Vocally Voice Activated Phone Dialer

I have been researching voice activated dial systems recently. There are a lot of phones out there - cell phones included - that purport to have "voice activated" dialing.

But for people who truly need the phone experience to be completely "hands free" from dial to hang-up, it's not that simple.

Many phones that have voice activation require you to press a button, remove the headset, or some other physical action in order to interface via your voice.

But with Voc-Ally, in partnership with specialized phones, a person can have the entire process be hands-free. It may require the use of a pillow switch or mouth switch, but assistive technology can be used to people who can't press buttons to independently use the phone.

The video shown here is geared toward the elderly and does not involve a total hands-free experience. It does, however, give you some idea how the Voc-Ally works.

It is not the only voice-activated dialing system. But we just purchased one for our demonstration and loan program, so that is the one I have been learning about recently.

"Leaverace Linda" Sees The Judge

As detailed here earlier, Ed Rivera, a 22-year old man from New York City with cerebral palsy and other cognitive and physical disabilities, had to spend New Year's Eve shivering, alone on a bus.

The "Bus Matron," Linda Hockaday, left him on the bus so she could attend a concert at her church given by Dino (aka "The Christian Liberace").

Yesterday, Hockaday had her day in court. Well, at least her first day. It apparently was just a routine court appearance in the case where she is charged with reckless endangerment.

But it did give reporters a chance to throw her a few questions. They asked her if she felt badly for Mr. Rivera, and she "hissed" (to steal the words of the NY Daily News), "I have kids too."

She also claimed that she had already been convicted in the press.

"I'm guilty until proven innocent," she added, cursing and swinging her umbrella at a cameraman waiting outside Manhattan Criminal Court in the pouring rain. "I have nothing to hide."

In the meantime, CBS news reported the facts on how the Rivera family was able to track down young Ed.

It was (Ed's father) Elmer who had the forethought to go to the bus parking lot, after an all-night search of his school and Harlem neighborhood turned up nothing. He found two workers at the bus company who checked the bus for him.

"She comes back with tears in her eyes," Elmer said. She had found Ed.

Ed was taken immediately the hospital for treatment of hypothermia and a battery of other tests. One test, the CAT scan, revealed that Ed had ingested large amounts of foam - the kind of foam that you find in the seats on buses. He had been so hungry he had taken to eating the seats.

Yes, Linda, you deserve your day in court. But it is going to difficult for you to overcome the two lasting images the jury is likely to take with them to deliberations: You ringing in the New Year with the Christian Liberace, while Ed was in the back of the bus, eating foam to stay alive, trying not to freeze to death.

Lessons Learned In Ann Arbor

Michigan Stadium is not ADA-compliant. Not even close. They can't even see ADA-compliance from where they are.

But they should get there - and a recent article in the Detroit News show why Michigan Stadium - and everyplace else - should be accessible.

We've covered this many times at C&O. Michigan Stadium is a hole - it's barely accessible for human beings, period. But if you are in a wheelchair and want to go see the Maize and Blue, historically you are on your own.

Until the recent renovations were done, there were 88 wheelchair-accessible seats in Michigan Stadium. According to the ADA, there should be over 1,000. Nothing like being out of compliance by 90%.

It's true that the Stadium, built so long ago, is not required to comply. But they were systematically replacing all the seats - and making no provision to get to ADA-compliance. They were using every under-handed trick, every legal maneuver, every wordsmith game, to avoid having to comply with the ADA.

But a lawsuit filed by a small disability group and a complaint filed by the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Education finally got Michigan to pay attention and at least try to do the right thing. I would have thought the sight of ushers CARRYING wheelchair users to their seats would have done it, but better late than never.

The number 1 argument Michigan used to block wheelchair seats in Michigan Stadium was that people in wheelchairs didn't want to come to the game. Mind you - the 88 wheelchair seats in the old seating structure were among the worst in the whole stadium. But Michigan fell back on the classic argument that they would make that tomb accessible if the demand was there.

Sort of like the arguments neighborhoods make about curb cuts: if people in wheelchairs start moving here, we'll make the sidewalks accessible so they can get around. But not before.

Michigan, in stage one of their renovation, made 184 seats available. This time, however, they weren't just in the endzones; they were spread throughout the stadium, like the ADA requires.

Then an amazing thing happened: People in wheelchairs started coming to games. According to the Detroit News, 136 wheelchair users showed up for the Northwestern game, or 74 percent.

And that was the LOWEST percentage all year. 89% of the seats (164 wheelchair users) were sold for the Wisconsin game.

Amazing! They built more seats, placed them throughout the stadium, and what happened? People in wheelchairs started coming to Michigan football games. Sure, they saw Michigan lose to Illinois, Northwestern, and hated-rival Michigan State, but they came.

More than half of the people who came were game-day decisions, not season ticket holders. Think how many people might come if they weren't being beaten by the likes of Toledo?

This is a classic example of why you can't let "demand" dictate accessibility. If you build them they will come. If you don't, they never will. Thanks to the ADA, you will build them.

Of course, if Michigan goes 3-9 again next year, I don't understand why anyone in a wheelchair (or anyone else) would want to go at all - other than to see the Buckeyes roll them on November 21.

The ADA - it's not just a good idea. It's not just the law. It's also good business.

Fidel Castro - Disability Champion?

In 1959, the Cuban Revolution threw out the administration of President Fulgencio Batista and replaced it with Prime Minister Fidel Castro. By the mid-19060s, Castro had transformed the political landscape until their was only one view out your window: Communism. In 1965, Castro began a succession of positions, such as First Secretary of the Communist Party, then President of the Council of State, then Commander in Chief of the Cuban Armed Forces.

The positions had different names, but they all meant the same thing: Don't screw with Fidel Castro.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution and the ascension to power by Fidel Castro.

I've always found him trustworthy. For example, upon taking power, he told the New York Times that communism did not appeal to him in the least, saying, "I don't agree with communism. We are democracy. We are against all kinds of dictators.... That is why we oppose communism."

See what I mean?

Castro apologists are out spreading the word about the Golden Anniversary of the Castro's Cuba. They are asking you to ignore the news of atrocities that have been coming from Cuba for decades, and focus on Castro's accomplishments.

Felix Raul Rojas-Cruz, the Cuban ambassador to the island of Antiqua / Barbuda recently said in a speech:

“Before January 1959, the prevailing social picture was characterised by high unemployment and illiteracy, a precarious health care, and abysmal indifferences in living conditions between the urban and rural population.”

I'm not certain what "abysmal indifferences" are, exactly. I think he meant "abysmal differences" or "abysmal inequities." But why quibble? And Castro certainly has eliminated the differences between urban and rural people. Everyone is pretty much the same now. Poor.

Rojas-Cruz continued:

He fast-forwarded to the present situation 50 years later to highlight outstanding achievements in education, healthcare, sport, science, and social affairs. Additionally he pointed to regional and international cooperation.

All this is well and good, but then Rojas-Cruz added the kicker:

“Educational skills are also guaranteed for one hundred per cent of children with physical or mental disabilities, who attend special schools," Rojas-Cruz said.

It is a point made by Castro himself, some six months ago:

"There are no children with disabilities, no deaf-mutes, visually impaired or blind people, who are denied medical assistance. Educational and health services combine to protect and encourage them to overcome the challenges with which they were born."

Well, there you have it. Fidel Castro, disability champion.

Of course, some people have a different view of Castro.

After the revolution, an estimated 550 political adversaries were put to death. Persons found - by him - to be "counter-revolutionaries" were put in prison, without trial. Homosexuals and - oddly enough - Jehovah's Witnesses - were put in labor camps. Not sure how those two go together, but that's not my call.

Exact figures are hard to know for certain, but historian Hugh Thomas estimates that 5,000 people were executed in the 1960s. The Cuban American National Foundation estimates that 12,000 people have been executed by Castro since he took power. Other historians say that when you combine deaths by "democide" (forced killing by the government by all means, including deprivation), along with those who died trying to flee Cuba, the number is estimated as high as 170,000.

Hey, I'm no expert on Castro, and I've certainly never been to Havana. And, to be fair and balanced, he denies it. All of it:

"Has it not been slanderous," Castro asked, "to repeat millions of times that there are torture and human rights violations in Cuba? We have never tortured anyone, nor have we taken the life of anyone by extra-judicial methods."


"Extra-judicial methods," of course, being a phrase that puts him the "Wiggle Room Hall of Fame."

I'm glad you let people with disabilities go to the doctor, assuming you did. I'm glad you taught kids with disabilities how to read, assuming you did.

But let's keep things in perspective. Fidel Castro - human rights champion?

Not buying it.

Outstanding!

If you have disabilities and are thinking of taking a trip to New York City this year - just the two of you for a little romantic getaway - there are a lot of things you have to consider.

So many things to do - Broadway Shows, 5-star restaurants, posh hotels, the Statue of Liberty, Chinatown, Central Park. There is no way to pack it all in to one weekend.

If you go to Manhattan, and want to make the best use of your time, you will need to think about how you are going to get around. If you have disabilities, this is certainly something you want to consider. Sure, some people walk (or use your wheelchair), but that can be exhausting and it eats up your time. The subways are crowded and it can be hard to get a cab. So, what is a person to do?

How about Outstanding Transport! According to their website, they are one of "New York City's largest and most popular transportation services." And what's even better - they specialize in transportation services for people with disabilities! Outstanding Transport "provides limousine, shuttle, bus, medical transport, services to handicapped adults and elderly transport services to New York's five boroughs and beyond."

Sounds perfect!

Perhaps you are interested taking a limousine into Manhattan for dinner and a show. Outstanding Transport, with its extensive fleet of transportation vehicles, great prices and professionally trained drivers is the company to call.

If the bus has people with disabilities on it, they even put a "bus matron" on board to insure the safety and security of all passengers.

At Outstanding Transport - where safety is king - the drivers are all "19A Motor Vehicle Qualified!" But what does this mean? Well, "This means that they are randomly drug tested, fingerprinted, background checked and with no criminal background. They all have excellent driving records and must maintain them." Great!

Just to give you one example, meet Walter Gibbs!

Mr. Gibbs' driver's license has only been suspended twelve times since since 1996, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Why, that's only once per year! In 1988, his license was revoked after getting into an accident with no car insurance. Yes, Mr. Gibbs is certainly "maintaining" his driving record.

And Walter has no criminal background whatsoever, if you look past his 28 arrests. But, he is quick to point out, they were mostly just for drug possession and grand larceny. Well, that, and the time he assaulted a cop in 2007.

Last Wednesday, on only his second day on the job, Walter Gibbs had just one more stop. Just one more passenger to drop off: Ed Wynn Rivera. Mr. Rivera, who has cerebral palsy, mental retardation and other disabilities, just wanted to get back to the warmth of his home on a cold, New Year's Eve.

Unfortunately the bus matron, Linda Hockaday, had holiday plans of her own. The pianist Dino (aka "The Christian Liberace") was performing at her church. She knew that if she took Ed Riviera home, she would miss the concert. She looked back and saw that Ed was asleep in the back of the bus. Decision time.

It was down to Ed being home for New Years - or Linda getting to see The Christian Liberace. Tough one.

She got off the bus and went into the church. And for reasons unclear - so did Walter Gibbs. Gibbs claims he didn't know Ed was on the bus - and claims it's not his job to make sure the bus his empty before he calls it a New Year's Evening.

So, Ed Riviera rang in the New Year freezing and abandoned on a bus. They found him 17 hours later - after spending a night in the 15-degree New York night - curled up in a ball. He was taken to the hospital with hypothermia and was hospitalized for at least two days. He is expected to recover.

Hockaday told the company that she assumed the driver would take Ed home. Absent that, she told the company that she assumed that someone would "track the passenger down" and get him delivered. Either way, she was going to hear The Christian Liberace. After all, nothing could be more Christian than leaving people with disabilities out in the cold to freeze to death.

Gibbs and Hockaday have been fired.

"She deserves whatever she gets," fumed her former boss Charles Curcio, after firing his employee of 18 months. "I would not take her back. It's a disgrace."

Hockaday also faces criminal charges. Amazingly, Walter Gibbs does not, making it perhaps the first time that "Walter Gibbs" and "does not face criminal charges" have ever been uttered in the same sentence.

In the meanwhile, I'm going to learn more about Dino, The Christian Liberace. He must be pretty good.

To Ed, I hope you have a Happy New Year. You certainly deserve it.

Leon Payne: "The Blind Balladeer"

I decided to go a little country this week. Great way to start the new year off.

Believe it or not, Ronnie Milsap is not the only blind country music star. Long before Ronnie hit the Nashville scene, Leon Payne was performing - and writing - great country songs. He wrote "Lost Highway" and "They'll Never Take Her Love From Me" for Hank Williams, along with his own hits like "A Link In The Chain Of Broken Hearts," and "Weeping Willows."

In addition to Hank, Sr., his songs were recorded by such varied artists as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Johnny Horton, George Jones, Willie Nelson and - amazingly enough - Elvis Costello.

From the Texas School for the Blind, class of 1935, this is Leon Payne singing one of his biggest hits, "I Love You Because."

Have a great weekend.

The Unflappable Micah Brown

Leanne Brown hopes to make it home from the hospital in the early part of next year, now using a wheelchair for mobility.

That she will be returning to a home that is wheelchair accessible is due to the generosity of the fine citizens of Albertville.

That she is returning home at all is due to the heroism of her 7-year old daughter, Micah. (pictured).

The Brown family was headed to a church function in Saskatoon when their truck hit an uneven section of the highway, lost control, and then flipped, rolling over several times before coming to rest upside down in a ditch.

Micah's 4-year old brother was trapped by the wreckage. Her grandmother, also trapped, had several broken ribs and a punctured lung. Worse yet, her mother had a broken neck and was in danger of being choked by her seat belt.

"She was actually choking on her seat-belt strap because with the broken neck, she had no strength to lift herself off, or she couldn't use her hands as well," said Micah's father Curtis.

Something had to be done and, unfortunately, the only one in a position to do anything was a 7-year old girl. Micah Brown wriggled out of her seat belt, but found there was no way for her to get out of the truck. Undeterred, brave Micah kicked out the back window with her bare feet, and crawled out.

She's 7. And she kicked out the back window of a truck. In her bare feet.

She then started running down the highway looking for houses, none of which could be found for over a kilometer. She had gone nearly 3/4 of a mile before finding a house. Alas, no one was home, but at the second house she had more luck.

"I said 'My family's in trouble, my family's in a car accident, I need help. Call 911, I need help,'" she said.

The ambulance came as whisked the other victims, including the seriously injured grandmother and her critically injured mother, off the hospital. She is credited with saving the life of her mother.

Micah's father Curtis, who wasn't in the truck at the time, said he's grateful for his brave little girl. Paramedics believe his wife could have died if it hadn't been for her.

"She's a special little girl," he said. "She's always been pretty brave like that, this goes beyond anything I could have fathomed."

Young, beautiful, brave Micah became a national hero. She was given the City of Prince Albert Award of Merit, the highest civilian honor possible. I am guessing she is youngest person ever to receive it, unless there was some kindergartner up there that dragged Uncle Melvin from a burning duplex. You never know - it seems like they grow them tough in Saskatchewan.

Support from the local community has raised the money to make the necessary adaptations to the Brown house and sidewalks so that when Leanne is able to return home, her environment will be accommodating to her wheelchair.

In the meantime, Micah hopes that other children will learn from her experience.

"In case anybody else has an accident, they could learn from me that they could go and get help, too," the little girl said.

Micah, we learned a lot more than that.

"There Was No Real Harm Done Here"

Many high-profile assisted suicide cases involve people with disabilities. In England, a successful, young rugby player went to Sweden with the help of his parents to end his life, before he turned 25 years old, and less than 2 years after becoming paralyzed in an on-field incident. The implication was that a life as a quadriplegic was not worth living. His parents thought it was his call - and that was that. It set off an international debate in disability circles.

A recent case from Canada tackled a similar issue - with a twist. In this case, there was a double dose of disability to consider.

On Friday, December 12, Stephan Dufour, a 30-year old man from Alma, Quebec, was acquitted in an assisted suicide case involving the death of his uncle, Chantal Maltais.

Mr. Maltais had (by some reports) muscular dystrophy and polio and - according to Dufour - had wanted to die for over 10 years. He was found dead of hanging on September 8, 2006. He weighed less than 60 pounds at the time of his death at the age of 49.

In 2007, his nephew Dufour was arrested and charged with assisted suicide. According to the defense, Maltais had harangued Dufour over a long period of time before Dufour finally gave in and helped him kill himself. Apparently the jury bought it - and now it has stuck up yet another chorus for the government of Canada to change their opposition to assisted suicide.

I'm against assisted suicide - it goes against my faith. So I would be - if the Canadian polls are to be believed - one of the 20% who oppose the legalization of assisted suicide. I think it is wrong for anyone to play a part actively ending the life of anyone - from conception to the end of natural life.

The concern about cases such as this - and the one from England - is the danger that it will set into the public consciousness the diminished value of a life with disabilities. If laws are changed so that people with disabilities have the legal authority to seek aide to kill themselves, it codifies certain kinds of lives as unbearable.

Most of the articles about the case are in French - which bars me from a complete understanding of the case. But it seems the jury did little more than jury nullification. Dufour admitted that - at the very minimum - he strung up a rope with a choke collar on it in his uncle's room. His uncle was found dead, hanging from his rope, a chilling two days later. The jury was instructed that they had to be "sure" or "certain" (as opposed to feeling it "possible" or "likely" ) that by hanging the rope Dufour intended to help Matais kill himself.

(It's unclear what other roles he may have played in the death, if any).

But there is no other reason you would hang a choke collar in the room of a man who - according to your testimony - wanted to kill himself, other than to help that man kill himself. According to columnist Mindelle Jacobs (who supported the verdict) the case was legally open and shut:

The evidence was indisputable. Maltais, 49, who suffered from polio, carried out his death wish with Dufour's aid. In strictly legal terms, Dufour was guilty. Morally, however, the jury obviously couldn't in good conscience convict him of helping his uncle die.

And, worse yet, in this case the jury had more than one significant disability issue to ponder. Part of the defense was that Stephan Dufour was not guilty because he was also a person with disabilities, ranging from drug use to "mental disabilities." It was due to these conditions (in part) that Dufour finally succumbed and agreed to help his Maltais commit suicide.

"He was harassing me all the time," Dufour said. "I couldn't take it anymore."

So, he strung up a rope in his room and left for two days.

The defense was basically this: it should be OK to help kill someone who has significant disabilities, so ignore the evidence of my client's obvious guilt. For who would want to live like that? Or, in the alternative, consider that my client has disabilities too.

So, either he heroically did someone a favor by ending a life with disabilities, or he is too disabled himself to be responsible for his own actions. Perhaps no case in recent memory cast living with disabilities in a more negative light.

One big reason that the legalization of assisted-suicide of people with disabilities is dangerous ground is that it might be used to cover up cases that were a lot more "assisted" than "suicide." The abuse of people with disabilities by familial caregivers is far too common. It's not too far a journey to - in the words of the old attorney joke - "involuntary assisted suicide."

Proponents of assisted-suicide want to set up a highly regulated system to prevent these abuses, which it may or may not. But that leaves you with either the government or - perhaps worse - private industry being in the business of ending people's lives. That doesn't sound very good to me either.

But according to Jacobs, there were cheers in Alma at the trial's conclusion:

There were tears of joy at the acquittal. And why not? There was no real harm done here -- other than to the myth that endorsing assisted suicide will lead to open season on the disabled.

Perhaps having a regulated system would prevent abuses. But the mere presence of such a system sends a strong signal to those with disabilities that the government understands how truly miserable their lives are. And I think that would be very real harm indeed.