Posted on: , Lauren Loftus
Ex-players sue NHL over concussions
Ten former NHL players have filed suit against the hockey league for allegedly failing to protect players from concussions. The lawsuit seeks damages to be awarded at trial and court-appointed medical monitoring for any brain trauma or injuries. Read more.
Posted on: , Lauren Loftus
How to Do Right by the Disabled
The U.S. Senate now has a chance to redeem itself after failing a year ago to ratify an international treaty that would have improved protections for people with disabilities, according to an editorial in The New York Times.
Senator Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has held two hearings on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities and is reportedly planning a committee vote next month. More than 135 other countries have already ratified the treaty, which covers accessibility and employment standards. Read more.
Posted on: , Lauren Loftus
Who Says Prosthetic Hands Have To Look Like Human Hands?
A team of researchers and scientists in Japan took a different approach to creating a new prosthesis. The “Trans-Radial Prosthesis With Three Opposed Fingers” does not resemble a human hand as many other prosthetics attempt to do. Instead it only has three digits, which the creators say will make it easier for the user to wear and cuts down on cost. Read more.
Posted on: , Lauren Loftus
Two Lenses, One Focus: Teaching About Disability
Karen Meyer, who is deaf, uses experiences from her longtime reporting position for ABC 7 in Chicago to teach college courses on disability issues and awareness. Meyer teaches two courses at DePaul University– Disability Culture highlighting real life situations and Chicago’s Disabled Community in which students learn about local disability service organizations. In one class exploration, students experienced what it’s like to navigate Chicago’s Navy Pier in a wheelchair. Learn more.
Posted on: , Lauren Loftus
Noted Self-Advocate Cuts Ties With Autism Speaks
John Elder Robinson, a prominent self-advocate of autism awareness, resigned from his advisory post with Autism Speaks. Robinson, who served on the group’s science and treatment boards, said he decided to step down after what many in the autism community saw as an insensitive commentary from Autism Speaks co-founder Suzanne Wright. According to Robinson, he had often been criticized along with the organization for not including more people with autism in leadership roles. Read more.
Posted on: , Lauren Loftus
Premature Baby Boys At Higher Risk Of Disability Than Girls
Boys born prematurely are more likely to be at risk of disability than girls, according to new reports from the “Pediatric Research” journal. The research papers, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, concluded that baby boys have a higher likelihood of infections, jaundice, birth complications and congenital conditions in general but the biggest risk was preterm birth. The findings were published to coincide with the third annual World Prematurity Day on Sunday, Nov. 17. Read more.
Posted on: , Lauren Loftus
Reeve Foundation Attends Panel Discussion on Defining the American Disability Community
Staffers from the Reeve Foundation attended the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting in Boston last week which was focused on more accurately defining the American population of people living with paralysis. At the panel discussion, the Reeve Foundation presented preliminary findings from a project about health and fiscal disparities faced by people with paralysis in the U.S. The data stemmed from a 2008 survey that found there were more than three times the number of people living with spinal cord injuries in the U.S. than was previously recorded. Read more.
Posted on: , Lauren Loftus
Court Says New York Neglected Disabled in Emergencies
New York City failed to accommodate for the needs of hundreds of thousands of its residents with disabilities during emergencies, a federal judge ruled Thursday. The ruling was in response to a 2011 lawsuit filed after Tropical Storm Irene. After Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast in Oct. 2012 and left many people with disabilities stranded in New York City for several days, the judge found the city to be in “benign neglect.” Read more.
Posted on: , Lauren Loftus
User-Friendly Advice for Accessible Web Design
ProfHacker writer George Williams highlighted a selection of clips from WebAim about resources for making a website accessible for people with disabilities. Read more.
Posted on: , Lauren Loftus
Disability Studies: A New Normal
Disabilities Studies courses, certificates and programs of studies are emerging in colleges across the U.S., according to a report from the New York Times. About 35 colleges and universities now offer the program in both undergraduate and graduate coursework. According to the report, students learn about disability history, theory and ethics, among other courses. Read more.
