Abilityinfo.com (INTERNATIONAL) - Jan 6, 2004:
On December 26th, 2004 14 countries felt direct effects from an earthquake that took place far below the surface of the Indian Ocean. The resulting tsunamis which came ashore have killed, injured and displaced hundreds of thousands of people in these countries. For those living with a disability, the already challenging circumstances in which these people live has just been multiplied by one hundred times.
(This page continues to be updated with news stories and web links.)
Anxiety May Worsen Disability in Older Women Reuters (INTERNATIONAL) - Jan 14, 2005:
Symptoms of anxiety may speed the progression of certain physical disabilities in older women, new research suggests.
IDD a special day indeed Malaysian Star (INTERNATIONAL) - Dec 9, 2004:
The United Nations’ designated day, which is held on the third of every December, was created 12 years ago to sensitise society to the needs and rights of today’s more than 600 million persons with disabilities around the globe.
Now, a hat that can read your mind! New Kerala (TECH|NET - INTERNATIONAL) - Dec 8, 2004:
Scientists at the State University of New York have developed an electrode-covered hat that can translate brain waves into computer commands.
Superstition "forces the blind to beg" Times of Oman (INTERNATIONAL) - Dec 7, 2004:
"Blind people are among the poorest of the poor. People die of hunger due to their disability," she said on the sidelines of the WBU general assembly in Cape Town.
More than 600 delegates are meeting in Cape Town for the sixth assembly of the WBU, a global organisation that says it speaks on behalf of 180 million blind or partially sighted individuals.
Human Rights for the Disabled Washington Post (INTERNATIONAL) - Nov 3, 2004:
The United Nations is drafting a convention to provide international guidelines for the rights of more than 600 million people with disabilities. The convention will provide people with disabilities the same compassionate legal protection that women, children, refugees and other vulnerable populations have under international human rights law.
European conference on childhood disability at University of Edinburgh MedicalNewsToday.com (INTERNATIONAL) - Oct 7, 2004:
Experts will gather in Edinburgh this week to examine research and best practice for children with disability and discuss how best to overcome the barriers they face in areas such as learning and mobility.
Show lights up Paralympics BBC Sport (INTERNATIONAL) - Sept 17, 2004:
A spectacular opening ceremony for the XII Paralympics took place in front of a sell-out 72,000 crowd at the Athens Olympic Stadium on Friday.
Re-launch for www.paralympic.org International Olympic Committee (INTERNATIONAL) - Sept 3, 2004:
In view of the Paralympic Games which will take place between 17 and 29 September in Athens, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has re-launched its official website www.paralympic.org.
U.S. 2nd in Americas on disability rights list Associated Press (INTERNATIONAL) - Aug 26, 2004:
Only five of 24 countries in the Americas provide adequate protection and treatment to their disabled citizens, according to a new report by a coalition of disability groups. The United States, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica and Jamaica were ranked as the "most inclusive" countries in dealing with the disabled in the report released Tuesday, while Belize, Bolivia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Suriname were judged the "least inclusive."
SMS turns a deaf ear to disability WebIndia (INTERNATIONAL) - Aug 17, 2004:
Australian researchers have revealed that sending a SMS via mobile phones is increasingly helping deaf people interact with the hearing community, thus creating opportunities to form new relationships.
Disability and Poverty: Breaking the Cycle Worldbank (INTERNATIONAL) - July 26, 2004:
Many people in developing countries are locked in a vicious cycle of poverty and disability, says Daniel Mont, a social protection specialist with the Disability and Development group at the World Bank.
Mont and the World Bank's Disability and Protection team are part of an international push to improve the collection of data on disabilities in developing countries. While the "best guess" estimate puts the level of disability at about 10 percent in most developing countries - about 400 million people - the lack of data makes it difficult to measure.
Unleashing Hidden Talents - Inclusive policies toward disabled people can produce big development gains Worldbank (INTERNATIONAL) - July 26, 2004:
"We aim to help the Bank and governments understand that there are simple, cheap solutions – some of which don’t cost anything. Allowing a child with a physical disability into a classroom, doesn’t cost anything…many physically disabled kids need very little help at all." The disability and development team is also focusing on working in partnership with other international development agencies and disabled people’s organizations to increase their capacity to lobby on behalf of their constituents.
Medical file - Impact Injuries The Scotsman (INTERNATIONAL) - May 24, 2004:
EVEN mild head injuries can have a lasting impact on children, new studies have shown.
Anemia associated with disability and poorer physical performance EurekAlert (INTERNATIONAL) - May 1, 2004:
Older adults with anemia have more disabilities and score lower on physical performance and strength tests than those without anemia, report researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues in the current issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Gene may increase autism risk: study (CBC News (INTERNATIONAL) - April 1, 2004):
Scientists say they've identified two different forms of a gene that may increase the risk of developing autism.
Technology, Media, and Disability Technology Review (TECHNET - USA) - Jan 17, 2005:
One of my areas of focus in discussing disability and technology is how it reflects our own social attitudes about what each of us is able to do, and how we all use prosthetic devices every day to increase our abilities.
Overcoming disability through tech CNETAsia (TECH|NET - SINGAPORE) - Nov 23, 2004:
Showcasing the best efforts around the region at using technology to benefit the underprivileged and handicapped, the event and its sobering undertones underscored the minister's message to the disabled community: "Technology allows us to break past the barriers that nature has imposed on us."
FITA Assistive Technology Exhibition di-ve.com (TECH|NET - MALTA) - Oct 31, 2004:
The Foundation for Information Technology Accessibility (FITA) with the support of and local disability non-government organisations, amongst which the Ghaqda Persuni Neqsin mid-Dawl and the Maltese Council of Disabled Persons, worked to organised an exhibition of information communications technology (ICT) equipment and assistive technology (AT) equipment, intended to increase the level of independence and quality of life of persons with a visual impairment.
Speech Technology Finds its Voice Digital Journal (TECH|NET - CANADA) - Oct 30, 2004:
Speech technology has come a long way over the years, much more than most people would think.
HP earns disability honor San Francisco Chronicle (TECH|NET - USA) - Oct 25, 2004:
The Palo Alto firm will receive the agency's New Freedom Initiative Award for designing products that are accessible to the disabled.
Disability technology discussed at fair Times-Standard (TECH|NET - USA) - Oct 23, 2004:
Computers that read aloud, alarm clocks that vibrate and a wheelchair that can climb stairs were among the technology demonstrated at Friday's Lost Coast Assistive Technology and Disability Fair.
Take a longer look at accessibility ZDNet (TECH|NET - UK) - Aug 23, 2004:
It's easy to overlook today's story about two online travel firms agreeing to make their sites easier for blind surfers to navigate. After all, it only affects other people running Web sites that fail to adhere properly to standards, and is just more political correctness, right? Wrong on both counts.
Disability no barrier for computer whiz The Malaysia Star (TECH|NET - MALAYSIA) - July 22, 2004:
Being disabled and having only a Primary Two education is no handicap to Yeap Chin Chunya – his achievements and capabilities may actually put any normal person to shame.
Bio ID cards: serious problems for disabled people In-Sourced.com (TECH|NET UK) - June 12, 2004:
The BCS says the emphasis on biometric technology such as fingerprint and iris recognition raises significant issues for people with various disabilities. This emphasis also means the initiative risks falling into the trap of focusing on the technology rather than the users - a well-known cause of problems in computing projects.
YouSearched Launches Disability Accessible Search Engine
WebProNews (TECH|NET) - May , 2004:
Claiming to be the world's first accessible search engine for people with disabilities, YouSearched.com has completed its launch. In an email sent by StepForth, a member of the YouSearched design team, the plans on how the engine achieves its accessibility goals is laid out.
Disability fears for new credit cards BBC - UK (TECH|NET) - May 10, 2004:
Most banks and building societies issuing new 'chip and pin' credit cards are unaware of the needs of disabled customers according to research carried out by the Royal National Institute for the Blind.
Report Calls Internet 'Impossible' for Disabled Users (Tech News World (TECH) - April 18, 2004):
An investigative report by a government agency in the United Kingdom has revealed many disabled users find online chores that are routine for most people to be Herculean for them, as they "find it impossible to book a holiday, open a bank account or buy theater tickets online."
A web open to all? (BBC (TECH/UK) - April 16, 2004):
The digital divide between able-bodied and disabled people is greater than ever, reports technology analyst Bill Thompson.
Thought-controlled robotic arm may work in people, say scientists (New Zealand Herald - Mar.24/2004):
Electrodes implanted in the brains of Parkinson's disease patients transmitted signals that might someday be used to operate remote devices, the team at Duke University Medical Centre reported.
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