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Laws intended to make technology more accessible to individuals with disabilities like cerebral palsy, hearing problems and paralysis, for example, are rapidly being outdated because of the rate at which technological advances are made.  To make sure legislative and regulatory safeguards keep pace, a coalition of more than 230 organizations was founded.
 

COAT is the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology and it has two primary areas of advocacy – communication and video programming access. Specific issues the group is concerned with include:

• Ensuring 911 calls can be made with Internet and video communications
• Extending telephone relay service (TRS) obligations to Internet-based providers
• Making sure Internet-based communications products and services are accessible
• Extending closed-captioning regulations to Internet-based video programming
• Requiring accessibility features on video programming devices

Accessible technology is important in our increasingly Internet-driven and technological world. If you would like to learn more about current laws on accessible technology and what’s being done to change these, visit the COAT website.

 

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The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recently released new data on the rate of birth injury in the United States and found that overall the numbers are declining. However, there were still almost 158,000 preventable injuries to mothers and their newborns in 2006 (the most recent year data was available).
 

Birth injuries range from minor bruises and scrapes to brain damage, cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy and other more serious conditions. According to the AHRQ report, birth injuries were highest among:

• infants born in rural areas
• infants born in the Northeast
• Caucasian infants
• Infants covered by Medicaid as opposed to private insurance

Though not all birth injuries are preventable, some are caused by medical negligence on the part of a doctor, nurse, physician assistant or other healthcare professional. To learn more about birth injuries that may be caused by medical negligence, check out the articles on our site entitled What is cerebral palsy? and Erb’s Palsy.

 

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Nearly 14 percent of children in America have some kind of special health care needs, including those who are affected by cerebral palsy. Though it is not often talked about, kids with cerebral palsy symptoms and other special needs sometimes suffer from mental health problems in addition to their physical impairments. Early intervention can reduce the impact of such problems in children, and there are a number of resources parents can take advantage of to help their child.
 

In fact, the National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center has a listing of national and state resources for supporting the mental health needs of young children. Find a resource near you by visiting the NCCIC website today.

 

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From June 23rd through the 27th in New Orleans, RESNA (the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America) will be holding its annual conference. The conference is open to anyone interested in issues related to assistive technology (AT) and disability, and it’s a great opportunity for parents of cerebral palsy children to learn more about the latest advances in this field.
 

Assistive technology is aimed at improving the lives and potential of people with disabilities, and RESNA’s mission is to promote research, development and education to this end.  The society’s annual conference features workshops, instructional courses, product demonstrations and much more.
 

Learn more about the event by visiting the RESNA website.

 

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Healthcare options for children and adults with cerebral palsy are always evolving, and a new report details some more recent developments. The report, which primarily focuses on the use of orthotics (devices intended to support or correct musculoskeletal deformities), is a helpful resource for parents and others looking into cerebral palsy health services. It includes:

Manuscripts of papers presented at the recent conference of the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO). Paper topics ranged from classification of cerebral palsy to surgical intervention, physiotherapy and orthotic management.

Conference background

Conclusions and recommendations

If you are interested in downloading the report, it’s available free of charge from the ISPO website.


 

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You don’t have to feel helpless if you are the parent of a cerebral palsy child. You are your child’s greatest advocate and though it may not always seem to be the case, your voice does matter. Below are five tips on how to be the most effective advocate for your child:
 

1. Choose an issue of importance to you and your child – Is it education? Accessibility? Healthcare? Once you have your issue, ask yourself what you would like to see accomplished and then list ways in which this might be achieved.

2. Find other supporters – Parents, healthcare groups, disability organizations, and government officials working on similar issues can be of great assistance to you.

3. Share your story – Educate others by sharing your story with lawmakers, civic groups, non-profit organizations and professional societies. You may even want to write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.

4. Never give up – Changing policy is no easy feat, but don’t let this get you down. Persistence is key.

5. Vote – Make sure to choose candidates whose interests are in line with yours.

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In April, Honda introduced two walking devices designed to assist people with weakened leg muscles and other mobility challenges. Though the devices are still in the testing phase, they seem to hold promise for individuals whose mobility is impaired by cerebral palsy symptoms.

The Stride Management Assist and the Bodyweight Support Assist are both lightweight, wearable walking devices that rely on computer sensors to obtain information about the user’s stride and pace.

This information is then used by the device to apply “cooperative control” – in other words, to make calculated adjustments so that walking is easier. The second device, however, is also designed to support some of the user’s bodyweight and reduce pressure on the leg joints during physically strenuous activities.
 

Honda is applying for patents for both devices and is still working to ensure that they are effective in real-world situations.


 

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Exceptional Parent (EP) magazine is a great resource for parents of children with cerebral palsy or other special needs, and it’s even better now that it’s gone digital. The first issue is complimentary and is now available online.

Though a limited number of hardcopy magazines will still be printed, the online version features some special benefits including:

• Streaming audio/video
• Virtual page-turning, so it’s like flipping through a hardcopy magazine
• Bookmarking capabilities
• High quality images with zoom function
• No download wait times
• Keyword search
• User interface customization
• Earth friendly

The inaugural issue contains articles sports, disability living, travel and much more. Check it out at  www.eparentdigital.com.



 

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It has been several months since President Barack Obama took office, and there have been a number of changes in disability policy since that time. Perhaps one of the most significant changes has been the repeal of Bush Administration restrictions on stem cell research. However, there are others including:
 

*The signing of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, which is aimed at improving the lives of Americans living with paralysis
 

*The signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provides funding for state Medicaid programs, vocational rehabilitation services, IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and the Social Security Administration (specifically to help reduce its disability application backlog)
 

*The appointment of Kareem Dale as the first Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy

Disability policy in the United States affects the more than 50 million people who are currently living with disabilities such as cerebral palsy (watch our what is cerebral palsy video), multiple sclerosis, autism, Down syndrome and paraplegia. If you are interested in learning more about Obama’s disability policy, check out the new White House website.  

 

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