assistive technology

Filed under: Themes, Deaf Jam

Quoting the always-always-always entertaining Karen Putz, writing on her website deafmomworld.com:

I came across a post this morning, The Shame of Wearing Hearing Aids, and it brought back memories. I was one of those kids who hid a hearing aid under long hair. It wasn’t until I was in college that I finally wore my hair up and my hearing aid perched for all to see. Kinda sad, eh? All those years spent trying to hide something that was basically a part of me—except I didn’t want any part of it.

I decided to raise my kids with a different attitude about their hearing aids. From the start, we went with brightly-colored earmolds with swirls and glitter. I even joined my daughter in getting matching glitter earmolds. I’m pretty sure I saw my audiologist hold back a gulp when I asked for the blue with glitter when she squeezed the earmold goop into my ear.

So far, no one has had the guts to tell me that I look foolish sporting glitter at my age.

Despite my years of preaching about being proud of those two pieces of technology on their ears, my kids had minds of their own … Continue reading this great essay

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Karen Putz is an insightful, talented and entertaining freelance writer. She provides early intervention services to families with deaf and hard of hearing children. She serves as a board member for Hands & Voices (www.handsandvoices.org) and runs Illinois Hands & Voices in her state. She’s also a deaf mom to three deaf and hard of hearing children, and her husband is deaf, too. Learn more at karenputz.com.

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Filed under: Themes, Wheelchairman of the Board

When Rob Buren broke his back mountain biking last October, he lost more than the use of his legs—he lost the physical confidence his 6-foot-2 frame had always given him.

And though the 38-year-old father of two quickly learned sporting activities such as hand cycling and sit skiing, it wasn’t until he took a new self-defence class for wheelchair-users that he began to feel at ease with his new paralyzed status.

“When you become a paraplegic and are in a chair, physically your world changes. You’re looking up all of a sudden,” he says. “(The class) was a great way for me to get to know my body again, to get comfortable in the chair and to build up a sense of confidence.”

The course, taught at Neuro Core Physiotherapy & Pilates Centre in Richmond Hill, [Ontario] was developed by Grant Murray, a taekwondo black belt, and Rich VanderWal, a recreation therapist at a rehab facility.

Each class begins with … Continue reading this article and watch a corresponding video on thestar.com

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Filed under: Themes, Deaf Jam

Dr. Tom McDavitt, like most deaf veterinarians, has learned to auscultate with his hands.

The nervous Corgi dug its nails into the metal examination table as Dr. Thomas McDavitt held the tan-and-white dog in place. The patient began to relax as the veterinarian listened for a heartbeat. But instead of using a stethoscope, he felt the dog’s side with his cheek. It was a bit untraditional, but then again, so is Dr. McDavitt.

After contracting spinal meningitis at the age of 5, Dr. McDavitt experienced swelling from the infection that damaged his auditory nerve and left him permanently deaf. Since that tender age, he resolved to be undeterred by his disability, and later, to pursue his dream of becoming a veterinarian. In fact, whenever anyone told him he couldn’t do something because of his deafness, Dr. McDavitt always had a reply ready—”Watch me!”

The rigors of veterinary education and practice can be difficult enough, but an additional set of challenges arise for people with profound hearing loss. They face issues such as how they will communicate with their peers and clients in various settings and whether they can properly appreciate animal heart, lung, and bowel sounds.

A number of deaf veterinarians have met those challenges in their own way … Continue reading this article on avma.org

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The numbers:

• Estimates of the total number of deaf veterinarians in the U.S. range from 40 to more than 100.
• Approximately 15 American veterinary schools and colleges have graduated deaf students.
• The Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses (AMPHL.org) was founded in 2001 by three deaf veterinarians—Drs. Kimberly Dodge, Candice A. Corriher, and Danielle Rastetter—and three deaf medical students.
• The association has expanded to include other professions such as physical therapy and psychology.

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Filed under: Campaign Watch

A 47-year-old wheelchair-bound mother who had a stroke 18 months ago has been forced to do her banking on the street after staff at her local NatWest branch refused to lift her up two steps “for health and safety reasons.”

Is this the 21st century??

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Filed under: Themes, Wheelchairman of the Board

MAPLEWOOD, N.J. — “Circle six, parry four, parry, riposte,” Mickey Zeljkovic chanted, running Bianca Hollywood, 13, through her fencing moves.

Bianca has spina bifida and a pronounced S curve to her spine. But when she wears her mask and lamé, the underjacket that conducts electricity during fencing bouts, she can compete with fencers who can walk, as well as those who cannot.

“It’s a lot of fun, but it takes a lot of time to learn some of the moves,” she said after her session at the New Jersey Fencing Alliance.

The fencing club, in this suburban Essex County township, is developing what are believed to be the only wheelchair fencing classes for young people in the Northeast. Mr. Zeljkovic, who has coached Tariq al Qallaf, an adult world-champion wheelchair fencer, trains a handful of young people in the program, which began in May.

At the club’s headquarters, essentially a 17,500-square-foot room that holds 200 able-bodied competitors some weekends, the wheelchairs are secured to brackets that keep them from moving. Each bracket costs up to $8,000 and positions the duelers an appropriate distance from each other (determined by the fencer with the shorter reach).

The wheelchair-adapted sport traces its roots to veterans returning from World War II, and is only recently attracting followers among young people, with training programs in Atlanta, San Antonio and San Diego, among others. There are now only 27 wheelchair athletes in the United States Fencing Association, so the staff at the club believes there is ample opportunity for young people who start now to reach national-level competitions and even the Paralympic Games.

George Janto, president of the fencing club, hopes to have at least a dozen young fencers in training this year, and is looking for more participants, whose training and competition costs would be covered by the club and its fund-raising efforts. His first six fencers have conditions like spina bifida and cerebral palsy, as well as spinal cord injuries, and were … Continue reading this story on nytimes.com

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Filed under: Themes, Blind Visionaries, Campaign Watch

Virtual Helping Hands (VHH) is a coalition of four groups, united in their mission “to bring people who have disabilities into Second Life so everyone can enjoy what Second Life offers—entertainment, education, and employment. Everyone can explore and enjoy the same virtual worlds of the Immersive Internet”….with just a teensy weensy li’l bit of code tweaking.

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Filed under: Themes, Deaf Jam, Campaign Watch

SolarAid:
A solar-powered hearing aid that costs less than $100.

By comparison:
The least expensive retail model sells for about $500.

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Filed under: Themes, Blind Visionaries

According to Orbit Research promo materials:

Orbit Research recently announced the introduction of the iBill, billed as “the world’s first affordable Talking Banknote Identifier for the blind and the visually impaired.” Priced at $99, the 1.5 ounce iBill is pager-sized. It enables the blind and the visually impaired community to achieve independence in the everyday necessity of using paper currency, which sighted people take for granted.

Measuring just 3 inches by 1.6 inches by 0.7 inches, the ultra-slim and compact design allows it to be carried unobtrusively in a pocket, purse, clipped to the belt or attached to a keychain or lanyard. Among the features that set it apart from other such devices are the extremely high accuracy (better than 99.9%) and the near-instantaneous speed (less than one second in most cases) with which it identifies banknotes.

The iBill is designed with the sole purpose of providing the simplest, fastest and most accurate means to identify U.S. banknotes. Its unique ergonomic design permits easy and intuitive use without the need for any training or practice. Upon insertion of a banknote into the device, its denomination is identified at the press of a button. Based on the user’s preference, the denomination is announced by a clear and natural voice, or by tone or vibration for privacy. The unit identifies all U.S. banknotes in circulation and recognizes them in any orientation. Banknotes in poor physical condition are indicated as unidentifiable and are not misread. The unit is also upgradeable to recognize new banknote designs.

The iBill achieves all of this while operating on a single, commonly available AAA battery which lasts for over a year with typical use. Its durable construction and sealed design ensure trouble-free use. The unit is backed by a one-year warranty from Orbit Research, and toll-free customer support.

Samples of the iBill are available for evaluation now and Orbit Research is accepting orders.

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For further information visit orbitresearch.com

Or call: 1-888-606-7248

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Filed under: Themes, Bum Deal, Campaign Watch, Irked Videos

Cyberbeg.com offers hope, by providing a way for homeless people to connect with potential donators. Think of it as a website dedicated to tangibly helping people. Before the emergence of “digital panhandling,” homeless people had no way of broadcasting their need for help to a large audience. After two years of posting cyber begs, the site has raised almost $23,000 for its members.

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Here’s a corresponding news segment from David Abel’s outstanding feature for Boston.com:

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Visit CyberBeg.com >>

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Filed under: Themes, Wheelchairman of the Board

Quoting Diane Lore, writing on SILive.com:

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Staten Island Technical High School is gaining national recognition for its proposal to help design a state-of-the-art wheelchair to assist the physically challenged. The New Dorp school was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to research, design and develop a new type of wheelchair. Tech is one of 15 high schools nationwide selected to participate in MIT’s InvenTeam initiative. InvenTeams, comprised of high school students, teachers and mentors, receive grants up to $10,000 to invent technological solutions to real-world problems. The MIT initiative, in its seventh year, aims to inspire a new generation of inventors. Tech engineering teacher Steven J. Raile applied for the MIT grant last spring and attended training at MIT in June to mentor his students in the process. Their wheelchair will be designed with a bacteria-free seat, which will allow the user to relieve pressure, as well as control the temperature. “The idea is to keep the user comfortable while minimizing the likelihood of him or her developing sores from sitting immobile,” Raile explained.

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