Innovators

eSchool News   
Thanks to the democratizing power of technology, which lets anyone with an internet connection tap into resources from all over the globe, it’s now easier than ever for students to start their own companies or collaborate with peers to solve the world’s problems. In fact, technology is empowering students in ways that earlier generations [...]

Education Week 
In its biggest effort yet to influence education reform, the San Francisco-based NewSchools Venture Fund is launching its fourth fund, a $100 million investment to spur innovation in teacher preparation, school turnarounds, and charter-school management. The new fund is meant to help advance a new, federal agenda that’s focused on innovation. The new fund’s [...]

eSchool News 
An interface that allows hearing-impaired people to communicate with others using an augmented-reality environment took home the grand prize of $25,000 in the eighth annual Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals in Poland, a prestigious international programming contest for high school and college students. Team Skeek, a team of university students from Thailand, was responsible for [...]

eSchool News 
As eReading devices and the software that runs them become more advanced in an increasingly competitive market, researchers are creating applications that could take reading to a whole new level, with tools such as Text 2.0—a reading technology that personalizes the user’s experience by tracking eye movements.
Created by researchers Ralf Biedert, Georg Buscher, and [...]

The Seattle Times  
An elite group of student engineers will gather in Poland from July 3-8 to crunch code for Microsoft’s Imagine Cup. The competition will feature students showing off software aimed at fighting global problems—such as reducing hunger and poverty, and improving education and child health.
The Imagine Cup competition has drawn 325,000 students from 100 [...]

New York Times 
A new technology called Swype allows users to glide a finger across the virtual keyboard of their mobile phone to spell words, rather than tapping out letters. Back in the 1990s, typing out “hello” on most cell phones required an exhausting 13 taps on the number keys, like so: 44-33-555-555-666. That was before [...]

A wheelchair developed by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology features technology that allows users to power the device using their tongue. Scientists said the wheelchair, which is being tested, can be used by people with the most severe spinal cord injuries because the tongue bypasses the spinal cord and is connected to the [...]

Spark-Space mapping software allows users to visualize and organize ideas and documents in a 3-D spatial representation.

Australia’s ReadHowYouWant company configures text in a variety of formats to assist different types of readers recognize words more easily by manipulating or building new forms of cueing within the structure of text itself. Learn about the science and human story behind Chris Stephen’s entrepreneurial idea.

Recognizing the potential of neurofeedback as a tool for understanding the special symptoms of attention-related disabilities, SMART Braingames uses the latest neurofeedback technology advancements paired with a video game interface.

AbleNet is a company to watch given a unique business model that seeks to incorporate content and curriculum; software; assistive technology; and professional training into a single seamless solution for schools. AbleNet’s products are aimed primarily at students with severe/ profound to moderate disabilities, but the company also accounts for broad applicability to various populations.

Ray Schmidt knows communication devices inside and out – he is the designer of Cyrano, a device built with the HP iPAQ PDA, and is the father of a teenager who has used several communication devices through the years. These experiences give Ray incredible insight into the consumers – service providers and end users – of communication tools. The Cyrano is developed so that users can “build their own machines.”

People with disabilities do everything! That’s the message Roger McCarville, 2007 daVinci Awardee, is talking about on his national show, Disabilities Today. The show is a weekly television program airing the issues faced by the disabled. Check your local PBS channel for air times. The 2007 Da Vinci Awards will be presented at a gala event Friday, September 28.

Andrew Junker explores the background and possibilities of brain-activated technologies in this Innovator Profile. Brainfingers, an alternate computer access device, allows users to control any computerized technologies without touch, providing new means of feedback to those with even severe disabilities. Post comments and join Andrew online the afternoon of Wednesday, August 29, 2007 to discuss his profile and research.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society have recognized individuals and organizations for their outstanding design innovations aimed at helping the disabled overcome barriers and further empower all people. The 2007 winners will be honored Friday, September 28th at the da Vinci Awards gala at the Ritz Carlton in Dearborn, Michigan. Past winners include a Who’s Who of accessible design.

Jason Hurdich represents a hopeful statistical anomaly, a person born Deaf who is not only employed, but impressively serving as the Lead Manager for the Sign Language Division and Chief Linguist at Vcom3D. Through their work, Jason and Vcom3D hope to make it easier for others to follow his lead.

Lars Liden (left) and Chris Whalen (right) are the cofounders of TeachTown, a system that incorporates therapeutic curriculum for children on the autism spectrum. Read more about how applied behavioral analysis and artificial intelligence can deliver a therapeutic curriculum.

Fraser Shein is the developer behind the successful WordQ and SpeakQ products. Read about Fraser’s background and business development model in the latest NCTI Innovator Profile.

Jim Schroeder chuckles a bit at the incongruity that his one-time work for the Army Research Institute preparing weapons simulation systems led directly to his AT products. It all began with a long-distance light pen he developed and patented in that early work. AHF now produces products targeted for persons with computer access and augmentative communication needs. Anecdotal reports suggest that persons with learning disabilities are using the programs to meet their unique needs, too. Various switches, pointing, and stylus devices can be used for input.

Marina Bers, an assistant professor at Tufts University and the author of the new book, “Blocks to Robots,” has created a software program that aids in learning by letting children create their own virtual communities.

CanAssist, an 8-year old non-profit assistive technology group partially funded by the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, was recently recognized with a grant of $704k for the over 150 projects it has completed, by request, for members of the differently abled community.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society have recognized individuals and organizations for their outstanding design innovations aimed at helping the disabled overcome barriers and further empower all people. The winners will be honored Friday, September 28th at the 2007 da Vinci Awards gala at the Ritz Carlton in Dearborn, Michigan.

The Microsoft 2007 Imagine Cup is an international competition with $25,000 as the grand prize with $170,000 given overall. Now in its fourth year, competition organizers are seeing student contestants take on the challenge of creating designs for users with disabilities. Final awards will be announced in August.

INDEX: is a non-profit network organization – based in Copenhagen – that focuses on Design to Improve Life worldwide. The organization works through a global network to ensure access to the best knowledge on design and the cutting edge of contemporary thinking.
Through a wide range of activities and events, INDEX: is the catalyst for Design to [...]