An estimated 15 percent of people around the world live with some form of disability. Upstate universities are tackling the challenges faced by this segment of the population and coming up with innovative technologies to increase access.
A walker for elderly people that also monitors vital signs, and a cane that uses vibrations to allow deaf and blind people to easily navigate their environment: these are just a couple of the access technologies created by researchers in western New York.
As the number of seniors citizens in America grows each year, the issue of how to make life easier for older people is growing in importance as well. One researcher, Joe Coughlin, has made it his passion to use technology to help people live longer and live better. WRVO's Catherine Loper spoke with Coughlin, who has roots in upstate New York, when he was in Syracuse this fall.
An ambulance company in Onondaga County has started a program it hopes will help one of biggest causes of injury among the elderly. The focus is on making senior's homes safe from falls.