A 50-year-old with DMD escapes his nursing home via the Internet, thanks to a friend with SMA
posted on January 2, 2009 - 1:40pm
Dale Dulaney travels the World Wide Web via a mouth-controlled computer obtained by his friend Karen Wheeler, who also has a neuromuscular disease.
A student with CMT and teammates win awards for easy-access wheelchair backpack holder
posted on July 9, 2009 - 5:22pm
When a group of Wethersfield (Conn.) High School students was brainstorming ideas for a science project, they looked no further than team member Griffin Latulippe for an idea that vaulted them into the international spotlight.
A college student with SMA wonders if newer technology can compensate for progressive muscle weakness
posted on March 31, 2010 - 11:05am
Going back to school is hard, especially when you’re 51 years old and going back for your bachelor’s degree.
I grew up with type 3 spinal muscular atrophy, so I understand and can deal with my disability. But every year I get weaker, so I continue to need to find ways to compensate and — in the case of going back to school — to figure out such problems as handling my textbooks, taking notes and...
Cheap sunglasses and low-tech components allow Tony Quan, who has ALS, to draw again using his eyes; plans and software are free online
posted on April 2, 2010 - 2:56pm
A Los Angeles graffiti artist with ALS was the inspiration behind a low-cost, eye-controlled drawing device called the Eyewriter. For about $50 in simple components, Tony Quan (aka “Tempt 1”) has been able to resume creating his artwork for the first time in more than six years.
'Hackers and artists' join forces
Quan learned he had ALS in 2003. A well-known graffiti-style artist and social...
A physician with mitochondrial myopathy describes undergoing and taking care of her tracheostomy
posted on March 31, 2011 - 10:23am
I am writing this article about getting a tracheostomy for others with muscular dystrophies. Many patients are reluctant to have the procedure done because they fear they will lose the ability to talk or to swallow. Neither is true. And, the new trach tubes make it possible to easily take care of a tracheostomy and the tubes.
Tech-savvy Girl Scouts designed and built an award-winning wheelchair backup camera for friends with SMA
posted on May 25, 2011 - 12:18pm
Ten-year-old Quinn Schnitzlein has been using a power chair since he was 3, so he’s a pretty good driver. But the boy from Marietta, Ga., who has spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), often bumped into things when he backed up.
One day last year, Quinn and some friends were at a fast-food restaurant. “We were at different tables,” Quinn says, “and when I’d try to turn around to talk to them, I kept...
posted on October 1, 2011 - 3:35pm
Whether choosing your first power wheelchair or your next power wheelchair, picking the correct drive system for your needs is one of the first and most important decisions you’ll make.
The location of the drive wheels (the wheels powered by the motor) in the rear, middle or front of the chair has a definite effect on the chair’s performance in different environments.
Don't let hand weakness interfere with using a tablet, e-reader or smartphone
posted on October 1, 2011 - 3:37pm
Technology has put the world into the palms of our hands through hand-held mobile devices such as the iPad, smartphone and e-reader. But when disability caused by muscle disease takes the “hand” out of “hand-held,” the tips and products detailed in this article may help.
A writer with muscle weakness borrows an iPad, and evaluates the pros and cons of this innovative technology
posted on October 1, 2010 - 4:55pm
The iPad is extremely thin and portable. But at 1.5 pounds, it was still a bit heavy for the author to hold easily.
My body may be confined mostly to one point in physical space, but my mind looks forward to its weekends in cyberspace
posted on March 31, 2011 - 11:45am
When I graduated from high school in 1984, there were no tearful farewells to friends and girlfriends while a New Wave soundtrack played in the background like some John Hughes movie.
Frankly, I was relieved to be free to start my writing career, and hopefully be heralded as the next William Gibson. When my science fiction failed to sell, I switched to writing thrillers and, consequently, hoped...
