Assistive technology
Self-care and improved mobility
Comfortable brace incorporates both sensors and actuators to restore roughly 70% of the active range of motion. A study participant wearing the neck brace. Photo and Video credit: Haohan Zhang and Sunil K. Agrawal, Columbia
… READ MOREThe COVID-19 pandemic has induced stress in everyone this year, but for those marginalized by disabilities, and especially those already dealing with social inequity and poverty, the pandemic has dealt additional blows. Anjali
… READ MOREGore is recruiting startups to Silicon Valley to make wearables or flexible electronics from the same material used in Gore-Tex. Gore Innovation Center By Tekla S. Perry, IEEE Spectrum 13 July 2018 I confess, I wasn’t familiar with
… READ MOREA USC researcher is hoping to change the way physical therapists treat infants at risk of cerebral palsy by combining cognitive and physical activity. Photo: Julia Rendelman By Katharine Gammon, University of Southern California
… READ MOREThe Rig is constructed with an aluminum frame, detachable bumper, and four inch off road bike tires. We designed this fully electric, ‘off road wheelchair’ to be as easy to maintain and repair as possible. It’s made mostly with
… READ MOREA biking accident left Kirk Williams paralyzed, but he has traveled widely and inspired others to follow in his tire tracks. Kirk Williams in Baja, Mexico. “When I take the lift out of the van,” he said, “everyone seems to stop
… READ MOREAdvocates say employers are changing for the better. Experts say it’s often small adjustments that make a big difference for disabled staff in a work environment. Alexander Zemlianichenko, Associated Press Amy Tucker, CBC News
… READ MOREDisability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) is an annual awareness campaign that takes place each October. The purpose of Disability Employment Awareness Month is to promote employment inclusion for people with disabilities and
… READ MOREStride Rite turned to social media to ask customers for help when designing the Journey. The company conducted surveys and fit tests with kids with disabilities during their process. Nothing like that sibling love… and matching
… READ MOREHannah Ferrill, a Purdue University alumna in industrial design from Purdue’s College of Liberal Arts, has developed a jaw-strengthening teether for children with Down syndrome. Hannah Ferrill Chris Adam, Purdue University April 6,
… READ MOREPatients not only have to be put in the center of care, but also in the center of health technology. In a more general manner that’s what digital humanism is about. The Medical Futurist 13 July 2019 ▽ Table of Contents Overview
… READ MORESpecialist orthotics care for patients with mobility issues varies significantly depending on where they live, new research reveals. In future, there will be an increased demand for orthotics services because of the projected
… READ MORETechnology and legislation allowed Walter Marsh to work and to explore despite a debilitating heart condition. The author’s father, Walter Marsh, explored the lava fields of Craters of the Moon, in Idaho. Photo: Allison Marsh By
… READ MORE“Momma, you’ve gotta see this,” my 5-year-old son River says from the living room where he is playing Lego City Undercover on the Xbox. “I unlocked a wheelchair. It’s so cool.” As I roll into the room, I see his character,
… READ MOREIkea is the largest furniture manufacturer in the world. But its sleek designs, filled with handle-less drawers and low-profile furniture, aren’t necessarily friendly to the needs of people with disabilities. ThisAbles By Mark
… READ MOREThe support group started in April as a way to connect women in wheelchairs. Emma Read started an Instagram page to share her experiences living with a wheelchair. Submitted by Emma Read Jamie Malbeuf, CBC News Edmonton August 12,
… READ MOREThe team looked at how to better protect older adults from hip fractures caused by falls. Hip protectors were worn in over 70 per cent of falls, and halved the risk for hip fracture. Injury Prevention and Mobility Laboratory IPML,
… READ MOREBeyond the pandemic, we need to ensure virtual medicine remains a permanent fixture of health care system. A pediatrician takes part in a telemedicine call with a patient over a secure video connection. While it isn’t perfect,
… READ MOREChances are that if you think of someone who uses a walker, you picture them sedately making their way down a smooth sidewalk. Well, Rob’s Walkers are for those other walker-users, who like getting into the woods and going
… READ MOREDisability resources are not luxuries. They are basic defenses against inequality. Lucy Eaton, UC Berkeley Senior Daily Cal Archives/File By Lucy Eaton, Special to The Daily Cal, November 1, 2019 The following represents the
… READ MOREIncreased video-conferencing may boost willingness to book virtual appointments. A demonstration at the University of Alberta rehabilitation robotics lab shows how a robot with a video screen allows a specialist to monitor patient
… READ MORENearly 2 years after minor surgery, Maria Konopeskas just wants to get home. Maria Konopeskas was admitted to hospital for relatively minor surgery in November 2017. She’s still there. Jean Delisle CBC Laurie Fagan, CBC News
… READ MOREDriving a hand-controlled Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross CUV, Air Force veteran Karah Behrend took second place at the 2019 Rebelle Rally, an eight-stage, women’s-only off-road competition. Behrend was the first adaptive athlete to
… READ MOREWheelchair court sports are a blast. And modern sports chairs are built to be faster and more agile than ever, making them even more fun to use and very exciting to watch in action. Arizona athlete Tim Surry uses a Top End Pro
… READ MOREA research group has developed a new, lightweight and motor-less device that can be easily attached to an ankle support device – otherwise known as an ankle foot orthosis (AFO). The new device will aid stroke patients in their
… READ MOREChildren with Cerebral Palsy have more energy to play and be physically active for longer, thanks to specially designed orthotics. AFOs for kids with cerebral palsy improve stability. Pinterest photo Staffordshire University 9 June
… READ MOREUsing biomedical modelling, researchers at TU Wien have developed a completely new type of wheelchair; specially designed handles make the drive more efficient and ergonomic. The crank levers change length throughout each revolution,
… READ MOREWhen child-care centres reopen, they should consider the needs of children with disabilities. Across Canada, some provinces have either opened or are looking at opening their child-care centres again following pandemic closures. But
… READ MOREOnline booking tool closed and recurring rides suspended during pandemic. DATS introduced changes to service intended to help prevent the spread of the virus and manage ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic. But disability advocates
… READ MOREWhen the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Stacy Ellingen, 34, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, lost two of the three caregivers she depends on to dress, shower, eat and use the bathroom. The caregivers — both University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh students
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