Web Accessibility Lawsuits
An article in the Wall Street Journal explored the issue of web accessibility, accessibility lawsuits and the possibility that the U.S. Department of Justice will issue new web accessibility regulations later this year. The article talks about the 2008 Target settlement, which was the first to recognize that a website can be a place of […]
Adding Speak Cells for Accessibility in Excel
Versitas is a company that creates and trains people on how to use Microsoft programs. “Speak Cells” in Microsoft Excel is a recently discovered tool in which the program reads the information in each cell for those who have little to no sight. To use the feature, the “Speak Cells” icon needs to be added […]
Can Re-Zoning Save the Suburbs
Aaron Murphy, of the website Empowering the Mature Mind, has written a great piece about how re-zoning and creative thinking is needed to restructure our communities to be more age friendly. We often think of Aging in Place as an issue of home modification, but livable communities are also necessary if older adults are going […]
Griffin unveils MouthStick stylus for the disabled
A new accessory has been created by Griffin for iPad users who have little to no fine motor skills. The MouthStick is a long, curved stylus designed to be held with the mouth. The curved end allows the user to flip through various pages and press icons on the tablet screen using head movements.
City Hall to Help with Aging In Place
In Virginia, the City of Alexandria is offering home improvement programs to help residents enhance the safety and comfort of their homes. The Home Rehabilitation loan program is administered through the city’s housing office, and is the largest program offered. It is funded by the Federal Community Development Block Grant and HOME programs, and designed […]
NORCs – A New Aging In Place Solution
A new alternative to current senior living has emerged in cities across the United States, including the major metropolitain area New York City. Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities, or “NORCs,” is a concept that fosters aging in place for older populations. Some 22% of those living in the Upper West Side – folks who settled into […]
Tactile Smartphone
Sumit Dagar, an Indian designer, is developing a tactile smartphone for people who are blind. The screen of the smartphone will be covered in pins that can be raised to create braille, tactile text, tactile maps and tactile images. Dagar is currently working on a prototype and the first model could be really for sale […]
Creating Schools for All Students, Disabled or Not
At a forum last week at the Center for Architecture, three architects presented stunning designs with this problem in mind and educators from the field and the Department of Education responded with their own ideas. The evening’s event, which I moderated, was part of the Center’s exhibition on The Edgeless School: Design for Learning.
Muse: Brainwave Sensing Headband
Muse is a headband with four sensors that pick up the electrical outputs generated by the wearer’s brain activity. Muse connects to smart phones and tablets using bluetooth, and can provide wearers with real time feedback on their current mental state, i.e. whether they are calm or stressed, focused or distracted. Muse has the potential […]
Disabled Gamer Creates Controller for People with Severe Spinal Cord Injuries
Luis Peña, a video game buff and a quadriplegic, is a former U.S. Border Patrol agent in Casa Grande. Injured on the job in 2007, he missed playing video games after he recovered so he created and patented a video game controller for people with similar injuries. He formed a company called LP Accessible Technologies, […]