Smartwatch app alerts d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing users to different sounds
09/11/2020
Smartwatches offer people a private method for getting notifications about their surroundings – such as a phone call, health alerts or an upcoming package delivery. Now University of Washington researchers have developed SoundWatch, a smartwatch app for d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing people who want to be aware of nearby sounds.
Mobility: PINO – probably the world’s most versatile bike
04/11/2020
The PINO semi-recumbent tandem from HASE BIKES has always been as versatile as a whole fleet of vehicles. As a tandem it is particularly popular among cyclists with disabilities and bike-travel enthusiasts, as a family taxi it turns young passengers into actively pedalling co-pilots, and as a cargo bike, even with just one rider, it can transport almost any load you can think of.
Functionality meets design: the new adaptive sport equipment Spike
29/10/2020
Activities aiming at occupational therapy and rehabilitation are boring? Not necessarily! A new assistive exercise and sports equipment named Spike is not only designed to be fun, but also suitable for everybody who wants to get and stay fit. How this works for whom and what kind of history connects Spike with REHACARE? We asked!
New college program for students with learning difficulties
21/10/2020
The UC Davis MIND Institute and the UC Davis Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion have received a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to create an inclusive, four-year college program for students with learnin difficulties.
QUICKIE Nitrum: New generation of high-performance, ultra-lightweight rigid wheelchairs
19/10/2020
Introducing the brand new QUICKIE® Nitrum®, Sunrise Medical’s highly innovative rigid wheelchair that is unrivaled in terms of lightweight, rigidity, adjustabillity and functional options. Lightest in its class, Nitrum is precision-engineered to efficiently convert energy into motion, allowing the user to propel with the least amount of effort.
Pro Walk: Overcoming foot drop one step at a time
24/09/2020
Safe walking without tripping or falling is challenging for people with foot drop. Luckily there are technologies that provide active support by using functional electrical stimulation (FES). Pro Walk GmbH delivers these types of foot drop systems. How do these devices allow users to complete everyday tasks? REHACARE.com asked Nico Riedl, Product Manager and Physiotherapist at Pro Walk GmbH.
Coronavirus: How self-help groups and associations keep running in times of pandemic
01/09/2020
Coronavirus-related restrictions, social distancing, and hygiene guidelines have permeated all sections of society for months. These strategies have also affected the work of the Federal Association of Self-Help Organizations for People with Disabilities and Chronic Diseases. We spoke to Dr. Martin Danner about the challenges of the past few months and the future of self-help settings.
REHADAT Gute Praxis: "Labor force participation requires targeted and personalized measures"
31/08/2020
What are strategies for successful inclusion in the primary labor market? Many employers only have a vague idea of what this entails, revealing the importance of comprehensive and practical information. The new REHADAT Gute Praxis (English: Best Practice) portal aims to be their go-to resource – and includes 900 practical examples. Why are they especially useful? We asked...
Mobility: Safe travels with adapted motor vehicles
03/08/2020
Anyone who permanently relies on a wheelchair after a traffic accident typically wants to regain their mobility and independence and drive a car. Specialized driver safety training in adapted vehicles makes this a reality and allows people with disabilities to drive safely.
Getting and staying mobile with a disability
03/08/2020
Whether they use public transportation or their own vehicle – self-determined mobility is paramount to people with disabilities. So much so that it prompted the emergence of a new branch of industry that caters to the unique needs of this target audience with increasingly customized services and supports.
Labor force participation: "Breaking down mental barriers is more important than auxiliary aids and services"
02/07/2020
Competent and tough – Anja Winkler works at the Dresden University of Technology (TU Dresden) and by virtue of her own disability is in charge of multiple accessibility and inclusion aspects. In this REHACARE.com interview, she describes the auxiliary aids and services that help make her workday easier and explains how she overcomes the barriers she occasionally faces as a blind staff member.
Accessibility: Paving the way for disability inclusion in the workplace
02/07/2020
Labor force participation is a human right. Yet there is still a need to overcome considerable barriers – both technical and mental in nature – to protect the rights of people with disabilities. How can targeted information and best workplace practices help companies to take all the right steps? REHACARE.com asked.
Why inclusion is more important than ever amid the coronavirus crisis
25/06/2020
How are families of children with disabilities coping during the coronavirus crisis? A recent online survey asked this question, prompting over 1,600 participants to respond in just two weeks. What do the survey results reveal about the current state of society in terms of social participation and inclusion? We asked Dorothea Kugelmeier and Dr. Raimund Schmolze-Krahn, who launched the study.
Accessible travel: Hotels for everyone
02/04/2020
When people with disabilities plan a trip, accessible accommodations are typically a critical aspect to consider. Both the hotel room and the surroundings should offer all the typical amenities, but also address the person’s special needs. REHACARE.com showcases three hotels that want to facilitate comfort and ease, especially for people with mobility disabilities.
ATTO folding mobility scooter makes self-determined travel possible
02/04/2020
Traveling with a mobility aid should be easy: Simply fold it up if needed and take it with you in the car or even on the plane. The foldable scooter ATTO from MovingLife makes all of this possible. REHACARE.com talked with Marcel Zwart, MovingLife Sales Manager EMEAI (Europe, Middle East, Africa & India), about ATTO being a game-changer for people with mobility impairments when they travel.
"AUF AUGENHOEHE is the only company in the world that offers fashion for little people"
03/03/2020
Standard clothing sizes can give us a reference point when we buy clothes. And now, this is finally also an option for little people – thanks to ready-to-wear fashion from AUF AUGENHOEHE. In this interview with REHACARE.com, company founder Sema Gedik reveals how this up-and-coming label wants to parlay its everyday fashion ideas into increased participation and inclusion in the fashion industry.
Fashion for wheelchair users – functional, comfortable, diverse
03/03/2020
Pants, jackets or dresses – if you use a wheelchair, you inherently have a different perspective on clothing compared to other fashionistas who are able to walk. Fashion-conscious wheelchair users have to first find companies or labels that not only meet functional and adaptive clothing requirements, but also cater to their sense of fashion and style.
Untapped potential: Fashion created for people with disabilities
03/03/2020
Inclusive design, adaptive fashion – there are many terms that describe this phenomenon in German and English-speaking countries. But what are the features of (great) fashion designed for people with disabilities? And is clothing for wheelchair users and little people still an untapped market? REHACARE.com took a closer look at the fashion industry.
Peer Counseling in hospitals: Empowering amputees
03/02/2020
Whether it’s motivating patients throughout the lengthy fitting process for the prosthesis or sharing ways to make everyday life easier – there are many questions and challenges facing a person after amputation. The German project "Peers im Krankenhaus" (PiK, English: Hospital Peers) was created to support people after amputation, to encourage them in talks and give a positive perspective on life.
Peer Counseling: Guidance at eye level makes a positive impact on society
03/02/2020
Empathy and understanding others can sometimes help more than offering a concrete solution to a problem. That’s because ultimately we all just want to be understood and don’t want to feel alone with our fears and feelings. Peer counseling is based on this premise. Find out how it works and learn about the impact this type of impartial and free support can have on people with disabilities.
EUTB Peer Counseling – Support at eye level
03/02/2020
Questions about rehabilitation or participation? In Germany, people with disabilities, their family members or people at risk of disability can call on EUTB (English: Complementary Independent Participation Counseling), to receive free nationwide support. The service emphasizes peer counseling – peers helping peers – and is an important tool to foster empowerment.
Adaptive eating utensils with a Twist: How Bravo Twist by ProWalk outsmarts Parkinson’s tremors
17/10/2019
We all know that food intake is essential for the survival of every living organism. Yet for humans, food can also be a great source of pleasure or even love. At any rate, it is an important part of our social life. But what happens if our own body throws a monkey wrench into our food intake by having a stroke or neurological disorder?
SmAccLab: Smart auxiliary means for everyone
28/05/2019
Accessible and realistic – that’s how auxiliary aids should be in the eyes of Professor Carsten Zahout. Students at the Smart Accessibility Laboratory (SmAccLab) are working on technical solutions that fulfill these requirements and lead to increased participation for people with disabilities. REHACARE.com found out how product engineering and inclusion join forces.
fuelService app helps drivers with disabilities to refuel their car
18/04/2019
Your car ran out of petrol and you need support refuelling it? The new app fuelService is about to help you find a petrol station where you get the help you need. The app is for free and globally available. App founder Niall El-Assaad told REHACARE.com how it works.
"The DisAbility Talent Program connects employers and prospective employees with disabilities"
07/02/2019
Professional success with a disability or chronic illness – the DisAbility Talent Program aims to also support respective German students and new graduates in the near future. How is it planning to do that? REHACARE.com asked Daniel Schörghofer, who has been in charge of the program in Austria for several years as a DisAbility talent manager at myAbility Social Enterprise GmbH.
Self-determined living: careunities creates flat sharing for people with physical disabilities
24/01/2019
For many people, living in a shared accommodation is a matter of course. But how well does this work if you have a physical disability and require assistance? This is where careunities comes in. The online platform matches people up with future roommates and also plans to retrofit buildings for accessibility, thus creating more shared living spaces.
M-Enabling Forum: "The best assistive technologies cannot be useful if our digital environment is not accessible"
21/06/2018
Self-determined living needs accessibility. This does not only apply to step-free entrance for wheelchair users, but also for the digital environment. For example, when blind people surf the internet with a screen reader, they need web sites that are accessible. But reality often looks different. Reason enough for the M-Enabling Forum to focus on this topic at this year's REHACARE.
TTC Wheel-Trans: Accessible transport for people with disabilities in Toronto
17/05/2018
In Canada, the North Americans are far ahead of us Germans when it comes to accessibility. If you are a guest in Toronto, you not only have the possibility to travel with the usual public transport, but you can also opt for the 100 percent accessible alternative and use Wheel-Trans.
"At the TUECHTIG coworking space, people with and without disabilities are working together – and not just next to each other"
22/03/2018
Maximum flexibility to encourage ideas, effectively sharing office space: coworking spaces have become a part of many major cities. In 2017, Berlin featured about one hundred of them, but none of them were comprehensively accessible. That’s something Stefanie Trzecinski from KOPF, HAND + FUSS gGmbH wanted to change. That was the moment, the idea for "TUECHTIG – Raum für Inklusion" was born.