Apple Submits Proposal for Disability-Themed Emojis

Apple recently sent a proposal of emojis for people with disabilities to the Unicode Consortium. (Emojis are small images of objects such as faces, animals, etc.) The four types of disability-themed emojis being proposed are blind and low vision, deaf and hard of hearing, physical and motor skills, and hidden disabilities. Apple had input from organizations like the American Council of the Blind and the National Association of the Deaf. Individuals with disabilities are happy to be represented and have a more inclusive online experience. My favorite emoji is the girl in the wheelchair. If the proposal is approved, the emojis will be available on the iPhone next year. For more details on this story, go to https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/apple-proposes-new-emojis-for-people-with-disabilities/ar-BBKHQ2j.

Some of the proposed disability emojis

(obtained from money.cnn.com)

A Tribute to Stephen Hawking

My advice to other disabled people would be, concentrate on things your disability doesn't prevent you doing well, and don't regret the things it interferes with. Don't be disabled in spirit as well as physically.

The above is a quote from the late theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking. A week ago, Hawking died at age 76 in Cambridge, England, from complications of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or "Lou Gehrig's disease," a form of motor neurone disease. ALS progressively weakens muscles and impairs physical function. Born on January 8, 1942, in Oxford, England, Hawking was diagnosed with ALS shortly after his 21st birthday and was expected to live only two more years. He eventually lost his abilities to walk and talk, so he used a wheelchair and a computerized voice system.

However, Hawking earned his cosmology doctorate at the University of Cambridge in 1965 before embarking on an impressive career in professing and research, most notably his work on black holes and relativity. He received 13 honorary degrees, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Fundamental Physics prize, among many other awards. He wrote or co-wrote 15 books, including his bestseller A Brief History of Time. One of the best days of Hawking's life was in 2007 when he experienced weightlessness during a two-hour flight on a modified Boeing 727 over the Atlantic Ocean after visiting the Kennedy Space Center.

Stephen Hawking is a prime example of an individual who didn't let his disabilities stop him from pursuing his passion. He is survived by three adult children and three grandchildren. His ashes will be buried in Westminster Abbey in London later this year. For more information about Hawking, go to http://www.hawking.org.uk/.

Stephen Hawking

(image from Flickr)

2018 Winter Paralympic Games

Last Friday, the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games (https://www.paralympic.org/) began with an impressive opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium in Pyeongchang, South Korea. At the largest Winter Paralympics ever, 567 athletes with physical disabilities from 48 countries and a neutral Paralympic athletes team composed of Russians are competing in six sports: alpine and cross-country skiing, biathlon, para ice hockey, snowboard, and wheelchair curling. So far, the United States (the nation most represented with 68 athletes) is leading in medals. The Winter Paralympic Games will continue until March 18. To find out when the Paralympics will be shown on TV or online, go to https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/2018-winter-paralympics-live-stream-schedule.

Image from Wikimedia

Spotlight: Mike Schultz

Mike Schultz of St. Cloud, Minnesota, is a snowboarder who suffered a compound fracture of his left knee after veering off course and flying off his snowmobile during a snocross race ten years ago. After several surgeries, his leg was amputated above the knee. Wanting to continue playing action sports, Schultz created his own prosthetic knee, the Moto Knee, which consists of a mountain bike shock and a linkage system for which he has a patent. He then won a motocross adaptive silver medal at the X Games and began snowboarding. Schultz founded BioDapt, Inc., a sports prosthetic company for extreme sports athletes, in 2010. In the same year, he became the first person to win gold medals at the X Games and Winter X Games; he was also inducted into the Athletes with Disabilities Network Hall of Fame in the United States. Schultz will compete at the Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, next week. His fellow snowboarders use the Moto Knee as well as the Versa Foot. Schultz is married with one daughter. To learn more about him, go to https://www.teamusa.org/para-snowboarding/athletes/Mike-Schultz.

Mike Schultz

(image from Zimbio)