At the age of 21, the British physicist Stephen Hawking was found to have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease. While A.L.S. is usually fatal within five years, Dr. Hawking lived on and flourished, producing some of the most important cosmological research of his time.

In the 1960s, with Sir Roger Penrose, he used mathematics to explicate the properties of black holes. In 1973, he applied Einstein’s general theory of relativity to the principles of quantum mechanics. And he showed that black holes were not completely black but could leak radiation and eventually explode and disappear, a finding that is still reverberating through physics and cosmology.
Διαβάστε περισσότερα …

A teacher leans over her student, tucks the pencil back into his hand, and makes her request again. A sentence. One sentence. She knows he can do it. Frustrated or unfocused or some combination of the two, he drops the pencil. A third attempt is met with a resigned effort that nets a few scrawled and illegible letters.

Same teacher, same student, same calm request: One sentence. She nods, pleasantly surprised, as he reaches without resistance for the interactive board. One word is tapped out; a second joins it. Her smile grows as he moves on to spell the final word. But he doesn’t stop. She stands, beaming and holding her breath, until he turns, having written his first full paragraph.
Διαβάστε περισσότερα …

A thought-provoking documentary, narrated by Golden Globe winner, Katey Sagal, about the vibrant lives of five women with disabilities on their journey to the 2010 Ms. Wheelchair America pageant, with the uplifting message that pageantry is “more than just a sash and crown” and the concept of beauty is defined through the lens of advocacy and perseverance.
Διαβάστε περισσότερα …

Today on the iTunes store, there are around 100 Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Apps. These are specifically designed to be used by people who have complex communication needs – for people who want to use their iPhone or iPad to communicate face-to-face with others. Many of these AAC Apps are among the highest priced Apps in the App Store – but are they worth the cost? And what do they offer that more traditional speech generating devices don’t?
Διαβάστε περισσότερα …

Ade Adepitan is one of the UK’s most recognisable Paralympians, having played in Team GB’s wheelchair basketball team in Sydney in 2000 and winning a bronze medal at Athens in 2004. He was an integral part of the delegation that went to Singapore to win the 2012 Olympic bid and has now embarked on a media career that will see him as Channel 4’s face for the Paralympics during their coverage of the Games. Ade continues to invest his efforts in encouraging the next generation of Paralympians – his enthusiasm and charisma makes him a worthy role model and his services to disability were recognised in 2005 when he was awarded an MBE. Ade is a patron of the disability sport charity, Wheel Power, The Association of Wheelchair Children and Scope, and is also an ambassador for the NSPCC and The Prince’s Trust.
Διαβάστε περισσότερα …

Η πρωθυπουργός της Αυστραλίας Τζούλια Γκίλαρντ, επικήρυξε τους «τεμπέληδες», που ζουν παρασιτικά σε βάρος της υπόλοιπης αυστραλιανής κοινωνίας με συντάξεις αναπηρίας και άλλα κοινωνικά επιδόματα. Σε ομιλία της στο Sydney Institute, η πρωθυπουργός δεσμεύτηκε «να ταράξει τους κύκλους» των πολιτών, που ζουν με κρατικά επιδόματα και αρνούνται να εργαστούν.
Διαβάστε περισσότερα …

We need your assistance in defining the preferences and needs of people with disabilities and elderly people regarding the use of collaborative tools like email, chat, messenger, within their office. This survey is performed within the framework of VERITAS (Virtual and Augmented Environments and Realistic User Interactions To achieve Embedded Accessibility DesignS). We kindly ask you to complete the below questionnaire.
Διαβάστε περισσότερα …