G3ict Supports HLMDD 2013: Disability Inclusive Development Agenda Enabled through ICTs
On 23 September 2013 the UN General Assembly will hold in New York (USA) a high-level meeting to agree on a global roadmap to promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all development efforts. The meeting will have the overarching theme, “The way forward: a disability inclusive development agenda.”
From http://g3ict.org/resource_center/newsletter/news/p/newsletterId_/id_420, May 21, 2013
UN Disability Rights Body Confirms that Equal Access to Banking Services Should be Granted to All
One of the newest United Nations human rights treaty body, the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, issued an unprecedented decision on a case involving Szilvia Nyusti and Péter Takács, two visually impaired complainants from Hungary.
From http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/accesstobankingservices.aspx, May 21, 2013
"Disability is a Developmental Issue," Says DPI Chair Javed Abidi
Born with congenital spina bifida, a developmental disorder, Javed Abidi has traversed the world on a wheelchair, advocating the rights of the disabled.
Considered a pioneer of the cross-disability movement in India, he was instrumental in the drafting and passage of The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, and in the setting up of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People in 1996. He has been its director since 1997. In October 2011, he was appointed world chair of Disabled People’s International (DPI), a global organization working for the rights of people living with disabilities.
From http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/1NkD4OkdnZ3JQrPra8w3YM/Javed-Abidi--Disability-is-a-developmental-issue.html, May 20, 2013
SAP Pledges to Hire Adults with Autism for 1% of Workforce
This week SAP announced that one percent of its workforce will eventually be adults diagnosed with a form of autism. That number could eventually be as high as 650 employees spread across 60 of its locations where SAP runs laboratories as well as research and development operations. What started as a pilot project in India will morph into one of the more compassionate, creative and necessary job programs within the private sector.
From http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/05/sap-adults-autism/, May 17, 2013
USA: Baby Boomers Driving the Technology Wave
That younger investors embrace online brokerages isn’t a surprise to anyone. But what is a surprise — at least to some — is that Baby Boomers are going digital in unexpected ways, forcing the financial community to keep up. Virtual advisory firm Wealthfront built its system to connect with younger investors, the ones assumed to be the most comfortable with digital tools, with financial advisors. But something interesting happened along the way — Boomers started signing up too. “Predominately our audience has been early adopters and younger professionals,” says Wealthfront chief operating officer Adam Nash. “But Baby Boomers are now making up over 10%, and that certainly wasn’t true at the beginning of the year.”
From http://m.wealthmanagement.com/technology/baby-boomers-driving-technology-wave?goback=%2Egde_4083270_member_241439440, May 16, 2013
IBM: Mobile is Platform of Future Opportunities
The proliferation of mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and machine-to-machine systems is transforming the way businesses operate and interact with partners, employees and customers. The mobile future goes well beyond device management; IBM says it’s about integrated systems that make mobile connectivity and productivity more efficient and effective.
From http://channelnomics.com/2013/02/28/ibm-mobile-platform-future-opportunities/, May 16, 2013
Diplomas Elusive for Many Students With Learning Disabilities
A state-by-state analysis of the most recent data on graduation rates for students with learning disabilities shows that while more of those students have been leaving high school with a standard diploma, many states are struggling to reach the national graduation rate average of 68 percent for students in that disability category.
From http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/speced/2013/05/diplomas_elusive_for_many_stud.html, May 15, 2013
Inclusive Mobile Technology will Increase Job Opportunities for Those with Disabilities
Komodo OpenLab's workspace is straight out of the pages of a technology magazine. It has the token line of silver iMacs running through the centre of the room, the incessant buzz of overhead fluorescent lighting and the archetypal tech developers -- eyes glued to the screen.
From http://yongestreetmedia.ca/features/komodo051513.aspx, May 15, 2013
USA: Is an Office of mHealth the Best Thing About the Bill Creating an Office of mHealth?
Version 2.0 of a plan to create an Office of mHealth in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should be out soon. The office of U.S. Rep. Mike Honda, Silicon Valley’s Democratic Congressman who authored the legislation, said the next draft will at the least fine-tune the way the office would work with other federal agencies.
From http://medcitynews.com/2013/05/is-an-office-of-mhealth-the-best-thing-about-the-bill-creating-an-office-of-mhealth/, May 14, 2013
How mHealth Technologies Are Benefitting Patients
The mobile health (mHealth) industry is responsible for this shift, and it is contributing to a new delivery model focused on care that is patient-centered and value-based. When a patient downloads a medical application, for example, and uses that app to better manage a disease, it can lead to better health. This means fewer office visits, reduced care costs and a lower burden on the healthcare system.
From http://medcitynews.com/2013/04/theres-an-app-for-that-how-mhealth-technologies-are-benefitting-patients/, May 14, 2013
