Changing What's Possible: The Disability Innovation Podcast

Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation
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Changing What's Possible: The Disability Innovation Podcast

This podcast introduces you to cutting-edge science, technology, and innovation that make real-life impacts on people with disabilities. Companies and individuals around the world are creating new products and improving the accessibility and affordability of technology to facilitate mobility, communication, and participation in everyday life. As part of its focus on technology and innovation, Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation (CPARF) runs the Remarkable US program — part of the global Remarkable program founded and run by Australia's Cerebral Palsy Alliance. Through its work, CPARF supports the development of new assistive devices and accessible technology to improve the lives of people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities. During our seasons, you’ll hear from entrepreneurs and experts who help bring life-changing products to the market, people with disabilities who share their valuable perspectives and lived experience using these innovations each day, and additional prominent voices in the disability community. Listen and subscribe to learn more about how you or someone you care about can benefit from today’s latest advances in disability tech.

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    Feel the Rush of Action-Packed Parasports with the Game Phenoms from Big Karma

    Adaptive sports are filled with thrilling moments and jaw-dropping athletic feats from amazing athletes. But these sports and the phenomenal athletes who are at the top of their game remain a relatively untapped source for game developers. Pascal Clarysse kicks off this episode by sharing more about Big Karma, one of the startup companies in the 2024 Remarkable US Accelerator Program. As a founder of Big Karma, Pascal is passionate about gaming and dedicated to improving representation of disabled people in gaming and entertainment. Their flagship game, Phenoms, features a diverse group of real-life Paralympic athletes who leverage their disabilities to win. Later, you’ll hear from Matt Scott, a five-time Paralympic athlete and two-time Paralympic Gold Medalist for Team USA Wheelchair Basketball. Matt is also an Olympics/Paralympics Presenter for NBC and Executive Director of Fly Without Limits, a global disability empowerment organization. He’s had a chance to play the game Phenoms from Big Karma and is one of the playable characters in the game as well. Matt shares how becoming a character in this game has been a dream come true, and how the game has the potential to shatter stereotypes and change people’s perceptions of disabilities.

    56 min

  2. NOV 8

    Research Roundup: Postural Differences May Impact Pain and Other Aspects of CP

    The separate parts of our body are connected, and problems in one area can affect other aspects of our physical and mental health. Researchers are working to better understand the relationships between different symptoms of cerebral palsy (CP) and the impacts these symptoms can have on the everyday lives of people with CP. In this Research Roundup, Dr. Marie McNeely discusses three new research papers that examined relationships between posture and other aspects of CP like pain, balance, and quality of life. These studies investigated postural asymmetry, spine and pelvis alignment, and rib-on-pelvis deformity in people with CP, and their results provide valuable data to inform treatment approaches and future research. CPARF’s Vice President of Education, Jocelyn Cohen, also discusses why results from these new studies matter for people with CP.    The studies featured in this episode weren’t funded by CPARF, but they represent other interesting, innovative work that scientists are doing in the CP research space.    Links to the abstracts of the studies featured in this episode: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38608553/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38632183/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39325331/

    9 min

  3. NOV 1

    Understanding the Healthcare Needs and Research Priorities of Adults with CP with Cristina Sarmiento, MD

    The majority of people living with cerebral palsy (CP) today are adults, and more research is finally being done to better understand the unique healthcare risks and needs of adults with CP. However, many gaps remain in both research and healthcare for adults with CP. Dr. Cristina Sarmiento is a clinician and researcher who focuses on the transition from pediatric to adult healthcare for adults with lifelong disabilities, particularly CP, with the ultimate goal of promoting overall health, well-being, and quality of life across the lifespan.    She is part of a team of researchers investigating research priorities for adults with CP. In this episode, Cristina discusses a CPARF-funded research project she and the team are working on through a strategic partnership with the CP Research Network. This project is critical for ensuring that future research will address the needs of the CP community. Cristina is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

    45 min

  4. OCT 25

    Research Roundup: New Studies to Support Lifelong Management of CP

    About 18 million people worldwide have cerebral palsy (CP). CP’s impacts span a person’s whole lifetime and will likely change with age. Thankfully, more recent research has been aimed at better understanding important issues related to managing CP throughout adulthood. This Research Roundup with Dr. Marie McNeely features three new research papers in this area.  They examine important factors for people with more involved CP to consider when transitioning from assisted to independent living, functional decline in adults with CP living in the community, and dealing with and managing falls. Jocelyn Cohen, CPARF’s Vice President of Education also joined the conversation to share why these new studies matter for people with CP.    The studies featured in this episode weren’t funded by CPARF, but they represent other interesting, innovative work that scientists are doing in the CP research space.    Links to the abstracts of the studies featured in this episode: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38591970/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38433033/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38994847/

    11 min

  5. OCT 18

    Opening Doors for Greater Accessibility with We Hear You

    Technology can make it easier for people with disabilities to access and engage with their communities, and We Hear You is dedicated to building a world with diversity and inclusion as the foundation of innovation. In this episode, you’ll hear from Pierre Paul and Ashley Schreck. Pierre is Founder and CEO of We Hear You, a startup company in our 2024 Remarkable US Accelerator Program.    Pierre shares the story of how the company began, the sign-language interpreter that got them started in disability tech, and their latest products, which focus on increasing accessibility by making it easier for people with disabilities to open doors and enter spaces. The Hero Door Opener can make virtually any door open automatically, and the Push Fob puts the power of opening automatic doors in your hands. This means you can say goodbye to struggling with wall-mounted push plates for automatic doors.    Ashley joins us for the second half of the episode to talk about her experiences using products from We Hear You. As the Director of Marketing at EP!C, Ashley and her team partnered with We Hear You to test their products and provide feedback.

    48 min

  6. OCT 11

    Paralympian Jeff Butler Shares Innovations in Accessibility Solutions From the 2024 Games

    Tremendous progress has been made in the development of technology and other innovations to support people with disabilities and make the world more accessible, but we still have a long way to go. The Paralympic Games have been a key driver of innovation and are changing the way that people perceive disabilities and assistive technologies. In this episode, you’ll hear from Paralympic athlete Jeff Butler, a member of the USA Wheelchair Rugby Team and a three-time Paralympian. Jeff and his teammates took home the silver medal in the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, the 2020 Games in Tokyo, and the 2024 Games in Paris. He shares his story and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at accessibility and assistive technology from his experiences during the recent 2024 Paralympic Games, including mobility aids, adaptive clothing, and more.

    15 min

  7. OCT 4

    Changing Clinical Care to Better Treat Pain for People with CP — With Dr. Amy Bailes and Dr. Mary Gannotti

    The vast majority of people with cerebral palsy (CP) experience chronic pain throughout their life. Even though this pain is incredibly common, it’s often not adequately treated or managed in regular clinical care. Pain treatment delays can lead to more severe pain or other health problems later on. To improve how clinicians treat pain, it’s essential for them to regularly screen patients for pain, classify what type(s) of pain someone has, and measure changes in pain over time.   In this episode, Dr. Amy Bailes and Dr. Mary Gannotti discuss their ongoing CPARF-funded research focused on improving the quality of care for adults with cerebral palsy who experience pain. Amy is a physical therapist and Associate Professor in the Department of Allied Health at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati. She is also Director of Quality improvement with the Cerebral Palsy Research Network. Mary is a physical therapist and Professor at the University of Hartford and performs clinical research with the Cerebral Palsy Research Network. She is also co-chair of the CP Research Network’s Adult Study Group.

    47 min

  8. SEP 27

    Research Roundup: New Insights on Surgical Interventions and Medications for CP

    For years, surgeries and medications have been used to manage different symptoms that people with cerebral palsy (CP) experience. As new surgical approaches are developed, new medications become available, and new data are collected on the effects of these treatments, clinical care continues to evolve. Hosted by Dr. Marie McNeely, this Research Roundup covers three recently published papers that share updates on surgical interventions and medications for managing symptoms of CP. The papers examined how hamstring lengthening surgery may impact pelvic tilt during walking in adults with CP, trends in the timing of hip surgery for children with CP, and updated clinical recommendations for treating dystonia in individuals who have CP. Jocelyn Cohen, CPARF’s Vice President of Education, also discussed why this new research matters for people with CP. The research included in this episode wasn’t funded by CPARF, but the papers describe other interesting, innovative work that scientists are doing in the CP research space.    Links to the abstracts of the studies featured in this episode: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38935848/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38572177/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38640091/

    10 min
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4.7
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

This podcast introduces you to cutting-edge science, technology, and innovation that make real-life impacts on people with disabilities. Companies and individuals around the world are creating new products and improving the accessibility and affordability of technology to facilitate mobility, communication, and participation in everyday life. As part of its focus on technology and innovation, Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation (CPARF) runs the Remarkable US program — part of the global Remarkable program founded and run by Australia's Cerebral Palsy Alliance. Through its work, CPARF supports the development of new assistive devices and accessible technology to improve the lives of people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities. During our seasons, you’ll hear from entrepreneurs and experts who help bring life-changing products to the market, people with disabilities who share their valuable perspectives and lived experience using these innovations each day, and additional prominent voices in the disability community. Listen and subscribe to learn more about how you or someone you care about can benefit from today’s latest advances in disability tech.

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