Crafting Blindness: Its Organizational Construction in a First Grade School

This article is based on a case study conducted in an Italian primary school where the interactions between a sightless girl (named Jasmine, aged 8) and her classmates were extensively observed. The initial aim was to understand and describe the problems encountered by the sightless pupil, who acted in a social, organizational and physical environment which was not designed for handicapped people. However, other theoretical issues emerged during the research. The main finding was that sightlessness seems socially and organizationally constructed before it becomes a biological/physical handicap. The organizational processes through which the blindness is slowly and routinely constructed were extensively described.

On Using Multiple Disabilities Profiles to Adapt Multimedia Documents

Currently, advanced technological hardware can offer mobile devices which fits in the hand with a capacity to consult documents at anytime and anywhere. Multiple user context constraints as well as mobile device capabilities may involve the adaptation of multimedia content. In this article, the authors propose a new graph-based method for adapting multimedia documents in complex situations. Each contextual situation could correspond to a physical handicap and therefore triggers an adaptation action using ontological reasoning. Consequently, when several contextual situations are identified, this leads to multiple disabilities and may give rise to inconsistency between triggered actions. Their method allows modeling relations between adaptation-actions to select the compatible triggerable ones. In order to evaluate the feasibility and the performance of their proposal, an experimental study has been made on some real scenarios. When tested and compared with some existing approaches, their proposal showed improvements according to various criteria.

The impact of disease duration in persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) on the quality of life, dizziness handicap and mental health

BACKGROUND: Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) is a chronic functional disorder which interferes with the way individuals experience their personal, social and work life. OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of disease duration in PPPD on the quality of life (QOL), dizziness handicap and mental health on the patients. METHODS: A prospective study comparing the EQ-5D for QOL, Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and DASS-21 between 27 patients with PPPD and 27 of those who have recovered from an acute vestibular event. Similar parameters between PPPD patients with symptoms less than one year and more than a year were compared. RESULTS: The PPPD patients were predominantly females and middle-aged with significantly higher DHI scores (mean 48.3 + 25.7, p = 0.00002), higher total mean scores in the DASS-21 (mean 21.6 + 13.7, p = 0.009) and poorer QOL with mean EQ-5D VAS of 67.9 + 17.3 (p < 0.00001). PPPD patients with symptoms for more than a year had significant increase in physical handicap (p = 0.041) as well as anxiety levels (p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: PPPD is predominantly seen in females and middle-aged which significantly reduces the QOL, increases dizziness handicap and increases depression, anxiety and stress levels. The increase in duration of illness further increases the anxiety levels and physical handicap.

Mata: An Android Eye-Tracking Based User Interface Control Application

The advent of smartphone technology has provided us with intelligent devices for communication as well as playing game. Unfortunately, applications that exploit available sensors in the smartphone are mostly designed for people with no physical handicap. This paper presents Mata, a game user interface using eye-tracking to operate and control games running on Android smartphone. This system is designed to enhance user experiences and help motoric impaired peoples in using smartphone for playing games. Development and testing of the Mata system has proven the concepts of eye-tracking and eyegazing usage as unimodal input for game user interface.

Results of non-surgical treatment of isolated closed tibial shaft fractures

This Research aimed to see how well isolated closed tibial fractures retained their reduction after being immobilized in a cast. Medical data were gathered for all patients of identified solitary closed tibial shaft fractures treated non-surgically. Males were more typically impacted than females among the 32 individuals evaluated. The mean age was 27.68 years old (SD=7.06). Direct trauma with motorcycle was the most prevalent causes of injury. The average follow-up time for each patient was 9.1 months (SD=2.36). According to the AO/OTA classification, 34.4 % of the fractures are A1.1, 28.1% are A2.1, and 37.5 % are A3. The average time for all fractures to heal was 13.7 weeks (SD=3.24). In the 22nd week, there was one occurrence of delayed union. Shortening of bone was less than 1 cm in 93.75 % of patients and more than 1.5 cm in 6.25% of patients. In 2 (6.25%) of the patients, the anterior or posterior angulation was more than 10 degrees. Furthermore, even with uncomplicated tibial fractures, there appears to be a debate about therapy selection when considering long-term physical handicap and a longer follow-up time.

Clinical predictors to cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis patients

Background Cognitive dysfunction is increasingly recognized in multiple sclerosis, even in the early phase of the disease. Multiple sclerosis patients with even mild cognitive deficits may experience greater difficulties in social contact and daily activities, irrespective of physical handicap. This study aimed to estimate clinical predictors of cognitive dysfunction in a sample of Egyptian people with MS. Results Significant worse performance in assessed cognitive scales was observed in people with MS as compared to controls. This was related to low educational level, long disease duration, initial cerebellar and motor attacks, progressive course, frequent relapses, and immunosuppressive medications. Cognitive assessment scales were significantly negatively correlated with disability measured by Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores. Conclusion Predictors of cognitive impairment in people with MS were low educational level, longer disease duration, type of initial attack, frequent relapses, progressive form, higher clinical disability, and immunosuppressive treatment.

Cognitive Performance of Patients with Adult 5q-Spinal Muscular Atrophy and with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Motor neuron diseases, such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), share several clinical similarities while differing substantially in etiology, disease onset and progression. Cognitive dysfunction, a clinically relevant non-motor feature in a substantial proportion of ALS patients, has been less frequently investigated in SMA. In this prospective multicenter cross-sectional study, cognitive function was assessed by the Edinburgh Cognitive (and Behavioural) ALS Screen (ECAS) and a German vocabulary test (Wortschatztest, WST) in 34 adult patients with SMA types 2–4 and in 34 patients with ALS. Demographic and clinical parameters were assessed to identify factors that potentially influence cognitive function. While SMA and ALS patients were comparable in the vocabulary test, on average, SMA patients performed better than ALS patients in the cognitive domains of memory, language and executive function. Better cognitive abilities in SMA patients seemed to be related to the early onset, rather than the extent or the duration, of their physical handicap. Future studies should focus on disease-specific cognitive functions in SMA.

Psychoanalytic Play Therapy as Psychotherapy in Children

Play therapy is a form of psychotherapy that can be used in children. Play therapy does not only recognize environmental factor but also promote parent guidance and school consultation as important functions of the child therapist. This article was aimed to understand psychoanalytic therapy as a way to help child to suffer less, relieve anxiety, cope with trauma, be better able to attend, learn and work in school, manage personal anger and aggression; and come to terms with a learning disability or physical handicap. The role of therapist in psychotherapy was very important. Therapist and his attitude was a form of intervention. Most of all, the therapist empathically listens and responds to the child. Parent guidance in therapeutic process was more effective. Parent-child relationship was as significant factor in effectiveness of play therapy.

On Using Multiple Disabilities Profiles to Adapt Multimedia Documents

Currently, advanced technological hardware can offer mobile devices which fits in the hand with a capacity to consult documents at anytime and anywhere. Multiple user context constraints as well as mobile device capabilities may involve the adaptation of multimedia content. In this article, the authors propose a new graph-based method for adapting multimedia documents in complex situations. Each contextual situation could correspond to a physical handicap and therefore triggers an adaptation action using ontological reasoning. Consequently, when several contextual situations are identified, this leads to multiple disabilities and may give rise to inconsistency between triggered actions. Their method allows modeling relations between adaptation-actions to select the compatible triggerable ones. In order to evaluate the feasibility and the performance of their proposal, an experimental study has been made on some real scenarios. When tested and compared with some existing approaches, their proposal showed improvements according to various criteria.

Effect of Financial Assistance on the Motivation and Satisfaction of Students with Disabilities at University Level in Punjab

Education has become a necessary investment in future employment and life satisfaction and motivation for students with disabilities. Most, however, cannot afford to make this investment without some outside monetary assistance. The study was aimed to identify the effect of financial assistance being provided to students with disabilities enrolled in public and private sector universities in the province of Punjab on their motivation and satisfaction. The population of study comprised all students with disabilities (hearing impaired, visually impaired and physically handicapped) who were receiving higher education in public and private sector universities in Punjab. A sample of 56 students with disabilities including hearing impairment, visual impairment, and physical handicap was conveniently taken from three public and three private sector universities located in the Punjab. Data were collected through a self-developed questionnaire containing twenty-three statements measuring the effect of financial assistance on the motivation and satisfaction of university students. Reliability index of the instrument was (Cronbach alpha α= .95). Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to analyze the data. Major findings revealed that financial assistance was having a significant positive effect on the motivation and satisfaction of students with disabilities. Conclusions were drawn and recommendations were made to the Government of the Punjab for making the process of providing financial support to the students with disabilities more transparent and fast.