Patti's Blog - Advocate for Elders, People with Disabilities and Their Families

Skill-Building Apps for Challenged Readers

Patti's Comments:  Many of these are free!!

Excerpt from My Special Needs Network: (click for entire article)

With summer nearly upon us, there are some students and their parents who may be searching for good apps designed for improvement in the following reading skill areas:

• Focusing
• Word-attack skills
• Fluency
• Tracking
• Comprehension
• Retention

We thought this would be an ideal time to provide our readers with apps for these specific skill areas. That way, over the summer break, students (and others) might be able to “brush up on” areas of weakness so that they will be improved by the time the new fall term begins.

Paralyzed, Moving a Robot With Their Minds

Excerpt from The New York Times: (click for entire article)

Two people who are virtually paralyzed from the neck down have learned to manipulate a robotic arm with just their thoughts, using it to reach out and grab objects. One of them, a woman, was able to retrieve a bottle containing coffee and drink it from a straw — the first time she had served herself since her stroke 15 years earlier, scientists reported on Wednesday.

“She had a smile on her face that I and the research team will never forget,” said Dr. Leigh R. Hochberg of the Department of Veterans Affairs, an author of a study reporting the achievement.

The report, released online by the journal Nature, is the first published demonstration that humans with severe brain injuries can effectively control a prosthetic arm, using tiny brain implants that transmit neural signals to a computer.

Smartphone Accessibility

Excerpt from USDA: (click for entire article)

Smartphones are rapidly becoming a must-have item for people at work and in their personal lives. The increased functionality of these all-in-one devices means that people with disabilities can greatly enhance their own lives through a device that can be carried around very easily. As these devices become more and more relevant, accessibility will continue to be both a concern and a driving force for innovation. This page will highlight built-in and add-on accessibility functionalities of the latest smartphones and continue to be updated with the latest information.

For a 45 minute overview on Smartphone Accessibility, visit the related Discovery Series link below. In addition, you will find links to a variety of internet resources. Look for additional individual device demonstrations to be posted in the coming months.

How the Blind Are Reinventing the iPhone

Excerpt from The Atlantic: (click for entire article)

Maria Rios, 66, woke up at 6am. She got out of bed in her little second floor apartment on the north side of Central Park, and checked her iPhone for the weather. Then she felt around in her closet, where she had marked her navy blue garments with safety pins, to tell them apart from her black ones. In the adjacent room, her roommate Lynette Tatum, 49, picked out a white sweater and dark denim slacks. She used her VizWiz iPhone app to take a photograph and send it to a customer-service rep who lets her know what color the item is.

For the visually impaired community, the introduction of the iPhone in 2007 seemed at first like a disaster -- the standard-bearer of a new generation of smartphones was based on touch screens that had no physical differentiation. It was a flat piece of glass. But soon enough, word started to spread: The iPhone came with a built-in accessibility feature. Still, members of the community were hesitant.

But no more. For its fans and advocates in the visually-impaired community, the iPhone has turned out to be one of the most revolutionary developments since the invention of Braille. That the iPhone and its world of apps have transformed the lives of its visually impaired users may seem counter-intuitive -- but their impact is striking.

Aging in Place Technology Watch April 2012 Newsletter

Excerpt from Aging in Place: (click for entire article)

The Internet haves and have-nots. Pew Research produced an intriguing summary in April, Digital Differences, a long-term comparison report of changes in Internet use between the years 2000 and 2011.  In June 2000, only 12 percent of the 65+ population (aka seniors) were online – and today, 41% are.  And just in time, for the US government. The other 59% will need a backup plan. According to a new Washington lobbying group, paper versions of tax forms, savings bonds, annual social security statements, and social security checks will soon be a just a memory. So it is important to have accurate data about who has online access and who doesn't -- particularly in a vulnerable population of older adults....

Geriatric care managers need your support. I was lunching recently with a friend who is a geriatric care manager (GCM) and I decided to ask her a few questions about why we don’t see more technology interest from GCMs. For those of you who haven’t heard of GCMs, here is the definition from their National Association (NAPGCM): "A professional Geriatric Care Manager (GCM) is a health and human services specialist who helps families who are caring for older relatives. The GCM is trained and experienced in any of several fields related to care management, including nursing, gerontology, social work, or psychology." In essence, GCMs are the go-to professionals for families dealing with the frail elderly...

Life without Limits through Assistive Technology Conference - It's Not Too Late!

From UCP of Metro Detroit: (click for entire article)

United Cerebral Palsy of Metro Detroit would like to invite you to our Annual Life without Limits through Assistive Technolgy Conference.

Highlights

Breakout Sessions to include:

    iPad
    Universal Design for Learning
    Home Modifications
    Proper Wheelchair Seating
    Chapter 31 for Veterans
    Sports and Recreation

and the MV-1 Vehicle, the first vehicle created with the needs of people with disablities in mind.

http://www.mv1ofmichigan.com/

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Detroit-Dearborn
5801 Southfield Expressway
Detroit MI 48228

Register online

AT Conference Brochure

Conference Cost: $30.00 per person

Limited scholarships available for persons with disabilities & family members

For more information call (248)557-5070

Sincerely,

Leslynn Angel
United Cerebral Palsy of Metro Detroit

Life without Limits through Assistive Technology Conference

From United Cerebral Palsy of Metro Detroit:

United Cerebral Palsy of Metro Detroit would like to invite you to our Annual Life without Limits through Assistive Technolgy Conference.
 
Highlights

Breakout Sessions to include:

    iPad
    Universal Design for Learning
    Home Modifications
    Proper Wheelchair Seating
    Chapter 31 for Veterans
    Sports and Recreation

and the MV-1 Vehicle, the first vehicle created with the needs of people with disablities in mind.

http://www.mv1ofmichigan.com/

Tuesday, May 8, 2012
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Detroit-Dearborn
5801 Southfield Expressway
Detroit MI 48228

AT Conference Brochure

Conference Cost: $30.00 per person

Limited scholarships available for persons with disabilities & family members

Make checks payable to: UCP/Detroit, 23077 Greenfield Rd. Suite 205, Southfield MI 48075

RSVP by April 30, 2012

For more information call (248)557-5070

Sincerely,
Leslynn Angel
United Cerebral Palsy of Metro Detroit

How Tablets are Helping Children with Autism and Learning Disabilities

Excerpt from The Windsor Star: (click for entire article)

Assistive technology products can enable people with disabilities accomplish everyday living tasks, help them in communication, education, work or recreation activities. They help them achieve greater independence and enhance their quality of life. These devices can help improve physical or mental functioning, help overcome a disorder or impairment, help prevent the worsening of a condition, strengthen a physical or mental weakness, help improve a person’s capacity to learn, or even replace a missing limb. Many of these assistive technologies are quite expensive and are often out of reach for a lot of families.

Enter the iPad

Last October, 60 Minutes ran a segment where touchscreen devices and apps were hailed by parents, therapists and teachers who found that applications on tablets – both Android and Apple – helps children with learning disabilities express themselves and develop important daily skills. Because of the customization options and because the iPad is a ‘cool tech device’ that doesn’t immediately mark a child as different, many see it as a more attractive option than the more traditional devices. This is of huge benefits to a child’s self-esteem.  Some children have been captivated by the iPad, finding the motivation to master quite a few new skills in a short span of time. The touch screen and layout make a tablet more accessible for children with coordination or learning difficulties; these children may find sliding and tapping easier than either typing or writing. Moreover, a tablet can be easily carried, and is helpful for calming and focusing children who are on the go. The low cost of these devices is quite family-friendly.

Eye-controlled computer games for disabled children

Excerpt from BBC: (click for entire article)

The project at De Montfort University aims to allow severely-disabled youngsters to play computer games.

Learning to control games by eye tracking is also intended to help disabled children navigate real-world environments.

Eye control "adds a whole new level of intelligence to games", says research leader Stephen Vickers.

YouTube makes captioning more accessible for deaf viewers

Excerpt from The Washington Post: (click for entire article)

Millions of people enjoy viral videos each day, but some people aren’t getting the jokes — and it’s not for a lack of humor, either. Because many videos on YouTube do not include closed captioning, deaf viewers can be left out. But thanks to a new change at YouTube, more hard-of-hearing people will be able to indulge in the wealth of online videos.

The video sharing site enabled caption support in 2006, but it announced Tuesday options that make user-uploaded videos more accessible for those who rely on closed captioning, with new languages, search options, and settings for video text.

YouTube now supports automatic captions in Japanese, Korean and English, and captions can be added in 155 languages and dialects. New settings can also change the caption color — not an aesthetic choice, but rather, to make the captions easier to read against the background of videos where the colors may blend in. Videos uploaded with broadcast caption support, which positions text near the character speaking, are now visible on YouTube in the same format. It’s also easier to upload videos that already have captions embedded in them.