Check out this GREAT Accessible Travel Resource

The Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality (SATH), founded in 1976, is an educational nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to raise awareness of the needs of all travelers with disabilities, remove physical and attitudinal barriers to free access and expand travel opportunities in the United States and abroad. Members include travel professionals, consumers with disabilities and other individuals and corporations who support our mission.

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Visit our Sponsors & Partners page to find out more about those companies and organizations who are concerned with making travel more accessible for all.

Check out out News & Updates for exciting news about the WCD EXPO! http://www.wcdexpo.com/

UPDATE: Please check the News & Updates section for the complete Updated White House Advisement for People With Disabilities regarding airline travel.

Get the newest information about Passport requirements...Go to News & Updates

LOG ON TO TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION SITE from NEED TO KNOW FACTS page! In order to assist persons with disabilities or medical concerns, TSA has developed guidelines with input from various groups.

Check out US Department of State website on our NEED TO KNOW FACTS page for all information on travel to and from US!

Check out News and Updates for "Five Times That You Need a Travel Agent" from SmarterLiving!

The Travel Institute's "Accessible Travel" Lifestyle Specialist course is now available. Visit www.thetravelinstitute.com for more information and to sign up to become a Lifestyle Specialist.

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Pluripotent Stem Cells Shown To Generate New Retinal Cells Necessary For Vision, Study Finds

ScienceDaily (Nov. 21, 2008) — Pluripotent stem cells — those, like embryonic stem cells, that give rise to almost every type of cell in the body — can be converted into the different classes of retinal cells necessary for vision, according to a new study from researchers at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

This research points to exciting new possibilities for preventing or reversing the disabling vision loss caused by age‑related macular degeneration, diabetes retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa, glaucoma, and other diseases that damage the retina, the layer of light‑sensitive nerve cells that line the back of the eye. The research was presented at Neuroscience 2008, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Washington, D.C.

“Vision is lost in these diseases because one or more of the seven retinal cell types die,” said the study’s lead author, Michael Ezra Zuber, Ph.D., assistant professor of ophthalmology and adjunct assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at SUNY Upstate Medical University. “Current treatments can slow these diseases’ progression, but they can’t replace lost retinal cells. Pluripotent cells offer a promising starting point from which to generate new retinal cells.”

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Brain Abnormalities That May Play Key Role In ADHD

ScienceDaily (Nov. 24, 2008) — A study published in the online advance edition of The American Journal of Psychiatry for the first time reveals shape differences in the brains of children with ADHD, which could help pinpoint the specific neural circuits involved in the disorder. Researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Md. and the Johns Hopkins Center for Imaging Science used a new analysis tool, large deformation diffeomorphic mapping (LDDMM), which allowed them to examine the precise shape of the basal ganglia.

The study found boys with ADHD had significant shape differences and decreases in overall volume of the basal ganglia compared to their typically developing peers. Girls with ADHD did not have volume or shape differences, suggesting sex strongly influences the disorder's expression.

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ADHD Medications Don't Pose Cancer Risk

FRIDAY, Nov. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Two popular medications for treating attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) do not cause genetic damage linked to an increased risk for developing cancer, a new study says.

The study, done by researchers at Duke University Medical Center and the National Institutes of Health, counters a previous one that reported biomarkers associated with an increased cancer risk were present in the blood of children taking the ADHD drug methylphenidate.

"The new findings should help alleviate some of the concerns that were raised by the previous study," study co-author Scott Kollins, director of Duke's ADHD program, said in a university news release. "However, we need to continue to study the long-term effects of these medications and expand our analyses to include older patient populations."

The new study, which looked at methylphenidate (Ritalin LA and Concerta) and amphetamine (Adderall and Adderall XR), used a larger study sample and conditions that apply to a wider cross-section of children with ADHD than the initial study did, he said.

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Neurons Derived From Embryonic Stem Cells Restore Muscle Function After Injury

ScienceDaily (Nov. 20, 2008) — Dalhousie Medical School researchers have discovered that embryonic stem cells may play a critical role in helping people with nerve damage and motor neuron diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), regain muscular strength.

Motor neurons reside in the spinal cord and control limb movements by enabling muscles to contract. Diseases like ALS cause them to degenerate, resulting in muscle weakness, atrophy, and eventual paralysis.

“This study builds on a series of studies in which we demonstrated that motor neurons can be generated from mouse embryonic stem cells,” says Dr. Victor Rafuse, associate professor of anatomy & neurobiology. “It’s very exciting that these neurons can be used for transplantation to prevent degeneration of muscle.”


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Microarray Analysis Improves Prenatal Diagnosis

ScienceDaily (Nov. 17, 2008) — A "chip" or array that can quickly detect disorders such as Down syndrome or other diseases associated with chromosomal abnormalities proved an effective tool in prenatal diagnosis in a series of 300 cases at Baylor College of Medicine, according to an article in the journal Prenatal Diagnosis.

In the report, a team led by Dr. Arthur Beaudet and Dr. Sau Wai Cheung at BCM, described use of array comparative genomic hybridization to analyze samples taken during amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling for chromosomal abnormalities. Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling allow researchers to obtain fetal cells for testing.

"Larger studies of this test will help us decide whether it should be used as a first line measure to detect chromosome abnormalities in fetuses," said Beaudet, chair of molecular and human genetics at BCM and senior author of the report. "They will also enable us to determine whether such testing should be offered more widely to pregnant women."

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Gene Associated With Epilepsy Discovered

ScienceDaily (Nov. 18, 2008) — A University of Iowa-led international research team has found a new gene associated with the brain disorder epilepsy. While the PRICKLE1 gene mutation was specific to a rare form of epilepsy, the study results could help lead to new ideas for overall epilepsy treatment.

The findings, which involved nearly two dozen institutions from six different countries, appear in the Nov. 7 issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics.

In epilepsy, nerve cells in the brain signal abnormally and cause repeated seizures that can include strange sensations, severe muscle spasms and loss of consciousness. The seizures may not have lasting effects but can affect activities, such as limiting a person's ability to drive. Most seizures do not cause brain damage but some types of epilepsy lead to physical disabilities and cognitive problems. Medications can control symptoms, but there is no cure.

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Pro-Parents Calendar

11/20/2008
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

“Is Your Child a Target of Bullying?” Workshop
St. Paul Elementary School
3074 Liberty Hill Road
Summerton, SC

Gayle Munn, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 1, Education Coordinator
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

11/20/2008
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Positive Behavioral Interventions (PBI) Workshop
Family Connection
St John’s Methodist Church
321 S. Oakland Avenue
Rock Hill, SC

Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 3, Education Coordinator
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

11/20/2008
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
*

Positive Behavioral Interventions (PBI) Workshop
Florence DSS Office
Building 2685 South Irby
Florence, SC 29505

PRO-Parents of SC
South Carolina Special Kids Project
1-866-863-1512

11/24/2008
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Communication Workshop
Walker Gamble Elementary
2358 Walker Gamble Road
New Zion, SC

Gayle Munn, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 1, Education Coordinator
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

12/08/2008
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

ADD / ADHD Workshop
Foothills Alliance
Watkins Community Center
204 South Main Street
Honea Path, SC 29654

Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 3, Education Coordinator
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

12/10/2008
10:30 am - 2:30 pm

Individualized Education Program (IEP) Workshop
Bamberg County DDSN
16553 Heritage Highway
Bamberg, SC 229042

Tanya M. Inabinet, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 2, Education Coordinator
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

12/11/2008
10:30 am - 2:30 pm

Transitioning Out of Special Education
Sumter County DDSN
775 Electric Avenue
Sumter, SC 29153

Tanya M. Inabinet, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 2, Education Coordinator
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

12/12/2008
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Positive Behavioral Interventions (PBI) Workshop
Burton Center / Edgefield DDSN
Edgefield County Library
105 Courthouse Square
Edgefield, SC 29824

Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 3, Education Coordinator
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

12/13/2008
11:00 am - 3:00 pm

Parent & Student Rights In Special Education
Lee County DDSN
Gibbs Training Center
307 Chappelle Drive
Bishopville, SC 29010

Tanya M. Inabinet, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 2, Education Coordinator
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

12/15/2008
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

“Is Your Child a Target of Bullying?” Workshop
Upstate Parents Network
New Day Club House
1530 Ashville Highway
Spartanburg, SC 29303

Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 3, Education Coordinator
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

12/16/2008
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Transition Into Special Education Workshop
Oconee DDSN
116 S. Cove Road
Seneca, SC 29672

Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 3, Education Coordinator
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

12/16/2008
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Inclusion Workshop
Oconee DDSN
116 S. Cove Road
Seneca, SC 29672

Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 3, Education Coordinator
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

To see a complete listing of events, please click the title above.

Brain Implants May Help Stroke Patients Overcome Partial Paralysis

ScienceDaily (Nov. 13, 2008) — Scientists have shown for the first time that neuroprosthetic brain implants may be able to help stroke patients with partial paralysis.

Researchers found that implants known as brain-computer interfaces (BCI) may be able to detect activity on one side of the brain that is linked to hand and arm movements on the same side of the body. They hope to use these signals to guide motorized assistance mechanisms that restore mobility in partially paralyzed limbs.

Partial paralysis on one side of the body results from stroke damage to the opposite side of the brain. This fits with the conventional model of how the brain controls movement, which says signals in one half of the brain control the opposite half of the body .

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FREE Training This Thursday: Microsoft XP Accessibility Options - Charleston

Microsoft XP Accessibility Options & Access Supports

Thursday, November 20, 2008
9:30 am - 12:30 pm

Charleston Regional Technology Center
1870 Wallace School Road
Charleston, SC

Presenter: Stacy Springer, MS, OTR/L, ATP, Assistive Technology
Specialist, SC Department of Education

Learn all the accessibility options built into Microsoft & Windows XP!
This hands-on computer lab session will include features built into the
computer as well as some additional free access supports. This session
will not cover Windows Vista, only XP. The training is in a computer
lab, so no food or drink please.

Cost: Free! This class has a maximum of 15 participants.

To register for this workshop:
Email Stacy Springer at sspringer@ed.sc.gov or call (843) 766-2048

Multiple Sclerosis: In The War Against Diseases, Nerve Cells Need Their Armor

ScienceDaily (Nov. 14, 2008) — In a new study, researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McGill University, and the Université de Montréal have discovered an essential mechanism for the maintenance of the normal structure of myelin, the protective covering that insulates and supports nerve cells (neurons). Up until now, very little was known about myelin maintenance.

This new information provides vital insight into diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and other progressive demyelinating diseases in which myelin is destroyed, causing irreversible damage and disrupting the nerve cells' ability to transmit messages. The research, published recently in the Journal of Neuroscience, is the first to identify a role for the protein netrin-1, previously characterized only in the developing nervous system, with this critical function in the adult nervous system.

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Riken Researchers Make Brain Tissues from Stem Cells

Japanese researchers said Thursday they had created functioning human brain tissues from stem cells, a world first that has raised new hopes for the treatment of disease. Stem cells taken from human embryos have been used to form tissues of the cerebral cortex, the supreme control tower of the brain, according to researchers at the government-backed research institute Riken.

The research was led by Yoshiki Sasai at Riken Center for Development Biology in Kobe.

The tissues self-organized into four distinct zones very similar to the structure seen in human fetuses, and conducted neuro-activity such as transmitting electrical signals, the institute said.

Research on stem cells is seen as having the potential to save lives by helping to find cures for diseases such as cancer and diabetes or to replace damaged cells, tissues and organs.

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Film looks at disability perceptions, reality

Portland News-If you had to have a disability, which one would you choose?

That's the question posed by the documentary "Disabled Lives," directed by four Portland-area teens as part of Film Action Oregon's Project Youth Doc.

"We interviewed people all over the city — Waterfront Park, Hollywood Theatre, Pioneer Square, OHSU, Grant Park," says Nate Higby, one of the filmmakers. "Most of the people we asked were willing to talk with us, but a lot of them had trouble answering that question."

One young man in the film responds, "I don't want any disabilities." Another, after stalling, says he would choose the one that is "the least visible."

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Brain Implants May Help Stroke Patients Overcome Partial Paralysis

ScienceDaily (Nov. 11, 2008) — Scientists have shown for the first time that neuroprosthetic brain implants may be able to help stroke patients with partial paralysis.

Researchers found that implants known as brain-computer interfaces (BCI) may be able to detect activity on one side of the brain that is linked to hand and arm movements on the same side of the body. They hope to use these signals to guide motorized assistance mechanisms that restore mobility in partially paralyzed limbs.

Partial paralysis on one side of the body results from stroke damage to the opposite side of the brain. This fits with the conventional model of how the brain controls movement, which says signals in one half of the brain control the opposite half of the body. That model led scientists to assume that stroke damage would make it impossible for BCIs to pick up any useful movement control signals from the brain and restore function in the body's paralyzed half.

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Can Vitamins And Minerals Prevent Hearing Loss?

ScienceDaily (Nov. 10, 2008) — About 10 million people in the United States alone—from troops returning from war to students with music blasting through headphones—are suffering from impairing noise-induced hearing loss.

The rising trend is something that researchers and physicians at the University of Michigan Kresge Hearing Research Institute are hoping to reverse, with a cocktail of vitamins and the mineral magnesium that has shown promise as a possible way to prevent hearing loss caused by loud noises. The nutrients were successful in laboratory tests, and now researchers are testing whether humans will benefit as well.

The prevention of noise induced hearing loss is key," says Glenn E. Green, M.D., assistant professor of otolaryngology at the U-M Health System and director of the U-M Children's Hearing Laboratory.

"When we can't prevent noise-induced hearing loss through screening programs and use of hearing protection, then we really need to come up with some way of protecting people who are still going to have noise exposure. My hope is that this medication will give people a richer, fuller life."

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Autism Gene Linked to Childhood Language Disorder

LONDON (Reuters) – A gene linked to autism may also play a role in the most common childhood language disorder, researchers said on Wednesday, perhaps explaining why some children develop language difficulties.

"This is the first time anyone has pinpointed a specific gene that is involved in common forms of language impairments," University of Oxford geneticist and Wellcome Trust researcher Simon Fisher, who led the study, said in a telephone interview.

The condition known as specific language impairment affects an estimated 2-7 percent of pre-school children and is as common as dyslexia, Fisher said.

The starting point for the study was a different gene called FOXP2 that regulates other genes and appears to play a role in a severe but rare form of speech and language disorder.

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Head Injury in Young Kids May Predict ADHD Diagnosis

THURSDAY, Nov. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Very young children who sustain a head injury may be more likely to be diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) later, researchers report.

The head injury is not a cause of ADHD, but rather a result of excessive risk-taking, according to the paper published in the Nov. 8 online edition of the British Medical Journal.

"There have been studies done that link moderate to severe traumatic brain injury in older children to ADHD," said lead researcher Dr. Heather Keenan, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. "There has been some suggestion that mild traumatic brain injury could also be linked to ADHD."

The researchers wanted to know whether or not head injury that occurs before the age of 2 might cause ADHD. A diagnosis of ADHD cannot be made before that age, Keenan noted.

"It is hard to figure this out, because we don't know whether or not the kids would have gone on to develop ADHD regardless of the head injury," Keenan said.

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Brain Injury Repair? Damaged Nerves Regenerated By Silencing Natural Growth Inhibitors In Neurons

ScienceDaily (Nov. 7, 2008) — Silencing natural growth inhibitors may make it possible to regenerate nerves damaged by brain or spinal cord injury, finds a study from Children's Hospital Boston. In a mouse study published in the November 7 issue of Science, researchers temporarily silenced genes that prevent mature neurons from regenerating, and caused them to recover and re-grow vigorously after damage.

Because injured neurons cannot regenerate, there is currently no treatment for spinal cord or brain injury, says Zhigang He, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology at Children's and senior author on the paper. Previous studies that looked at removing inhibitory molecules from the neurons' environment, including some from He's own lab, have found only modest effects on nerve recovery. But now He's team, in collaboration with Mustafa Sahin, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Children's, demonstrates that re-growth is primarily regulated from within the cells themselves.

"We knew that on completion of development, cells stop growing due to genetic mechanisms that prevent overgrowth," explains He. "We thought that this kind of mechanism might also prevent regeneration after injury."

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Multiple Sclerosis Progression Can Be Predicted With MRI

ScienceDaily (Nov. 6, 2008) — A new study published in Journal of Neuroimaging shows that MRI scans used on multiple sclerosis (MS) patients to determine if the disease has affected gray matter in the brain can identify those at-risk for progression of disability.

MS affects approximately 400,000 people in the United States and as many as 2.5 million worldwide. It is the most common cause of progressive disability in young adults. While the cause of the disease remains unknown, it is characterized by damage to the covering over the nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord, or to the nerve fiber itself.

In an attempt to understand the causes of disease progression, researchers at the Partners MS Center, led by Dr. Rohit Bakshi and his team, have developed new ways to detect gray matter damage.

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Is ADHD More Likely To Affect Movement In Boys Or Girls?

ScienceDaily (Nov. 5, 2008) — Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) appears to affect movement in boys more than it does in girls, according to a new study. ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders found in children. Symptoms include impulsiveness, hyperactivity, such as not being able to sit still, and inattention or constant daydreaming. Few studies have been done that compare ADHD and movement in both boys and girls.

Researchers tested the movement abilities of 132 boys and girls with ADHD and 136 without the disorder. The children were between the ages of seven and 15 years and were tested for how fast and how well they could tap their toes, walk on their heels, maintain balance and keep a steady rhythm during a task compared to scores typical for their age.

The study found that girls with ADHD and the control group of children without ADHD were twice as likely to be able to control their movements for their age compared to boys with ADHD, who showed continued difficulties.

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Autism Linked with Rainfall in Study

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Children who live in the U.S. Northwest's wettest counties are more likely to have autism, but it is unclear why, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.

Michael Waldman of Cornell University and colleagues were searching for an environmental link with autism, a condition characterized by learning and social disabilities.

They got autism rates from state and county agencies for children born in California, Oregon and Washington between 1987 and 1999 and plotted them against daily precipitation reports.

"Autism prevalence rates for school-aged children in California, Oregon and Washington in 2005 were positively related to the amount of precipitation these counties received from 1987 through 2001," they wrote in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

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Interferon Could Be A Key To Preventing Or Treating Multiple Sclerosis

ScienceDaily (Nov. 1, 2008) — Multiple sclerosis (MS) results when the body's own defense system attacks nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. Now scientists led by John Russell, Ph.D., at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that interferon-gamma plays a deciding role in whether immune cells attack and injure the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) in mice.

Interferon-gamma is an immune system protein that helps the body defend itself from invaders. In their latest research, which appeared in the October issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, the researchers show that interferon-gamma determined whether activated immune cells — previously primed to go after nerve cells — would actually cause nerve damage in experimental mice.

The researchers found that in the cerebellums and brainstems of the mice, interferon-gamma was protective. However, in the spinal cord, interferon-gamma had the opposite effect, permitting nerve cell damage.

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