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International Paralympic Committee Announces 2022 International Women’s Day Awards Winners

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced (on March 8, 2022) the three outstanding winners of the 2022 International Women’s Day Recognition Awards.

Zimbabwe’s coach Oripa Mubika (Leadership), Singapore’s Paralympic champion Yip Pin Xiu (Emerging Leadership), and Paralympics New Zealand (National Paralympic Committee and International Federation) have each received the 2022 International Women’s Day Award.

The awards primarily recognize women in the paralympic movement who inspire and emulate the paralympic ideals and serve as positive role models, with the winners being decided by the IPC’s Women in Sport Committee, which is chaired by Rita van Driel.

“I want to congratulate the winners on their well-deserved recognition and on opening up new opportunities for women across the whole paralympic spectrum; you are an inspiration to us all,” said van Driel.

“We had so many strong applications from across the world, which is testament of the increase in number of women leading our movement, and I want to thank everyone who entered,” she said.

“It is very important for the IPC Women in Sport Committee to have strong female representation in leadership positions across the paralympic movement to get more women involved and, therefore, make it more diverse and inclusive,” she said.

LEADERSHIP

This category recognizes sustained and consistent leadership over a period of time, advocacy, overall contributions and impact promoting and supporting women in sport. Candidates considered included coaches, current or former athletes, administrators and officials.

Oripa Mubika – Zimbabwe

Oripa Mubika was one of the few female para sport coaches in Zimbabwe before the country joined the IPC. As NPC Zimbabwe Secretary General, she has facilitated the introduction of sitting volleyball in 2016, increased female representation on the board to 50 percent, and ensured that at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, NPC Zimbabwe had its first female coach.

paralympic
Paralympics medals. Credit: Paralympic Games

EMERGING LEADERSHIP

This category recognizes early-stage career leadership, advocacy, overall contributions and impact promoting and supporting women in sport. Candidates considered included coaches, current and former athletes, administrators and elected officials.

Yip Pin Xiu – Singapore 

A multi-gold medalist across three paralympics, Pin Xiu has led an era of change for Singapore. An outspoken advocate, Pin Xiu was the first para athlete elected as a Nominated Member of Parliament and has challenged the government to cultivate inclusive national sport associations. Recognizing her impact on pushing forward the inclusion agenda, in 2021 she was the first recipient of a new national award, the President’s Award for Inspiring Achievement.

NPC/IF 

This category recognizes the leadership, impact and effective change initiated by National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) and International Federations (IFs) who promote and support equality and inclusion of women in sport.

Paralympics New Zealand

It is clear Paralympics New Zealand is an equal opportunities employer: their Chief Executive and Board Chair are both female; 57 percent of their Board and 82% of their staff, 80 percent of their senior leadership team and 82 percent of their classifiers are female also. Their Chef and Deputy Chef de Mission for the New Zealand Paralympic Teams for Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 are all female, while 88% of the 12 medals won at the Tokyo 2020 were won by women.

Chief Executive Fiona Allan was delighted that the award recognized Paralympics New Zealand’s (PNZ) commitment to gaining equality for women in Paralympic sport.

“On behalf of PNZ I am incredibly proud that our organization has been recognized with this award. Our female Paralympians and Para athletes continue to inspire future generations of girls and women in Para sport. We endeavor to ensure female representation across all aspects of our organization, from our Board, our staff and support staff,” said Allen, who was presented with PNZ’s award in Beijing by Rita van Driel and IPC President Andrew Parsons.

“Here in Beijing our Chef de Mission and Deputy Chef de Mission are both women, further demonstrating our commitment to enable women to have the opportunity in leadership positions. I wish to thank IPC and the IPC Women in Sport Committee for showcasing through these awards the contribution of organizations and individuals as we collectively work together to build a diverse and truly inclusive society,” she added.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

2021 – Kate Caithness (Leadership), Zahra Nemati (Emerging Leadership) and World Para Powerlifting (National Paralympic Committee/International Federation)
2020 – Paulina Malinowska-Kowalczyk (Builder), Maha Bargouthi (Next Generation) and Paralympics Australia (NPC/IF)
2019 – Deepa Malik
2018 – Dr. Hayat Khattab
2017 – Dr. Cheri Blauwet
2016 – Carla Qualtrough
2015 – Chantal Petitclerc
2014 – Rima Batalova
2013 – Sylvana Mestre

Feature image credit: Paralympics New Zealand Chief Executive Fiona Allan was presented with the Award by IPC President Andrew Parsons ⒸParalympics New Zealand

For more Paralympics content, read these: 

Paralympics Spotlight: 10 Things to Know about Wheelchair Curling

The mesmerizing and intriguing sport of Wheelchair Curling returns to the Winter Paralympics at Beijing 2022. Discover what you might not know about this fascinating game…

1. Curling has been described as the “Roarin’ Game,” with the ‘roar’ coming from the noise of a granite stone as it travels over the ice.

2. Its origins can be dated back to paintings from the 16th century. Flemish artist, Pieter Bruegel, portrayed an activity similar to curling being played on frozen ponds.

wheelchair curling
Ⓒ OIS Photos

3. Wheelchair Curling was developed in the 1990s and was added to the Paralympic Winter Games at Torino 2006.

4. At the Paralympics, players have just one chance to get a gold medal. Athletes go for the single title on offer in a mixed-gender team event.

5. Wheelchair Curling is the biggest team sport at the Games, featuring 12 countries!

Ⓒ Tom Rowland/World Curling
Ⓒ Tom Rowland/World Curling

6. China emerged as the new kids on the block at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, breaking the dominance of Canada who had won at all previous editions. The Chinese claimed the win just four years before their home Paralympics at Beijing 2022.

7. In Wheelchair Curling, athletes do not sweep the ice to maneuver the stone to its final position. This means the throw must be very precise.

8. The stones must be delivered from a stationary wheelchair, the athletes’ feet must not touch the ice and the wheels of the chair must be in contact with the ice. The stone can be delivered by either a conventional arm/hand release or by using a delivery stick (a stick with a bracket that fits over the handle on the stone).

Ⓒ World Curling
Ⓒ World Curling

9. Wheelchair Curling is open to athletes who have a physical impairment in the lower half of their body, including spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and double-leg amputation.

10. At Beijing 2022 it will be frozen water rather than a swimming pool which will be the focus of everyone’s attention, in contrast to the Summer Paralympics in 2008, as Wheelchair Curling heads to the Water Cube which staged Para-swimming 13 years ago.

Source: International Paralympic Committee

Ferrara Manufacturing Helps Create U.S. Olympic and Paralympics Uniforms

Ferrara Manufacturing, a family-owned apparel manufacturer that partnered with Ralph Lauren to create the U.S. Olympic and Paralympics uniforms from 2014 – 2022, recently announced the launch of Ferrara Uniform. Ferrara Manufacturing produces garments worn on the runways of New York and Paris – as well as by American Olympians and the U.S. military. Located in Manhattan’s Garment District, Ferrara Uniform is a new division of the company focusing specifically on uniforms made in the USA.

The members of Team USA competing at the Winter Games are wearing jackets and bottoms in the Closing Ceremony manufactured in New York by Ferrara Uniform. The creation of Ferrara Uniform highlights the 35-year-old company’s commitment to expanding its uniform tailoring and manufacturing services. In its state-of-the-art facility in New York City, Ferrara also produces for the Ralph Lauren Purple Label, The Durst Organization, United States Airforce, United States Navy, and United States Coast Guard.

Governor Kathy Hochul, Joseph Ferrara (Owner, Ferrara Manufacturing), Carolyn Ferrara (Owner, Ferrara Manufacturing), Gabrielle Ferrara (COO, Ferrara Manufacturing)
Governor Kathy Hochul, Joseph Ferrara (Owner, Ferrara Manufacturing), Carline Ferrara (Owner, Ferrara Manufacturing), Gabrielle Ferrara (COO, Ferrara Manufacturing); credit” PRnewswire

Founded in 1987, Ferrara Manufacturing is a union, family-owned and operated business with a highly skilled workforce that produces everything domestically. With the addition of Ferrara Uniform, the company is now made up of three specialized divisions serving diverse markets – tailoring, uniforms, and protective garments. Ferrara Supply Company was one of the first federal partners to provide domestically made Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as part of the 2021 American Rescue Plan, and has made millions of gowns and masks in the U.S. during the pandemic for the U.S. government. The company spent months exploring product development for masks and eventually created a high filtration product that President Biden wore during the 2021 inauguration.

Ferrara Uniform is led by Gabrielle Ferrara, the Chief Operating Officer at Ferrara Manufacturing and daughter of founders Carolyn and Joseph Ferrara. The mother-daughter team of Gabrielle and Carolyn are an innovative force in the industry, including in the development of a proprietary custom fit technology designed to dress women of all shapes and sizes. The company continues to grow, and with its recent expansion to a facility in Long Island City, Ferrara Manufacturing plans to continue to increase capacity and hire more employees.

In 2019, Gabrielle led the launch of Ferrara Supply, the special business unit created to produce domestic PPE. In 2021, the Manufacturing Institute honored Gabrielle in Washington, D.C. for Leadership Excellence in American Manufacturing. She is a board member of both the NYC Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Council (MAIIC) and the Athena Center at Barnard College, where she attended.

2022 Winter Paralympics Games is using this AI Sign Language Interpreter

Baidu AI Cloud, a leading AI cloud provider, launched an AI sign language platform able to generate digital avatars for sign language translation and live interpretation within minutes. Released as a new offering of Baidu AI Cloud’s digital avatar platform XiLing, this platform aims to help break down communication barriers for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) community by boosting the accessibility of automated sign language translation.

An AI sign language interpreter developed using the platform is performing its duties during the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics Games.

Also released along with the platform are two all-in-one AI sign language translators, providing one-stop solutions with a streamlined set-up process and plug-and-use features. By enabling public service deployment in scale, the translators have been designed for a wide range of use scenarios such as hospitals, banks, airports, bus stations and other public areas.

With the technology enablement brought by AI, the production and operational costs of digital avatars have been reduced to a significant degree, making it possible for AI sign language to go scale and serve more deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, said Tian Wu, Baidu Corporate Vice President.

Baidu XiLing All-in-one AI Sign Language Translators
Baidu XiLing All-in-one AI Sign Language Translators; credit: PR newswire

Today, China is home to 27.8 million deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) individuals but is faced with a massive shortage of qualified professionals to serve their needs, with no more than 10,000 sign language translators, a gap especially felt in medical and legal settings.

The XiLing AI sign language platform and the all-in-one sign language translators are designed to fill this significant gap and address the communication difficulties facing the DHH community in both online and offline settings. For DHH individuals who want to study or socialize online without barriers, the platform can be quickly integrated into commonly used mobile applications, websites, and mini programs within a few hours, performing functions like sign language video synthesis and livestream synthesis, text-to-sign language translation, and audio-to-sign language translations.

The all-in-one translators are tailored for offline scenarios to improve the accessibility of public services. Baidu’s translators come with two models, a full offline version V3, and a cloud-connected version P3. Both are embedded with core functions of the AI sign-language platform, able to realize ASR speech recognition, speech translation, and portrait rendering. This full range of functions offers incredible potential for empowering the DHH. For instance, DHH individuals will be able to visit the hospital and manage the complicated process of registration, consultation, payment, and medicine collection without further assistance. Additional applications hold the potential to allow the DHH community to travel, dine, and even work independently.

Technical Deep Dive

Compared to translations between spoken languages, the sign language translation is more complicated mainly because it is not translated word by word from verbal speech. Instead, the language refinement and word order must be adjusted in order to show the actual meaning of the sentence. As a relatively rarely-used language, a very limited amount of data on sign language is available for machine learning. It also requires lip language and facial expressions to assist understanding. In real-world settings, solutions are often faced with complex environmental factors making them difficult to deploy. All these practical barriers have posed numerous challenges to the development of AI sign language.

To make AI sign language comprehendible, Baidu scientists had to resolve three key challenges: the clarity of speech recognition, the accuracy of sign language translation, and the fluency of sign language movements.

To address speech recognition clarity, the XiLing AI sign language platform uses Baidu’s home-grown SMLTA speech recognition model to achieve end-to-end modeling speech recognition through integrating acoustics and language. Based on Baidu’s self-developed deep learning algorithm, targeted training can enable word accuracy in a wide range of fields such as tourism, medical care, and legal proceedings.

In terms of the accuracy and refinement of sign language translation, Baidu has built the first neural network-based sign language translation model with a controllable degree of refinement, which can automatically learn sign language translation knowledge from real data such as word order adjustment, word mapping and length control to generate natural sign language that conforms to the habits of hard-of-hearing people.

To ensure the accuracy of the sign language translation, Baidu has invited over 500 scholars and students with hearing loss in China to help enlarge and vet the sign language corpus, with many joining the project as volunteers. Tiantian Yuan, associate dean of Technical College for the Deaf, Tianjin University of Technology, said she and her students feel incredibly honored to have contributed their parts in collaborating with Baidu to fill in this gap for the community.

To ensure the fluency of sign language actions, the AI sign language platform has sorted nearly 11,000 actions based on the National Universal Sign Language Dictionary with its “action fusion algorithm,” so that all digital sign language gestures have the degree of coherency and expression as human sign language. In addition, with the help of 4D scanning technology, the accuracy of mouth shape generation has been optimized up to 98.5%.

Digital Events “Shaping the MS Experience” to be Held During MS Awareness Month

The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) recognizes March as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Month. MSAA recently announced its 2022 awareness campaign theme — Shaping the MS Experience — with specific programs addressing the many facets of the clinical approach to MS, such as how to choose an MS therapy, the science behind MS, and MS progression.

What is Multiple Sclerosis (MS)?

According to MSAA, MS is a disease of the central nervous system (CNS), which consists of the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord. MS damages or destroys the protective covering (known as myelin) surrounding the nerves of the CNS, and can potentially injure the nerves as well. This damage causes reduced communication between the brain and nerve pathways.

Common MS symptoms include visual problems, overwhelming fatigue, difficulty with balance and coordination, depression and cognitive issues, and various levels of impaired mobility. The prevalence of multiple sclerosis is estimated at nearly one million people nationwide and most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 50. MS is not contagious and researchers continue to look for both a cause and a cure.

MS Awareness Month icon
photo: Multiple Sclerosis Association of America

MSAA Events Slated for Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month

MSAA invites the MS community to participate in various digital educational activities throughout the month of March 2022, including:

  • The Science Behind MS” Webinar on Thursday, March 17, 2022 from 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM Eastern: During this one-hour webinar, Esther Melamed, MD, PhD will dive into neuroimmunology, what happens to the body with MS, and the science behind MS therapeutics. Dr. Esther Melamed, neurologist at the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center, Mulva Clinic for the Neurosciences, is a physician-scientist with a special interest in understanding environmental risk factors and underlying disease mechanisms in MS.
  • Understanding Progression in MS” Webinar on Monday, March 28, 2022 from 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM Eastern: This webinar will provide viewers with a deeper understanding of the markers of progression and the effects of progression in people living with MS. Join us as Dr. Carrie Hersh, neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic, Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and Chairperson of MSAA’s Healthcare Advisory Council, discusses the importance of early treatment and adherence to delay MS progression; factors that can affect the progression of MS; and how to have conversations with your healthcare team to ensure that these issues are addressed promptly and efficiently.
  • Choosing the Right MS Therapy” Podcast Episode: With so many MS disease-modifying therapies to consider, it can be overwhelming to choose what might be the best therapy for one’s specific MS disease course. In this podcast episode, we will chat with MS specialist Dr. Barry Singer, Director and Founder of The MS Center for Innovations in Care and MSAA Board Member, about key considerations healthcare providers make in consultation with their patients to determine the best possible treatment course. Stay tuned for the release of this podcast episode in March!
  • 3 M’s of MS Podcast EpisodeDr. Andrew Woo, a private practice neurologist at Santa Monica Neurological Consultants and MSAA Board Member, shares his thoughts on the “3 M’s of MS: Mangia, Microbiome, and Molecules” by discussing supplements and diets that have been studied or claimed to help MS, as well as other related autoimmune conditions. Stay tuned for the release of this podcast episode in March!
woman walking with a three-wheeled walker
photo: shutterstock

To access information and resources provided by MSAA during MS Awareness Month, please visit the MS Awareness Month hub page at https://mymsaa.org/awarenessmonth/. To learn more about MS Awareness Month and MSAA’s scheduled digital activities, please contact Kaitlyn Gallagher, Manager of Public Relations & Marketing at(800) 532-7667, ext. 122 or via email at kgallagher@mymsaa.org.

‘#StrongWheeled Together’ Campaign to Showcase Impact of People with Disabilities on Advancing Diversity and Inclusion

United Spinal Association announced the launch of its #StrongWheeled Together campaign, which will run throughout 2022, highlighting the spinal cord injury and disorder (SCI/D) community’s contributions to American society and struggle for equality.

“#StrongWheeled Together is based on our vision of diversity and inclusion and fueled by people power: when our members and partners join forces, we are unstoppable,” said Vincenzo Piscopo, United Spinal President and CEO. “Together, we can achieve greater equality. We want all people with disabilities and United Spinal stakeholders to join us in amplifying this message of unity.”

#StrongWheeled Together will drive community engagement through educational and outreach initiatives around mental health and wellness, fitness and athletics, and emergency preparedness. The initiatives will be supported by the organization’s programs and marketing channels, as well as special events.

StongWheeled Together Logo
Learn more about United Spinal’s #StrongWheeled Together Campaign, visit www.unitedspinal.org/strong-wheeled-together

United Spinal aims to bring the professional and volunteer expertise of its staff and membership to a new audience drawn from the over 1 million Americans impacted by SCI/D.

The campaign will spotlight grassroots connections and personal stories that center on the journey from injury to rehabilitation and independence. In particular, #StrongWheeled Together will chronicle United Spinal member Adam Lane’s handcycling expedition across the United States, and the community support he receives on his trek.

United Spinal will also run a #StrongWheeled Showcase over the course of the year, highlighting previously untold stories about children, parents, couples, and veterans with SCI/D, as well as parents and caregivers of people with SCI/D and service dogs.

To learn more about #StrongWheeled Together, visit www.unitedspinal.org/strong-wheeled-together.

Study Finds AI Technology Breakthrough for Rare Disease Identification

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FDNA, a leader for the early detection of rare genetic diseases, announced that its breakthrough study findings were published in the esteemed peer-reviewed journal Nature Genetics, in a paper titled “GestaltMatcher facilitates rare disease matching using facial phenotype descriptors.” In collaboration with a team of influential scientists and researchers, the study on the use of facial analysis as a tool to help detect rare genetic disorders found that FDNA’s technology could accelerate the clinical diagnosis by medical professionals of patients with ultra-rare disorders and facial dysmorphism, as well as enable the definition of new syndromes.

Nearly 30-40% of children with disabilities in the U.S. have an underlying undiagnosed condition. With 95% of rare diseases lacking an FDA-approved treatment, there is an urgent medical need to achieve early diagnosis in children to help promote a better quality of life.

The deep learning technology matches rare disease patients’ photos with other patients’ photos around the world instantaneously; thus, helping medical professionals diagnose children at an earlier stage. The proprietary technology strengthens next-generation phenotyping (NGP) — the capture, structuring and analysis of complex human physiological data — by allowing medical professionals to identify hundreds of additional disorders just with facial analysis.

FDNA

“This is a long-awaited innovation in medical genetics that has finally come to fruition,” said Aviram Bar-Haim, CTO at FDNA and first co-author of the paper. “Overcoming the limitations of needing a minimal number of photos per disorder is a breakthrough allowing us to now identify ultra-rare diseases. Moreover, by analyzing similarities among patients with previously unknown diseases, new genotype/phenotype correlations can be detected.”

“GestaltMatcher goes where previous technology has never gone before,” said Dr. Peter Krawitz, CSO at FDNA. “With this study, we transitioned from classification to clustering. By that means we can now compute the syndromic similarity in between any two individuals in our database.”

Key findings from the study include:

  • GestaltMatcher is an AI technology that is used to identify the facial representations of more than 1,000 rare genetic diseases and distills facial features into a multi-dimensional space, which helps medical professionals to accelerate the matching and diagnosing of ultra-rare disorders.
  • Adds significant value to phenotypic evaluations in clinical genetics, research and genetic testing (NGS).
  • GestaltMatcher achieves a comparable top-10-accuracy on all previously supported disorders and matches one-third of cases with an ultra-rare or novel disorder. The study was conducted on 17,560 portrait photos from patients with 1,115 rare disorders.

“For years, we’ve relied solely on the ability of expert geneticists to identify these ultra-rare disorders. We’ve finally reached a reality where this work is augmented by AI, and we’re on track to help diagnose patients earlier and shorten the diagnostic odyssey. FDNA is thrilled to be a pioneer of this rare technology and help aid children and the medical community worldwide,” said Moti Shniberg, co-founder of FDNA.

FDNA is used by 70% of the world’s clinicians and researchers in human genetics, representing more than 2,000 clinical sites from over 130 countries around the world.

CDC Promotes How to Be a Disability A.L.L.Y. and Help Promote Inclusion for All

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Disability affects nearly 1 in 4 (26%) adults in the United States. Including people with disabilities in everyday activities and creating accessible environments and equitable opportunities that support people with disabilities in holding roles that are the same and/or similar to their peers who do not have a disability is disability inclusion, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Understanding Disability Inclusion

This involves more than simply encouraging people to participate in activities. It requires making sure that adequate policies, accessible programs, and inclusive practices are in effect in a community or organization. Disability inclusion means understanding the relationship between the way people function, how they can participate in society, and making sure everybody has the same opportunities to participate in every aspect of life to the best of their abilities and desires.

Disability inclusion entails identifying barriers that potentially impact people with disabilities to independently live and be fully engaged in their communities. Every community member can make a difference and play a part in addressing those barriers. For example, healthcare professionals and administrators can create more inclusive health care for patients with disabilities. Take steps to learn how you can increase disability inclusion and accessibility for all to improve the health, well-being, and participation of people with disabilities in your community.

“Health equity means optimal health and well-being for all people. Each of us has a role to play in promoting health and achieving health equity for people with disabilities. Please join us and become an ALLY.”

~ Dr. Karen Remley, CDC’s Director for the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities

CDC’s Call to Action on Promoting Disability Inclusion

Join the CDC in promoting disability inclusion and accessibility for all by sharing resources and information on your social media channels, blogs, podcasts, and more. Use the resources posted online, share the sample social media posts below, and/or contact CDC to interview a subject matter expert.

The following social media posts are examples you can use as-is or modify to align with your personal or your organization’s mission or preferences. Consider using #DisabilityALLY, #Diversability, and/or #Inclusion4Health in your social media posts

Sample Social Media Posts 

Facebook

ALLY:
Acknowledge and respect individual experiences and abilities.
Learn about different disability types.
Leverage your influence to promote accessibility and inclusion.
Yield the floor to people with disabilities to help identify and eliminate barriers.

#DisabilityALLY #Diversability #Inclusion4Health

Illustration of a Black person in a wheel chair, a White person, a vision-impaired Asian person with a walking stick, and a Black person with a prosthetic leg. CDC logo

Twitter 

Is your local playground inclusive for all? We all have a role to play in creating more inclusive communities for people with disabilities.

#DisabilityALLY #Diversability #Inclusion4Health

Illustration of a playground with various equipment that is accessible for all, and several people and children enjoying the space. The graphic shows two dads having a picnic with their daughter, a boy in a wheelchair playing at a sensory station, two women walking a dog, children swinging, a woman working on her laptop on a bench, a father with his child on his shoulders, a mother catching her child coming down the slide, and a mother taking her two daughters to a soccer game, one daughter has a prosthetic leg. CDC logo

Instagram

Add hashtags: #DisabilityALLY #Diversability #Inclusion4Health

Illustration of a medical exam room with a Black female doctor handing a clipboard with paperwork in braille to a White, vision-impaired male patient who is sitting on the exam table. CDC logo

Add these buttons to your website, email signature, or newsletters!

Let your networks know you’re a Disability A.L.L.Y. by displaying the buttons below! Whether you add them to your website or email signature or include them in your distribution materials, these buttons let others know you’re committed to health equity and inclusion.

Button & Accompanying Text

I'm a Disability A.L.L.Y.

Be an A.L.L.Y.

*Acknowledge and respect individual experiences and abilities.

*Learn about different disability types.

*Leverage your influence to promote accessibility and inclusion.

*Yield the floor to people with disabilities to help identify and eliminate barriers.


Ask me how to be a Disability A.L.L.Y.

Be a Disability A.L.L.Y. and promote inclusion for all.

Acknowledge * Learn * Leverage * Yield *

Source: CDC

TikTok Star Catieosaurus Brings Neurodiversity and Gaming Issues to the Forefront

Cate Osborn never dreamed before COVID hit that she’d be the creator of a thriving social media community of more than two million people in just one year. Known as @catieosaurus online, Cate, who is a mental health advocate, full-time content creator and co-host of the Infinite Quest Podcast, is speaking out about an unusual but important topic: neurodiversity, disability and the gaming community.

From undiagnosed adult ADHD to neurodiversity and sexuality (Osborn is also a Certified Sex Educator) to the lesser-known symptoms of ADHD, Osborn explores topics that don’t usually make it into mainstream discussions around neurodiversity. One particular topic garnered a swell of interest from followers: neurodiversity and accessibility in the gaming community.
An avid Dungeons and Dragons player and co-host of the Infinite Quest Podcast (a top 50 mental health podcast), Osborn’s two passions collided with the topic of neurodiversity and gaming.

“There is a shocking lack of accessibility in gaming,” explains Osborn. “Especially tabletop role-playing games (TTRPG) like Dungeons and Dragons. The more I explored the issue and interacted with players who struggle to feel welcome, the more I realized how vital the discussion is. Everyone should be welcome at the gaming table.”

Osborn speaks out about obstacles for TTRPG players, which can pose challenges to people with physical or mental disabilities. Many organizers may not realize they are leaving players out. Crowded, loud game nights can be difficult for people with sensory issues or auditory processing disorders to participate, for example. Traditional game nights can last between 3-6 hours, which can easily overwhelm or overstimulate a neurodivergent person. In-person game nights can be difficult for some people with disabilities to physically access or keep immunocompromised people away due to COVID concerns.

The challenges extend to PC/console gaming as well, where Osborn is working to encourage developers to consider accessibility when creating their platforms and games. “There is a shocking lack of accessibility in video games,” Osborn explains. Challenges can include lack of captions, fonts that are not dyslexia-friendly or graphics that make it hard for colorblind people or those with visual impairments to play the game. “Of course, individual needs vary from person to person but there are a lot of common issues that arise,” Osborn explains.

TikTok Star Catieosaurus

Osborn and her Infinite Quest co-host, Erik Gude, just wrapped up a national tour of gaming and comic conventions, including DragonCon, GenCon, Pax Unplugged, GameHoleCon and more, where they conducted workshops and sat on panels about neurodiversity as well as disability and adaptability in gaming, as well as performing their interactive D&D show “ADHDnD Live!”

Osborn is encouraged by the interest she’s seeing from gamers and developers alike for changing the industry to give everyone the opportunity to be a full part of the community and play the games they enjoy — without obstacles.

“Of course, there is no way that a company can make a game 100% accessible for every single person, but our goal at Infinite Quest is to just simply start the conversation, and talk openly about the struggles and challenges that often leave players feeling like they aren’t welcome at the table.”

Images courtesy of Catieosaurus via Instagram. 

Blind Institute of Technology Partners with Be My Eyes to Assist Professionals with Disabilities

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The Blind Institute of Technology (BIT) announced its partnership with Be My Eyes, an innovative app that provides real-time video assistance for individuals who are blind and visually impaired. Starting on February 2, 2022, the Blind Institute of Technology team will be able to field calls from the Specialized Help section of the app.

“For too long blind and visually impaired (BVI) professionals settled for positions much lower than their education and skills due to the lack of understanding of our capabilities. BIT works with talented disabled technology professionals and corporations to make sure this does not continue. A major component of this is technology,” says BIT’s Director of Talent, Kristy Schenderlein. “The partnership with Be My Eyes provides BVI professionals with a valuable tool to be successful in their chosen careers.”

At a time when technology is making it possible for everyone around the world to connect, BIT will be able to provide remote guidance and consultation to the disabled for employment opportunities. BIT is leading the way for technology companies to connect with potential employment candidates and deliver services in a whole new way.

“BIT has a very specific, important role in our community,” said Will Butler, VP of Community at Be My Eyes. “They recruit, train and place talented blind and low vision professionals for careers in all aspects of business, including IT, and they educate corporate America about the meaning of accessibility. We’re thrilled to see them joining Be My Eyes as our latest partner and can’t wait to see how they use the platform.”

Now with more than 5.5 million users and a growing family of company partners, Be My Eyes is one of the largest “micro-volunteering” platforms in the world – with its more than 5 million people on call at all times to assist those who need an extra pair of eyes at short notice.

person using a braille keyboard

For similar content, read:

Photos courtesy of Be Me Eyes.