Health Tech
Emerging research, products, and human factors
When Lisa Crigger advertises for staff on Kijiji, she’s mainly looking for people who can follow direction. Crigger has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair; she needs assistance with bathing, housekeeping, and child care. Briana
… READ MOREMost early anomalies in a child’s gait will work themselves out, says Dr. Peter Nieman. Childhood development can be a time of both excitement and stress. On the one hand, it is exciting for parents to document their baby’s
… READ MOREProviding a major platform for the growing movement toward accessibility and inclusive design, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum presents products, projects and services developed by and with people with
… READ MORESpastic CP means the muscles are tense and tight. This occurs because the brain is not sending the right signals to the muscles. Muscle stiffness affects all aspects of the child’s activities of daily living. A four-year-old who has
… READ MORENew research from Coventry University and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) reveals that a bad digging technique can as much as double the load on the joints in the body, leaving people susceptible to chronic injuries. Coventry
… READ MOREProcess too complex and ambiguous, critics say. Only one in three Albertans with disabilities are benefiting from the federal disability tax credit, according to a report from the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy.
… READ MOREThe use of advanced technologies to provide feedback to patients during rehabilitation is all the rage in lower extremity healthcare. But, as exciting as these new modalities can be, it’s important to remember that low-tech feedback
… READ MOREFor one girl dreaming of a career in policing, a day spent with Calgary police showed her the possibilities are limitless. Eleven-year-old Erin Donaldson gets fingerprinted at the Youthlink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre as part
… READ MOREResearch is helping develop new treatments, strategies and surgeries, doctor says. The University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services have teamed up for a campaign encouraging Albertans to sign up for clinical trials. Dr. Michael
… READ MORETask-oriented training (TOT) improves hand dexterity in children with cerebral palsy (CP), according to a preliminary study from South Korea. Children with CP often show delayed development, impaired body movement, and limitations in
… READ MOREIn a 2016 video, a man seated on a cool-looking modified Segway called an Ogo wowed viewers with a slick demo of the device’s hands-free driving capabilities. By simply leaning in the direction he wanted to go, the rider
… READ MOREWith public programs stretched, some parents are turning to private therapies to help kids overcome mobility problems – but the jury is still out on their effectiveness. Therapist Sandi Marshall (left) and mother Nancy Grant (right)
… READ MORENearly 343,000 Québecers receive publicly-funded home care. Critics hope political parties commit to change. Rosalyn Williams-Ness has received home care services for the past 12 years. She says she lives with almost constant
… READ MORECliff Barr has no illusions about how his life is going to end but he still has hope. ALS patient Cliff Barr, left, who is taking part in a new Canada-wide clinical trial to treat ALS, poses in an examination room with tria leader Dr.
… READ MOREProviding training and resources, MakerHealth helps nurses and doctors hack medical equipment to improve patient care. Physician Chris Zahner at the University of Texas Medical Branch designing sensor systems in the MakerHealth Space.
… READ MOREModified vehicles offer independence to children, hope to parents. Khyla Buium, a two-year-old with cerebral palsy, along with her mom Julie were at the Wascana Rehabiliation Centre to demonstrate a modified ride-on car that was
… READ MORESamsung created a SmartSuit to help improve training for Dutch short track speed skaters. Samsung continues its long association with the Olympics as the worldwide Olympic partner of the 2018 Winter Games that take place in
… READ MOREMy disability makes even mundane tasks more complicated than they otherwise would be. And I don’t have a surplus of money to buy every piece of adaptive equipment that might look handy. But I like to do things, and I suspect many of
… READ MOREA Borderline Option. Ambassador Bridge workers (from bottom left to right) Hector Renaud, (unknown), Earl Foley, Art Langois, and Louis Renaud in 1953, according to Louis Renaud. He says the man in the white shirt was another
… READ MOREUsing eye-motion camera and tablet software, breakthrough occurred during Christmas Day visit. A Nova Scotia amendment would have protected Joellan Huntley from government clawbacks. CTV News Atlantic Keith Doucette, The Canadian
… READ MOREScott Killian never imagined his Apple Watch might save his life, but that’s exactly what happened a few weeks ago when he had a heart attack in the middle of the night. Killian recently shared his personal experience with 9to5Mac,
… READ MOREYellowknife’s first such team has about 20 players, but only one actually requires a seated sled. Riley Oldford, 12, who has limited mobility, has inspired the formation of Yellowknife’s first sledge hockey team. Sarah Bridge
… READ MOREFrom autonomous wheelchairs to air-powered ones with no electronic parts, we have covered some pretty nifty innovation taking place in the world of wheelchairs. Another one to add to the collection is a wheelchair called
… READ MOREThis week’s heavy snowfall has made life in Calgary just a little more difficult — from having to scrape icy windshields, to navigating slippery roads and trudging through high snow drifts. But for people will mobility issues,
… READ MOREWhat Happens When We Let Tech Care For Our Aging Parents. As the U.S. population ages, people in need of 24/7 monitoring will outnumber available caregivers. One company’s answer: Let an avatar do the job. Sometimes Jim would
… READ MOREChristmas has come early, with the help of British Airways and Charlbury-based SpecialEffect, for 12-year-old football fan, Finlay Sangster, who has cerebral palsy. Finlay’s mum, Gail, wrote to the airline to ask for some Christmas
… READ MOREElham Albakar and her family came to Canada in 2015 after fleeing conflict in Aleppo. Elham was presented with the bike by the Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba, Freedom Concepts and the Winnipeg Goldeyes Field of Dreams
… READ MORECreative Options Regina works with others in the community to connect individuals and families to whatever services are required. Andrew Ronnie (left) and Michael Lavis, executive director of Creative Options Regina — a no-profit
… READ MOREA therapeutic shoe engineered to improve stroke recovery is proving successful and expected to hit the market by the end of the year. Clinical trials have been completed on the U.S. patented and licensed iStride Device, formerly the
… READ MOREBad knees sideline athletes and mere mortals alike. About 14 million Americans have osteoarthritis of the knees severe enough to cause pain and inflammation, according to the Arthritis Foundation, and more people are getting the
… READ MORE
