Better Airplane Bathrooms? Yes, please!

Airplane bathrooms are not accessible to many of us with disabilities. If we have to fly, we must think carefully about how to manage a flight without needing to use one.

We may choose an itinerary with shorter, more frequent legs so that we can use the airport facilities, even though it is much more inconvenient for our travel schedule. We might have to use adult diapers during the flight even though we wouldn’t normally need them. Or perhaps we purposefully dehydrate ourselves. None of these are good solutions.

Effective October 23, 2023, the Department of Transportation’s Air Carrier Access Act has an added requirement that all new single-aisle planes must have lavatories large enough so that a person with a disability plus an attendant can get into and move around within them. 

This should make all of us more comfortable on long flights.

Flying In Your Wheelchair?

Maybe it won’t be a fantasy in the future.

Can you imagine not having to go through the anxiety of checking your wheelchair and hoping the baggage handlers treat it gently? Won’t it be great when you don’t have to be pushed on one of those silly uncomfortable transfer chairs down the aisle? No more hauling you across armrests and dropping you into a seat that’s the wrong shape with a back at the wrong angle. 

On May 31, 2023, Delta Flight Products announced that, in partnership with Air4All, it was developing a prototype of a special airplane seat that would allow those of us who use power wheelchairs to stay in our chairs during a plane flight. The new design will have to be manufactured, tested, and then certified to be safe before we will see them on a plane.

How it will work is that a regular passenger seat is covered into a tie-down space in less than 2 minutes. Then the electric chair moves into place and is secured with straps as it is in vans and buses. Watch the demo videos here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkBQ7kaS8Bc&t=89s

and here: 

https://air4all.net/

This will be much more comfortable and more dignified than how those of us in power chairs have had to travel in the past. Can’t wait to try it out!

The Air Carrier Access Amendments Act of 2023

The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) became law in the US in 1986. It intends to guarantee everyone with a disability nondiscriminatory treatment on domestic and foreign airlines within the US. Regulations issued in 1990 set requirements for airlines. Some deal with aircraft design, but most require nondiscriminatory practices. For example, an airline can’t deny transporting a person with a disability except under very limited circumstances. Aircraft design requirements relate to movable aisle seat armrests, accessible lavatories, and in-cabin stowage for collapsible manual wheelchairs. (The European Union has similar requirements about accessibility of air travel.)

In early 2023, Representative Dina Titus and Senator Tammy Baldwin introduced the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act of 2023 to address ongoing issues people with disabilities face during air travel. These amendments include:

• Requiring the Secretary of Transportation to set standards for accessibility of elements of air travel, including ticketing and customer service, announcements, boarding and deplaning, seating, lavatories, and stowage of assistive devices.
• Requiring airlines to comply with these standards within 5 years of their issuance.
• Requiring the Secretary of Transportation to assess civil penalties of violations of the ACAA.

The bill was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. You may wish to contact your senators and representatives to encourage them to support these vital amendments or to reintroduce the bill again in the future. To find out how to contact your lawmakers, consult the Find Your Congress Member tool.

December 2-6, 2024 is National Influenza Vaccination Week

Because people are more likely to be gathering in groups indoors during the winter holiday months, it is important to get your annual flu shot. This is free at your local pharmacy for most people in the US.

Flu, or influenza, is caused by one of several related viruses. It is spread by droplets that are sprayed into the air when an infected person sneezes, coughs or talks. That makes flu a highly contagious disease, especially since an infected person can spread the virus even before they begin to show symptoms.

In ordinary, non-pandemic flu seasons, about one in every ten persons gets the flu. It hits children before the age of 18 the hardest. People over age 65 are least likely to get the flu, although they are often more severely affected.

Every year a new flu vaccine is created. The vaccine makers try to predict which variations of the virus will be prevalent in the coming flu season. In the flu season just beginning now, the two most common strains of the flu are H1N1 and H3N2.

Getting a flu shot causes antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks later. These antibodies provide protection against infection by the viruses that are in the vaccine. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that everyone 6 months and older, particularly those at special risk, including young children, pregnant women, and people with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart and lung conditions, should get a flu vaccination every year.

To learn more about flu vaccination, visit the poster set on Healthinfo Island at this SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/172/155/22

To learn more about influenza viruses, visit the poster set at this SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/114/79/24

Healthinfo Island Displays and Exhibits for December 2024

You can teleport in Second Life to any of the eight displays and exhibits using the SLURLs in this post. Click on the poster with the same name as the title of the poster set, and you will get a notecard that contains all the text of the posters plus descriptions of the images.  If you click each poster, you will get a private message with additional information and live links.

Central Pavilion of Healthinfo Island
Check out the calming breathing exercise on the back wall!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/128/126/24

Seasonal Affective Disorder Awareness
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/195/158/22

Chronic Pain
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/188/181/24

National Influenza Vaccination Week
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/172/155/22

Flu by the Numbers (and Letters)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/114/79/24

Climate Change Impacts Food Security and Nutrition
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/98/40/26

Our Amazing Hands
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/50/28/28

Tips for Advocacy
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/24/23/30

Cardiovascular Health is Vital to Your Life
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/21/63/32Will

What are SMART goals?

SMART is an acronym that helps you set goals you are more likely to attain. Here’s what it stands for:

Specific- Don’t be wishy-washy. Be precise and clearly state what you wish to achieve.

Measurable- How will you know that you’ve achieved this goal?

Attainable- Are you capable of doing this or carrying this through? Is it practical?

Relevant- Is it closely connected to your broad life goals?

Time-bound- Set a firm date by which this goal must be accomplished. A goal should not take forever to be met.

Smart people set SMART goals, because they are more likely to achieve them.

Digital Backpack for Disaster Preparedness

You may already have a backpack stashed with disaster preparedness supplies at home or in your car. It probably contains water, snacks, a first aid kit, and flashlight. Good for you! But what about your important electronic documents, such as medical records, insurance, and property deeds? You will want to have back-ups of these physical documents in case you need to replace them. For them, you might need FEMA’s new digital backpack.  You can download the FEMA app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.  Take steps today to ensure you have access to your important documents during an emergency.

Dr. Carol Miller will give a presentation at Virtual Ability’s International Disability Rights Affirmation Conference at 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday, November 15. Dr. Miller is a professor of communication sciences and disorders at Penn State (US). She is associated with the NSF-funded AI Institute for Exceptional Education.  The Institute is developing artificial intelligence ways to help speech-language pathologists provide services for school-age children. This includes screening and intervention through automatic speech recognition, synthesis of video and audio information, interactive robots, and more. You can attend this presentation in Second Life at the Sojourner Auditorium on Virtual Ability Island or watch the session Live Streamed on YouTube. 

Surprise Guest interviewed by Cynthia Calongne at 11:30 a.m. Pacific, Nov. 15

Dr. Cynthia Calongne will interview a surprise guest at Virtual Ability’s International Disability Rights Affirmation Conference at 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, November 15.  Dr. Calongne is Professor Emerita at Colorado Technical University where she teaches doctoral AI and computer science. A long-time Second Life user, she conducts game simulation research at Virtual Harmony using OpenSimulator. The surprise guest is an expert on artificial intelligence. You’ll have to attend to find out who the guest will be! You can attend this interview in Second Life at the Sojourner Auditorium on Virtual Ability Island or watch the session Live Streamed on YouTube.

Mamdani and Verma at 10:30 a.m. Pacific, Nov. 15

   

Dr. Muhammad Mamdani and Dr. Amol Verma will present a joint session at Virtual Ability’s International Disability Rights Affirmation Conference at 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, November 15. Both teach at the University of Toronto and are affiliated with Unity Health Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  Dr. Mamdani is the director of the University of Toronto Temerty Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Education in Medicine (T-CAIREM) and a faculty affiliate at the Vector Institute.  Dr. Verma is associated with St. Michael’s Hospital. He worked on the design and implementation of the CHARTwatch tool, which reduces the risk of unexpected deaths of hospital patients.  The title of their presentation is “The Promise and Pitfalls of AI in Medicine.” They will provide a basic overview of artificial intelligence in medicine and its applications using real-world examples. You can attend their presentation in Second Life at the Sojourner Auditorium on Virtual Ability Island or watch the session Live Streamed on YouTube.

Rose Hill at 9:30 a.m. Pacific, Nov. 15

Rose Hill will be interviewed at Virtual Ability’s International Disability Rights Affirmation Conference at 9:30 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, November 15. Ms. Hill is a Certified Peer Counselor with Crisis Connections in Seattle, WA (US). She will share her observations about AI and its impact on the mental health of youth. You can attend the interview in Second Life at the Sojourner Auditorium on Virtual Ability Island or watch the session Live Streamed on YouTube.

Panel Discussion at 8:30 a.m. Pacific, Nov. 15

 

A panel of three researchers will speak at Virtual Ability’s International Disability Rights Affirmation Conference at 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, November 15. The panel includes Nicholas Lesica, Aldo Faisal, and Sahrish Panjwani-Charania.  First, Nicholas Lesica is Professor of Neuroengineering at the Ear Institute, University College London (UK). His research group develops tools to aid individuals with hearing loss. Second, Aldo Faisal is Professor of AI & Neuroscience at the Department of Computing and the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London (UK). He uses principles from engineering to research the brain. One application uses wearable AI to track the progression of muscular dystrophy.  Third, Sahrish Panjwani-Charania is an educator and graduate student in science education. She has reviewed the use of AI for students with learning disabilities.  The panel members’ diverse research interests will allow them to discuss the utility and impact of AI on three different types of disabilities: motor, mental, and sensory. You can attend the panel discussion in Second Life at the Sojourner Auditorium on Virtual Ability Island or watch the session Live Streamed on YouTube. 

Accessible Voting for Everyone

It’s important that all eligible voters vote in every election. Not only do voters need to know about voting accessibility features, but so do pollworkers and other polling place staff. Here are some resources to ensure that everyone, whether or not they have a disability, can vote in local, state, and national elections.

For US voters:

• Find the accessible voting options in your state - https://accessiblevoting.net/
• Find out how to vote in your state (also available in plain language and in Spanish) - https://www.aapd.com/voter-info/

For US election officials:

• ADA Checklist for Polling Places - https://www.ada.gov/resources/polling-places-checklist/
• Introduction to Resources for Poll Workers and Voters with Disabilities - https://gpadacenter.org/accessible-elections/ (includes good hints about what to say or not say)
• National Coalition on Accessible Voting’s Voter Access Guide - https://accessiblevoting.net/voter-access-guide-for-election-officials

Voting Outside the US:

• Elections Canada Accessibility - https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=spe&document=index&lang=e
• Voting / Elections information from Communication Disabilities Access Canada - https://www.cdacanada.com/resources/accessible-businesses-and-services/barriers/voting-elections-2/
• Assistance with voting for disabled voters (UK) - https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/full-guidance/guidance-returning-officers-assistance-voting-disabled-voters
• Blind People Can’t Vote in Secret Without This… (UK video) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms4Vi-p_CAQ
• Accessibility information from Australian Electoral Commission - https://www.aec.gov.au/footer/accessibility.htm
• Information for people with disability or mobility restrictions (Australia) - https://www.aec.gov.au/assistance/
• Political participation of people with disabilities - new developments (EU) -  https://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2024/political-participation?page=3

 

Denis Newman-Griffis at 7 a.m. Pacific, Nov. 15

Denis R. Newman-Griffis will be the opening speaker at Virtual Ability’s International Disability Rights Affirmation Conference at 7 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, November 15.  Dr. Denis Newman-Griffis is a Lecturer/Assistant Professor of Data Science at the University of Sheffield in the UK. Their research focuses on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in practice, especially on health and disability.  The title of their talk is “Artificial intelligence and disability data justice: Representing human function and disability in AI systems.” You can attend their presentation in Second Life at the Sojourner Auditorium on Virtual Ability Island or watch the session Live Streamed on YouTube.

Healthinfo Island Displays and Exhibits for November 2024

You can teleport to any of the eight displays and exhibits using the SLURLs in this posting. In Second Life, click on the poster with the same name as the title of the poster set, and you will get a notecard that contains all the text of the posters plus descriptions of the images. If you click each poster, you will get a private message with additional information and live links.

Central Pavilion of Healthinfo Island
Check out the calming breathing exercise on the back wall!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/128/126/24 

**AI and Climate Change: Opportunities 
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/195/158/22

**AI and Climate Change: Challenges
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/188/181/24

**Climate Change, What Climate Change?
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/172/155/22




What defines community?

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/114/79/24

Why is community important to people with disabilities? 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/98/40/26

UN Convention on the Rights of PWDs (CRPD)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/50/28/28

The role of organizations for people with disabilities
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/24/23/30

10 Facts About People with Disabilities in Canada
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/21/63/32

**These 3 displays are about AI and climate change. Some of their content relates to the upcoming IDRAC conference on Nov. 15. The webpage about the conference is listed here:  https://virtualability.org/idrac-2024/

IDRAC Is on Friday, Nov 15, 2024

Virtual Ability, Inc.® presents our 13th Annual International Disability Rights Affirmation Conference (IDRAC) on Friday, Nov 15, 2024. This annual professional conference is free and open to the public. The conference will take place in Second Life® at The Sojourner Auditorium on Virtual Ability Island.  The conference will also be Live Streamed on YouTube.  The theme of the 2024 conference is “Disability & Health: Where will AI take us?” Artificial Intelligence holds both promise and peril for people with disabilities and healthcare in general. The conference presenters offer a quick look at this broad topic. We expect lively discussions and information sharing among presenters and audience members. Please visit the conference webpage to read about the presenters and their topics. Note that all times in the schedule are in Pacific Time Zone. 

The Teal Pumpkin Project

Did you realize that one in thirteen children has some kind of food allergy? And many more have food intolerance, or are on medically restricted diets, perhaps for Type 1 diabetes or celiac disease.  Halloween Trick or Treats may not offer anything appropriate for these children. Most home hostesses offer a bowl full of candy or other edible treats to the costumed callers who ring the doorbell.  You could make Halloween a more inclusive, safe and fun holiday for children who may not be able to eat a candy snack. You could offer small toys, packages of stickers, puzzle books, or games in a separate bowl from the candy.  How do you let kids (and parents) know that you’re making non-candy treats available? Put a teal pumpkin on the front step to show that you are part of the Teal Pumpkin Project. You can also add your home to the Teal Pumpkin Map. Parents can search the map by zip code, state, or city, or your home address.  The Teal Pumpkin Project was started in 2014 by Food Allergy Research and Education as a way to help children with food allergies enjoy Halloween night along with their friends. Participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project also helps raise public awareness of the issues faced by children with food allergies.

Protecting Pedestrians on Public Sidewalks and Crosswalks

There are so many types of barriers to a disabled persons use of the public right-of-way which prevent independent travel. We need curb ramps and blended transitions. Detectable warning surfaces and accessible pedestrian signals are important. Let’s be sure on-street parking and public transit stops are accessible. And what about when a sidewalk or cross walk is closed for construction or maintenance? These barriers affect people who have trouble walking or use wheelchairs, as well as those who have low vision or are blind. The US Access Board has recently issued accessibility guidelines for the pubic right-of-way that is covered by Title II of the ADA (for state and local government facilities), the Architectural Barriers Act (for federally funded buildings), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (for any program receiving federal financial support). For information on the new requirements, including videos about sidewalks which highlight some of the common accessibility issues, please see this link below:

https://www.access-board.gov/prowag/other/accessible-sidewalks-video-series/

As of 2022, Your Work Around the House Has Value!

In a family that includes a man and a woman, it is traditional that the woman spends more time doing household chores and caring for other family members than does the man. Here’s the most recent data, according to the National Partnership for Women & Families. 

The 2022 American Time Use Survey showed that the average woman spends almost 52 minutes per day on these unpaid tasks. That’s almost double what the average man spends.

The average wage for home aides or child care workers in the US is $14.55 per hour. Doing the math, the average woman in the US would make an additional $4,600 a year if she were compensated for her unpaid work at home. If paid for his contribution, a man would make an additional $2,300 a year.

All together, US women’s unpaid work had a cumulative value of $627 billion dollars in 2022. Men’s unpaid work had a cumulative value of over $300 billion.

That’s a reverse gender gap in the pay scale… except it’s the value of unpaid work.

The Importance of the Gut Microbiome

A biome is a community of living organisms that formed in response to a specific environment. In the physical world, there are five types of biomes: aquatic, desert, forest, grassland, and tundra.

The human body has several unique biomes, including on the skin, in the mouth, and in the large intestine. The various human microbiomes consist of a large range of bacteria types and other microorganisms. The microorganisms comprising the gut microbiome greatly outnumber the number of cells in the human body.

While we don’t normally think about our bowel (until it gets upset!), the microbiome it contains has several very important health functions. The gut microbiome helps the digestive system by breaking down complex carbohydrates and soluble fibers, releasing nutrients. It regulates the metabolism of bile to optimize skeletal muscle function.

The microbes in the intestine sense nutritional cues about the body’s environment and send hormone-like messages to control blood sugar, hunger, and satiety. These endocrine-like functions alter cardiovascular disease progression and may be involved in diabetes.

The intestines contain 70% of the body’s immune cells. The helpful bacteria in the gut fight invading harmful bacteria, forming a natural defense against infection. They also have anti-inflammatory functions.

Certain gut bacteria produce serotonin and other neurotransmitter chemicals, which regulate many aspects of neurological and behavioral functions, such as cognition, mood, and nerve pain. 

Encouraging, maintaining, and protecting your gut microbiome will improve your overall health. Do this by eating a variety of healthy foods, including fermented foods, probiotics and prebiotics, and avoiding antibiotics.

Three cheers for healthy gut microbiomes!

 

TIP- Four Ways to Eat Healthier

1. Do you know whether your eating habits are healthy or not? A good way to evaluate your eating habits is to keep a food and drink journal. For a few weeks, jot down everything you put in your mouth – what it is, when you ate or drank it, why you ate or drank it. Then look for patterns.
2. Check your kitchen, pantry, and any place else you store food, like a desk drawer. Remove tempting comfort foods, and do not replace them.
3. It’s fine to give yourself an occasional treat. That will help curb cravings. But notice how often you give in. Try to stretch out the time between treats. This is easier to do if you keep a food and drink journal.
4. Expect setbacks in your journey to eat healthier. There are bumps in every path. Don’t allow them to be reasons to quit trying to achieve your healthier eating goal.

Healthinfo Island posters for October

Prepare to be SCARED!!!

You can teleport to any of the eight displays and exhibits using the SLURLs in this posting. In Second Life, click on the poster with the same name as the title of the poster set, and you will get a notecard that contains all the text of the posters plus descriptions of the images. If you click each poster, you will get a private message with additional information and live links.

Central Pavilion of Healthinfo Island
Check out the calming breathing exercise on the back wall!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/128/126/24

Microplastics

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/195/158/22

Objectophilia
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/188/181/24

Things to Know About Dying
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/172/155/22

Phobias
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/114/79/24

Dementia
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/98/40/26

Climate Change and the Health of PWDs
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/50/28/28

EEEEK! Spiders!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/24/23/30

Accidental Death at Home
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/21/63/32