Disabled World Community Newsletter - October 1st, 2009

By Thomas C. Weiss - Oct 1, 2009 12:38:48 AM

Disabled World Community Newsletter - October 1st, 2009.

Disability Made Easier - Tips on Living with a Disability
By Wheelyboy

After years of experience I can still never say that I have arrived and know everything about disability or how to cope with or combat it. One thing I have learnt is that disabilities vary vastly from person to person, even if diagnosed with the same disease, disability or condition (we won’t pursue the other synonyms in this article. That is an article on its own.) I was once told by a very wise doctor that the reason for my sudden and unexplained falling was that I was tripping over my own pride. You see pride was getting in the way of me using the numerous aids at my disposal in order to avoid these sudden mishaps.

Children and Hearing Loss - Facts and Information
By Thomas C. Weiss

The belief that an accurate hearing test cannot be achieved on a child until they reach the age of five or six years is false. Technology available today allows an accurate assessment of hearing in children within a few hours after they have been born. Ten states have mandated that newborns have hearing tests performed before they are discharged from the hospital. Children of any age may have their hearing checked through an appropriate hearing test. The form of test that is used is dependent upon the age of the child or their developmental level.

What Makes Muscles Age Clue Discovered
By University of California - Berkeley

A study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, has identified critical biochemical pathways linked to the aging of human muscle. By manipulating these pathways, the researchers were able to turn back the clock on old human muscle, restoring its ability to repair and rebuild itself. The findings will be reported in the Sept. 30 issue of the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine, a peer-reviewed, scientific publication of the European Molecular Biology Organization.

Jerry Johnston Awarded IPC Paralympic Order for 2009
By Canadian Paralympic Committee

Canadian Paralympic Committee Congratulates Canadian Jerry Johnston on Being Awarded the International Paralympic Committee's Paralympic Order for 2009. Canadian Jerry Johnston recognised for over 40 years of dedication to Para-alpine skiing. The Canadian Paralympic Committee extends congratulations to Canadian Jerry Johnston, an advocate of skiing for persons with a disability. Mr. Johnston has received the Paralympic Order for 2009 from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

Taipei Deaflympics Closing Ceremony
By Disabled World

The Taipei Deaflympics, which opened on Sept. 5 and closed on the 15th were the first held in Asia. The 21st Summer Deaflympics ended in Taipei on Tuesday with fireworks, drumming and a massive open-air banquet that showcased local Taiwanese delicacies. In authentic Taiwanese traditions, 350 round tables were set up for a big "ban de", a party or celebration with catered food, in Taiwanese. Many local delicacies were served during last night's festivities, a pallet of snacks including sakura hebi or cherry shrimp from Pingtung, peanuts from Yunlin and dried tofu from Dasi, followed by an appetizer platter of baby abalones and cured roe of haider or a kind of mullet.

READ MORE...Taipei Deaflympics Closing Ceremony

Less than Half of People with Depression See a Doctor for Treatment
By St. Michaels Hospital

Less than 50 percent of men and women with depression see a doctor for treatment - Research finds even for those hospitalized for severe depression, many receive little follow-up. Less than half of men and women in Ontario who may be suffering from depression see a doctor to treat their potentially debilitating condition, according to a new women's health study by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES). What's more, many hospitalized for severe depression fail to see a doctor for follow-up care within 30 days of being discharged, and many head to hospital emergency departments for care.

Most Americans Would Refuse Emergency Use H1N1 Vaccine or Additive
By University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences

A majority of Americans would not take an H1N1 flu vaccine or drug additive authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration, according to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and University of Georgia study. The study, available online today in Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science, found that fewer than 10 percent of those surveyed said they would be willing to take such a vaccine or drug and nearly 30 percent remained undecided.

SpeakOn - Audio and Text Media by a-technic Adaptive and Assistive Technologies
By Thomas C. Weiss

SpeakOn is a free media suite program that runs on your personal computer which is a speech-enabled environment. SpeakOn has applications for finding, retrieving, and listening to a number of forms of media and has been developed for people who are comfortable using computers. The suite does not require either a magnifier or a screen reader, nor does it have a visual interface. SpeakOn does not require a screen at all! People use SpeakOn with a numerical keypad or a keyboard; SpeakOn responds with speech.

Thiphone for Cell Phones and Touch Screen Devices
By David Spotts

The Thiphone is a simple new product that seems a little unusual at first but after you think about it, makes a lot of sense. The Thiphone is an accessory for mobile phones and netbooks that allows you to securely attach your iPhone or device to your thigh so that your hands can remain free. Inspired by pilots who use a thing called a kneeboard for their takeoff and landing checklists, the Thiphone has proven to be perfect for a number of niche applications such as private pilots and people with disabilities.

To Walk or Not to Walk that is the Question
By Wheelyboy

I was diagnosed with Inclusion Body Myositis in 2000. I have been getting progressively weaker and have adapted my lifestyle to suit these changes. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that my strong healthy body would suddenly start deteriorating at such a rapid rate. It has now come down to partial use of my right arm only. My left arm and legs are “just there for the show” to prove that I was once healthy. Please don’t get me wrong I am not complaining or looking for sympathy, but merely making a statement as a preamble to my explanation of how I stay sane and out of the depths of depression. The deterioration has been steadily progressive from sudden unexplained falling, to using a walking stick (still falling), to walker (still falling), to manual wheelchair (no more falling), to power wheelchair and hoist to bed, toilet etc. At least I don’t fall anymore.

READ MORE...To Walk or Not to Walk that is the Question

Grants Awarded to Help Struggling Readers
By U.S. Department of Education

Eight states will receive $6.6 million in Striving Readers grants to improve the literacy skills of struggling adolescent readers, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced today. The purpose of the Striving Readers program is to raise reading achievement in Title I-eligible middle and high schools where significant numbers of students are faced with the challenges of poverty and reading below grade level. “When students enter middle and high school with reading skills that are significantly below grade level, they are at great risk of dropping out,” said Secretary Duncan. “Programs like Striving Readers give students a chance to improve their reading skills and succeed in school and in life.”

READ MORE...Grants Awarded to Help Struggling Readers

AT&T Instant Messaging for Deaf and People with Hearing or Speech Loss
By AT&T

AT&T Premieres Real Time IM Relay for Customers With Hearing and Speech Loss - As Part of its Commitment to Serving Customers with Disabilities, AT&T Is First Provider to Enhance IM Relay Services. For people with hearing and speech loss, communicating with callers who can speak and hear just went real time, thanks to AT&T* and AOL's AIM(R) instant messaging service. Customers using AT&T IM Relay services now have a new, faster feature at their fingertips: AT&T Real Time IM. AT&T is the first and only provider to offer the new real time feature -- offering more than 31 million people with hearing and speech loss, nationwide, a more immediate way to communicate with standard telephone users.

Interesting Webcams Animals People and Places
By Disabled World

An assortment of interesting live webcams of animals, traffic cams, and scenic places around the world you can watch on your home computer. Webcam watching can be a lot of fun, and a great time passing hobby. These interesting webcams take you live to places all over the world that you may never get to see or visit in person, especially if you have health or mobility problems that may prevent you from travelling to far away places. Using the Internet and streaming webcam viewing technology you can watch interesting animals live on cams from some of the worlds top zoos plus some of the smaller zoos and wild life parks, see rides at Disneyland on cam, or view the sun rise and set over the great pyramids of Egypt, all in real time online.

Genetically Modified Food - GM Foods List and Information
By Mavis Butcher

Definition: Genetically modified (GM) foods are food items that have had their DNA changed through genetic engineering. Unlike conventional genetic modification that is carried out through time-tested conventional breeding of plants and animals. Combining genes from different organisms is known as recombinant DNA technology, and the resulting organism is said to be "genetically modified," "genetically engineered," or "transgenic." GM products include medicines and vaccines, foods and food ingredients, feeds, and fibers.

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