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Disabled World Community Newsletter - September 15th, 2009
Information provided by Thomas C. Weiss - Published: 2009-09-16
Disabled World Community Newsletter - September 15th, 2009.
When Should I Receive a Flu Shot - Influenza Vaccine
By Disabled World
In the Northern Hemisphere the flu (Medically referred to as influenza) season generally runs from November to April, with most cases occurring between late December and early March, but the flu, or anti-flu, vaccine is usually offered between September and mid-November. Although you can get a flu shot well into flu season, it's best to try to get it earlier rather than later.
READ MORE... When Should I Receive a Flu Shot - Influenza Vaccine
The NCD and Effective Emergency Management and People with Disabilities
By Thomas C. Weiss
The National Council on Disability (NCD) has submitted a report concerning Effective Emergency Management and People with Disabilities to President Obama, suggesting improvements for communities and people with disabilities. The NCD’s stated purpose in doing so is to promote policies and practices that guarantee equal opportunity for all persons with disabilities, regardless of either the severity or nature of the disability the person experiences, as well as to empower people with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and integration into all aspects of American society. The National Council on Disability is under a federal mandate that charges it with the responsibility to gather information on the development and implementation of federal laws, policies, programs, and practices which affect persons with disabilities.
READ MORE... The NCD, Effective Emergency Management and People with Disabilities
Prenatal Testing for Down Syndrome
By Childrens Hospital Boston
New article examines the influence of current tests on birth rates, assesses forthcoming tests, and calls for the establishment of medical and educational policies. With new prenatal tests for Down syndrome on the horizon promising to be safer, more accurate, and available to women earlier in pregnancy, the medical community must come together and engage in dialogue about the impact of existing and expected tests, argues a new leading article published Online First by Archives of Disease in Childhood. Authored by Brian Skotko, MD, MPP, clinical genetics fellow at Children's Hospital Boston, the article shows a steady decrease in the number of babies being born with Down syndrome since the introduction of prenatal testing and poses the question: "As new tests become available, will babies with Down syndrome slowly disappear?"
READ MORE... Prenatal Testing for Down Syndrome
Volunteers Needed for 2010 Paralympics Opening, Closing Ceremonies
By Disabled World
Organizers of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games have put out a call for 5,000 volunteers for the opening and closing ceremonies. Anyone over the age of six can apply via the Games website and auditions will begin in October, with rehearsals starting in January. The opening ceremonies for the Paralympics are at Vancouver's BC Place Stadium but the closing ceremonies will take place in Whistler, B.C, which is hosting the bulk of the Paralympic events. Organizers are hoping to draw many volunteers from the Sea-to-Sky region but the process is open to everyone, said ceremonies producer Patrick Roberge. While some roles require some skill, others just call for enthusiasm.
READ MORE... Volunteers Needed for 2010 Paralympics Opening, Closing Ceremonies
Tokyo 2009 Asian Youth Paralympic Games
By Tokyo 2016 Olympic Bid
TOKYO 2009 ASIAN YOUTH PARA GAMES GET UNDER WAY WITH TOKYO 2016’S FULL SUPPORT. Japan Crown Prince Naruhito made a keynote speech that celebrated the universal values of Olympism. As it enters the final stages of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games bidding race, Tokyo 2016 has given an enthusiastic welcome to the start of the Tokyo 2009 Asian Youth Para Games. The event sees around 500 young people with disabilities from across the continent compete over three days of elite competition Japan’s dynamic capital city. Under the slogan ‘Your Dreams, Our Legacy’, the Tokyo 2009 Asian Youth Para Games is giving inspiring young athletes between the ages of 14 and 19 the opportunity to compete in iconic venues, engage with international peers and contribute to strengthened bonds between Asian nations and the growth of the Paralympic Movement.
READ MORE... Tokyo 2009 Asian Youth Paralympic Games
Communication Problems in Dementia Care
By University of Gothenburg
Communication Problems in Dementia Care Cause Physical Strain. Excessive physical strain in dementia care is not so much related to equipment or the resident's body weight as it is due to communication problems and misunderstandings. This is shown in a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy. Dementia not only affects the memory and other cognitive functions, but also motor skills such as the ability to walk. 'The symptoms of dementia are very individual and can vary from one day to the next, and sometimes even from one moment to the next. This makes person transfers in dementia care very demanding for the personnel', says physiotherapist Cristina Wångblad, one of the researchers behind the study recently published in the scientific journal Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences.
READ MORE... Communication Problems in Dementia Care
Hormone Keeps Joint Injuries from Causing Osteoarthritis
By University of Rochester Medical Center
Goal to extend useful life of arthritic knees and hips. An existing osteoporosis drug is the first ever found to prevent cartilage loss from osteoarthritis following injury to a joint, and may also regenerate some cartilage that has been lost to osteoarthritis, according to an early study presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research in Denver. While the study was in mice, the model closely mimics human osteoarthritis that develops following knee injuries, according to the study authors. Cartilage can become damaged by many kinds of injury and by mechanical stresses that come with age. Over time, damaged cartilage deteriorates to cause osteoarthritis (OA), with its attendant joint inflammation and pain.
READ MORE... Hormone Keeps Joint Injuries from Causing Osteoarthritis
Microsoft Windows Version 7 and Accessibility Factors
By Thomas C. Weiss
The Microsoft Windows operating system is due for release within weeks; among many people who will use this operating system this is very good news, particularly among persons in Information Technology. The latest Windows operating system could bring benefits for persons with disabilities as well and considering the fact that there are millions of people with disabilities in America alone, the operating system is greatly anticipated. There are some improvements in accessibility where Windows 7 is concerned. Accessibility tools and Windows are nothing new, the operating system has been improving access for people who use it since the release of the Active Accessibility Software Development Kit for Windows 95 in 1997.
READ MORE... Microsoft Windows Version 7 and Accessibility Factors
Blind and Low Vision Scholarships - Canada - Disability Scholarships
By Disabled World
Many organizations and agencies give scholarships to visually impaired and blind persons in Canada. Most Canadian colleges and universities have an Office for Disabled Students, which provides special services, such as reader services, for persons with disabilities. Rixon Rafter & the Judge Brian Stevenson Scholarship Funds - Available to blind students attending post-secondary programs. These scholarships, ranging from $300 to $500, are given to successful candidates based on their financial needs, academic achievement and career goals. Application forms are available from C.N.I.B. Divisional Offices or the Ross MacDonald School. Phone: (519) 759-0730.
READ MORE... Blind and Low Vision Scholarships - Canada-Disability Scholarships
Encounters with Disabled Toilets
By Roly Clulow
Now when people talk to me about disabled toilets I can’t help but visualize a buckled and bent toilet with its cistern lid crooked and flush handle hanging loose, either on crutches or in a wheel chair. The same goes for disabled parking except here I see a crooked pole with a walking stick, with the signboard askew. I know I am being difficult but if we called them toilets for the disabled I for one would see them in their correct shape. We have found some beautiful ones, big ones, small ones, narrow ones, smelly ones, the odd dirty one, impractical ones, those placed to fill a space merely because it is a requirement to have them, but most of all ones with loose basins, damaged seats and lack of or broken soap dispensers, drying units, paper towels, toilet paper and the list goes on.
READ MORE... Encounters with Disabled Toilets
ICT and Travel Information Access Improvements
By Thomas C. Weiss
Information technology has improved the travel and tourism industry, making it more user-friendly for the estimated six-hundred and fifty million persons with disabilities around the world. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has released a toolkit designed to assist with the provision of information and communication technology (ICT) developers in the travel and tourism industry in a global effort. Along with opening a new travel customer base it will also enable the travel industry to increase the number of people with disabilities it employs. The toolkit itself was released at the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Mainstreaming ICT Accessibility for People with Disabilities. The forum was organized by the ITU along with local, global, and private sector partners.
READ MORE... ICT and Travel Information Access Improvements
Community Groups Key to Good Health
By University of Exeter
The quality of a person's social life could have an even greater impact than diet and exercise on their health and well-being. There is growing evidence that being a member of a social group can significantly reduce the risk of conditions like stroke, dementia and even the common cold. New research by the Universities of Exeter and Queensland, Australia, shows that membership of social groups has a positive impact on health and well-being. The work highlights the importance of belonging to a range of social groups, of hanging onto social groups, and of building new social groups in dealing with life changes such as having a stroke and being diagnosed with dementia.
READ MORE... Community Groups key to Good Health
- This web page is from the Disabled World Disability Newsletters section which provides: A list of disability related newsletters articles and stories from Disabled World and and around the world.
