New Scientist
A cancer-proof mouse? Incredible! I've always believed the key to curing many diseases lurks within our own bodies. Find out how these cancer-proof mice may someday unlock our own immune systems to rid the world of cancer.
This is exciting stuff. Excellent read.

Wired News: Gibson Kicks the Blogging Habit
To write a book, or not to write one? That is the question. Whether 'tis nobler to refrain from blogging in order not to stifle one's creative ability to write (a book).
What could Gibson be worried about? Who knows. Anyway, this is an interesting article. What do you think? Email me. I'd really like to know.

iCan ONLINE - Call Congress April 29 about IDEA
Blogged this important article on April 24th. Read what it's all about, then click on links provided in iCan's article. Call your local representatives tomorrow.

HoustonChronicle.com - Disabled in Texas fighting for right of freedom
THIS IS A CALL TO ALL PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THAT ALL HUMANKIND HAS A BASIC RIGHT TO EXIST WITH DIGNITY!
Dr. Margaret A. Nosek has written an amazing piece about persons with disabilities in Texas who are literally fighting for their right to live and breathe and work with dignity.
From article:
This is a description of people who are not asking to be pitied; these are people who are demanding to be free. I am a person with a severe disability. I work, I own a home, I pay taxes and I will defend at all cost my right to make decisions about my life. My wheelchair and my ventilator are my chariot and my liberator. I am the new reality of what disability means in our society.

The only reason I am able to work is because I have four personal assistants whom I pay to assist me with my daily activities, like getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, preparing meals. All my education and experience would be wasted if it were not for these wonderful people... This is a must read!

Wired News: Online, Some Bloggers Never Die
As you may already know, Blogging is THE fad online. Blogs take on many different forms. It's interesting to see that "Some Bloggers' blogs" will live on(line) for at least as long as weblogging sites live.

iCan ONLINE - Call Congress April 29 about IDEA
What better way to get involved than calling your local Congress Representatives.
Please read this!

iCan ONLINE - House poised to weaken student rights and protections in IDEA
THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! A must read.
Article --
From Daniel Davis of the National Council on Independent Living:

Congress is moving quickly to weaken the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) by removing student protections and school accountability provisions. You need to visit your representatives and senators now!

Testing Fad Achieves New Levels With the Disabled
As you can see from my recent blogs, the government doesn't always act in the best interests of the disabled community. Whether it is entitlements, education, or ADA issues, something is usually amiss. What's perplexing about this article is the government's attempt to come up with this "altruistic-sounding goal of testing every child, no matter how disabled" actually undermines the excellent work already being done for this special population of severely retarded. It's apparent that they're not listening to the school officials or the parents. The Individualized Education Program (I. E. P.) is a program that already works for everyone involved. If creating more tests and adding to the paperwork that already exists is a "fad", it is one these school officials and parents can do without.

From the article:
When I asked Dr. James Rowley, a physician and the parent of a 9-year-old at Wing Lake, what officials were thinking, he replied, "I'm not sure they were thinking."

It would sure be helpful if our government officials would think things through before acting on any specific programs. A little research and a good dose of listening to those constituents being affected wouldn't hurt.

Wired News: U.S. Backs RIAA in ISP Fight
I'm certainly not a lawyer, but I'm not so sure it's right to force Verizon or any other company to reveal the names of people trading songs over the web. I believe the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) should have had the foresight to become part of the technology behind the downloading and trading of music. Its failure to do so is causing them to jam the judicial system with unnecessary legal proceedings. Maybe an "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" attitude would be a better way to deal with this issue. There must be some way to reach a compromise settling this once and for all. RIAA really needs to get with the program.

New Scientist
Who would've guessed baby teeth could be a source of stem cells that could put an end to the controversy surrounding stem cell research? Maybe it's too early to know, but it surely does seem promising. Let's hope for the best.

Wired News: Sewage Puts a New Spin on SARS
Another interesting article giving new information about the disease.

iCan ONLINE - Sutton to get Senate vote April 29
I think it's important to pay attention to the developments of the Sutton nomination. Anyone unfamiliar with Ican.com should definitely keep checking in with these and all other developments showcased in this important web site.

In a related story, click on this ican.com article as well.

iCan ONLINE - Advocate: Current political climate is cause for alarm
This is an extremely important article. In light of a few of my recent blogs, it is evident that there is cause for alarm. Please read this well-written article.

iCan ONLINE - Drug shows promise for treating Alzheimer's
Whenever you hear about breakthroughs like this, and you're living with someone affected with this terrible disease, one often wishes for a speedy FDA approval. Speaking for myself and the millions of people who suffer from this disease (either the ones who have it, or care for someone who has it), a speedy approval would be a wonderful gift.

Wired News: Infrared Tech Scans Stop SARS
This new technology should be used by all airports. Interesting read.

Wired News: Tune Out, Turn Off, Drop Offline
The information in this article is very helpful in understanding why certain groups of people drop offline, or just don't use the Internet at all. For me, it's alarming to know 75 percent of people with disabilities are not using the Internet (if the figures are correct). We at ChooseAbility believe people with disabilities should own the Internet. Of course, nobody knows better than me how frustrating and difficult using the Internet can be. I'm using a primitive Dragon Dictate program for all of my writing and mouse commands. I'm pretty good at it, but believe me, a head mouse would help to make surfing much easier and faster. It's the cost ($1,300) that keeps me from purchasing it. There are even cheaper programs that are similar, but it has still been difficult for me to come up with the money. If any of you have any ideas on how to locate equipment or programs that will help people like myself, please don't hesitate to send me an email. We'll be happy to do something for you in return. In the meantime, I'll keep posting and writing as much as possible.

New Scientist
Great article. More proof that adult stem cells can be used to improve or even cure diseases such as MS. So far, it has worked in mice. It is yet to be known whether or not this work will help humans, but it does look promising.

New Scientist
One of the many downfalls of the war in Iraq has been the looting of the National Archeological Museum of Baghdad. I just hope the international operation to recover the treasures in the museum will be successful, even if they can only recover a portion. Excellent read.

Ars Technica: Adult stem cells help reverse MS in mice

Wired News: SARS Gene Sequence Unveiled
More good news. It's good to know the scientific community is on the case. Vigilance is key with the SARS epidemic. Another excellent article.

New accessibility extension offered for Dreamweaver MX

DenverPost.com
You see! If you've been reading my blog the last few days, you would have read my comment about lawmakers suddenly finding funds from somewhere else in order to stave off cutting programs people with disabilities need to survive. I rest my case. Click on this story from the Denver Post.

KWTX-TV News 10 KWTX-DT Channel 53
Ahh! The right to protest. A quote by one of the protesters says it all (see previous blog). John Hoffman, without arms and hands, told Dewhurst that, "you shouldn't run into a crowded theater and yell 'fire' unless there is one - and there is one."
If you have Windows Media, you can see the actual video from an Austin television station. Click on this link news8austin

El Paso Times Online
Connecticut, Indiana, and now Texas. These stories about lawmakers balancing the budget by cutting programs that are necessary for people with disabilities and the elderly is alarming. Sounds like a dangerous precedence is being set by these politicians. Three different states within a few days. Hmmm. I think serious action needs to be taken to prevent the deaths of many. It's disgusting! Time to rise up.

Wired News: First SARS Test Hits Labs
This is good news. Interesting read.

The message to sick and hurting: tough
Yet another disgusting display by government officials trying to balance the budget on the backs of the neediest citizens. Once again, with all the government waste that exists, I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to find other ways to accomplish their goals. As I mentioned two days ago, Governor Pataki of New York tried to balance the budget by cutting home care hours from 24 hours to 4 per day in 1994. After protesting and pressuring the "lawmakers", suddenly they found funds somewhere else and were able to restore the Medicaid dollars set to be cut. Something should be done so that this kind of thing doesn't keep rearing its ugly head. Any suggestions? Send me an email. Contact your local congressmen.

Wired News: Check Your Viral Load for Bugs More on spyware.

Wired News: Doctors Race to ID Killer Virus
As I've said previously, it's good to keep informed about SARS. This is another excellent article with some good related links to click on.

ctnow.com: EDITORIALS
Why is it whenever you hear about the scaling back, or cutting of programs that benefit people with disabilities, there always seems to be a Republican behind it. Ok, I'm sure Democrats have tried to scale back on a number of programs, but from the perspective of someone with a disability who has testified at the City Council to try and prevent proposed cuts in Medicaid, it's difficult to see it any other way. In 1994, New York's Gov. Pataki tried to cut Medicaid (Home Care) hours from 24 to just 4 hours per day. This would have been devastating as it would have caused many people to end up in nursing homes. Luckily, the disabled community protested loudly and vehemently enough to avoid what could have been a catastrophe.

The most difficult thing one has to swallow is when "scaling back" doesn't make sense in the long run. In this case, it would be wrong to cut "Birth to Three" because it not only saves the government money, but it does so because of its effectiveness. With all the government waste that exists, scaling back on a program that will "lead disabled children toward independence", and save money, is just bad government. Governor, if you can read my blog, just say "no" to scaling back.

Wired News: Unlocking Alzheimer's Mysteries
It's good to know that science is continually searching for ways to treat Alzheimer's disease. Although the technique discussed in this article wouldn't be practical, it is a way to unlock the mysteries of the disease which can only be good. There are many related links embedded in this article that I'm sure all of you will find are very helpful as well. Excellent read.

Business 2.0 - Web Article - Hail to the Online Thieves
This article really makes sense. Instead of trying to fight bootlegging by completely stifling music-download sites like Kazaa and Morpheus, popular bands should work to control the music they put out. The music industry, I've always argued, should become the Kazaa's of the world. If they want to still make money, they can charge for the service. People will still go to the stores to buy their favorite CDs.

Wired News: Drugs Strain to Resist Resistance
This is a must read! There is much that people don't know about antibiotics. One problem not addressed in this article is that many who take antibiotics stop taking their pills once they feel better instead of just finishing their prescription. This also causes bacteria to become drug resistant. Hopefully, this new FDA approved drug will be used more effectively.

Foistware: New Net, Inc. (NewDotNet) DLL (Spyware, adware, lost internet access)

This is a plague. Spyware and adware compromise our privacy and consume our bandwidth, but more imortantly, they make our computers more unstable. Paul lost his ability to connect to the internet while trying to remove all the spyware from his computer. The article above explains why this happens and provides a link to a utility that will repair the damage.

Much adware, like Kazaa, also surreptitiously diverts funds from chooseability.com's ad programs to itself. DON'T INSTALL KAZAA.

While, being the friendly guy he is, he likes to let friends and family use his computer and high-speed internet access, he now has to carefully monitor what they do and is trying to work out a way to give them their own accounts without causing himself uneccessary difficulty. When you access your computer via voice commands, swiching between user accounts is not really supported, so this might not be the best way to go.

These are some of the new ground rules he has had to set for using his computer. Maybe you should too:

Never surf porn sites. NEVER!

Never surf pirate sofware sites. NEVER!

If you receive an email from a person or company you don't recognize, DON'T EVEN CLICK ON IT. If you can delete those messages without clicking on them, do it. If you cannot, wait until your email is finished downloading and switch to "work offline." (probably under the file or accounts menu) Then delete them. Many of SPAM messages have a mechanism built in called a pixel tracker which verifies that your email address is "live" and hence more valuable to spammers. Email lists, by the way, are the ONLY product sold via spam that actually make money.

Never install Kazaa or programs that divert ad revenue from sites you visit.

Never sign up for lotteries.

Never click on pop-up ads unless it is a reputable company that you know.

Many ads on the internet are cleverly disguised as operating system alerts, virus warnings and privacy alerts. You can tell the difference by looking at the task bar at the bottom of the windows screen or the application menu in the upper right corner of a Mac screen. If the icon is an internet explorer (or whatever browser you use) icon, IT IS AN AD, not a system alert. When you close it, you must be careful that the close button, "x," is not part of the ad. If it is in the blue strip at the top right corner of the window and there is another one below, the top one is correct, the bottom one is part of the ad. To be safe, you can right click the button on the Windows task bar and go to close, or on a Mac hit Apple and "W".

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Dea Birkett: My child, the fire risk
Isn't it ironic that this story comes out just two days after a federal judge (here in the States) finds 2 movie theater chains violate the ADA? (See the ican submission I posted on 4/2/2003)
When I read this, it reminded me of a time when I dated a beautiful young lady back in 1987. Loews 84th St. in New York City's Upper West Side was a theater Mary and I frequented. At the time, there was no designated spaces for a person using a wheelchair. So, like always, we sat about 5 rows back (in the aisle). On this particular night, an usher who had just let us in before the crowd entered, said I couldn't sit in the aisle because I would be a fire hazard. I told him I've sat in the same spot the last 7 times and nobody said anything. He said I needed to transfer out of my wheelchair onto a "regular" seat if I wanted to see the movie. I explained that it would be too difficult to transfer. A few minutes later, the manager came onto the scene and told me that no object was allowed in the aisle because it would pose a fire hazard. I explained that there is a human being sitting in this particular object that actually moves at my command. If there's a fire, I could quickly move to the front, let everyone out, then make my way out. "You are a fire hazard", he exclaimed. "You either transfer or leave the theater". I then became defiant and told him I'm not leaving. "You mean to tell me you're willing to risk the lives of all the people in the theater just so you can see the film", he asked? I said, "look, if I did transfer out of my wheelchair, and there was an actual fire, everyone would get out and I'd probably be left in my seat. Would you be willing to take responsibility for that"?

Realizing that he wasn't going to let the soldout audience in until we resolved our dispute, I decided that it wasn't worth the trouble to stay. I often wonder what would have happened had I stayed to fight it out. I don't think the audience would have cared one way or the other, although one never knows. You would think this kind of thing wouldn't happen these days, but as you can see (at least in the UK) we still have a way to go. As you can see, if you make enough noise, like Dea Birkett did, people can't get away with discrimination.

iCan ONLINE - Professional can ease tax filing chore
For those of you who are disabled and need to file taxes, this article offers tax tips and information tailor made for you.

iCan ONLINE - Federal judge finds 2 movie theater chains violate ADA
Finally! It's about time that seating at movie theaters for people with disabilities was addressed. In New York City, the Loew's Imax Theatre is one of the largest and most comfortable except when you must see a movie on the lower level. The only seats available happen to be in the front. This is impossible for me because my condition (muscular dystrophy) is such that I can't keep my head up long enough to watch the whole movie. I've dealt with it a few times, however, now, when I buy tickets over the telephone only to find out that the film is downstairs, either I'll switch to another on the 2nd floor or just get a refund.
What's good about this decision is that the Judge didn't go too far, saying that theaters can still have limited seating provided that people have a choice. I think that's extremely fair. I remember (years ago) when there was no space for a wheelchair, while at the same time, not allowing a person using a wheelchair to be in the aisle. That was just ridiculous. I applaud this decision. Do read this well written article.

New Scientist | SARS
Here are some articles to read about SARS. It's probably a good idea to keep abreast of all the developments about this atypical pneumonia. We must all stay well informed. That way, we can be vigilant without panic.

iCan ONLINE - Ga. teen with one arm excels on baseball diamond
These days, we all need to hear stories that can uplift and inspire. This one does not disappoint. Meet Joe Martin, center fielder for the Johnson County Middle School baseball team in Georgia. Enjoy!

iCan ONLINE - Mark S. Vass: Patient advocacy
The columns in "Patient advocacy" are quite good. The current article on whether or not your clothing can cause neurological problems is surprisingly informative. In fact, all of the columns under this topic have something for everyone. Anyone that must deal with the medical profession will definitely benefit from reading these columns.

Lifetime Affliction Leads to a U.S. Bias Suit
(NY Times-registration required--after one week, must pay fee for articles)
If there was ever a case that needed to be heard, this is it. The spirit of the ADA was written for cases such as this (as is explained in the article). We're talking about the kind of discrimination that starts from childhood. First, it's the teasing. Then, it's not being chosen for activities in high school because of the way you look. And as if your teenage years are not difficult enough, one must find a way to overcome the pain inflicted by society's cruelty. To deny her a chance to prove that she can indeed be promoted to management at this stage of her life is just wrong. If this case gets thrown out, it will be another injustice placed upon her, this time by the only justice system designed to protect the rights of all people. Samantha, keep on fighting! Your mom taught you well.