While still in its prototype phase, the Tensegrity foot is designed to mimic the action of a jointed foot to allow for a more natural and stable gait. Built by inventor and mechanical engineer Jerome Rifkin, the artificial foot bends like a normal foot and ankle, and conforms to the terrain underneath it.

WASHINGTON, June 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — A team of medical professionals from the National Rehabilitation Hospital is calling the U.S. Army’s rehab services in Germany impressive. The NRH team has been in Germany since last weekend to work with the US Army’s Europe Regional Medical Command (ERMC) in assessing their current rehabilitation practices.

NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Indianapolis, IN, United States, 06/18/2008 - The INDATA Project reaches out to Hoosiers with disabilities.

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s (FSSA) Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) recently contracted with Easter Seals Crossroads to be the statewide provider of the Federal Assistive Technology Act.

An ‘assistive technology device’ refers to any item, piece of equipment or product system (whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized) that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Examples of assistive technology include, but are not limited to, screen readers for people who are blind or visually impaired, voice input software, ergonomic and onscreen keyboards, screen magnification software, and augmentative communication devices.

This grant will be facilitated through the new Indiana Assistive Technology Act (INDATA) Project at Easter Seals Crossroads. The INDATA Project is the only statewide assistive technology project serving Hoosiers with disabilities at no charge.

“Our primary purpose is to get assistive technology into the hands of Hoosiers with disabilities through device demonstrations, device loans, computer recycling and alternative financing,” said Assistive Technology Center Director M. Wade Wingler. “Our second goal is for the INDATA Project to provide statewide outreach and educational opportunities regarding assistive technology capabilities, options and resources.”

Project outreach efforts will include quarterly trainings, offered statewide through remote tele-rehabilitation sites, an annual statewide assistive technology conference and localized small group presentations. Currently, the INDATA Project is launching a brand-awareness campaign that includes statewide site and media tours, a new Web-based tool that facilitates the reutilization of previously owned assistive technology and a number of outreach activities throughout Indiana.

Easter Seals Crossroads has been a leader in providing assistive technology clinical services to Hoosiers with disabilities since 1979. Clinical services include evaluation of a person’s functional capabilities and recommendations of appropriate assistive technologies to maximize these capabilities. Individual goals can represent job, school performance or at-home scenarios. In addition, Easter Seals Crossroads staff assist with funding sources, equipment set up and training, as well as 24/7 technical support. The INDATA Project will allow Easter Seals Crossroads to expand the scope of assistive technology services offered while increasing the number of Hoosiers touched by these services.

For more information on the INDATA Project, contact Ewart Solomon at 888-466-1314.

Easter Seals Crossroads is a community resource, working in partnership with children and adults with disabilities or special needs and their families to promote growth, independence and dignity.

The INDATA Project at Easter Seals Crossroads provides information and access to assistive technology, at no charge, for Hoosiers with disabilities. These statewide services are derived through the Indiana Assistive Technology Act (INDATA) Project state/federal grant and include: device demonstrations, device loans, recycled computers, reutilized assistive technology equipment, alternative financing resources, and educational trainings and conferences.

Source

Safeway Eastern Division Raises Over One Million Dollars for People With Disabilities:

After a successful fundraising campaign in April, which raised $692,000 for Easter Seals clients — The Safeway Foundation sponsored the 21st Annual Pro-Am Golf Tournament in June and raised an additional $435,815.00 for a grand total of $1,127,815.00.

As a result, Easter Seals hosted a ‘Thanks a Million’ Tea Party at the new assistive technology center Easter Seals helped build in Silver Spring, MD. Congressman Chris Van Hollen attended.

Disabled cruises are cruise ships that are equipped to accommodate all different types of disabilities, from those with amputated limbs or degenerative diseases, to passengers who need assistance with walking, eating and other activities. A disabled cruise gives handicapped individuals the opportunity to see the world without feeling held back from the things they love.

According to Travour.com, several of the world’s major cruise lines offer packages specifically geared toward cruises for the disabled. Disney Magic, Regent Seven Seas, and Holland America are just a few, and they each provide different levels of care for passengers.

For example, some disabled cruises provide 24-hour emergency care from doctors and nurses who are staffed by the cruise lines. Others have larger suites with handicap access for wheelchairs, wider hallways above and below deck, options for special meal plans, and physical activities that the disabled can enjoy. Furthermore, these cruises aren’t just for the handicapped, and the entire family can have fun.

Our first bit of information came from a surgeon who simply told us that our son’s neck was broken and his spinal cord had been severed. Though the surgical team would attempt a surgery, in which they’d remove bone fragments from our son’s neck and reconnect his spinal cord with pins and screws, there was very little hope that he would survive the surgery. The surgeon’s last words to us, before going in to attempt a miracle, were to inform us that very few people ever survive an injury this severe.

The News-Leader reports.

On June 21, the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Andy Dalton Shooting Range site near Bois D’Arc will transform into an adventure land of outdoors experiences for people with disabilities when it becomes the stage for the annual A Day at the Range & Outdoor Adventure Fair.

At this popular yearly event - now enjoying its fifth run - people with disabilities (of all ages, from throughout the southwest Missouri region) are introduced to many outdoor activities, including fishing, shooting, crafts and more, through education, hands-on opportunities and assistive technology so they may choose to participate at their own ability level.

“It’s a wonderful event. I’ve had the chance of going three of the past five years and it’s opened a lot of outdoors freedoms to me,” says 51-year-old Michael Cook of Springfield, who was born with cerebral palsy.

Council representatives and housing bosses attended an event to mark the completion of a new state of housing development by Lancashire’s New Progress Housing Association this week.

The development, which has taken just over a year to complete, will provide much needed accommodation for people aged over 55 in the village of Hutton. The eight high quality bungalows are now available for affordable rent or for shared ownership and the first tenants are expected to move in next month.

New Progress Housing Association, a leading provider of affordable housing in the North West of England, worked with construction partner Edenfield Homes Ltd. on the project. The Housing Corporation and South Ribble Borough Council provided capital grant to part fund the development.

Each property offers the option of a direct link to New Progress Housing Association’s Telecare service. Telecare provides emergency assistance and a call out service 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. It helps maintain independent living with assistive technology such as personal alarms, flood and fire detectors, fall detectors and automated lighting.

The decision to provide housing for rent and shared ownership on the site was based on local housing needs as identified by South Ribble Borough Council. Priority has been given to local applicants.

Representatives of New Progress Housing Association, Progress Housing Group, South Ribble Borough Council, Hutton Parish Council, Lancashire County Council, Edenfield Homes, and the Housing Corporation attended the event.

Bernie Keenan, Managing Director of New Progress Housing Association, said: ‘We would like to thank all our partners who were involved in getting this fantastic scheme to completion, particularly the Borough and Parish Councils who had vision and imagination to make this scheme work.

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - After bone cancer forced the amputation of her right leg below the knee, Eileen Casey got even more bad news: Her insurer told her that she had spent her $10,000 lifetime coverage limit on her temporary limb and that the company wouldn’t pay for a permanent one.

“It was shocking to find out I was going to have to take out a loan to buy myself a leg so I could keep working and living independently,” Casey said. At the bank, she said, she burst into tears when they asked what the loan was for.

Since then, Casey has joined a nationwide fight by amputees and the prosthetics industry to get the states and Congress to require fuller coverage for artificial limbs. The insurance industry is fighting the effort, saying such mandates drive up costs and reduce the flexibility customers want.