Disability Resource Digest
Volume 7, Issue 7 Summer 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.
FOCUSED COVERAGE
ADA Restoration Act of 2007 (Introduced in House) - (Legislative text). "To restore the intent and protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990."
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c110:1:./temp/~c110RjhKAR::
Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 2007 A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America - (AAPD). "On the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we celebrate our progress towards an America where individuals with disabilities are recognized for their talents and contributions to our society. We also underscore our commitment to extend the full liberties and freedoms of our great country to all Americans. Seventeen years ago, President George H. W. Bush signed the ADA into law. This legislation became one of the most successful and compassionate reforms in our Nation's history, helping to ensure that individuals with disabilities are better able to develop meaningful skills, engage in productive work, and participate fully in the life of our Nation."
http://www.aapd.com/News/adainthe/070725pgwb.htm
Bill Seeks to Broaden Definition of 'Disability' - (AAPD). "House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer introduced legislation Thursday that would address what a bipartisan group of lawmakers say are unduly narrow judicial interpretations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. A key aspect of the as-yet-unnumbered bill would ensure that a person who uses 'mitigating' measures — such as a hearing aid, a prosthetic limb or medication — would be protected under the 1990 law (PL 101-336). The bill also would clarify that adverse treatment based on the mitigating measure itself or a side effect, such as fatigue from taking medication for the disability, could constitute discrimination. Hoyer, D-Md., was joined at a news conference by Wisconsin Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., the lead Republican cosponsor; Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin, sponsor of a companion Senate version; and advocates for people with disabilities. Among the advocates were Sensenbrenner's wife, who is disabled and a board member of the American Association of People with Disabilities."
http://www.aapd.com/News/adainthe/070727cq.htm
Congress Moves to Amend the ADA! - (AFB). "Today, on the 17th anniversary of the signing into law of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), key leadership and members of the House and Senate are introducing measures in both chambers to amend the landmark disability civil rights law. The twin pieces of legislation are aimed at 'restoring' the ADA's protections for all people with disabilities, protections which have been severely impaired by an array of wrongly—decided Supreme Court cases. These cases, which include rulings with considerable direct impact on people who are blind or visually impaired, essentially hold that employees who are in fact discriminated against on the basis of disability may nevertheless not be deemed by the courts to be disabled enough to sue their employers for such discrimination."
http://www.afb.org/blog/blog_comments.asp?TopicID=3024&FolderID=19
Hillary Clinton's Agenda to Expand Economic Opportunity for Individuals with Disabilities - (AAPD). "On the eve of the 17th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Hillary Clinton wanted to celebrate the significant progress that has been made since this landmark law was enacted. The nation has dramatically improved the accessibility of the built environment and the telecommunications infrastructure. But there is still have a long way to go. That is why today Hillary Clinton is unveiling a new set of proposals to empower people with disabilities for the jobs, work and careers they aspire to. The United States will only reach its economic potential if it ensures that people with disabilities have the full opportunity to reach their potential. Americans with disabilities have half the employment rate and double the poverty rate of individuals who do not have disabilities. Even those people with disabilities who graduated college work at only two-thirds the rate of college graduates without disabilities. Hillary Clinton believes we must shift our orientation towards a new approach that helps those with disabilities thrive and reach their potential in the workplace, community and nation."
http://www.aapd.com/News/election/070725shc.htm
Justice Department Commemorates 17th ADA Anniversary by Signing Two New Project Civic Access Agreements - (AAPD)."Today, the Justice Department celebrated the 17th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at an event in New Orleans, La. hosted by the Mayor's Advisory Council for Citizens with Disabilities. At the ADA anniversary event, Wan J. Kim, the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, signed a Project Civic Access (PCA) agreement with the City of New Orleans which sets out a plan to ensure equal access for people with disabilities to the city's emergency operations and other programs, services, activities and facilities."
http://www.aapd.com/News/adainthe/070730doj.htm
Keeping the Promise: Introduction of ADA Restoration Act on the 17th Anniversary - (Road to Freedom). "We left the Freedom Bus behind in Chicago and jumped on a flight to be in Washington for the introduction of the ADA Restoration Act of 2007 on its 17th anniversary. ADA Watch has worked in coalition with the disability community in drafting and advocating for the introduction of this bill for more than 7 years now. It was an exciting day to be on the West steps of the U.S. Capitol overlooking the Mall as Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced the introduction of the ADA Restoration Act while surrounded by other members of Congress, as well as advocates including ADA Watch's Jim Ward, ADA Watch Co-Chair and Executive Director of NDRN, Curt Decker, Marcie Roth, Becky Ogle, Andy Imparato, Elizabeth Goldberg and others."
http://roadtofreedom.wordpress.com/2007/07/26/keeping-the-promise-introduction-of-ada-restoration-act/
NCD Says Americans with Disabilities Act Findings Encouraging With More to be Done - (The National Council on Disability). "The National Council on Disability (NCD) today released two reports on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that show that ADA implementation is not only possible and practicable, it is also good for business. The first, The Impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act: Assessing the Progress toward Achieving the Goals of the ADA, describes a retrospective study and review of the impact the ADA has had on the lives of Americans with disabilities during the first sixteen years since its passage, with particular focus on the four major goals of the ADA—equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency. Progress toward the goal of economic self-sufficiency appears to be the goal having the least success. . . . The second report, Implementation of the ADA: Challenges, Best Practices, and New Opportunities for Success, highlights many strategies for ADA implementation that have been successful, as well as obstacles that are preventing ADA implementation. This report reflects the experiences and ideas of ADA stakeholders from around the country, including small and large businesses, employers, judges and legal professionals, governmental entities, and individuals with disabilities, concerning ADA implementation. Through this extensive stakeholder input, NCD learned of the many strategies for ADA implementation that have been successful, as well as obstacles that are preventing ADA implementation."
http://www.aapd.com/News/adainthe/070727ncd.htm
New Freedom Initiative Progress Report released by President George W. Bush - (AAPD). "I am extremely pleased to report to you that, last Thursday, July 26, 2007, on the 17th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, President George W. Bush released the 2007 New Freedom Initiative Progress Report, which outlines many of the achievements that have taken place since the last such report was issued in 2004. The new report is the most comprehensive document of its kind in the history of this Administration, literally almost double the size of the last report. The New Freedom Initiative, launched in February 2001, is the President's agenda for advancing equality of opportunity and access for this nation's more than 50 million Americans with disabilities."
http://www.aapd.com/News/WHissues/070730doj.htm
ACCESSIBILITY
Accessibility Issues with Office Open XML - (ATRC). "Office Open XML (OOXML) is an electronic document file format based on XML originally developed by Microsoft Corporation to their proprietary Microsoft Office suite as an alternative for previous proprietary document formats. In December, 2006, the organization Ecma International published a standard (ECMA-376) based upon this format.2 Ecma International then submitted this standard to the International Standard Organization's JTC-1 committee for fast-track consideration of its adoption as an international standard. As of July, 2007, that process is ongoing. If the ISO adopts OOXML as a standard, this will have significant implications, as many national, regional and municipal governments mandate the use of a standard format in public schools and for all official government documents and records. In an increasingly electronic and on-line document world, the accessibility of this format has clear implications for members of disadvantaged or minority communities and persons with disabilities, as access to educational materials, government services, records, opportunities, participation and representation is at stake. Hence, accessibility should be a crucial prerequisite for standardization and adoption. With this in mind, this paper undertakes a preliminary analysis of the OOXML format with respect to its accessibility, with emphasis on accessibility to persons with disabilities. We will demonstrate that the OOXML format fails to adequately support accessibility of documents."
http://atrc.utoronto.ca/index.php?option=com_content§ionid=14&task=view&hidemainmenu=1&id=371
Canadian schools collaborate on more accessible interfaces - University of Toronto leads project for adaptive Web applications - by Briony Smith. "The University of Toronto landed a $2.5-million Andrew W. Mellon grant to augment its Fluid project, which is focused on developing a library of user interfaces that will allow the differently abled and people with unique cultural backgrounds or languages to navigate Web applications more easily."
http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/CDN/News.asp?id=43009&cid=9
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
ADVOCACY
Disability Rights Online News - June 2007 Issue Nineteen - "Disability Rights Online News is a bi-monthly update about the Civil Rights Divisions activities in the area of disability rights. The Division enforces laws prohibiting discrimination based on disability in employment, housing, access to businesses serving the public, access to government programs and services including voting and public transportation, and unconstitutional conditions in institutions of confinement."
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/newsltr0607.htm
Ditka skipping Hall of Fame ceremonies - (AP). "Mike Ditka won't be in Canton, Ohio, for Saturday's Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony and won't attend another until the NFL and the players' union improve their treatment of disabled players. 'The system is flawed and when they fix the system I'll go back,' the former Chicago Bears coach and player said Friday. Ditka said his beef isn't with the pension system, but with the scarcity of disability payments. League officials have said 317 players collect disability totaling about US$20 million a year."
http://www.tsn.ca/nfl/news_story/?ID=215382&hubname=
UN convention on disability rights reaches milestone in signatories – (UN News Service). "United Nations officials say the global treaty to protect the rights of the world's estimated 650 million people with disabilities could take effect by early next year after Qatar this week became the 100th country to sign the landmark pact. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will enter into force 30 days after the 20th country ratifies the treaty, but so far only Jamaica has taken the step of ratification. The UN Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities estimates that the next 19 ratifications could be reached by as early as the end of this year."
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=23208&Cr=disable&Cr1=
EDUCATION
OPPORTUNITIES
Distance Learning Seminar - MPOs Engaging the Disability Community in the Coordination Process - "As part of Easter Seals Project ACTION's Distance Learning Seminar Series, Wendy Klancher, Senior Transportation Planner, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (Washington, D.C.) and Vicky McLane, Policy & Intergovernmental Manager, North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (Fort Collins, Colo.) will discuss strategies for and benefits of engaging the disability community in the coordination process. Ms. Klancher and Ms. McLane will each be joined by a disability advocate to be announced at a later date. This is a free audio conference open to the public. The one-hour and fifteen-minute program will be on Weds., Aug. 22, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. EDT. Resources related to the presentation are available through this page. These materials are intended as additional resources to provide more in-depth information and it is not necessary to download them for the presentation."
http://projectaction.easterseals.com/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=16421
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY
When Discipline Starts a Fight Pressured to Handle Disabled Children, A School Tries Restraints, 'Isabel's Office' - by Robert Tomsho (Wall Street Journal Online). "When Eva Loeffler walked into her daughter Isabel's classroom at Waukee Elementary School on Dec. 15, 2004, she says a male guidance counselor was trying to contain the shrieking 8-year-old by wrapping his arms around hers in a restraint hold. Isabel, suffering from autism and other disabilities, had a history of aggressive behavior, but Mrs. Loeffler had never seen her so agitated. Her eyes were glazed and her face was red. 'She was like a wild animal,' says Mrs. Loeffler, who, at the time, felt sorry for the counselor who had to deal with her daughter in such a state. That sympathy waned as Mrs. Loeffler and her husband learned all the measures the school district used on Isabel. These included restraint holds by three adults at once and hours in a seclusion room that teachers called 'Isabel's office.' There the girl sometimes wet herself and pulled out her hair, according to documents filed in a 2006 administrative-law case the Loefflers brought against the school district."
http://www.aapd.com/News/education/070709wsj.htm
EMPLOYMENT
ODEP Releases Three New Fact Sheets on Disclosure of Disability - "The US Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has developed three new fact sheets on disclosure to assist service providers and youth with disabilities transitioning from high school to a post-secondary setting or the workplace. The fact sheets provide valuable information and resources to help youth make an informed personal decision about the need for disclosing disability."
http://www.heath.gwu.edu/node/130
ETHICS
Eugenics Exhibit Opens Eyes - by Rick Martinez (newsobserver.com). "Historical context was what I was after in my visit to the eugenics exhibit now on display at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. What possibly could have made it acceptable to forcibly sterilize 7,600 North Carolinians between 1929 and 1974? I wrongly assumed that race would account for the state's actions, since blacks were denied basic civil rights during most of that period. Not necessarily. Whites -- 2,851 women and 675 men -- accounted for most state-ordered sterilizations. African-Americans were second with 2,098 women and 235 men victimized. . . In May 2007, Andrew J. Imparato and Anne C. Sommers of the American Association of People with Disabilities marked the Buck decision's 80th anniversary by warning that intellectual underpinnings of eugenics still survive, particularly with regard to the disabled. They back up their claim with chilling facts and quotes."
http://www.aapd.com/News/bioethics/070709tno.htm
Measuring the Athletic (Dis)advantages of Artificial Limbs - by Brandon Keim (Wired). "The success enjoyed by Oscar Pistorius, a South African double-amputee sprinter who competes against able-bodied runners, has prompted debate over the role of prosthetics in athletics. If he's fast enough to qualify, should Pistorius be allowed to race in the Olympics? Do his carbon graphite appendages give him an unfair advantage? Where should the competitive line be drawn with artificial limbs and other assistive devices? As the Los Angeles Times reports, Pistorius' so-called Cheetah feet aren't as good as the real thing."
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/07/measuring-the-a.html
New prenatal screening recommendations discriminatory - (The Canadian Women's Health Network). "New recommendations from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) discriminate against citizens with Down syndrome, says the Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS). The recommendations, published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada (February 2007), indicate that all pregnant women should be given the choice to undergo prenatal screening for Down syndrome; previously, this was primarily extended to women over the age of 35. A critical component of this screening process is the context, the language, and manner in which the conversations about the possibility of Down syndrome occur. The CDSS is greatly concerned that information provided to parents be clear, accurate and unbiased. 'We know that information is important for prospective parents to make the best decisions for their family. For families undergoing prenatal testing, it is critical that value-neutral information convey not just the challenges of Down syndrome but also the richly rewarding lives possible for those with Down syndrome,' says Krista J. Flint, CDSS Executive Director. 'Parents have told me that they have heard that a child with Down syndrome would "ruin their life" or "would never be toilet-trained" – that's not information; that's bias'."
http://www.cwhn.ca/network-reseau/9-34/9-34pg7.html
GENERAL INTEREST
America's Mr Fix It - "Andew Imparato, president of the American Association of People with Disabilities, has an impressive track record when it comes to shaking up the US disability movement. Katharine Quarmby caught up with him when he visited Britain in June."
http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/people/profiles/prof_aug_2007.htm
Independent Living Institute introduces: Fashion Freaks – Your Dressing Room on the Web. - (Ability Magazine). "Fashion Freaks (FF) is about fashion, clothing and vanity from a seated perspective. We who use wheelchairs know how hard it is to find good looking clothes that fit. Skirts are too short at the back. Pants are too tight in the crotch. The jacket travels forward with every move until the shoulder pads form extra boobs. FF says 'It is not funny', but it is not as complicated as you think to sew yourself. And when you have your 'own' pattern you can create any combination or variation of clothing you want. With your 'own' pattern you can ask a seamstress to sew that special garment for that special occasion – maybe a two-piece suit for graduation. Or find the tailor who makes motorcycle clothes and order that leather jacket everyone will envy. Fashion Freaks is about clothing for wheelchair users. On our website you will find patterns for downloading, simple sewing instructions, tips and other useful stuff. Here you will find everything you need to fix a wardrobe after your personal taste."
Visit www.independentliving.org/fashionfreaks"
http://www.abilitymagazine.com/news_Fashion_Freaks.html
Inventor of Cochlear implant wins Germany's top neuroscience award - (Deaf Today). "University of Melbourne scientist Professor Graeme Clark has received the 2007 Klaus Joachim Zulch prize for his research into neuroscience and the Cochlear implant, giving hearing to deaf people. Professor Clark was awarded the prize for outstanding achievements in basic neurological research for developing the multi-channel Cochlear implant (Bionic Ear). He shares the prize with Dr John Donoghue who leads the brain science program at Brown University in the US. The Zulch prize is Germany's highest award in neuroscience, and is made by the Max Planck Institute which is ranked by the Times Education Supplement in 2006 as the top research institute in the world. Over 80,000 people in more than 70 countries around the world now use Cochlear implants to hear."
http://www.deaftoday.com/v3/archives/2007/06/inventor_of_coc.html
One man's unique life story - conveyed by text - (Paralinks). "Waheed Mahmood is a young man with a unique story to tell. However, rather than putting pen to paper or hands to keyboard as most people would, he is having to rely on an enterprising yet painstaking method of recording his story - writing it on mobile phone text message. Waheed, who lives in Sheffield, must be one of the few people in the world - and possibly the only person - who is recording their life story through the modern medium of mobile phone text messaging. The 19-year-old has been texting his story a couple of sentences at a time onto his phone, which he later reads to his neurologist Dr Tony Hart who has been voluntarily typing it up. However, it is a time-consuming task and Waheed is now looking for enthusiastic assistants to help finish off the mammoth job, and to help him in achieving his goal of getting his unique story published."
http://www.youreable.com/TwoShare/getPage/01News/01Current/July2007/text
Scouring the Globe for a Cure: A disabled man's experiences with stem cell treatment. - (Paralinks). "Paralyzed off-road enthusiast, vgrafen, has just released his book, Scouring the globe for a cure: a disabled man's experiences with stem cell treatment. Both a medical travelogue and a commentary on current beliefs and practices as they relate to spinal cord injury, the book chronicles vgrafen's search for a cure for paralysis, and is centered upon his experimental stem cell treatment in Azerbaijan in January 2006. A regular contributor to one of the world's leading Spinal Cord Injury research and information websites, CareCure at Rutgers University (sci.rutgers.edu), vgrafen is honest, direct, and entertaining. comments on foreign and American medical attitudes towards curing spinal cord injury, and spares no one -especially himself- in his examination of the state of paralysis research and treatment, and all things disabled."
http://www.paralinks.net/paralinksarchives/602scouringglobeforacure.html
GOVERNMENT
CANADA
2006 Annual Report of the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario - (Office of the Auditor General of Ontario). Included in this report is a follow-up VFM (Value for Money) report on the Ontario Disability Support Program (Section 4.03). This report states in the introduction to the evaluation that "according to information received from the Ministry of Community and Social Services, significant progress has been made in implementing some of the recommendations we made in our 2004 Annual Report. However, for several other recommendations, additional work is still required, especially with respect to financial- and disability-eligibility reviews." The six-page report includes an evaluation of:
• Eligibility for Benefits
• Recovery of Overpayments to Recipients
• Case Management
• Cost-sharing between the Province and the Municipalities
• Service Delivery Model
http://www.auditor.on.ca/en/reports_2006_en.htm (full report)
http://www.auditor.on.ca/en/reports_en/en06/403en06.pdf (ODSP report)
U.S.
Brownback, Kennedy Reintroduce Pre-natally and Post-natally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act - (AAPD). "U.S. Senators Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) today reintroduced the Pre-natally and Post-natally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act, legislation which would require that families who receive a diagnosis of Down syndrome or any other condition, pre-natally or up until a year after birth, will be given up-to-date information about the nature of the condition and connection with support services and networks that could offer assistance. 'We as a society must offer as much protection as we can to 'the least of these,' said Brownback. 'When a mother receives the news that her unborn child may be born with a disability, she should be supplied with current and reliable information about the many options available for caring for children with disabilities.'"
http://www.aapd.com/News/bioethics/070718bb.htm
Senate, House Legislation Would Create National Insurance Plan for Disabled Adults - (AAPD). "Key senators and House members introduced legislation July 10 that would create an insurance program for adults who become functionally disabled. Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), and Representatives John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) and Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) introduced The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act of 2007 (bill numbers not available). The legislation, which was unveiled at a Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, would establish a national insurance program to be financed by voluntary payroll deductions of $30 per month. The program would provide benefits to adults who become severely functionally impaired. All working adults would be automatically enrolled in the program, unless they opt out."
http://www.aapd.com/News/aapdinthe/070711bna.htm
HEALTH/WELLNESS
European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies - "The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies supports and promotes evidence-based health policy-making through comprehensive and rigorous analysis of the dynamics of health care systems in Europe. The Observatory is a partnership between the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, the Governments of Belgium, Finland, Greece, Norway, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden, the Veneto Region of Italy, the European Investment Bank, the Open Society Institute, the World Bank, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine."
http://www.euro.who.int/observatory
LEGAL
Blind Customers Take Action against the Cell Phone Industry - (AFB). "Blind and visually impaired customers are taking legal action against the cell phone industry in an effort to improve cell phone accessibility. This week, 11 customers from across the country filed complaints with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which enforces Section 255, the law that requires phones to be designed to be accessible for people with disabilities. Complaints were filed against both the cell phone carriers and manufacturers. 'These complaints illustrate a market failure on the part of the cell phone industry to address accessibility,' said Paul Schroeder, VP, Programs and Policy Group at the American Foundation for the Blind. 'While some companies have taken steps, consumers with vision loss have few good options for accessibility, and almost no reliable information about accessibility.' There is a growing need for accessible phones given the increasing rates of vision loss. Experts predict that by 2030, rates of severe vision loss will double along with the country's aging population."
http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?DocumentID=3596
State Embryonic and Fetal Research Laws - "State statutes on embryonic and fetal research have evolved with the development of new technologies. Currently, a great deal of attention has centered around stem cell research. There are four primary sources for embryonic stem cells: existing stem cell lines, aborted or miscarried embryos, unused in vitro fertilized embryos, and cloned embryos. Current federal policy limits federally funded research to research conducted on embryonic stem cell lines created before August 2001. Federal funding of research involving cloning for the purpose of reproduction or research is prohibited. However, there is no federal law banning human cloning altogether. The Food and Drug Administration has claimed authority over the regulation of human cloning technology as an investigational new drug (IND) and stated that at this time, they would not approve any projects involving human cloning for safety reasons, but Congress has not passed legislation confirming the FDA's authority to prohibit cloning. State laws may restrict the use of embryonic stem cells from some or all sources or specifically permit certain activities. State laws on the issue vary widely."
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/genetics/embfet.htm
MEDIA
News in ASL - NetSignNews.com debuts July 4 - (Deaf Today). "The Deaf Broadcast Network is preparing NetSignNews.com for the internet. 'NetSignNews is a daily program of international and national news, sports and weather, and special interest community news which will be streaming to subscribers at www.netsignnews.com, beginning July 4. Headline News will debut at the same time as a free service running on our homepage,' said Kit Patrick Corson, CEO of the new information company dedicated to serving the deaf and hard of hearing community. NetSignNews will be presented in American Sign Language with a voice over track for hearing relatives and friends."
http://www.deaftoday.com/v3/archives/2007/06/news_in_asl_net.html
"Talking Hands," by Margalit Fox, is now online - (Deaf Today). " Written for a general readership, 'Talking Hands' is a narrative nonfiction look at the signed languages of the Deaf, and what science is learning from them (a great deal, it turns out) about how all human language, signed and spoken, operates inside our heads. The narrative of the book follows four linguists -- Wendy Sandler, Mark Aronoff, Carol Padden and Irit Meir -- as they unravel a new sign language that has arisen, unbidden, in an isolated Bedouin village that has an unusually high rate of hereditary deafness. Because this sign language has arisen spontaneously, it offers the linguists a once-in-a-lifetime chance to observe the human 'language instinct' in action -- to watch what happens when the mind has to make an entire language from scratch."
http://www.deaftoday.com/v3/archives/2007/07/talking_hands_b.html
MEDICAL
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine - "The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine ('The Institute' or 'CIRM') was established in early 2005 with the passage of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative. The statewide ballot measure, which provided $3 billion in funding for stem cell research at California universities and research institutions, was approved by California voters on November 2, 2004, and called for the establishment of a new state agency to make grants and provide loans for stem cell research, research facilities and other vital research opportunities."
http://www.cirm.ca.gov/
POLICY/RESEARCH
Income Security for Workers: A Stressed Support System in Need of Innovation - by David C. Stapleton, Richard V. Burkhauser, Peiyun She, Gina A. Livermore, & Robert R. Weathers, II (Mathematica). "The current mix of public and private programs to support workers after they experience disability onset provides benefits to millions of workers and former workers. Yet, despite the large and growing costs of these programs, the inflation-adjusted household incomes of workers with disabilities have been falling for over two decades, both absolutely and, especially, relative to the incomes of those without disabilities. The aging of the baby boom generation is likely to make matters worse, and the government's fiscal circumstance will make it increasingly difficult to sustain existing public programs. Current public policy initiatives might eventually improve the disability support system, but they are not likely to ward off the adverse consequences of the pending crisis. Policy changes that leverage existing private sector practices and capabilities might achieve greater success, but have received little attention and are far from proven."
http://preview.tinyurl.com/37ypx2
Mathematica Launches Center for Studying Disability Policy - "Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., announces the launch of its new Center for Studying Disability Policy. The center merges disability researchers from the Cornell University Institute for Policy Research and Mathematica. The mission of the new center is to inform disability policy formation with rigorous, objective research and data collected from the people disability policy aims to serve. For some time, the two organizations have collaborated on large-scale studies of Social Security disability programs that seek to improve the employment and economic independence of people who receive disability benefits. Staff members at both organizations also conduct research into many other disability-related issues, including ways to facilitate consumer choice, care coordination, long-term care, health insurance coverage, children with special needs, and mental health services research. Looking to the future, the center will disseminate its work through a new website and issue brief series as well as through continued publication in professional journals."
http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/Press%20Releases/disabilitycenter.asp
Measuring what counts to society - by Roy Romanow (The Toronto Star). "Around the world, a consensus is growing about the need for a more holistic way to measure societal progress – one that accounts for more than just economic indicators such as the Gross Domestic Product and takes into account the full range of social, environmental and economic concerns of citizens. This emerging global consensus is being driven by a sense that public policy seems to be losing its ability to connect with people's core values. . . . In response to this challenge, international organizations, public servants, statistical agencies, academics, leaders of civil society and business and media, recently gathered in Istanbul at the OECD's World Forum on Measuring and Fostering the Progress of Societies. Their purpose was to shine the world's spotlight on how societies can better use evidence to benefit democracy, build a stronger civil society, empower citizens and stimulate a richer global debate on what progress really means."
http://www.thestar.com/article/232526
http://www.oecd.org/document/51/0,3343,en_21571361_31938349_37115187_1_1_1_1,00.html (World Progress Forum)
Repairing Canada's Social Safety Net - by Sherri Torjman (Caledonist). "The Department of Human Resources and Social Development Canada invited departmental representatives and four outside panelists to a roundtable to consider options for repairing Canada's social safety net. This paper summarizes the highlights from Caledon's contribution, which made the case for the need to reform Employment Insurance and welfare in concert and in association with labour market changes. The presentation noted the problems in the current social security system as well as the economic, social and political pressures that are driving the need for reform. Our proposals included the diversion of funds from the current Universal Child Care Benefit and newly-introduced child tax credit into an enhanced Canada Child Tax Benefit. The federal-provincial Child Care Agreements should be resurrected in respect of the need throughout the country for high-quality, affordable space. The Registered Disability Savings Plan announced in the federal Budget was a welcome measure but does not replace the importance of reforming the disability income system and investing in the supply of disability supports."
http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/Detail/?ID=631
Residential care facilities - (Statistics Canada). "Only 1 out of every 30 seniors aged 65 and over lived in one of Canada's 1,952 homes for the aged in the fiscal year 2004/2005, according to new data from the Residential Care Facilities Survey. Data for all provinces and territories, except Quebec, show that nearly 151,000 seniors, 3.4% of the total, resided in a home for the aged in 2004/2005. (The distribution of residents of facilities in Quebec by age group and sex was not available.) Senior women were nearly twice as likely as senior men to live in a home for the aged. Of the total, 106,100 were women and only 44,700 were men."
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/070530/d070530d.htm
Telstra's fourth disability action plan (2007 - 2009) - (Telstra). "The 2003 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) study of Disability and Carers in the Australian population found that one-in-five Australians reported living with a disability – close to 4 million Australians. Over 6 per cent – 1.2 million Australians – reported a profound or severe level of core activity limitation. The ABS also recognises an increasing rate of disability with age, with up to 45 per cent of people aged 65 to 74 having a disability, and 82 per cent of people aged 85 and over having a disability. This means that as Telstra customers, Australians living with a disability may have difficulty making or receiving a phone call, using standard voice or text-based phone services or have difficulty reading a standard bill or information about Telstra's products and services."
http://www.apo.org.au/linkboard/results.chtml?filename_num=169848
http://www.telstra.com.au/disability/docs/dap0709.pdf
REHABILITATION
Developing world rehabilitation strategy I: Find a different kind of hero - by Andrew J. Haig MD (Disability & Rehabilitation 29:11&12, 2007). "Rehabilitation heroes in developing regions have to deceive these days. They do not succeed by simply offering their services and delivering them. Take, for example, two Ghanaian rehabilitation heroes I've met. Dr Edwin Wiredu is one. A British-trained pathologist and a talented administrator, the logical path for him would have been a professorship in London or Edinburgh. Maybe a comfortable private practice in Liverpool, paying 10 times his current salary, with a month of vacation every year to go back home to Ghana and enjoy the sun. Instead, he returned to Korle Bu teaching hospital in Accra, a place with peeling paint, patient-filled stretchers lining the halls and an outstanding clinical/academic faculty who made the same choice Edwin did. But no Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specialist. He saw his father airlifted to London for rehabilitation after a stroke, and worries about the lack of follow-up back home. As Dean of the School of Allied Health at the University of Ghana, this year Edwin matriculated the first small class of physiotherapists in a quarter century, doubling the total number in his country. Pathologists deal with dead people. What was he doing in our field?"
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a779660764~db=all~order=page
Life beyond disability: new device helps patients stand and move - (Closing the Gap). "Pamela Cobler was a teacher and part-time model who was active in gymnastics, volleyball, swimming and horseback riding. All of that changed in May, 2001, when Cobler, a native of Martinsville, Virginia, suffered a life-changing spinal cord injury in a motorcycle accident that left her unable to walk. Since her injury, she has earned a doctorate in education administration and the title 'Ms. Wheelchair Virginia' in 2004. She remains healthy and strong and credits her recovery largely to a piece of medical equipment: a standing device, which she uses at least five days a week."
http://preview.tinyurl.com/3a5mhd
VA Researchers Develop New Prosthetic Ankle - "Veterans with lower-leg amputations can look forward to having a prosthetic ankle-foot that matches their natural ease of motion, thanks to research funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and conducted by researchers from the Department and two of the nation's top universities. 'Veterans are entitled to the best this nation has to offer, and at VA, we're constantly redefining the meaning of best,' said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson. 'This new ankle-foot prosthetic is another example of VA's medical innovations for veterans that will benefit all Americans.' Researchers say the new ankle-foot prosthetic is the first in a new family of artificial limbs. It will replicate natural motion by propelling people forward using tendon-like springs powered by an electric motor.
http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1361
SELF-HELP
Spina Bifida is focus of conference - by Laura Ungar. "Seven months into her pregnancy, Donna Bailey had an ultrasound revealing something very wrong -- water on her baby's brain, indicating a birth defect known as spina bifida. When Travis was born, Bailey recalls the heartbreaking words of one doctor: 'He's a floppy baby. He'll never do anything.' He certainly wouldn't talk, the doctors said; his vocal cords were paralyzed. But 35 surgeries later, Travis is a talkative 11-year-old with bright blue eyes who loves video games and remote-control cars. He talks by sheer will -- pushing air out as hard as he can so that his vocal cords vibrate despite the paralysis. 'My legs don't work. I've got a wheelchair. I pop wheelies and stuff,' said Travis, an incoming fifth-grader at Bates Elementary School in Louisville, giving a quick demonstration. Travis' progress -- his very survival -- shows how the outlook has changed significantly for the 70,000 to 130,000 Americans with spina bifida, the subject of the 34th annual conference of the Washington, D.C.-based Spina Bifida Association, which began yesterday at the Kentucky International Convention Center."
http://www.sbaa.org/site/c.liKWL7PLLrF/b.2957023/k.5346/Spina_Bifida_is_Focus_of_Conference.htm
TECHNOLOGY
A New Robotic Hand - "An English company named 'Shadow Robot' created a robotic imitation of a human hand, the closest one ever to the real thing. The 'Shadow Hand' provides 24 different movements, which allow almost identical functionality capabilities as the real flesh and blood hand. The Shadow Hand has integrated sensing and position control and uses 40 built in Air Muscles – small devices that provide a pulling force to the Hand. The Air Muscles behave in a similar way to biological muscles – they can contract up to 40% of their original length when actuated with a supply of compressed air and can provide a powerful source of force. These artificial muscles are easily controllable, enabling the robotic hand to handle even soft or fragile objects. In addition, small sensors can be applied to the artificial fingertips of the Hand, offering sensitivity sufficient to detect a small coin."
http://www.tfot.info/pod/269/A-New-Robotic-Hand.html
Canadian nonprofit answers call for assistive IT - (Computerworld Canada). - "As it often happens, it was Nigel Livingston's own disabled child who inspired him to form CanAssist, the nonprofit assistive technology group that, earlier this month, was recognized for its efforts with a $750,000 Canadian ($704,000 U.S.) grant from the provincial government. CanAssist is run out of and is partially funded by the University of Victoria, where the seven-year organization got off the ground with a simple request from a community member. After a near-drowning accident, a young man became blind and experienced spasms where his finger would lock into place."
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyId=10&articleId=9028918&intsrc=hm_topic
First UI Component available - "Fluid's first UI component, the Lightbox, has been built and was demonstrated at the June 2007 Sakai conference in Amsterdam and at the JA-SIG conference in Denver. The Lightbox allows users to re-organize images within a collection by dragging-and-dropping thumbnails. The Lightbox is fully keyboard accessible, providing non-mouse users with a direct and convenient way of re-ordering images with the arrow keys. Part of the Sakai Image Gallery Tool, the Lightbox is the first instance of Fluid's reusable drag-and-drop accessibility library, which can be used by developers to implement a wide range of user interfaces in which the user can directly manipulate and re-order objects on-screen."
http://fluidproject.org/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=4&cntnt01dateformat=%25b%20%25d%2C%20%25Y&cntnt01returnid=74
Local inventor creates lightweight cane from space-age materials - by Julie Moran Alterio (NYnews). "George Stanec, at age 80, doesn't use a cane, but if he ever needs one, he'll be ready. A retired mechanical engineer, Stanec has invented a high-tech walking cane that combines aerospace materials and finely carved wood. The result is a sturdy yet lightweight cane with artistic flair. Stanec and his wife, Anna, 71, a retired anesthesiologist, have started a Web business called Tiagra Canes to market his invention. The Stanecs, both emigrants from the former Czechoslovakia who settled in Scarsdale in 1973, have collaborated on George's ideas for decades. He has four U.S. patents, including one he shares with his wife for a medical device to measure muscle relaxation in anesthesia. George has one patent for his cane and another pending."
http://www.nynews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070708/BUSINESS01/707080360/1066
Text4Deaf - "Text4Deaf was created to make text messaging easier to use, more convenient and more accessible. Text4Deaf allows users to send text messages from the Web to both individuals and groups, while enabling recipients to respond directly to the originating PC or Mac. Text4Deaf web texts can be sent from any web-enabled device worldwide to any U.S. or Canadian mobile phone."
http://www.text4deaf.com/
CONFERENCES
(New Conferences)
CANADIAN
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, Ontario. "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/
Disabilty, Health & Wellness Conference - September 24, 2007 | Winnipeg, Manitoba. "This conference will create awareness and kick-start the process of advancing the health and wellness of people living with a disability or chronic condition.
Major themes:
• Healthy Living
• Health Services and Healthcare
• Healthy Work
• Supports and Information"
http://www.smd.mb.ca/default.aspx?tabid=443
24th International Seating Symposium - March 5-8, 2008 | Vancouver, British Columbia. - "This international symposium addresses current and future developments in the areas of seating, positioning and mobility. Topic areas include service delivery, product development, research and evaluation. The format for the symposium will include plenary, poster, instructional and paper sessions. Extensive opportunities are provided for networking with colleagues."
http://www.interprofessional.ubc.ca/24th_Seating.htm
CHHA - IFHOH, Congress 2008 - July 2-6, 2008 | Vancouver, British Columbia. "The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association and the International Federation of Hard of Hearing People invite you to attend the International Congress for persons with hearing loss to be held in Canada at the fabulous Sheraton Vancouver Wall Center in downtown Vancouver. Programs will be of interest to all persons with hearing loss, and to those who live, work and are part of the lives of persons with hearing loss. This Congress is a 'must' if hearing loss has touched your life."
http://www.chha-ifhohcongress2008.com/
U.S.
Midwest Regional Disability Lifestyle Conference & Expo - September 29-30, 2007 | Columbus, Ohio. "A new, two-day event spotlighting sports/recreation, the arts and lifestyles of people with disabilities will take place this fall at The Ohio State University. . . Keynote speakers will include Rosemarie Rossetti, PhD., an internationally known professional speaker, trainer, and writer, and William Bauer, PhD., a private practice certified rehabilitation counselor. The event is co-sponsored by OSU, VSA arts of Ohio, Buckeye Paralyzed Veterans of America, Ability Magazine, Columbus Recreation and Parks, and Blaze Sports of Columbus, and Ohio Wheelchair Sports Association."
http://www.paralinks.net/paralinksarchives/07207mortlandconference.html
http://ada.osu.edu/conferences/MobilityConf2007/SessionDescriptions.html
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/main.htm
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/
Closing The Gap 25th Annual Conference - October 18-20, 2007 | Minneapolis, Minnesota. "Topics will cover a broad spectrum of technology as it is being applied to all disabilities and age groups in education, rehabilitation, vocation, and independent living. People with disabilities, special educators, rehabilitation professionals, administrators, service/care providers, personnel managers, government officials, and hardware/software developers will share their experiences and insights at what has become known as the most significant networking experience of the year -- the annual Closing The Gap Conference."
http://www.closingthegap.com/conf/index.lasso
10th Annual Accessing Higher Ground: Accessible Media, Web and Technology Conference for Education, for Businesses, for Web and Media Designers - November 6 - 9, 2007 | 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/
World of Possibilities Expo Virginia 2007 - December 7-8, 2007 | Richmond, Virginia. "World Of Possibilities Expos focus on Abilities, Healthy Aging and Independent Living and are dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults with disabilities, seniors, their families and caregivers, as well as health care and education professionals."
http://expo.caringcommunities.org/
23rd Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference - March 10-15, 2008 | Los Angeles, California. " The 23rd Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference invites submissions of papers for this conference to be held March 10-15, 2008 at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott and Renaissance Montura hotels. The 'CSUN' conference is the world's longest-running and largest conference of its kind on the topic of assistive technology and the positive impact on persons with disabilities. The conference draws more than 4,500 persons annually who attend sessions, visit the exhibit halls, and participate in affiliate meetings and informal gatherings."
http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/index.html
5th Annual International Conference for Positive Behavior Support - March 27-29, 2008 | Chicago, Illinois. "The 5th International Conference on Positive Behavior Support is an international conference dedicated to promoting research-based strategies that combine applied behavior analysis and biomedical science with person-centered values and systems change to increase quality of life and decrease problem behaviors. The Association of Positive Behavior Support (APBS) is made up of professionals, family members, trainers, consumers, researchers, and administrators who are involved and interested in positive behavior support."
http://www.apbs.org/conference/chicago/default.html
Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion, & Disability: Looking Back & Thinking Ahead - April 22 & 23, 2008 | Columbus, Ohio. "The Eighth Annual Multiple Perspectives conference continues the university's efforts to bring together a diverse audience to explore disability as both an individual experience and social reality that cuts across typical divisions of education & employment; scholarship & service; business & government; race, gender & ethnicity. This year's theme 'looking back and thinking ahead' is meant to encourage presenters and participants to consider topics, methods and programs from fresh perspectives."
http://ada.osu.edu/conferences/2008Conf/callforpapers2008.html#utmost
OVERSEAS
The 2007 7th DPI World Assembly in Korea - September 5-8, 2007 | Goyang, Korea. "Persons with disabilities (PWDs) from around the world will attend conferences, session and events to report the status of PWDs in their countries, to discuss progress plans together, to adopt a resolution and to participate in various events."
http://dpiwa.net/eu/index.asp?not_db=press_eng
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
RAATE 2007 - November 26-27, 2007 | Sheffield, United Kingdom. "RAATE 2007 is the only UK conference focused on the latest innovations in Assistive Technology. This conference will be of interest to everyone who uses, works with, develops or conducts research on Assistive Technology (AT). The conference program has, over the past years, regularly included new technological developments, service innovations, results of formal research projects, service based research and development and a wide range of other stimulating topics. Known as a friendly and productive conference, RAATE offers you a chance to meet and share knowledge and experience with other people working in AT."
http://www.raate.org.uk/about-raate/
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