Tanishq was diagnosed with Autism at the age of two. As a young child, he was a lot more interested in food shows than cartoons because they were short and repeated. One day, as a five year old, he insisted on helping with cooking in the kitchen and since that day, he developed interest in cooking! As Tanishq cooked, his mother noticed that cooking regularly helped him with his motor skills too.

Now, at the age of twelve, Tanishq has his own cooking channel called Wonderfud on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. He posts regularly and has more than 60 videos so far. His videos are short and sweet yet captivating – it is so wonderful to see this young man cook with so much interest! On his YouTube “About” page, Tanishq mentions his channel is more about his culinary skills and interests rather than recipes. Look at one of his amazing videos below:

Not going to lie – this video really made me drool! Here’s him again making cream cheese!

Do you know kids on the Autism spectrum who love cooking or have culinary interests? Let us know in the comments below, and do give Tanishq a follow!

Source: Autism Parenting Magazine

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A new law in Oregon allows deaf/hard of hearing drivers to include their hearing status on their license.

Getting pulled over by law enforcement is a stressful situation to begin with, and for deaf or hard of hearing drivers, not being able to effectively communicate with police officers can be extra challenging. Officers are unable to understand that the person is deaf and recognize their needs or accommodations. This new law , HB2498, is meant to build trust and cooperation between law enforcement and more than one million Oregonians with hearing loss. According to a 2016 West Oregon University survey, more than half of deaf and hard of hearing residents of Oregon had difficulties communicating with the police.

The new indicator is a small icon on the bottom right in the front with “deaf or hard of hearing” written on the back.

The Vermont DMV introduced 4 x 9 placards for deaf drivers in 2020 with communication tips to help deaf drivers communicate with police officers.

All these steps are critical in ensuring communication goes as smoothly as possible. During such tense situations, even slight miscommunication may increase frustrations and lead to escalations that could have been avoided in the first place.

It may also be helpful for both deaf drivers and law enforcement officers to have speech to text apps like Google’s Live Transcribe or Microsoft Translator to make communication easy and smooth between them.

Source: KVTZ

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Recently, Phillip O’ Keefe, a 62 year old from Australia with ALS took over Synchron CEO Thomas Oxley’s twitter and tweeted this:

Phillip sent this tweet by using Synchron’s Brain Computer Interface that can track thoughts and convert them into digital actions – either to communicate with others or perform actions on a computer. This is a crucial accomplishment in the assistive technology field, especially for those who are unable to use their hands for clicking and typing  or mouth for voice commands needed to interact with devices.

Phillip received the stentrode, the neural implant that converts thoughts into electric signals in April 2020 following his progressive paralysis caused by ALS which left him unable to perform daily activities. Since then, he has been using this technology to stay in touch with family and continue his business work.

So what is the setup that Phil uses and how does it work? 

1.  The Node: Consists of a) stentrode placed on top of the motor cortex that converts thoughts into signals and b)an internal receiver transmitter unit place in the chest under the skin. This transmitter records the signals sent by the stentrode and provides wireless transmission to external devices.

2.  Axon: The external device that detects raw brain signals and converts them into digital commands that can be recognized by bluetooth devices.

3.  Brain.io: The software that uses translated brain activity to control apps and devices.

Watch the following video where Phillip demonstrates how he uses brain.io to operate a computer.

To learn more about this technology, device, training and other details, be sure to read the “Motor neuroprosthesis implanted with neurointerventional surgery improves capacity for activities of daily living tasks in severe paralysis: first in-human experience” paper in the Journal of NeuroIntervention Surgery.

Source: IFL Science, Business Wire

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140 million people worldwide have Glaucoma or Ocular Hypertension with 80% of these patients in emerging economies. Glaucoma is incurable but with treatment its progression can be delayed.

The most popular treatment for Glaucoma is eye drops that need to be taken every day multiple times for the rest of a person’s life. This treatment has poor compliance and typically 50% of patients stop taking eye drops after one year. Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) is another treatment – a procedure that is invasive and requires advanced skill and precision to deliver hundred separate laser shots to the eye for at least five minutes. Because of the precision needed, SLT is not available as a first line of treatment for all Glaucoma patients.

Belkin Vision, an Israeli startup is working on making fast, non-invasive treatment accessible for everyone by automating the SLT procedure. Direct SLT, invented by Belkin, requires no direct contact with the eye. An advanced algorithm locates the treatment area and with just a press of a button, 120 lasers are delivered to the eye at the speed of light. As a result, the patient is in and out within minutes. Also, because of no contact involved, it becomes much more desirable, especially during times like Coronavirus pandemic.

Because DSLT does not require advanced skills, it can also be delivered by cataract surgeons, general ophthalmologists and optometrists, allowing a larger population to get this treatment right away.

This technology is currently undergoing clinical trials and Daria Lemann Blumenthall, CEO of Belkin Vision thinks that this device may be available by end of next year.

Watch the video below to hear Daria Lemann Blumenthall discuss DSLT in more detail.

Source: I24 News, Belkin Vision

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People who lose one eye have the option to get a fake eye (also called glass eye) – a prosthetic eye that helps them improve their appearance. This lifelike prosthetic eye is typically made from acrylic and is handmade by technicians called ocularists. The current process of manually creating prosthetic eyes are invasive and lengthy. In addition, even though prosthetic eyes are durable, they need to be replaced periodically, adding regular maintenance and additional costs to the overall process.

Recently, Steve Verze received the very first 3D printed prosthetic eye from Fraunhofer Technology as a permanent replacement to his traditional prosthetic eye. Fraunhofer’s new technologies supersede the totally manual process of creating prosthetic eyes by using a 3D scan of the eye socket (done in 2.4 seconds) and a color calibrated photo of the healthy eye to create the prosthetic eye’s 3D model. That model is then printed on a multi-color, multi-material 3D printer and given final touches by an ocularist.

Steve’s 3D printed prosthetic eye is a precursor to a clinical study that will study the effectiveness of 3D printed eyes vs. traditional and will look at various factors like motility (movement), cosmos is (look), fit, comfort, and more.

Watch the video below and read the source link to learn more about Steve’s new 3D printed prosthetic eye.

Source: Global News Wire

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What is someone’s go to accessory for measuring something? Most likely a tape measure! Whether it’s for measuring space in someone’s living room to make sure a couch fits or to see how wide a shirt is, a tape measure is something that people go for for such purposes. However, tape measures (or rulers and yardsticks!) are manual and require use of both hands in many cases. Moreover, they are usually good for measuring straight distances between point A and B.

Rollova 2.0 aims to make measuring a lot simpler and convenient. Small enough to fit in one’s pocket, its rollover motion can easily measure any surface, be it straight or curvy and at any angle up to 10 meters in metric mode and 83 feet in inches mode. All it takes is pressing the button in the back and running it on the surface. Plus, it requires the use of just one hand.

A large high contrast OLED screen displays the distance measured which is nice for seniors or with someone with low vision. If only it had text to speech that would speak out the measurement to help people with visual impairment but for now, an app like Seeing AI could speak out the number for the user. (A speech update in the future will definitely be nice!)

At the time of writing this post Rollova 2.0 is retailing at Boing Boing for $76.95 and on it’s manufacturer Hozo’s website for $89. (Promo code ROLL20 will save you 20%)

Source: Boing Boing

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Yahoo Sports, a leading destination for sports fans, today announced the debut of a short documentary produced by Yahoo about its All Blind Fantasy League (ABFL)— a group of sports fanatics who use assistive technology, like screen readers, with the Yahoo Fantasy app to connect with their passion for sports entertainment in a fully accessible way. The documentary will be released on November 10th on Yahoo Sports. 

The short documentary captures the engaging stories of blind and visually impaired team owners, sharing their enthusiastic enjoyment of a game that millions of people love, but which was not always accessible to people with vision loss. The documentary also gives a glimpse into what it’s like on Draft Day—highlighting the ABFL’s picking process, biggest rivalries, and taunting nicknames, with all the typical good-hearted competitiveness and smack-talking that’s a key element of fantasy sports. 

“We are all so proud to debut our short documentary on the powerful story of the All Blind Fantasy League.” said Joanna Lambert, President, Consumer for Yahoo. “Yahoo is one of the most immersive and accessible platforms on the internet and this is just another example of how committed we are to making Yahoo content and applications accessible to all users.”

Brian Fischler, the commissioner of the ABFL and a successful stand-up comedian, lost his sight as a young adult. He shares how Yahoo Fantasy changed his life: “As my vision deteriorated and I needed assistive technology, there weren’t many companies offering accessible solutions. I started working with Yahoo to test and give feedback on their features. Yahoo is one of the only companies to offer fully accessible season long fantasy football platforms – it’s hard to find other companies quite as advanced.” 

Yahoo Fantasy’s native app has been designed and developed with significant input from blind users, with enhanced screen reader support, logical layout, and ease of use. It also provides options for high contrast, customizable font sizes, and other accessibility features, developed with and tested by blind Fantasy players. 

Yahoo Fantasy’s built-in accessibility is just one example of a myriad of ways the company makes its content and applications accessible to all users. Earlier this year, Yahoo committed to closed captioning 100% of original and partners’ English-language videos available across all of its platforms and sites, for its nearly 900 million users. Yahoo Fantasy’s mission is to be the #1 fantasy app for all users who have a passion for football.

Yahoo recently donated $5M to disability advocacy organizations earlier this year to further the company’s commitment to being inclusive, accessible and a leader in the global effort to make all media and technology accessible. Yahoo is a member of the Valuable 500 and Disability:In and is a co-founder of the Teach Access and XR Access initiatives.

The documentary will also be shown at Sight Tech Global as part of a panel with Yahoo’s Head of Accessibility, Larry Goldberg. Sight Tech Global is the first virtual conference dedicated to discussing how technology will fundamentally alter the landscape of assistive technology and accessibility. 

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Thanks to companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, space travel is becoming more of a reality for regular citizens of our beautiful planet. As companies and space agencies start providing these rides in the future, it is imperative that we make considerations for and provide the right accommodations to disabled people.

AstroAccess is a not for profit organization that is working towards advancing disability inclusion in space exploration. Recently, they launched a parabolic flight – a flight that flies within earth’s atmosphere and simulates zero gravity in repeated short bursts of 20-30 seconds – comprising of a dozen disabled scientists, veterans, engineers, and artists who got a chance to not only experience weightlessness but also discovered how their body acts in space. Eric Ingram, a 31 year old chief executive of SCOTY Inc. who is a wheelchair user, found that it was much easier to move around in simulated zero gravity. Not only that, he was also able to stand up for the first time in his life. Another passenger, 27 year old Sawyer Rosenstein, who is paralyzed from waist down could bend his knees and maneuver his legs wearing a special flight suit with a strap. He also found more flexibility in his full range of motion and the chronic pain he typically experiences on earth disappeared during the flight! Both Eric and Sawyer thought that space travel could have therapeutic applications in the future.

In addition to modified spacesuits for people with mobility impairments, the flight also tested special lighting systems for deaf passengers and Braille and other navigational devices for blind passengers. Mona Minkara, a 33 year old blind bioengineer blind, navigated the plane in simulated zero gravity using ultrasonic and haptic devices which signaled her as she approached the walls or other objects. Having said that, the most helpful device for her was just an extendable cane.

AstroAccess and the participants in this flight are helping pave the path for accessibility and inclusion in space travel by shedding light on accessibility issues that must be considered right now, as space travel is still in its infancy and retrofitting equipment later on will consume more time and money, not to mention these factors may actually discourage companies from considering accessibility in the future. Many of the participants love space and could have been astronauts, however, disabled people have been traditionally rejected for space travel by agencies like NASA. Initially, NASA only selected physically fit, able bodied white men to be astronauts. Even though more recently they have broadened their criteria, they still require people to meet certain requirements. Private space travel could possibly change that perception and rule in the future. The Federal Aviation Administration is prohibited from creating safety regulations for private spaceflights until October 2023, and organizations like AstroAccess are working towards guiding government agencies to modernize their requirements and give strong consideration to accessibility in future spaceflights.

Learn more about the twelve folks who were on this flight and keep an eye on AstroAccess to learn more about what they are doing to make accessibility a priority in spaceflights!

How do you feel about accessible space flights? Excited about it? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Futurism, New York Times

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Depending on where you are in this world, you may see public transportation like trains and buses have arrangements for wheelchair users where seats already installed can be folded and concealed so that a wheelchair user can simply wheel in, occupy that spot, secure their wheelchair to the vehicle floor, and stay seated in something they are already comfortable with. Even though this accommodation is not as commonly available as one might like, it is still an option to many.

One industry that has been stubborn about not providing that accommodation is the airline industry. The rationale provided is around safety – airplane seats meet safety guidelines including survivability in case of a crash and that’s why the seats cannot be removed. However, wheelchair restrains systems are also rigorously tested to withstand adverse conditions and design studio PriestmanGoode’s new design (jointly developed with Flying Disabled and SWS Certification) for airplane seats will hopefully change how wheelchair users travel in the future.

PriestmanGoode recently unveiled “Air 4 All” – a new chair system that aims to democratize air travel for everyone – including people who use power wheelchairs because of reduced mobility. The seat easily folds into the backrest and a person in a powered wheelchair can easily slide in and secure their wheelchair with locks on the floor. This system is designed to work with a variety of airline seats and wheelchairs. Currently, it comes in a 2+2 configuration, allowing front rows in an airplane to accommodate up to two powered wheelchairs in a row.

Air 4 All is the first seat system developed jointly by a design agency, a certification body and with input from the disabled community. It also has support from a leading power wheelchair manufacturer and a subsidiary of a major airline. Air 4 All was recently granted a patent and the first prototype is expected to be released in December 2021. The patent covers all modes of public transport so this system is not limited to just airplanes.

Read more about Air 4 All in the source link below.

What do you think of Air 4 All? Do you think we will see these seats sometime in the future in commercial airplanes?

Source: Yanko Design

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Baton Rouge, LA, Oct. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCPK: ATRX) (“Adhera” or the “Company”), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, today announces that manufacturing has commenced of MLR-1019 (armesocarb) for use in the Company’s planned Phase 2a clinical trial as a new therapeutic for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Adhera is also pleased to inform shareholders that a new patent has been issued covering MLR-1019 in Korea.

Adhera is actively working to initiate a Phase 2a study designed to be a multi-center, double blind, randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial conducted in Eastern Europe to evaluate MLR-1019 as the only PD product under development that will address both movement and non-movement aspects of the disease. To the best of the Company’s knowledge, all existing agents that treat movement disorder, exacerbate non-movement disorder features of PD. Enrollment in the Phase 2 trial is expected to consist of Parkinson’s disease patients with L-DOPA induced dyskinesia, a commonly seen and potentially disabling movement side effect of treating PD with levodopa.

“Product manufacturing is a milestone for us as we move closer to initiating what we believe could be a landmark study in Parkinson’s disease treatments,” commented Andrew Kucharchuk, Chief Executive Officer at Adhera Therapeutics. “Our development strategy is well informed because of the extensive history of mesocarb, which is chemically related to MLR-1019, in Europe, making the region an ideal setting for streamlining clinical research.”

Armesocarb is the active enantiomer in mesocarb, a drug marketed in Europe for 37 years for various psychiatric and central nervous system indications. Mesocarb has consistently been shown to be safe and well tolerated across a wide therapeutic dosing range as evidenced through treatment of more than one million patients and work published in 100+ publications. Based upon previous work conducted by the Company’s license partner, Melior Pharmaceuticals II, a clear understanding of MLR-1019’s mechanism of action, abundant pre-clinical research and decades of clinical data on mesocarb, Adhera intends to initiate a Phase 2a clinical trial in an Eastern European jurisdiction where mesocarb still has marketing registration. The Company will undertake a parallel process in the U.S. with Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies. Adhera believes that the comprehensive historical data in combination with new data from clinical trials in Europe will facilitate an accelerated development pathway in the U.S.

Korean Patent

Adhera has been notified of the issuance of a Certificate of Patent (Korean Patent No. 10-2301073) by the Korean Intellectual Property Office covering MLR-1019 in Korea. The (translated) title of the invention is: “A pharmaceutical composition comprising sydnocarb or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and method of treating dyskinesia and related disorders using the composition.”

The patent estate protecting MLR-1019 domestically and internationally now consists of 12 issued patents (3 in U.S., Europe Union, Australia, Chinese, Eurasia, Israel, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, and Hong Kong) and 7 pending patents (U.S., Japan, Brazil, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, and Singapore).

About Adhera Therapeutics

Adhera Therapeutics is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on identifying advanced drug candidates that may qualify for accelerated developmental pathways. The Company has recently licensed two drug candidates, MLR-1019 and MLR-1023, from the Melior Discovery family of companies. Adhera is developing MLR-1023 (tolimidone) as a new drug for Type I diabetes with a focus on C-peptide positive patients. MLR-1023, a lyn kinase activator, has demonstrated exceptional clinical safety and tolerability in over 700 patients in Phase 2a and Phase 2b Type 2 diabetes studies. MLR-1019 (armesocarb) is a new class of drug for Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and represents the only drug to address both movement and non-movement symptoms of PD. Armesocarb is the active enantiomer in mesocarb, a drug marketed in Europe for 37 years for various psychiatric and central nervous system indications. In addition to advancing both drug candidates in Phase 2 clinical trials, the Company remains active in exploring other advanced drug development opportunities while maintaining its legacy assets, including CEQ508, an oral delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) against beta-catenin, to suppress polyps in the precancerous syndrome and orphan indication Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP).

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including the anticipated benefits of the compound, the initiation of Phase 2 trials, execution of the License Agreement, completion of a financing and the amount of proceeds, if any, from the con- templated financing and future collaborative opportunities. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause Adhera Therapeutics’ actual results and experience to differ materially from anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward looking statements. Adhera Therapeutics has in some cases identified forward-looking statements by using words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “hopes,” “estimates,” “looks,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “goal,” “potential,” “may,” “suggest,” and similar expressions. Among other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements are Adhera Therapeutics’ need for, and the availability of, substantial capital in the future to fund its operations and research and development, the ability to agree upon the terms of the proposed financing with potential investors and existing noteholders and close on it, general risks in obtaining approval to initiate clinical trials, safety or efficacy issues arising during the trials, and the ultimate risks in reaching the commercialization stage. A more complete description of these risk factors is included in Adhera Therapeutics filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Adhera Therapeutics undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions to any such forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by applicable law or regulation.

INVESTOR AND MEDIA CONTACT:
Adhera Therapeutics, Inc.
Andrew Kucharchuk
Chief Executive Officer
akucharchuk@adherathera.com

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Over the last few years, we have seen several exoskeletons, both commercial and experimental, become a reality. Recently, Atoun, a company owned by Panasonic, announced it’s developing one of its own.

The suit, named Koma 1.5, is an exoskeleton with two wheels that transforms into a slow scooter when needed. In Buggy Mode, wheels are lowered to move on flat surfaces and in Two Legged Mode, the suit helps the wearer overcome uneven surfaces, as soon in the video below.

It seems a bit slow and heavy to use but definitely a step in the right direction. We’ll have to see what it looks like when it’s ready for production! What do you think of this exoskeleton? What kind of features and improvements may it need to be acceptable by the public?

Source: Boing Boing

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