A Pro Designer Discusses The 7 Principles of Universal Design & Barrier Free and Assistive Technology | How To Grow, Profit & Organize Your Business

Q: Why is Universal Design necessary?

Product Design is at the intersection of technology, design, and human factors. When all these areas coalesce we can innovate and create usable products to improve the lives of users.

Generally designers consider users, but it is a natural tendency to think of people like oneself, which usually means healthy, young and typically developing. The human population is not typical, however.

via purchase.com

"The human population is not typical, however."

That is revolutionary.

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American v. British health care - Holy Kaw!

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Access Tubs Walk-In Bathing Products

Access Tubs Walk-In Bathing Products: "Today, walk-in bath tubs have become the ultimate solution to independent bathing for seniors, and the handicappedand disabled all over the world. Just choose between our US-made products and experience safe, luxurious and comfortable bathing. Elderly, handicapped and people with limited mobility choose Access Tubs for its quality-made products. Accesstubs.com is the vendor for Costco US and Canada stores. Our elderly-care and handicap baths can be customized to better suit your needs"

“Mobility Works Wins Exclusive US Manufacturing and Distribution Rights for the Martin Conquest wheelchair accessible motorcycle.” — IMED Mobility Blog

“Mobility Works Wins Exclusive US Manufacturing and Distribution Rights for the Martin Conquest wheelchair accessible motorcycle.”

by Bob on December 18th, 2009

Mobility Works has today announced they have won exclusive US manufacturing and distribution rights to the innovative Martin Conquest handicap accessible motorcycle.

Akron, Ohio December 14th, 2009 – Mobility Works has announced they will be the exclusive US distributor and manufacturer for the Martin Conquest wheelchair accessible motorcycle.  Martin Conquest chose Mobility Works as its strategic partner in the US and manufacturing of the motorcycle will be centered in Akron, Ohio.

Bill Koeblitz,one of the  founders of Mobility Works, stated, “We are honored to be chosen to introduce the first production wheelchair accessible motorcycle to our physically challenged community here in the United States.”

The Conquest Motorcycle

After an exhaustive search, Mobility Works was chosen by Martin Conquest, based on their longstanding commitment to the physically challenged community.  According to Mark Allen Roberts, who will head up Mobility Conquest, “We look forward to helping physically challenged members of our community reconnect with their passion for riding motorcycles.  Statistically, 4% of thel population ride motorcycles, and we are excited to provide our Conquest trike to help consumers with physical challenges from the waist down enjoy the ride again.”

With more than 300 inquiries concerning the Martin Conquest in the past three months alone, the demand is expected to be quite high for this wheelchair accessible motorbike.

For consumers in wheelchairs, the dream of riding a motorcycle has long been a thing of fantasy.  The few motorcycles that were produced were custom affairs, available only to those with connections or sufficient funding to have such a vehicle commissioned.

Mobility Conquest, founded to manufacture and distribute these motorcycles in the US, offers access to some of the most powerful, high-performance road machines anywhere, designed by and for consumers in wheelchairs.

The heart of the vehicle is the front end and engine of a BMW R 1170.  At a glance, the bike offers a 0-60 speed of just 7.6 seconds (with wheelchair adaptation), 15-second quarter mile time and a top speed of 105 mph.  Maximum output is 109 bph, thanks to the 1170cc engine.

However, the real story is the adaptive chassis.  Drivers will board the bike via a remote controlled rising and lowering ramp at the rear.  The chassis provides tremendous stability, as well (transforming the bike into a trike).  The Conquest also features six forward gears, full reverse and an electronic parking brake.

Safety features for drivers include a wheelchair locking system, which features a push button release, as well as hydraulic front and rear racing disc brakes, operated from a single lever.  The clutch is thumb-controlled, thanks to a 2-button Klicktronic system for semi-automatic operation.  The Martin Conquest is also in compliance with all US Federal laws and guidelines for handicap accessible vehicles.

Finally, disabled persons can have the amazing freedom offered only by a motorcycle – the freedom to feel the wind in their hair, as the bike roars down the pavement, all without leaving their wheelchair behind.

To find out more about purchasing the Martin Conquest, or how this wheelchair accessible motorcycle can be of use to you, visit the company at http://www.MobilityConquest.com.

About Mobility Conquest: Mobility Conquest was founded by Bill Koeblitz and his partner Taylor Clark of Mobility Works, in partnership with Martin Conquest of the UK.  Mobility Conquest will be the only authorized manufacturers and distributors of this powerful, wheelchair accessible motorcycle.

Article submitted by: IMED Consulting LLC.

Tagged as:

via imedmobility.com

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Sledge hockey: Skating circles around the misconceptions - Niagara Falls Review - Ontario, CA

Imagine playing a full-contact, ultra-competitive, body-sacrificing 60 minutes of hockey. No problem, you say, you do it or know those who play every night of the week.

Now imagine doing without the use of your legs.

Welcome to the world of sledge hockey, specifically the Niagara Thunderblades brand of the sport.

via niagarafallsreview.ca

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Army Exoskeleton Helps People with Disabilities - Disaboom

Exoskeletons for People with Disabilities
In the consumer market, things move a bit quicker. Two exoskeletons are about to hit the proverbial street. Neither will have the repulsor rays or flight capability of the comic book character Ironman; however, both will give their wearer strength and endurance benefits that will help in the performance of daily tasks. Moreover, both should help people with mobility impairments lead better lives.

Steve Jacobsen and the engineers at Raytheon Sarcos Incorporated have developed the XOS exoskeleton. The machine is in many ways more complex than the human body. We use electrical impulses, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints to move. The XOS has to mimic those in a way that will not put excessive strain on the relatively fragile human user.

Sensors attached to the user's body send electrical signals to a central computer to detect force of movement. Much like our brain, the computer controls impulses sent to a series of valves, actuators, cables and joints to perform the actual movement. The sensors monitor the user's movements at a rate of thousands of times per second, then amplify his strength as needed to perform a given task.

via disaboom.com

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Comic loses wheelchair on stage, but not his sense of humor | kens5.com | Home

He's known as America's sit-down comic. Chris Fonseca has cerebral palsy and depends on a wheelchair to get around.

Recently, he was headlining a show downtown at The Enchilada Warehouse when one of his worst nightmares came true.

As he was being helped on stage, the crowd heard a loud noise. It was the back support beam breaking off his wheelchair. Fonseca fell to the ground.

via kens5.com

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Coaxing injured nerve fibers to regenerate by disabling 'brakes' in the system

Adding to a previous study published in Science last year, research led by Zhigang He, PhD, of the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center at Children's Hospital Boston provides further evidence that axon regeneration is limited by a reduced or lost responsiveness to injury-induced growth factors -- and also suggests some ways of overcoming the problem to help people recover from brain or spinal cord injury.

via sciencedaily.com

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In Energy Innovation, Everything New Is Old Again - WSJ.com

Technology often stands on the shoulders of prior discovery. In the energy field in particular, there are precious few killer apps -- ideas that supersede earlier methods. New energy technologies tend to develop slowly and spread at a snail's pace. It takes time and money to accomplish small improvements, and even more of both to spread those improvements across the energy system.

via online.wsj.com

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Wal-Mart and Disability Outreach - DisaboomJobs

Residents of Summerville, Ga., sometimes shop at the local Wal-Mart twice in one day, but it’s not because they forgot anything the first time. They just want a second chance to visit Finn, the black Labrador retriever service dog who works at the store with owner Spann Cordle.

via disaboomjobs.com

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Helper Monkeys for People with Disabilities - Disaboom

College: It isn’t just for humans anymore.

Welcome to the world of Helping Hands and their Monkey College in Boston, MA. Founded in 1979, Helping Hands is a nonprofit “that places specially trained capuchin monkeys with people who are paralyzed, or who suffer other severe mobility impairments.”

When I first found out about Helping Hands a couple of weeks ago, I was intrigued with the idea of using monkeys as assistance animals and had lots of questions. I interviewed Skott Wade, a Helping Hands employee, about the world of the Monkey Helpers.

via disaboom.com

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Overcoming Cerebral Palsy, Gregg Mozgala Learns to Dance - NYTimes.com

Gregg Mozgala, a 31-year-old actor with cerebral palsy, had 12 years of physical therapy while he was growing up. But in the last eight months, a determined choreographer with an unconventional résumé has done what all those therapists could not: She has dramatically changed the way Mr. Mozgala walks.

via nytimes.com

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K1 Whole Body Vibration Machine On ABC News

via youtube.com

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Blogger unites today to fight for premature babies

November 17^th bloggers from around the world are posting and tweeting in an effort to raise awareness about prematurity. A staggering 12.7% of all births in the United States (500,000 babies every year) are born prematurely.

via examiner.com

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DailyTech - Tiny Enzyme-carrying Particles Used to Treat Heart Attack Victims

Researchers announced last week that they were using nano-sized micelles to treat spinal cord injury with impressive restoration of coordinated limb movement in injured lab rats that would leave them paralyzed without treatment. Researchers at Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology today announced that they have developed microscopic polymer beads that are capable of delivering an antioxidant enzyme directly to the heart. When mice in lab tests were treated with the beads after a simulated heart attack, the number of dying cells was reduced resulting in improved heart function days later.

via dailytech.com

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Norwalk Reflector A break for parents of special-needs children

She, and other parents of special needs children are taking advantage of a new local respite program called Parents Night Out. The program, a partnership between area churches, allows such parents to take a break from providing round-the-clock care. At the same time, it gives special needs children and their siblings a chance to have fun in a safe environment.

via norwalkreflector.com

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Woman dies of H1N1 in Highland, coroner reports | new, coroner, reports - Local News - The Telegraph

Dead teen had H1N1 virus in system

via thetelegraph.com

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fullstory

More exposure to sun may reduce chances of multiple sclerosis

via ptinews.com

Melbourne, Nov 17 (PTI) A team of Australian scientists claim to have discovered that frequent exposure to sun and the resulting production of Vitamin D in the body could result in lowering the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS).

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Multiple sclerosis more aggressive in children: Study

Washington: Multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosed in childhood is more aggressive and causes more brain lesions than that detected in adulthood, according to magnetic resonance images (MRI) performed by University at Buffalo researchers.

However, patients with pediatric-onset MS-- which comprise up to 5% of total MS cases--develop disabilities at a slower pace than patients with adult-onset MS, the data showed.

"Patients with pediatric-onset MS have three times as many relapses annually than patients with adult-onset disease, which suggests there is greater disease activity in this population," said Bianca Weinstock-Guttman.

"But surprisingly, the average time to reach the secondary progressive phase of the disease is longer in patients who develop MS in childhood than in adult onset MS. Reaching the next stage of disability is almost 10 years longer in pediatric-onset patients," she continued.

MS causes demyelination-- destruction of the sheath that protects and insulates nerve fibers. Breaks in the myelin sheath disrupt the flow of electrical impulses, causing loss of sensation and coordination.

The UB study involved four sets of patients--17 children with an average age of 13.7 who were diagnosed with MS 2.7 years earlier; 33 adults with an average age of 36.5 years who were diagnosed with pediatric MS 20 years earlier; 81 adults with an average age of 40 who have had MS for an average of 2.6 years; 300 adults with an average age of 50.5 who've had MS for 20 years.

All participants underwent a brain MRI scan and specific MRI metric analysis.

The MRI measured two types of brain tissue damage--T1-lesion volume, which shows "black holes," or hypointense lesions, which are areas of permanent axonal damage; and T2-lesion volume, which shows the total number of lesions (lesion load) and overall disease burden.

Both of these measures indicated that MS is more aggressive in children in the early stages, said the researchers.

"This corresponds with recent data that suggest a higher lesion burden in pediatric MS than adult-onset MS. These findings are somewhat surprising, considering we have assumed that children generally have a greater capacity for central nervous tissue repair," they added.

"Our findings, which are limited to a cross-sectional study design, suggest that children have a somewhat better reserve and functional adaptability than adults, but less support for a better remyelination process. However, the remyelination process may require a more in-depth prospective analysis," said Weinstock-Guttman.

She said that the data support the need for early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention in paediatric MS patients. The study was published online on November 5.

via dnaindia.com

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Boosting NAD+ after spinal cord injury may prevent permanent nerve death

Substances naturally produced by the human body may one day help prevent paralysis following a spinal cord injury, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College.

via news-medical.net

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Paralyzed Teen, Dog Take Up Surfing

Los Angeles (myFOXla.com) - Fifteen-year-old Patrick Ivison suffered a spinal-cord injury in a car accident when he was 14 months old and he has been paralyzed since but he has not given up on his goal to walk again.
To raise money for Ivison's physical therapy, which is not covered by insurance, it was suggested that the pair take up surfing.
So with the help of his best buddy, Richochet, the pair hit the waves.

Determination is his partner - Chicago Tribune

Determination is his partner - Chicago Tribune: "When 22-year-old Brent Sapit stepped onto the dance floor, his shoes may have been the only indication he wasn’t quite like the other ballroom dancers."

Virtual pal helps autistic kids make social connections - The Globe and Mail

Researchers at ArticuLab, part of the communication and engineering schools at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, are studying how humans communicate with and through technology and are helping autistic children participate in conversations by using virtual peers, life-sized, computer-animated children capable of carrying on realistic conversations.

via theglobeandmail.com

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News 8 Austin | HEADLINES | Exercise program helps give spinal cord patients control

A program called Step It Up Recovery Center enrolls victims of spinal cord injuries in hopes of "rerouting" the nervous system through physical stimulation. Its creators said it may help clients learn to walk again.

via news8austin.com

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Non-profit Harnesses Virtual World for Real Troop Support | Reuters

Winner of the 2009 CommuniCause New Media Makeover contest, Soldiers' Angels has repeatedly demonstrated a unique ability to engage people in "real world" troop support through "virtual" connections. Such is the case with its Project Valour-IT, which in 4 years has provided nearly 4,000 voice-controlled laptops and other adaptive technology to support the recovery and reconnection of wounded veterans. The annual Valour-IT Veterans Day Fundraiser draws bloggers from across the Internet as they compete in teams to inspire the highest total of donations for the project.

via reuters.com

Shows you what social media can accomplish, keep it going.

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AFP: Multiple sclerosis: Drug brakes progression to full-blown disease

AFP: Multiple sclerosis: Drug brakes progression to full-blown disease: "Multiple sclerosis: Drug brakes progression to full-blown disease", according to a study published online on Wednesday by The Lancet.

Medical marijuana bill gains momentum in New Jersey | Inside Jersey - - New Jersey Magazine | Living in New Jersey | Inside Jersey - NJ.com

The transformation was stark, Christiane Oliveri says. Michael developed an appetite and started going out with his friends again and playing his bass. "I realized, wait, we have Michael back," she says. "He's actually happy. He's joining the family."

Michael is so thankful for marijuana that he has the THC molecule -- the active ingredient in marijuana -- tattooed on his right forearm, with a heartbeat line morphing into a symbol for infinity. "It's keeping me alive more than anything else," he says. "If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it," Christiane Oliveri told members of the state Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee this summer. "Marijuana is a miracle."

via nj.com

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BBC SPORT | Other sport... | Disability Sport | Scots to host Euro Championship

The event will be held at the new Regional Football Centre at Toryglen in Glasgow from 17-28 August 2010.

Teams from 10 European countries, including England will take part.

"It shows that we are representative of different facets of the game," said the Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith.

The annual competition was first held in Glasgow in 1978 and the 2010 tournament will welcome countries including Russia, The Netherlands and Ukraine.

via news.bbc.co.uk

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Honda develops new personal mobility device – the U3-X experimental vehicle

A self-balancing unicycle experimental vehicle from Honda to be shown at the Tokyo Motor Show next month might just be history in the making. Weighing less than 10kg, the 24 by 12 by 6-inch U3-X experimental vehicle runs for an hour, is small enough to be carried onto an airplane as hand luggage, has a wheel which spins in two planes and is set to challenge, perhaps even change, society’s concept of personal mobility.

Little more than a century after mass market personal transport became a reality, it seems we’re set to have a mobility renaissance thanks to the need for zero emission vehicles, better electric motors, rapidly improving battery technology and the exploding field of material science.

via gizmag.com

No place for my basket or saddle bags.

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Hubless Wheelchair: Effortless Commuting For The Physically Challenged - The Design blog

via thedesignblog.org

I don't see how this is an improvement...

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True Grit

This is taking longer than usual. Try reloading the page.

If that doesn't work, you can:

1. Disable Labs and try again.
2. If you're on a slow connection, try basic HTML view.
3. For more troubleshooting tips, visit the help center.

via mail.google.com

So hard work does pay off... Thanks Ken

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Alcohol Might Lower Death Rates in Brain Injury Patients - US News and World Report

FRIDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- People who suffer serious head injuries are more likely to survive if they have alcohol in their bloodstream, a new study suggests.

via health.usnews.com

Interesing article, It also states that they may have other complications.

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SU - Whos Representing The Uninsured On Capitol Hill? : NPR

Check out this website I found at stumbleupon.com

As the health care debate on Capitol Hill reaches its peak, many of the strongest opponents of an overhaul represent districts with the largest percentage of people who don't have health insurance, an NPR analysis shows.

Interesting

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Wheelchair can't keep couple from cycling

COURTENAY - Ross Hunt wanted to share his love of cycling with his other love, Judy Norbury, and he wasn't going to let Norbury's wheelchair get in the way.

Instead, he brought the wheelchair on board.

Thanks to Hunt's inventiveness and persistence, Norbury's wheelchair can be converted in about a minute to half a tandem electric bicycle, allowing the couple to whizz together up and down the steep hills around their home near Courtenay every weekend.

via canada.com

This is very cool.

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Effects of head trauma scaring Turley - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

I never considered myself a guy that had a lot of head injuries,” Turley says. “But the doctors I’ve seen are very concerned about my past history, and when I look back on some of what I experienced, it makes me angry. Guys are going crazy, and my wife and I just had a baby boy. I don’t want that to happen to me.”

via sports.yahoo.com

Just one more thing to consider in pro sports

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Sufferers of brain injuries get big boost from program - STLtoday.com

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 14,000 Missourians suffer traumatic brain injuries each year and many of them are between the ages of 18 and 30, who are uninsured or under-insured. Two-thirds of those who survive live a normal span of life. They often require such services as round-the-clock care, vocational rehabilitation and physical therapy, that can easily exceed $4 million during their lifetime.

via stltoday.com

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Golfer with cerebral palsy wins 1-armed North American championship -- baltimoresun.com

Biser, 21, just won the North American One-Armed Golfer Association championship at the tough PGA National course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Oh, Biser has two arms. But he was born with cerebral palsy and has limited vision and virtually no use of the right side of his upper body. Which means he swings a golf club with only one arm - his left.

via baltimoresun.com

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The team found that mice with higher levels of galanin, a protein within brain nerve cells, were resistant to Multiple Sclerosis. Scientists already knew that galanin plays a protective role in both the central and peripheral nerve systems – when a nerve is injured levels of galanin increase dramatically in an attempt to limit cell death. But now researchers have effectively proved that mice that were given high levels of galanin don’t develop Multiple Sclerosis.

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The Answer Sheet - Willingham: Student "Learning Styles" Theory Is Bunk

The Big Idea behind learning styles is that kids vary in how they learn: Some learn best by looking (visual learners), some by listening (auditory learners), and some by manipulating things (kinesthetic learners).

According to the theory, if we know what sort of a learner a child is, we can optimize his or her learning by presenting material the way that they like.

The prediction is straightforward: Kids learn better when they are taught in a way that matches their learning style than when they are taught in a way that doesn’t.

That’s a straightforward prediction.

The data are straightforward too: It doesn’t work.

via voices.washingtonpost.com

Wow this is big.

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Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz

via intelliscript.net

Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz The higher of these two numbers below indicates which side of your brain has dominance in your life. Realising your right brain/left brain tendancy will help you interact with and to understand others. Left Brain Dominance: (7) Right Brain Dominance: (11) Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz

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Free showing of Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life. at the Phillips Center at UF | Gainesville.com | The Gainesville Sun | Gainesville, FL

Darius Weems is a 19-year-old from Athens, Ga., who was just 15 when he starred in a film that received 24 documentary awards.

He'll be at the Phillips Center on campus tonight for a special free showing of "Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life."

He loves music, especially rap, and meeting new people.

He and a group of buddies from Athens have raised close to $2 million for medical research.

Oh, and by the way, this teenager's "ride" is a wheelchair. He knows he'll die before the age of 30, because he has a fatal, inherited disorder called Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It is the most common fatal genetic disorder to affect children worldwide.

It primarily affects boys, who inherit the disorder through their mothers, and symptoms usually appear between the ages of two and six.

Those who are born with DMD show rapidly worsening muscle weakness that starts in the legs and pelvis before moving to other areas such as the arms, neck and shoulders. By the age of 12, most will be confined to a wheelchair.

There is no known cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, although researchers have identified the gene involved.

The University of Florida is one of many centers researching potential treatments for DMD.

Claudia Senesac heads a project that uses magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, to study changes in the muscle tissue of boys between five and 15 who are being treated with an investigational drug called ataluren in a multi-center trial.

"This disease affects every muscle in the body, and these young men eventually die of cardiac disease or respiratory failure," she said. "It is devastating."

Senesac said that researchers hope to see a cure for DMD within her lifetime.

"There are so many things on the horizon, and those of us working in the laboratory think we will see things change in the not-too-distant future."

Darius knows what lies ahead. His older brother, Mario, died of DMD at 19.

One of Mario's friends at Clarke Central High School was Logan Smalley, who knew the Weems family well.

Mario died shortly before graduation, but Smalley graduated from Clarke Central and went on to attend the University of Georgia as a special education major. He has since earned a master's degree in education from Harvard.

The roots of the film "Darius Goes West" lie in Smalley's idea to help his lifelong friend see some of the world beyond Athens, Ga. Smalley had been part of a UGA-sponsored study-abroad course at the Cannes Film Festival and wanted to try his hand at directing a documentary.

His subject and star would be 15-year-old Darius. The film crew would be made up of 10 other friends traveling in an RV. Several had been counselors at a summer muscular dystrophy camp Darius attended. They would test wheelchair accessibility as they traveled across America. The ultimate goal would be to get Darius' wheelchair tricked out on MTV's show "Pimp My Ride."

Darius felt the ocean for the first time in Panama City, wheeled through the bat caves of Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, had a ball in Las Vegas and gaped at the vastness of the Grand Canyon.

When they got to Los Angeles, MTV would turn the dozen travelers down, but the film the group put together, "Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life," has been captivating audiences since its release.

via gainesville.com

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Warwick Beacon - Breaking News, classifieds, businesses, and events in the Warwick area.

Agency offering people with disabilities new opportunities plans open house

via warwickonline.com

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Multiple Sclerosis History - OrganizedWisdom Health

Multiple sclerosis was first discovered in 1868 by neurologist, Jean-Martin Charcot.

via organizedwisdom.com

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Stem cells, Lithium for healing touch

Stem cell treatment is fast emerging as cure for several chronic diseases, especially chronic spinal injuries. Although experts worldwide are using stem cells from different sources like umbilical cord blood, bone marrow, fetus for trials, doctors say that those extracted from umbilical cord blood are very effective.

Scientists at a prominent US university are soon going to start human trials on chronic spinal injury patients using stem cells from umbilical cord blood along with Lithium, a common drug for depression and bipolar disorders.

via timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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What's New in Orthopaedic Rehabilitation -- Hosalkar et al. 91 (9): 2296 -- Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery

What's New in Orthopaedic Rehabilitation

via ejbjs.org

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WiscNews.com : Wisconsin Dells Events

Disabilities don't stop kayakers at state park

via wiscnews.com

I always thought riding in a kayak would be a great way to enjoy the outdoors. Well maybe someday.

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MSU using $1.9M US grant for cerebral palsy study -- chicagotribune.com

Image by John M. Quick via Flickr

MSU using $1.9M US grant for cerebral palsy study

via chicagotribune.com

Nice to see more research done in the area of Cerebral Palsy.

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Documentary highlights student's struggles - 8/30/09 - Chicago News - abc7chicago.com

Documentary highlights student's struggles

via abclocal.go.com

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Morgan graduate earns spot on U.S. Paralympic soccer team | zanesvilletimesrecorder.com | Zanesville Times Recorder

Morgan graduate earns spot on U.S. Paralympic soccer team

via zanesvilletimesrecorder.com

How is the Paralympic different in format than Special Olympics?

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Robots may soon be serving the elderly at home just like humans do

Elderly people with limited mobility may soon come to be served by robots in a manner as if they are being served by other persons, thanks to a collaborative study by three University of Illinois at Chicago engineers and a Rush University nursing specialist.

“We want to help elderly people communicate with robots, to tell them what they need, and to perform physical activities,” said Milos Zefran, UIC associate professor of electrical and computer engineering.

The three-year study, supported by a grant of 989,000 dollars from the National Science Foundation, is aimed at developing software to allow the elderly to communicate with robots that can respond to a wide range of verbal language, non-verbal gestures, and touch.

“If we can help the elderly remain independent and continue living in their own homes, that will improve their health outlook while relieving the burden on family members and health care providers,” said Zefran, the lead researcher.

The researchers say that their communication interface software will have at its core a novel adaptive and reliable recognition methodology called Recognition by Indexing and Sequencing (RISq), which will allow the robot to comprehend speech altered by impairments and to learn and adapt to such speech.

To enable a robot to understand and correctly respond to various forms of human touch, the researchers will combine techniques from natural language processing and haptics, a scientific term to describe the computerized sense of touch.

via blog.taragana.com

I will be following this closely. This sounds interesting.

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NY1 | 24 Hour Local News | NY1 Living | MS Patients Test Their Skills Online

MS Patients Test Their Skills Online

via ny1.com

Hooray for games.

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Robotic Systems Help People With Disabilities - US National Science Foundation (NSF)

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Referred by RJaquiss

Human clinical trials for stem-cell research on cards- Biotech-Healthcare / Biotech-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times - Sent using Google Toolbar

Human clinical trials for stem-cell research on cards- Biotech-Healthcare / Biotech-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times

AHMEDABAD: In what is seen as a boost to the stem cell research in the country, India would soon get to host human clinical trials for therapies using umbilical blood cord (UBC) stem cell. Chennai-based Apollo Hospital, America’s largest stem cell company StemCyte and Dr Wise Young, a leading expert on spinal cord injury, are in talks for conducting clinical trials in India using stem cell derived from UBC. The companies may ink an agreement by the end of this year. Image via Wikipedia On Thursday, StemCyte announced setting up of StemCyte India Therapeutics (SCITPL), a joint venture with Ahmedabad-based pharma major Cadila Pharmaceuticals and Apollo Hospital. SCITPL will have its headquarters in Ahmedabad and the facility will be functional by the year-end. Clinical trials using UBC stemcell therapy would be carried out in three areas — thalessemia, muscular dystrophy and spinal cord injuries. Initially, the phase III trials would start for therapies to treat spinal cord injuries. The phase I & II trials have already been conducted in the US and China. While Bangalore-based Stempeutics Research recently got the clearance from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to conduct trials for developing drugs using stem cells derived from the bone marrow of healthy donor, the latest move by StemCyte involves the use of UBC stem cell. Talking to ET, Dr Wise Young who is professor in Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, said: “We had initial talks to conduct clinical trials using stem-cells derived from UBC in India. Hopefully, by the end of next year, we should begin our clinical trials here.” According to StemCyte India Therapeutics president Tushar Dalal, the three parties met in New Delhi on Wednesday and had a video conference with Apollo chairman Pratap Reddy. “Dr Reddy has expressed his willingness and would come forward to undertake this project. StemCyte would provide UBC stem cells and its technology, while Apollo Hospital would provide its infrastructure and manpower for the trials,” Mr Dalal said. A tripartite agreement is likely by this year-end, he said. Dr Young would head the trials. StemCyte has patented the plasma depletion technology that helps in collecting higher volume of stem cells and better cell counts, resulting in successful therapeutic applications for over 70 diseases. The location of the trials is significant, as India has a huge number of thalessemia patients. According to Dr Young, about 35% of the Indian population carries thalessemia genes and there is possibility of one-fourth of the children being born with the disease.

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Crunchpad: Photos of TechCrunch's Delicious Web Tablet

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The web tablet TechCrunch is working on is apparently still alive, seeing as it just showed up in Michael Arrington's posterous. UPDATED

This looks like just the right addon for my wheelchair, don't you think so?

Disabled workers rate highly

Disabled workers rate highly: "Research has shown workers with disabilities to be reliable, hard working and loyal, yet many employers in the Limestone Coast still file their job applications in the ‘too-hard basket’.

The unemployment rate of people with disabilities in the Limestone Coast in 2006 was 11.3pc; well above the general unemployment rate of 4.9pc for the region.

Resources for education are readily available and so are services for job placements; adaptive technology has improved and government incentives are in place.

Why then are disabled workers still struggling to find work?

“Public perception is the biggest barrier,” said employment access provider Uniting Care Wesley coordinator Penny Richardson.

“There is a stigma about disabilities in Mount Gambier in particular and a misunderstanding of the conditions of disabled people."

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• Developmentally Disabled, Unable to Speak ... Ready to Work? (seattleweekly.com)

Home-based rehab for spinal cord injury patients - News

Home-based rehab for spinal cord injury patients - News: "An Australian first study will test live online rehabilitation with video gaming to give spinal cord injury patients the hope of regaining the movement of their hands.

The ReJoyce workstation is being used for the first time in Australia in tele-rehabilitation which allows patients to get real time specialist physiotherapy over the internet.

The patient wears a glove that enables electrical impulses to stimulate the muscles in the hand to grasp and release, in the hope of sprouting new connections in the spinal cord and re-establishing hand function."...

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Healing Ride

This post covers one of my favorite topics, therapeutic riding. Because of some surgery riding was impossible. I have received comments from others about how therapeutic riding program has been very effective. If you are involved in his type therapy please let me hear from you.


Healing Ride | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger: "DREW IS KNOWN AS 'PRETTY BOY' — A 12-year-old palomino who used to perform in western pleasure shows.

Now, the gentle horse is helping people improve their health.

He is one of three horses used at RideAbility Therapeutic Riding Center, a nonprofit organization in Florence that helps people with disabilities through supervised horseback riding.

'We work with those who are battling a lot of different things - from autism to cerebral palsy to multiple sclerosis,' says Christy Henderson, executive director and certified instructor at RideAbility. 'Part of our motto is body, mind and spirit, and we truly believe that therapeutic riding helps in all those areas."

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Altoids Tin Travel Games - Pocket Size Fun

Image via Wikipedia

Altoids Tin Travel Games - Pocket Size Fun: "Altoids tins are amazing things and here is yet another fun use for them. While this instructable includes a checker/chess board, tic-tac-toe, and backgammon the possibilities are really endless so feel free to add your own ideas."

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Testing Technorati services.

Flu fears push Muscular Dystrophy Association summer camp to cancel | NewsOK.com

Flu fears push Muscular Dystrophy Association summer camp to cancel | NewsOK.com: "The annual Muscular Dystrophy Association summer camp in Guthrie was canceled Friday after campers at other camps in the nation were diagnosed with swine flu.

Eleven of the approximately 1,800 children who have attended camps in Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Utah were diagnosed, said Bob Mackle, spokesman for the Muscular Dystrophy Association"

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• Watch "Super-Science Tuesdays" this July! (blisstree.com) episode 3 has a story about Muscular Dystrophy
  

Pain Pump Intrathecal drug delivery

Pain Pump Intrathecal drug delivery: "Intrathecal drug delivery, or “pain pump,” is a method of giving medication directly to your spinal cord. The system uses a small pump that is surgically placed under the skin of your abdomen and delivers medication through a catheter to the area around your spinal cord – similar to an epidural that women may have during childbirth. A pain pump may be a treatment option if all other traditional methods have failed to relieve your long-term symptoms. Because the medication is delivered directly to the spinal cord, your symptoms can be controlled with a much smaller dose than is needed with oral medication. The goal of a drug pump is to better control your symptoms and to reduce oral medications; thus reducing their associated side effects."

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AGS Aging in the Know

AGS Aging in the Know: "Aging in the Know is your one-stop resource for:

* Information on common diseases and disorders that affect older adults.
* The What to Ask Series that will provide you with practical questions and tips that will help you to work with your healthcare provider on developing the best care plan for you or your loved one.
* Linkages to other organizations that have online resources in a particular area."

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• Older people 'fare badly in NHS care' (news.bbc.co.uk)

The Western Front - Western celebrates Student disAbility Awareness Week

The Western Front - Western celebrates Student disAbility Awareness Week: "David Brunnemer, director of Western’s Disability Resources for Students, said more than 400 students with physical and mental disabilities attend Western currently. According to a Students for Disability Awareness club pamphlet, three problems people with disabilities encounter are inaccessibility around campus, stereotypes and stigmas that inhibit full inclusion of people with disabilities."

The American Quarter Horse Foundation Begins Campaign for Therapeutic Riding

Ebarrelracing Top News The American Quarter Horse Foundation Begins Campaign for Therapeutic Riding: "“By providing financial assistance to therapeutic riding organizations, America’s Horse Cares helps facilitate a relationship between American Quarter Horses and challenged riders,” said Foundation Executive Director Gary Carpenter. “The Foundation’s goal is to strengthen our support for centers that are pairing horses with humans for the benefit of both."

Disabled Man Living His Dream Helping Police Patrol City - PoliceLink

Disabled Man Living His Dream Helping Police Patrol City - PoliceLink: "Littlewood covers miles each day in his wheelchair, roaming a wide swath of Menlo Park from Alameda de las Pulgas to Middlefield Road three to five days a week. Mostly, he looks for anything suspicious or anyone who needs help, and will call police from his cell phone or wheel over to the station to write a report if communicating verbally proves too hard."

Disability News | PatriciaEBauer.com News Archive Epilepsy: Overlooked and underfunded too long

Disability News | PatriciaEBauer.com News Archive Epilepsy: Overlooked and underfunded too long: "Epilepsy in America is as common as breast cancer and kills as many people. Up to 50,000 Americans die each year from seizures and related causes. More than 3 million Americans are affected by epilepsy. Their mortality is two to three times higher — and the risk of sudden death is 24 times greater — than that of the general population."

Scientists Find 'Baffling' Link between Autism and Vinyl Flooring: Scientific American

Scientists Find 'Baffling' Link between Autism and Vinyl Flooring: Scientific American: "Children who live in homes with vinyl floors, which can emit chemicals called phthalates, are more likely to have autism, according to research by Swedish and U.S. scientists published Monday.

The study of Swedish children is among the first to find an apparent connection between an environmental chemical and autism.

The scientists were surprised by their finding, calling it 'far from conclusive.' Because their research was not designed to focus on autism, they recommend further study of larger numbers of children to see whether the link can be confirmed."

Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Rate Reduced By Nearly Half With Use of Two New Drugs - Wellsphere

Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Rate Reduced By Nearly Half With Use of Two New Drugs - Wellsphere: "Cladribine and fingolimod, two new oral drugs, have been shown to decrease the relapse rate in people who suffer from multiple sclerosis. The drugs could become the first treatments for the disease that does not require regular injections or infusions, if they gain approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)."

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• Leukemia Risk from Multiple Sclerosis Drug May Be Up (nlm.nih.gov)