Changing What's Possible: The Disability Innovation Podcast

It's estimated that anywhere from 75-90% of people with cerebral palsy (CP) have vision problems, and research aimed at better understanding vision in people with CP could help improve care and quality of life for these individuals. To wrap up our third season, Dr. Marie McNeely hosts this Research Roundup episode featuring three recent studies examining aspects of vision in people with CP. These...

Substantial and growing evidence supports the wide-ranging benefits of physical activity, but cerebral palsy (CP) and other disabilities can affect how a person engages in physical activity and what activities they should do to maximize their benefits. In this Research Roundup episode, Dr. Marie McNeely talks about three new studies that focused on physical activity in people with CP. The results...

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...

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 pa...

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 wi...

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...

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 sh...

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...

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...

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 s...

Finding accessible housing or making your current home more accessible can be difficult, and navigating the process of getting permits and renovating to improve accessibility can be complicated and expensive. Sudden needs for accessible housing are a particular problem for many people with spinal cord injury, progressive diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), or other conditions that impact mobili...

Living an active lifestyle has wide-ranging benefits, including better mental and physical health. However, people with physical disabilities experience unique obstacles, and it can be difficult to decide which adaptive activities are right for you. The Kelly Brush Foundation is dedicated to inspiring and empowering people with spinal cord injuries to lead active and engaged lives. Through the Act...

If you feel daunted by your never-ending task lists and have struggled trying to use a range of different solutions at work — from notebooks and spreadsheets to sophisticated project management tools — you're not alone. Most work environments and project management tools aren't designed to meet the needs of people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, autism, and other co...

Telehealth and virtual reality (VR) approaches have the potential to transform healthcare for people with disabilities who often face barriers in receiving the care they need. In our latest Research Roundup episode, we highlight three recent papers that examine these two approaches. One study focused on the development and evaluation of a new exercise program for children with cerebral palsy (CP)...

Martyn Sibley is on a mission to create a more inclusive world, and his work as an entrepreneur has involved building communities, making it easier to find accessible accommodations, curating and sharing relevant disability-related information and stories, and increasing disabled representation in the content and media we see every day. With co-founder Srin Madipalli, Martyn launched a disability...

Getting dressed is an everyday task that many people with disabilities dread because finding clothes and shoes that look good and meet your needs can be a major challenge. No one should have to sacrifice independence, comfort, or style to find fashion that works for you. This episode features three startup companies that are making waves to make apparel more fun and functional to meet the needs of...

Imagine what you could accomplish if you could walk farther, go faster, and use less energy. For people with mobility-related disabilities, making this a reality with assistive technology would be transformative. In our first season (episode 5), we introduced you to Biomotum, a startup company dedicated to developing life-changing robotic orthotics to improve mobility for disabled people who walk....

Researchers and innovators are creating novel technologies that address unmet needs, improve function, and enhance quality of life for people with disabilities. This short Research Roundup episode features three recent studies that highlight the development and evaluation of new technology-based interventions for people with CP and other disabilities, including a customized 4-D printed hand orthos...

Millions of people around the world navigate their daily lives with low or no vision, and this can be particularly challenging when their environments aren't accessible. Common tasks like doing laundry or buying something online could be made much easier if they could — even just for a moment — see what's in front of them. Be My Eyes meets this need by connecting people with low or no vision to si...

Scientists around the world are continuing to make important advances in research that could improve the lives of people with cerebral palsy (CP) and other disabilities. In this short Research Roundup episode, host Dr. Marie McNeely talks about four recent studies focused on diagnosing CP and other conditions, as well as predicting outcomes. These papers examine new diagnostic approaches being dev...

As the fields of robotics and engineering advance, the utility of robots is no longer limited to performing simple, repetitive tasks. However, for physical robotics to be useful in real-world situations, they must be able to perform in variable and unstructured environments, as well as take into account the needs and characteristics of each individual user. This is particularly important for assis...

Whether you're planning to go to an event or even just catch up with friends over a cup of coffee, you shouldn't have to worry about whether or not there will be a bathroom available that meets your needs. Even if public bathrooms comply with all of the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design, they can still be difficult or impossible to use for people with cerebral palsy a...

For many families, a child's cerebral palsy (CP) diagnosis is made around two years of age or even later. But diagnosing cerebral palsy earlier allows clinicians to take advantage of critical developmental periods during the first two years of life. During this time, a baby's brain rapidly develops, and brain activity and pathways are shaped by their experiences. Starting interventions during crit...

Jocelyn Cohen, Vice President of Education at Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation (CPARF), and Molly Lazarus, Director of Remarkable US, are featured in this introductory episode for season three of Changing What's Possible: The Disability Innovation Podcast. They share exciting updates from CPARF and Remarkable, and they explore the new types of episodes that we'll feature in season three...

Cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, and other neurological conditions can impact how information travels from your brain to other parts of your body. SpineX, a startup company in our 2023 Remarkable US Accelerator Program, develops noninvasive solutions that use painless electrical stimulation to change the nervous system's activity to improve function and enhance quality of life. In this episode,...