the only learning software of its kind that can be voice controlled for easier access."
http://www.tickertech.com/cgi/?a=news&ticker=a&w=&story=200609200609290400PR_NEWS_USPR_____SFF017New technology enables artificial legs to be produced in 2 hours - "A team from the National University of Singapore (NUS) is now able to make an artificial leg in two hours, and is looking into licensing its technology. Using a cast to produce an artificial leg is the traditional way of making a prosthetic leg for amputees. This method does not only needs a specialised skill but also takes up to three weeks for the leg to be ready. NUS now has a speedier way to do this. Using carbon fibre as the cast, this is soaked in a specially developed resin, or polymer that will cause the carbon fibre to harden in just 7 minutes in a temperature below 40 degrees Celsius. The cast is then fitted onto a patient's stump and put in a pressure tank to facilitate the hardening process. When fully hardened, the carbon fibre is removed and used to form the socket of the prosthetic leg. All these steps take just two hours."
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/232433/1/.html
The Reader - "Technology that scans and reads printed material to the blind is nothing new, but this personal reader is the first truly handheld device to do the job. Combining a state-of-the-art digital camera with a powerful personal data assistant housed in a custom-designed, attractive case, the Kurzweil–National Federation of the Blind Reader puts the best available character recognition software together with text-to-speech conversion technology, all in the palm of your hand. Hold the Reader's camera over print—a restaurant menu, directions, or a memo from your boss—and snap a picture. In seconds you can hear the contents of the printed document in clear synthetic speech. Scan, read, and discard pages; store them for later reading; or transfer to a computer or Braille-aware PDA. The Reader even has a headphone jack so you won't disturb your neighbours."
http://www.knfbreader.com/info.htmlThought-powered bionic arm is a touch of genius - by Francis Harris (Telegraph). "American doctors yesterday introduced the world's first bionic woman and estimated the cost at just one per cent of the price tag for the fictional Six Million Dollar Man. Appearing for the first time in public yesterday, Claudia Mitchell, 26, said that her new $60,000 thought-powered arm was 'really cool' and had allowed her to reclaim her life. 'It helps overcome the psychological effects of amputation. It feels like I'm on the edge of technology,' she said. Ms Mitchell said that when her middle-aged doctors first dubbed her the 'Bionic Woman', she had not understood the reference to the 1970s television series that originated with The Six Million Dollar Man."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/09/15/wbionic15.xmlWebsite to promote assistive technology - (SiliconRepublic). "A new website which provides information on assistive technology for people with disabilities was launched this morning at a major education conference in the RDS in Dublin. The site was launched by Mary Davis, director of Special Olympics Ireland and chairperson of the Taskforce on Active Citizenship.The new website, www.gateway2at.org, aims to raise the profile of assistive technology amongst students, educators (guidance counsellors, assistive technology advisors, access officers, lecturers and others) and employers."
http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/news.nv?storyid=single7072WELLNESS
United Cerebral Palsy Research and Educational Foundation Report to the Institute of Medicine: Disability in America - "This document reviews critical research priorities for cerebral palsy prevention, management and cure. An emphasis is placed on clinical studies that will form the basis for 'evidenced-based' clinical management of developmental disabilities. This information is provided in the form of answers to the questions posed by the Institute of Medicine for its meeting: Disability in America, January 9, 2006"
http://www.ucp.org/ucp_channeldoc.cfm/1/16/11713/11713-11713/6439 (Word document)
Resource List: Wellness, Self-Care, Exercise And Aging With Disability - by June Isaacson Kailes (Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Aging with Disability). "This Resource List focuses on wellness, self-care, health care, exercise, and aging with a disability. It is specifically compiled for people with disabilities and their families. This list includes articles, audio cassettes, bibliographies, books, conference proceedings, newsletters, papers, registries, resources, videos, and Internet resources. Listings here do not necessarily represent an endorsement by the Research and Training Center on Aging and Disability. This Resource List is not an exhaustive coverage of wellness, prevention, aging, etc. It is meant to list only resources which are disability-specific or pertain to the area of living and aging with a disability. There are many more resources available for the general population which may be helpful to the reader."
http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/RRTConAging/paper1.html#anchor912991CONFERENCES
(Conferences listed for the first time in DRD)
CANADIAN
Hard-Wiring Inclusion - A Conference about Building an Accessible ICT World - October 26-27, 2006 | Winnipeg, Manitoba. "The Dis-IT Research Alliance is pleased to announce that our conference HARD-WIRING INCLUSION will take place in Winnipeg on October 26 and 27, 2006. This conference will bring together disability advocates, designers, product developers, manufacturers and service providers, policy makers, and researchers to share knowledge about accessible/inclusive information and communications technology (ICT) and develop strategies to mobilize that knowledge into action and change."
http://www.dis-it.ca/events/2006conference.php
Patient Care and Education - October 26-28, 2006 | Toronto, Ontario. " 'The Evolving Architecture of Research, Patient Care and Education' is a national forum for spinal cord injury clinicians, educators, researchers and consumers. The conference will showcase Canadian expertise and will include pre-course, plenary sessions, poster displays and concurrent workshops that are intended to promote collaboration and exchange among attendees in a variety of formats."
http://www.torontorehab.com/education/scrindex.htmAlzheimer 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.htm11th Biannual NEADS National Conference : Creating Our Future: On Campus and Beyond. - November 10 -12, 2006 | Ottawa, Ontario. "This year's conference will be an exciting opportunity for students, consumer advocates, service providers, employers and all others interested in exploring key issues of equal access to post-secondary education and employment for students and graduates with disabilities. We welcome delegates from across Canada and around the world."
http://www.neads.ca/conference2006/en/info.php
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/Conference for Education, for Businesses, for Web and Media Designers - November 7-10, 2006 | Boulder, Colorado. "Accessing Higher Ground focuses on the implementation and benefits of Assistive Technology in the university and college setting for sensory, physical and learning disabilities. Other topics include legal and policy issues, including ADA and 508 compliance, and making campus media and information resources - including Web pages and library resources - accessible."
http://www.colorado.edu/ATconference/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.htmRESNA 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.phpOVERSEAS
ARATA 2006 National Conference - Connecting People & Community Through Technology - October 17-20, 2006 | Perth, Australia. "On behalf of the conference organising committee, it is my pleasure to invite you to Fremantle, Perth for the ARATA 2006 National Conference 'Connecting People and Community Through Technology', to be held from Tuesday 17th until Friday 20th October, 2006. The 2006 conference aims to enable participants to understand how the application of technology can allow inclusion of all people into everyday activities, home, school, work and leisure by:
• Increasing awareness of the potential of technology
• Presenting new developments and research
• Sharing information and exchanging ideas
• Providing resources, product information and a trade."
http://www.e-bility.com/arata/conf.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.phpDisability 2006 Conference and Expo - November 1-3, 2006 | Gallagher Estate, Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa." 'Mainstreaming Disability in Society' is the theme of this year's three-day Conference, which starts one day before the Expo ie. on 1 November. Explains Conference Spokesperson Kim Krynauw: 'Disability needs to become and remain part of mainstream development, planning and implementation. Despite great strides made over the past decade, people with disabilities (PWDs) in South Africa continue to face barriers that prevent them from enjoying their full rights - civil, political, economic, social, cultural and developmental.' Estimates suggest that more than 7 per cent (3 million people) of South Africa's population have disabilities."
http://www.safmh.org.za/untitled/disconf.htmDPI 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