Robot Befriends Disabled Children

Many of us know of a child that is unable to run, play, dance, talk, or laugh-out-loud like most children, or at least we’ve heard about one.

Now, children who are normally unable to interact with others, due to disabilities like autism and cerebral palsy, may have an opportunity to become more independent by using a robot known as UD1. An article in the Chicago Tribune Web Edition titled "Robot helps disabled kids explore world" states the robot is being developed and tested at the University of Delaware.

Children can actually ride the robot and control its operation themselves. In my mind, I see these small children, described as young as 7 months old, in “bumper car” scenarios. The article does describe it as safe, however, with the robot identifying objects in its path and either avoiding them itself or allowing the children to maneuver around them. Not only does this assist children in becoming more active, it also helps them with problem solving.

UD1 is designed to invite other children to play with the child operating it. I have a friend whose child has autism and is very shy. I can see how this will help a child with a disability develop social skills and feel more comfortable around others. Looking at it from the other side, because so many do not understand disabilities, isn’t it likely UD1 will help bridge the gap between children (even adults) who do not know how to communicate with people that are different?

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Heart Disease Killing Young Women

Heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, has been an escalating issue for decades. In recent years an increase in preventative medications and treatments has aided this issue, allowing the death rate for clogged arteries to drastically reduce for women and men over 45. While this news is great to hear, there is another trend emerging: a higher death rate due to heart disease for women between the ages of 35 to 45.

Heart disease is caused by varying factors, including genetics, but is highly contributed to a diet high in fat and cholesterol. After years of bad eating habits, fat and plaque clog the arteries, making it difficult for the arteries to feed blood to the heart. After years of build-up the arteries can harden and oftentimes results in coronary artery disease and heart attacks. In the United States alone, nearly 700,000 Americans die of heart disease each year, with roughly 500,000 of the deaths resulting from coronary artery disease.

While over 93 percent of these deaths occur after the age of 55, new research shows that more and more young women are developing cardiovascular disease at an earlier age. Although the percentage of young women with heart disease is still relatively low compared to older adults and men, the numbers are steadily climbing, causing concern in the medical community.

Cancer is the most worried about disease in younger women, causing young women to believe that heart attacks and coronary artery disease is a disease afflicting older males. While the numbers still show that to be true, women should be aware that nausea, heart palpitations, fatigue and chest pain are the most common signs of a heart attack, which can easily be mistaken for anxiety related issues that are treated with anti-depressants. Women are also at a higher risk rate if they smoke, take birth control pills, lead a non-active lifestyle and eat foods high in cholesterol.

The medical community states that these statistics only show an increase of 100 more American women between the ages of 35 and 55 dying of heart disease each year than in previous years, but worries that if this statistic keeps climbing there could be a serious change in heart disease trends.

It is recommended that women exercise daily, eat fresh fruits and vegetables and stop smoking if they are to reverse this climbing trend.

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A Call for Disability Rights

According to recent statistics 650 million people, nearly 10 percent of the world’s population, are disabled. The largest minority in the world still have difficulty with transportation, education and workplace discrimination, along with a wealth of others obstacles and issues. While many of the disabled are willing and able to make valuable contributions to the workforce and the world at large, they still face many challenges along the way.

The International Day of Disabled Persons, a non-profit, international celebration that has been promoted by the United Nations since 1992, focused the December 2007 observance on ‘Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities’ by speaking out for the world’s largest minority.

During the observance U.N. Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, passionately asked for an ‘end to the deplorable situation’ for millions of people around the world. In addition, he highlighted the many challenges that disabled persons experience on a daily basis and noted that disabled persons were a highly employable minority that could be utilized as employees, employers and successful entrepreneurs. Ban asked for better education, less prejudice, accessible workplaces, equality, and urged the public to bring disabled persons back to the workforce where they could better themselves and the world of business.

According to statistics, over 80 percent of the disabled persons live in developing countries, with a vast majority either being unemployed, underemployed and living in poverty. While global employers are foretelling a shortage of workers for our future, from 31 million by 2010, disability activists are reminding them that over 60 percent of the United States disabled population is unemployed. With proper life skills, education and accessibility, a high percentage of disabled persons could successfully enter the workforce.

Last year the United Nation’s 32-page convention for the rights of the disabled was signed by more than 75 countries, ratified by 10 countries and is predicted to enter the workforce next year. The convention is aiming to protect, preserve and generate disability rights. The convention aspires to engender a full assimilation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.





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