Disability Studies Commons^™

A Ulysses Pact With Artificial Systems. How To Deliberately Change The Objective Spirit With Cultured Ai, Bruno Gransche

Computer Ethics - Philosophical Enquiry (CEPE) Proceedings

The article introduces a concept of cultured technology, i.e. intelligent systems capable of interacting with humans and showing (or simulating) manners, of following customs and of socio-sensitive considerations. Such technologies might, when deployed on a large scale, influence and change the realm of human customs, traditions, standards of acceptable behavior, etc. This realm is known as the "objective spirit" (Hegel), which usually is thought of as being historically changing but not subject to deliberate human design. The article investigates the question of whether the purposeful design of interactive technologies (as cultured technologies) could enable us to shape modes of …

Speaking For The Grotesques: The Historical Articulation Of The Disabled Body In The Archive, Violet Marie Strawderman

English Theses & Dissertations

This project examines the ways in which the disabled body is constructed and produced in larger society, via the creation of and interaction with (and through) the archive. The archive, for the purposes of this project, is defined by scholars such as Jacques Derrida and Carolyn Steedman. It is a place where information is stored and documented, but through this process, history and power are also created and maintained. In order to properly examine the ways the archive helps shape the understanding of the disabled body and experience, I use three case studies: Richard III, Caliban and Joseph Merrick. Each …

Examining Self-Contained And Integrated Physical Education Experiences Among Individuals With Visual Impairments, Rebecca Coffey

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Introduction. While research to date has examined the views of individuals with visual impairments toward integrated public-school physical education, little attention has been given to examining perspectives toward experiences at residential schools for those with visual impairments. By understanding the perspectives of those who attended physical education in both contexts, researchers can gain valuable information about particularities that can make experiences meaningful or challenging. The purpose of this study was to examine how individuals who experienced physical education in both integrated and residential school settings viewed their physical education class experiences. Methods. This study utilized a retrospective interpretative phenomenological approach …

Assistive Technology: Fixing Humans, Petros J. Katsioloudis, Millie Jones

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The need for assistive technology--technology that assists persons with disabilities--is great. At no time has there been a greater need to provide assistive technologies than to assist the thousands of military veterans returning home from the Middle East with a range of physical and mental disabilities. Mobility impairment is a significant concern for many returning veterans. Assistive technologies are playing a major role in assisting war veterans returning with physical limitations through the loss of a limb or, in many cases, several limbs. This article presents the history and background of assistive technology and how mobile- and computer-assistive technologies can …

Quality Of Life Perceptions Of Caregivers Of Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities In The United States And The Czech Republic, Milan Valenta, Jan Michalík, Sharon Raver-Lampman, Anne Michalek

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Caregivers of individuals with disabilities in the United States have been reported to experience additional hardships than families with typical children as they attempt to balance family and work (Parish, Rose, Grinstein-Weiss, Richman, & Andrews, 2008). In this study, 31 caregivers of individuals with intellectual disabilities from the United States and 225 from the Czech Republic completed a qualitative quality of life survey. Similarities in the two groups were found in reported gains and losses from caregiving responsibilities. Differences in perceived spirituality, personal sense of peace and serenity, life optimism, ability to rejoice in life, personal life perspective, health, financial …

Psychometric Evaluation Of An Instrument For Assessing Policy Outcomes For Families With Children Who Have Severe Developmental Disabilities: The Beach Center Family Quality Of Life Scale, Joni Taylor Mcfelea

Health Services Research Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale (BCFQLS) in a sample of families with children who have severe developmental disabilities. The study sought to determine whether or not the scale could be used to measure the quality of life of such families and to differentiate between the quality of life of two family groups—those whose child lives in the family home and those whose child lives outside the family home.

The study used an observational, cross-sectional design and both qualitative and quantitative methods. Self-identified primary caregivers of …

An Analysis Of Selected Family Life Education Curricula, Phoebe Terry Butler

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the content of family life education curricula in Virginia's public schools and determine its appropriateness for the mentally handicapped students. It was the intent of this study to determine if existing curricula were designed to address the needs of mentally handicapped students according to a standard curricula designed by the American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation and the Sex Information and Education Council of the United States. The 15 participants of this study were selected from a random sample of 69. The response rate was 20.2%.

A letter soliciting family …

A Survey Of Community Services Used By Students Enrolled In The Kirk-Cone Rehabilitation Center, 1965-1966, Audrey Hackett Crandall

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

No abstract.