Last night I attended a talk by Mohammed Saad, an accomplished app creator, photographer, and social activist from Saudi Arabi who is blind. The turning point in Saad’s life was when he got fed up with people, especially family members, limiting him because of his disability. Saad created an Arabic app for the iPhone, MANHAL, that offers audio lessons on a range of topics for the blind. He also created Sightful Fingertips, an audio station where he manages sound engineering and music audio mixing. Among his other talents, Saad teaches courses to other blind individuals on cooking, photography, sound editing, and mastering accessible technology through the iPad and iPhone. Saad commands a large global following on Twitter which he uses to dispel negative stereotypes about people with disabilities, connect with people throughout the world, and even teach some of his courses.

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I ran across an article by PC World, about a nonprofit charity, AbleGamers that helps gamers with disabilities get access to assistive technology to help them play. Gaming can drastically improve quality of life for those who are passionate about it because it breaks down barriers to social isolation and provides an outlet for recreation and rehabilitation.

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The Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI) conducted a study that surveyed 700 non-professional “caregivers” of both adults and children in Massachusetts about digital health solutions. Only 30% of “caregivers” responded that technology “plays a major role” in how they provide support. The biggest reason for this small percentage was not because of fear of technology, but rather that “caregivers” just don’t know what the best option is for the people they support.

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On June 22, 1999, the Supreme Court made a landmark decision in Olmstead v. L.C. which ruled that unjustified institutional isolation of individuals with disabilities qualifies as unlawful discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The court opinion ruled that individuals must be placed in the community if treatment professionals deem it appropriate and if “the transfer from institutional care to a less restrictive setting is not opposed by the affected individual, and the placement can be reasonably accommodated, taking into account the resources available to the State and the needs of others with mental disabilities.”

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