High-Tech Glove Combats Parkinson’s

From todayonline.com LAS VEGAS —Roberta Wilson-Garrett looked at the glove keeping her right hand steady and smiled.    At bay for the moment were tremors caused by Parkinson’s disease affecting her muscle control. She could do things others take for granted, such as write crisply with a pen or hold a cup of coffee without spilling. …

If Fired Illegally, Would You Want Job Back?

by Kevin Burton    UPS will pay $150,000 to settle yet another  employment discrimination case, according to published reports. But this story has a twist I haven’t seen before.    The man illegally fired in violation of the federal Americans With Disabilities Act by the Atlanta-based package delivery company will be, or maybe has been, …

Does ADA Cover A Worker’s Commute?

by Carol Warner Hrmorning.com    When do employers’ ADA obligations kick in? Do compliance requirements start as soon as employees get to work? Or do they begin during the commute — before workers even arrive at the job site?    A newly filed lawsuit puts the question to the test. According to the Equal Opportunity …

Syracuse Turns Its Back On The Disabled

by Stephen Kuusisto     (Nationally-known poet and disability advocate Stephen Kuusisto writes the “Planet of the Blind” blog on WordPress. The following is from his posts of  Nov. 28 and Dec. 2.)    When Helen Keller attended Radcliffe she observed that the experience was a “largely lonely triumph” and described how she was ignored by …

Papa John’s To Pay $175K For Discrimination

by Kevin Burton    Giant pizza-delivery chain Papa John’s will cough up a big chunk of dough, for employment  discrimination against a blind man, according to multiple published reports.    Louisville-based Papa John’s is the fourth-largest pizza delivery chain in the US,  according to USA Today. On its website, Papa John’s lists “the values that …

Blind Band, From Darkness To Limelight

by Xinhua GUIYANG — During the day, Yang Zhi works as a blind massage therapist, and at night, he is the lead singer of ‘Zhe Er Gen,’ a band that enchants the vibrant streets of Guiyang, capital of southwest China’s Guizhou Province.    Bathed in the stage lights, passersby often halt in surprise as four …

Blind Marathon Runner Marries Her Guide

by Rebekah Absalom The Daily Mail     A blind marathon runner has tied the knot with her guide after falling in love over the seven years he accompanied her on Parkrun.     Kelly Barton, from Southport, Merseyside, met Mike Leatherbarrow in 2016 when he navigated her through a Saturday morning 5K race.  The pair remained committed …

Here’s Yet Another Label For The Disabled

by Kevin Burton In at least one part of the world, people with disabilities are called “people of determination.” Have you ever heard of that?    I had not. But I found a story about an expo where devices for the disabled were on display. (I include part of that story below).That story referred to …

Discrimination Common For The Disabled

by Julia Metraux Mother Jones    After becoming blind in his late 20s, designer and artist Marco Salsiccia had to learn to navigate the world through assistive technology—like a screen reader, software that speaks digital text and image descriptions aloud.    Leveraging that experience, Salsiccia began work as an accessibility specialist, eventually working part-time at a well-known …

Robot Cane Device For The Blind Being Tested

by Kevin Burton    Researchers are testing what they believe will be a revolutionary robotic mobility device for the blind.    This is not your father’s cane. The device, called “Glide,” was demonstrated Saturday at the sixth annual Robot Block Party, a celebration of robotics, held in Boston.    “The device incorporates robotics, sensors, and …