Assistive Technology Blog

Sony’s "Intelligent Vision” Can Read Lips And Possibly Boost Accessibility In Future

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 13:13:24 GMT

As we get more advanced technology in our daily lives, we see many possibilities that were once considered science fiction, the advent of artificial intelligence in everyday objects being a fine example of that. We are seeing AI embedded in products that we use regularly, making them smarter and improving their potential.

At CES 2021, Sony gave everyone an overview of their Visual Speech Enablement technology that uses camera sensors with artificial intelligence built into them to detect a face, isolate that person’s lips, identify lip movement, and translate them into words. Since this technique is focusing on the moving lips only, foreground and background noise isn’t really an issue. What’s also interesting is that since it’s looking at the lips using a camera, it doesn’t even require a microphone!

Sony has some initial use cases in mind like factory automation, voice enabled ATMs, and kiosks to implement this technology. Currently, this technology is optimized to be used on computers though it may be available on phones in the future. Of course, it has many uses in accessibility, like reading lips to improve auto-generated captions or reduce the need for a relay operator amongst many other. Sony thinks this Visual Speech Enablement is not ready for that yet but could be in the future.

To learn more about Visual Speech Enablement using Intelligent Vision Sensors, watch this video below. What other use cases can you think of where detecting lip movement and recognizing words using cameras can be used?

Source: PC Mag

Additional reading on Intelligent Vision: Sony

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Quadriplegic Man Controls Two Prosthetic Arms Simultaneously Using Brain Interface

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 13:33:41 GMT

Robert “Buz” Chmielewski is a quadriplegic man who lost control over his limbs 30 years ago because of a skiing accident as a teenager. Just recently, with the help of a team working on restoring movement in limbs to people with spinal cord injuries, he was able to command a pair of prosthetic limbs to cut a piece of cake and feed him – through brain signals!

Using brain signals to operate prosthetic limbs using Brain Computer Interface (BCI) is not new, and researchers have been steadily making progress in this field for many years. Normally, BCI focus on operating one prosthetic arm that’s controlled from only one side of the brain which works well for people who still have one operating limb. However, what’s remarkable about this particular case is that Buz was able to control both of his prosthetic arms simultaneously. As you’ll see in the video below, piercing the cake with a fork and holding it with one hand, and then cutting it with a knife with the other requires the use of both arms simultaneously which is considered a more complex challenge. The group was able to accomplish this by using artificial intelligence to partially control Buz’s prosthetic arms.

For robotics and BCI, this is an impressive achievement yet just the beginning. We still have a long way to go in advancing this ability and making it widespread but it’s certainly great to see this type of incremental progress being made.

Watch the video below to see Buz cut a cake and feeding it to himself using this BCI technique.

Source: IFLS

Additional reading: Johns Hopkins

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NightWare Is An Apple Watch App That Stops PTSD Related Nightmares

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 13:39:54 GMT

When Tyler Skluzacek’s father Patrick came back from Iraq in 2007 after serving in the military, his life completely changed. Because of PTSD, he would have vivid and terrible nightmares every night. The only way he could sleep was with the help of vodka and pills.

As an undergrad at Macalester College in 2015, when Tyler heard about a hackathon that focused on mobile solutions for people with PTSD, he decided to participate. During the hackathon, he put together a team that would work on a smart watch solution to detect the onset of night tremors based on the person’s heart and movement. The inspiration behind this solution was service dogs that were already doing something similar – recognize when a person was experiencing a traumatic nightmare and then nudge or lick them to disrupt the bad dream. Tyler’s vision was to provide the “licking and nudging” through gentle vibrations on the smart watch. However, the real challenge was to create a stimulus through the vibrations just enough to disrupt the nightmare but continue sleep unaffected.

Tyler had the perfect guinea pig who could help test this solution – his own father! After a lot of trial & error and constant fine-tuning, Tyler eventually perfected the formula. For Patrick, this solution was life changing. After suffering for years, Patrick finally found relief not only during sleep but also in his personal life. He has since remarried and is working as a mechanic again.

The most remarkable outcome of this father-son success story is that more people will be able to benefit from this invention. An investor decided to purchase the rights to this smart watch app and start a company called NightWare to provide this solution to the masses. It was recently approved by the FDA and will soon be available to those who need it by prescription.

Watch the video below and hit the source link for more information.

Source: MPR News

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3D Printed Hearing Aids Deliver Drugs To Prevent Ear Infections

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 14:04:10 GMT

Did you know that hearing aids were one of the first products to use 3D printing for mass production? 3D printing can really enable customers to get custom fitted hearing aids for themselves that are comfortable to wear. However, one prominent issue with hearing aids is that prolonged use can cause ear infections, which ultimately may lead to more serious conditions.

In order to alleviate ear infections from prolonged use of in ear hearing aids, researchers at the University College London have found a method to include antibiotics in the hearing aid itself that can be released into the ears over a two week period. The antibiotics are directly mixed in with the resins (the main material) that are then used to print the hearing aids. The release of antibiotics for two weeks stopped the formation of biofilm that causes bacterial growth in the ear. These hearing aids are also robust and non-toxic.

More details will be shared in the research paper “Anti-biofilm multi drug-loaded 3D printed hearing aids” that will be published in February 2021.

Source: 3DPrinting.com

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Updated Android Voice Access Provides Seamless Experience To People With Motor Disabilities

Mon, 07 Dec 2020 13:54:21 GMT

A couple of years ago, Google released an Android app that provides a hands free experience by letting people navigate through different apps on the phone using Google Assistant. Voice Access allowed users to perform various actions using just their voice, including but not limited to composing and editing texts, clicking buttons and other controls, scrolling up and down on screens and navigating through app screens. Even though Voice Access was designed for people with motor disabilities like ALS, spinal cord injuries or arthritis, it can also be used by people with short term disabilities like a fractured arm or anyone whose hands are already preoccupied – while cooking or shopping.

Just a few days ago on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Google rolled out an updated version of the app (currently available in beta) that uses artificial intelligences to make the phone much easier to navigate. This version is also made available to a lot more phones worldwide. The original version was available to phones with Android 11 and above while the updated one is available to any Android device running version 6 and above. Several improvements have been made in the updated version including working with labels (for example, “open chrome”) and making searching for something much more natural and easier. (saying “Search for kittens” instead of “tap search” and then “type kittens”)

Voice Access can be downloaded from the Google Play store and the new version can be tried out by joining the beta program. Head over to Android Accessibility Help to get step by step instructions on how to use Voice Access.

Source: Google

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Nonprofits Launch FREE Mental Health Support Line for People with Disabilities During Pandemic

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 12:27:58 GMT

Prior to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, people with developmental disabilities have historically been disproportionately impacted by mental health issues compared to those without disabilities. According to the Center for Disease Control, 17.4 million adults with disabilities experience frequent mental health distress, such as anxiety and depression, about 4.6 times as often as adults without disabilities. Today, that number is rapidly increasing for this population because of pandemic-related impacts, such as isolation and lack of community engagement and social interaction, while availability for in-person mental health services has not kept up with demand.

In response, The Arc of California partnered with Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare to launch Project Connect, a FREE 24-hour support line for people with disabilities, their caregivers, family members and support team.

“Going into the pandemic, we were aware that people with disabilities would be experiencing greater levels of stress, fear and depression; and coupled with a well-documented provider shortage for mental health services, we felt the need to develop an open line of communication for our community as a safety net during this challenging time,” said Jordan Lindsey, Executive Director, The Arc of California. “As the holidays rapidly approach and the Country is still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we hope that Project Connect will make mental health support more accessible for anyone who needs assistance.”

The Project Connect telehealth support line is staffed by graduate students in the Stony Brook School of Social Welfare and supervised by licensed social workers. The graduate students offer a wide range of support services including counseling, wellness checks, depression screening, and referrals to community services.

“We saw this collaborative opportunity with The Arc as serving a dual purpose. It is allowing us an opportunity to support the needs of people with disabilities and their families during a tough time, while also providing our graduate students with real world professional counseling experience,”said Warren K. Graham, Assistant Dean of Field Education and Clinical Assistant Professor, Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare. “Our team of social workers are well-prepared to offer support, guidance and referrals to anyone who calls.”

Since the start of the pandemic, Stony Brook University and The Arc have been working together on developing solutions to some of the most urgent concerns facing this population, starting with how to prepare caregivers of individuals with unique needs for a hospital stay should they get diagnosed with COVID-19.

“We hope this free teletherapy line will remind people that they are not alone, and to give those who are feeling overwhelmed or are struggling a glimmer of hope that together we can get through this and thrive,” Lindsey said.

To get support for you or person with a disability, please call the toll-free line for Project Connect at 1-888-847-3209 or learn more at TheArcCA.org/SupportLine.

ABOUT THE ARC OF CALIFORNIA

The Arc promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes. The Arc acts to ensure that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their parents, siblings, family members and other concerned members of the public have meaningful opportunities to inform and guide the direction of the organization’s advocacy, including determining policy and positions on important issues.

ABOUT STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY

The School of Social Welfare prepares students for professional practice in the field of social welfare, from baccalaureate to doctoral levels. We offer an upper-division undergraduate program leading to the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in social work (B.S.W.) which prepares students for entry level professional social work practice. Our graduate program leading to the Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) degree prepares students for advanced social work practice and may be designed to include an area of specialization or a dual degree in social work and law (M.S.W/J.D.). The Council on Social Work Education accredits both the BSW and MSW programs of the school, and the New York State Education Department recognizes the MSW program as fulfilling the academic requirements for students to register for the LMSW and LCSW license examinations. The School’s doctoral (Ph.D.) program focuses on policy research, allowing students to pursue this focus in their area of interest within social welfare.

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BetterBack Helps Eliminate Lower Back Pain

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 13:52:07 GMT

Many of us experience lower back pain in our lifetime because of short or long term disabilities, or poor posture. Lower back pain is never fun, and prevents a lot of us from being active and enjoying what we love.

Better back wants to change all of that by helping us regain good posture and alleviate lower back pain.

BetterBack is a lightweight belt that you wear around your waist and knees that allows you to sit straight up effortlessly, easing lower back pain while doing so. The way it’s designed, it immediately (comfortably) forces you to straighten your torso, thus eliminating the slouching which can be a culprit in causing and elevating lower back pain.

There are several back support systems that focus on lumbar spine. However, BetterBack works on stabilizing your pelvis, thus restoring your spine’s natural curvature.

Watch the video to learn more about BetterBack. You can buy it from Amazon for $49.99.

Source: BoingBoing

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Disabled Sailor Natasha Lambert Navigates Boat Using Sip And Puff Method

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 13:36:10 GMT

Natasha Lambert has been fascinated by sailing since the age of 9. She was a little disappointed when she learned that she wouldn’t be able to sail on her own because of her quadriplegic cerebral palsy since it affects her movement and ability to communicate. Seeing his daughter’s interest in sailing, her father, an electrician, came up with a “sip and puff” method for her to navigate a boat. Natasha started using her boat in small rivers and very soon started sailing in the sea.

Now Natasha sails a 46ft catamaran “Blown Away” that has been specially modified for her. She steers the boat by using her tube – if she sips, it goes left, and right if she blows into it. There is a sensor in her helmet that connects to the sails, which she controls with her tongue. Through various sailing challenges, she has raised £65,000 over the years for charity and is set to sail 3,000 miles again on November 22 with a 8 member crew to raise £30,000 for three charities – Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, RNLI, and the MissIsle School of Sip Puff Sailing, which is Natasha’s own school that teaches other disabled people sailing using the sip and puff method.

You can learn more about Natasha’s modified boats on the MissIsle website.

Watch the videos below to learn more about her adventures and how she navigates her boats with her mouth.

Source: Metro

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Leo Rodgers: Amputee Cyclist Loves Riding With One Leg

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 13:17:36 GMT

Leo Rodgers is a tall, athletic man living in the Tampa area. He works at a bicycle shop and loves to take his bike everywhere. What’s really unique about his bike is that it doesn’t have a pedal or crank arm on the left side. As an amputee with just one leg, his right one, Leo doesn’t need anything on the left side anyway. Every day and everywhere, he sails on his bike with elegance, leaving every passerby in awe.

Leo lost his leg in a terrible motorcycle crash 13 years ago. He has always enjoyed the need for speed, and a little bit of recklessness in his younger days eventually cost him his leg. After rehabilitating and learning to walk with one leg, Leo embraced the bicycle, which eventually became an extremely important part of this life. He started working at City Bike Tampa, a bike shop, four years ago. He has led many rides in that area and has also competed four times in the US Paralympic Track Cycling Open, winning eight medals.

To learn more about Leo’s fascinating and inspiring story, watch the video below and definitely check out the source link to learn more about his life, and how he is giving the two legged folks a run for their money!

Source: Bicyling

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Prototype: "Theia” Is A Robotic Guide Dog That Helps Blind People Navigate

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 12:52:15 GMT

What are a blind person’s options if they need a guide dog but cannot afford one? Can they get a robot instead? Anthony Camu, a student at Loughborough University, has recently designed a hand held product that more or less acts as a guide dog and helps blind people navigate to their destinations with ease.

This portable handheld device, named “Theia”, gets instructions from the user (“Theia, take me to Starbucks”), and using its built in “control moment gyroscope”, physically leads them to their destination, very similar to how it would feel if the user were pulling on a guide dog’s leash that was taking them somewhere. Theia is also capable of processing real time data (such as traffic and weather) to guide users correctly and safely to their destination. According to Anthony, Theia aims to make a blind person’s life comfortable by providing them with abilities that they otherwise may not happen. Theia is especially helpful for blind people who cannot afford to keep a guide dog with them because of monetary or space constraints.

Watch the video below to learn more about Theia.

As of now, Theia is still a prototype but has potential to become a real product in the future. What do you think?

Source: Engineering & Technology

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Electric Shock & Sound Treatment Can Reduce Ringing In Ears Caused By Tinnitus

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 12:26:12 GMT

Tinnitus, the condition that causes constant ringing or buzzing in the ears, has been mysterious for a very long time. Recently, scientists learned that shocking the tongue can reduce its symptoms for a prolonged period of time.

Biomedical engineer Hubert Lim found this by accident. While experimenting with a technique called deep brain stimulation to restore his patient’s hearing, he inserted a rod with several electrodes in five of his patients’ brains. In that process, some of the electrodes landed just outside their target zone (which is not unusual). When the experiment continued, one of the patients, who had tinnitus for a very long time exclaimed, “ oh, my tinnitus! I can’t hear my tinnitus”.

When it comes to tinnitus, the brain is the culprit in many cases, perceiving sounds that are not there, typically caused by misbehaving neurons. To further investigate this, Lim did another experiment with 326 people with tinnitus in which they all sat with a plastic paddle attached to their tongue for up to an hour. The paddle had tiny electrodes that passed electric current to the brain to excite it. The electric stimulation felt like pop rock fizzing in one’s mouth.

The subjects also wore headphones that sent sounds at different frequencies to the brain. The purpose of using both electric stimulation and sound together was to distract the brain by increasing its sensitivity and forcing it to suppress the activity that causes tinnitus in the first place. Over a period of 12 weeks, the subjects who followed the prescribed regimen reported an average drop of 14 points on their tinnitus severity score of 1 to 100. After a follow up with these individuals after one year, they still reported lower tinnitus scores, average drops of 12.7 and 14.5.

Watch the video below to learn more about this study from Hubert Lim. To read the full research paper titled “Bimodal neuromodulation combining sound and tongue stimulation reduces tinnitus symptoms in a large randomized clinical study”, visit the Science Translational Medicine website.

Source: Science Magazine, University of Minnesota

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Memory Haven Is An Award Winning App For Dementia Patients Built By Teenage Girls

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 12:12:18 GMT

Memory Haven, a soon to be launched app created by three teenage girls, will help people with dementia engage in daily activities easily in the future through its six features. The app can be used by patients and caregivers.

Memory Haven has face and voice recognition abilities to help patients recognize their family and friends. Using the same facial recognition ability, the app can detect the person’s mood and play music for them. For example, if the person is feeling sad, the app will play music to cheer them up. Besides these features, the app also allows all contacts to be centrally located in case of emergency, set reminders, and has a picture gallery and fun puzzle games to improve cognitive abilities and delay the effects of dementia.

The girls, with this carefully and well thought out app, are the champions of Technovation Girls, an international competition that encourages and challenges young women to develop an app that can solve a problem in their community. Memory Haven was chosen as the winner out of more than 1,500 submissions from 62 countries. Although these smart young women built this incredibly useful app, they were a target of some racist remarks because of their Irish Nigerian ethnicity, going to show how much more work needs to be done in addressing racism. These young women are a beacon of hope, and are really paving the path for many other young individuals around the world. We cannot wait to see what other amazing things they do in the future!

Watch the video below to learn more about Memory Haven, and the inspiration behind it.

Source:NPR

Image Source: The Star

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A New AI Enabled App By Cognoa Aims To Help Diagnose Autism In Children

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 12:23:41 GMT

Cognoa, a company that makes digital therapeutics and diagnostic tools, recently submitted a new tool to FDA that could help pediatricians and parents identify children with Autism at a much younger age, enabling them to get the care and assistance they need much sooner. If and when there’s a concern either by the parents or the pediatrician, the pediatrician will prescribe a Cognoa mobile app to the parents. The app asks parents to answer a questionnaire related to their child’s behavior patterns and also upload two videos of their child in their natural environment. Once submitted, the responses and videos are sent to a trained professional who observes the responses and videos and provides their own input. The child’s pediatrician also provides their responses about the child’s behavior.

All of the responses are combined together and fed to Cognoa’s algorithm that, with the help of artificial intelligence, looks at thousands of other cases involving children from different races, backgrounds and gender, and indicate whether the child is on the Autism spectrum or not. Based on the signs provided by the tool, and using their own judgment, a pediatrician can then diagnose a child with Autism.

Besides assisting with diagnosis, the tool also aims to address certain irregularities, such as children in black and Hispanic communities not being diagnosed and girls being diagnosed later than boys. In addition, current practices involve pediatricians referencing children with suspected autism to specialists, which has created an overwhelming backlog resulting in families waiting for months and sometimes even years to get a diagnosis. Cognoa aims to speed up this process, knowing that it is possible to diagnose Autism in children as young as eighteen months old.

Cognoa did a clinical study with 425 participants aged between 18 and 72 months old, assessing children with their tool and a specialist clinician. The company is planning to roll out this tool to pediatricians in the second half of 2021.

Source: Digital trends

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Brigham Young University Students Create Glasses To Help Autistic Children Improve Eye Contact

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 12:10:45 GMT

For Heidi Krenshaw, mother of a 7 year old Autistic boy, getting him to make eye contact was always a challenge. While taking a break during a therapy session, Heidi and the therapist noticed that he was too fixated on a Mickey Mouse show that he was allowed to watch as a reward, and wasn’t listening to his mother. “I wish I could just put Mickey Mouse up on my face!”, Heidi exclaimed.

Even though that statement resulted from frustration, the idea stuck with Heidi, and she decided to do something about it. She reached out to several engineers around the world, pitching the idea of creating glasses that will show cartoon shows on the surface, which will somehow help children with Autism to make eye contact. She was told it was either not possible or will take millions of dollars to make. Finally, she pitched it to the engineering capstone program at Brigham Young University, where she was matched with six students who would ultimately help make her dream a reality.

The team came up with several ideas, and within a couple of months, created a prototype of the glasses. This is how it works: the therapist wears the glasses that display animation on the lenses. The opacity of the lenses can be controlled by the therapist. When the session starts, the opacity can be set to a 100% so that all the child sees is the animation. Gradually, the opacity can be reduced until the child sees the therapist’s eyes. At that point, the therapist can start with their regular therapy lessons.

These glasses can trigger a response in the child’s brain that can help them become more comfortable with therapists and enable them to sit through speech lessons easily. Heidi thinks that besides therapy lessons, these glasses can help children with Autism connect with others more confidently.

Watch the video below to learn more about these glasses and read the source link for more details.

Source: Brigham Young University

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Weetbe Transparent Mask Comes With Filters, Is Anti-Fog And Has A Snap On Fan Module

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 04:30:30 GMT

Six months into the pandemic, one thing that has become a way of life for all of us around the world is wearing a mask when we are out and about. Masks come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and styles, and for many has also become a fashion accessory. However, it has been clearly established that masks create a communication hindrance for deaf and hard of hearing people who rely on lip reading for communication. To address this issue, some individuals created transparent masks recently. Weetbe happens to be another transparent mask but with some interesting additional features. (wait, masks can have features?)

Made out of 100% recyclable material, weetbe comes with two washable/steam sterilizable filters that not only trap airborne particles including viruses but also helps the person breathe 98% clean, purified air. However, from an accessibility perspective, what’s really cool is the clear, see through body of the mask that makes it easy for deaf people to read lips. Not only that, this mask is also anti-fog with an air-sealing lining. It gets even more interesting with its ability to snap on a battery operated fan module to itself! This fan can help during exercising and running, and can also help anyone who has trouble breathing with the mask on.

Currently, the Weetbe mask is being funded on Indiegogo with delivery expected worldwide in October 2020. Pricing starts at $29/€25, and €1 is being donated towards finding a cure for Amiotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Watch the quick video below to see what the Weetbe mask looks like and definitely check out the source link and Indiegogo page for more detailed information and photos.

Source: Yanko Design, Indiegogo

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AgrAbility Virtual State Fair To Provide Resources and Information For Farmers With ...

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 03:49:10 GMT

During the month of October, AgrAbility projects from some 20 states nationwide will join together to participate in an AgrAbility Virtual State Fair (AgrAbility VSF) online to provide resources and information to farmers, ranchers, and agricultural workers who are working in production agriculture with a disability, functional limitation, or health condition.

Beginning Oct. 1 , “Cultivating Accessible Agriculture” will be the recurring theme as each day a different state will highlight how it supports and serves this critically important population within that state’s agricultural employment landscape. Content will be posted on Facebook @AgrAbility Virtual State Fair and on Twitter @AgrAbilityVSF. States may post additionally to their state websites and other social media outlets. Learn more about the event at agrability.org/vsf .

“Across the country, state and county fairs, as well as other agricultural events, have been canceled or postponed due to concerns for safety and health amidst the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic,” said Paul Jones, Project Manager for the National AgrAbility Project (NAP). “A conversation started this summer: ‘What if we held an AgrAbility Virtual State Fair as a way to reach people who may be living and working with a disability in agriculture so that we can tell them we are here to support them and we want to see them succeed.”

In additional to NAP, state projects that will participate in the AgrAbility VSF include: Alaska, California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The AgrAbility VSF will occur alongside the 75th annual observance of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Each October, NDEAM celebrates America’s workers with disabilities and reminds employers of the importance of inclusive hiring practices.

“Those of us that work for AgrAbility projects have the experience of seeing the impact that a person with a disability makes in their workplace – the farmers, ranchers, and workers we’ve met have a will and a heart like no other,” said Jones.

Connect with AgrAbility on social media to learn the latest about assistive technologies, resources, safety tips, information, and more.

Facebook: AgrAbility Virtual State Fair

Twitter: @AgrAbilityVSF

About AgrAbility

First authorized in the 1990 Farm Bill (with funding appropriations beginning in 1991), AgrAbility is a grant-funded project through the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA). AgrAbility consists of the National AgrAbility Project (NAP) and State/Regional AgrAbility Projects (SRAPs). Each project must involve a collaboration between a land-grant university and at least one non-profit disability services organization.

Image Source: Pixnio

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Tri Cane Is A Cane That Doubles As A Stool

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 03:31:13 GMT

Many of us love to walk – be it as urban dwellers in the busy streets of a major city, in a park, or on an uneven hiking trail. Walking not only has many health benefits, but it is also good for the soul! However, for many individuals, walking for extended periods of time may not always be possible because of age, stamina, injury or disabilities. They would want to stop periodically to take rest and ideally sit for a few minutes to rest their feet and body. But what if there are no benches or a place to sit in sight?

That’s when Tri Cane can be extremely helpful. Tri Cane is a foldable cane that doubles as a stool. Its slick, modern design includes a unique folding mechanism that quickly unravels a sturdy stool the person can sit on. Because of this feature and its impeccable design, this very handy assistive device becomes a lifestyle item too, providing a feel good factor, boosting users’ confidence and enabling them to go for longer walks without having to worry about exerting or hurting themselves.

Watch the video below to see how it works, and hit the source links to read more about Tri Cane.

Source: Yanko Design, Reddot

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Alexa for Residential Will Bring Smart Home Experience To Rental Properties

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 04:50:58 GMT

Very soon, entire buildings and communities will have the potential to become “Alexa enabled” and enable renters and community members have the smart home experience without having to painstakingly set up each smart device with their own Amazon Echo devices. This could be very helpful for people with disabilities who want the smart home experience but do not have the ability to purchase smart devices and/or set them up.

Alexa for Residential is meant for property managers so they can not only make every unit smart but also easily manage all the units at scale with a one time investment and setup. Each unit will be installed with Alexa compatible smart devices, and a renter will be able to move into a unit and immediately start using Alexa’s abilities around the house. Besides making units smart, property managers will be able to create custom skills for their properties and their residents – creating maintenance requests through Alexa, for example. Besides controlling their smart devices in their unit, renters will be able to use Alexa for other regular activities as well, like listening to music, shopping from Amazon etc.

According to the National Apartment Association, 84% of renters want an apartment with smart home amenities and 61% of them will pay a monthly fee for a voice assistant. Amazon is stepping up in the rental property market to cater to this audience.

Watch the video below to learn more about Alexa for residential.

What do you think of this new step from Amazon? Will renters with disabilities or senior citizens appreciate this new initiative from Amazon?

Source: Amazon

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ACEing Autism Is Offering Tennis Clinic To Children On The Autism Spectrum

Mon, 31 Aug 2020 12:03:39 GMT

The North Haven, CT chapter of ACEing Autism, a not for profit that specializes in providing fundamental tennis lessons to children on the Autism spectrum, is offering a six week tennis clinic this fall to its local youngsters, starting September 19.

The ACEing Autism clinic invites anyone between the ages of 5 and 20. When the clinic starts, participants are broken into two age groups of 5 – 10 and 11-20. The clinics are not only teaching important tennis skills but also bringing in the social aspect that children on the spectrum need. Essentially, this clinic helps children stay active and bond with other individuals.

The nature of the sport makes everyone maintain distance when they play so in that regard, tennis naturally becomes a low risk sport in the COVID world. Having said that, COVID Protocols will certainly be followed during the clinic. Everyone will be required to wear masks and maintain social distance.

The clinic starts on September 19 and goes through October 24 for six Saturdays. The entire clinic will cost $60 or $10 per session.

Check out their website to see what programs they are offering at their other locations. If ACEing Autism is not in your location, would you want to start something similar in your local communities?

Source: Zip06

Image Source: Instagram

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Lego Braille Bricks For Students With Visual Impairment Launched In Seven Countries

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 12:21:48 GMT

Remember the Braille Bricks project Lego piloted last year? Those Braille Bricks have finally officially launched in seven countries – Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, UK and USA.

Braille Bricks are a fun way for children with vision impairment to not only develop tactile skills but also learn, and get comfortable with the braille system. The bricks have studs on the top that represent numbers and letters in braille as well as printed letters and numbers so that sighted friends, teachers, classmates and parents could play along too in a collaborative and inclusive way. Braille Bricks come in toolkits that consist of 300+ Braille Bricks covering alphabets and numbers in chosen language, and select mathematical symbols and punctuation marks.

Even though Lego bricks are typically considered fun activities, the Braille Bricks do come with pedagogical concepts so teachers could create learning activities in classrooms. All the pedagogical material can be found at www.legobraillebricks.com. That’s only part of the good news though! Lego is partnering with the American Printing House for the Blind to send Braille Bricks free of charge to school districts across the US. Schools that will not be opening this fall, Lego hopes that teachers and school administrators can send the bricks to registered students’ homes. The LEGO foundation will also work with not for profits in other countries to distribute Braille Bricks free of charge to select schools and institutions that work with students with vision impairment.

/Source/: Lego, WREX

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