Disability Futures

“I’ve seen articles explicitly ask the reader to ‘put themselves in the shoes’ of the non-disabled murderer, but I’ve never seen an article ask readers to imagine what it’s like to be a disabled person murdered by someone you love and trust, like your parent,” said Zoe Gross, a member of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, who is behind the effort, which is also being backed by the National Council of Independent Living and the Autism Society, among other groups.

Gross, who lives in Oakland, Calif., was spurred to action when she heard about the case of George Hodgins, a 22-year-old with autism who was murdered March 6 by his mother at their Sunnyvale, Calif. home. Hodgins’ mother — who subsequently killed herself — was reportedly overwhelmed by her caregiving responsibilities.

The flu vaccine provided an approximate 50 per cent reduction in the risk of a major cardiac event (heart attack, stroke, or cardiac death) compared with placebo after one year of follow-up. A similar trend was seen for the flu vaccine reducing death from any cause (approximately 40 per cent).

The influenza vaccine reduced cardiovascular events and cardiovascular death in people with or without heart disease.

Several parts of the Capitol complex are a navigational nightmare for people with disabilities, including dangerous ramps, inaccessible bathrooms and a wide range of other barriers that fail to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act standards, according to a new report.

Investigators with the congressional Office of Compliance found 154 “barriers to access” on the outsides of the Cannon, Longworth, and Rayburn office buildings, with 84 of them considered a safety risk for those with disabilities. One example of a safety risk is a curb ramp – the small slope connecting the road and the sidewalk that cuts through a curb – that is too steep, which can flip wheelchairs backwards or sideways. Another example is a protruding object, such as a low-hanging tree branch, that can damage the face.

The third intention in Patterns 132 reads: Select initiative (or response) that is least expected. The standard explanation is that the least expected response will produce surprise which we can then exploit. Seems obvious, but if you think about how most organizations pick their actions, it’s by some formula or just what they’re comfortable doing (“If sales are down, lower prices.”)

Will the world end in a flash? A nuclear explosion? A zombie apocalypse? Or will it be a slow, depressing march towards lifelesness as climate change or pandemics take their toll? It's not an uplifting topic, but it's one that humans are becoming more and more obsessed with as natural disasters, superbugs, and ancient predictions surface as constant reminders of our planet's mortality. 

In less than an hour, the test can detect breast cancer and non-small lung cancer -- the most common type of lung cancer -- before symptoms like coughing and weight loss start. The researchers anticipate testing for the early stages of pancreatic cancer shortly.

Michigan residents with disabilities, along with their families, can look forward to five more years of service from the Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI) at Wayne State University. The institute recently received a $2.8 million core grant from the U.S. Administration for Children and Families. As a result, DDI will continue its mission of contributing to the development of inclusive communities and quality of life for people with disabilities and their families through a culturally sensitive, statewide program of interdisciplinary education, community support and services, research, and dissemination of knowledge and information to and about Michigan’s disability community.

“We’re delighted to receive this funding to continue to support Michigan’s families and children with disabilities,” said Barbara LeRoy, DDI director, “and we’re delighted to be here at Wayne State.”

An older adult is treated in an emergency room for a fall every 15 seconds, according to the CDC. “Stand Together to Prevent Falls,” is the theme of this year’s Falls Prevention Awareness Day, which is observed on the first day of fall, Sept. 22. The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department asks health care professionals, caregivers, and family members to help educate the community on how to prevent falls among older adults.

A growing body of research shows that children who suffer severe neglect and social isolation have cognitive and social impairments as adults. A study from Boston Children's Hospital shows, for the first time, how these functional impairments arise: Social isolation during early life prevents the cells that make up the brain's white matter from maturing and producing the right amount of myelin, the fatty "insulation" on nerve fibers that helps them transmit long-distance messages within the brain.

Bernstein has been in Mt. Sinai hospital for a month because of a fractured pelvis and hip and severe facial injuries caused by a bicyclist going 35 miles per hour. Bernstein was walking and was hit in the back by the cyclist, who was looking at his rear tire — the cyclist admitted fault.

According to his suit, Central Park is surrounded by a boundary created by East and West Drives, enclosing the majority of the park. He says the defendants have refused to enforce rules mandating bicyclists to stop at red lights and stop signs and allow cyclists to pass pedestrian crosswalks without stopping, denying visitors safe entry to the public park.