PWD-E AKO! : ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES' EMPOWERMENT

Long before assistive devices for people with disabilities were invented, most people with disabilities found it hard to go out, mingle and socialize. Historically, they have been experiencing isolations and limitations from engaging and enjoying the privileges of an abled bodied individual. 

"About 15% of the world's population have some form of disability and difficulty." (World Health Organization, 2012) 

Disability according to World Health Organization is the result of both physical and social condition of a person. Surprisingly, not only physical impairments were qualified as disability but also social conditions such as poverty and sexism.

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Recently people with disabilities have started going out of their shells and engaging in their communities as well as in the larger group most especially during the boom of the world wide web which enable them to engage without the need to go out and travel. Audio books, talking computers and cell phones, scanners for the visually impaired many other more assistive devices have been taking its posts and were invented in order to address the needs of people with disabilities.

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Also, technology helped them to organize themselves. According to a study by Sarah Harris and her colleagues, advocacy and technology are two core strategies used by the disability community to advance the rights of people with disabilities. They added that these adaptive technology is important in the inclusion of people with disabilities in the society and for them to enhance their abilities to involve themselves indecision making process most especially in politics and policy making. However, though technology seem very helpful, it can also serve as additional barrier towards achieving an inclusive, barrier free environement due to its costs and lack of education as well as inaccessibility of its features. (Harries et al.,2012)

Therefore in order to utilize the full potential of the technology as well as the persons with disability, equal access to advanced technology must be pushed forwards to weaken the isolation and disempowerment and increase the opportunities for PWDs to enjoy a barrier free life and become involved and engaged. To quote Harris and her colleagues (2012):

“Creating equal access to advanced technology for all people will help weaken the digital divide and increase opportunities for individuals with disabilities to become involved in policymaking processes.”

INCLUSION IS THE KEY TO EMPOWERMENT.

[Mariecar Reyes]

REFERENCES

Harris, S.P., Owen, R., & De Ruiter, C. (2012). Civic Engagement and People with Disabilities: The Role of Advocacy and Technology, Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, 5(1), 70-83.World Health Organization (2011). World report on disability. Retrieved from http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789240685215_eng.pdf

World Health Organization.(2012). Disability and Health Key facts. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs352/en/index.html

National Statistics Office. (2013) Persons with Disability in the Philippines (Results from the    2010 Census).  Retrieved last March 10, 2014 from    http://www.census.gov.ph/content/persons-disability-philippines-results-2010-census

Image sources:

https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=hearing+aids&tbm=isch&bih=563&biw=1366&cad=b&cad=cbv&sei=-CAfU833IIqUiAfO3oCoDA#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=U7BpZUep3G2gEM%253A%3BKoINfNLL-a0NmM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.olshf.org%252Fstorage%252Fhearing.aid.jpg%253F__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION%253D1265412255747%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.olshf.org%252Fassistance-eyeglasses hearing%252F%3B1694%3B1133

https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=hearing+aids&tbm=isch&bih=563&biw=1366&cad=b&cad=cbv&sei=UCEfU_a5DIKwiAeJ_4FI#q=audio+books&tbm=isch&facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=PbSRjx-P6cRbcM%253A%3B_zMqje1NsiOL0M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fassisted-living.benchmarkseniorliving.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2012%252F09%252FiStock_000016177772Medium.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fassisted-living.benchmarkseniorliving.com%252Faudiobooks-seniors%252F%3B1200%3B1600

ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE?

 The Science of Love

How do you know if you are in love or you are just lusting on someone?

Most of us have crushes or that person to whom we are attracted

 to but not all of us feel romantically in love…

How is that feeling formed?

What is that “L” word that makes the world go round?

It is L-O-V-E.

Love is the greatest feeling of all according to slum books at the very least. But this feeling made life sustainable, it recreates life. With some chemicals responsible, this kind of feeling together with excitement, sadness and any other feelings are made possible.

We cannot really predict or plan who you will fall in love with but most of us says “may chemistry kayo”, is it really possible that love do have a chemistry component?

According to Helen Fisher (cited by youramazingbrain.org) of Rutgers University and Dr. Portia Sabido of UP Diliman, a guest speaker in our STS class who talked about the Chemistry of Love, There are 3 stages of love, all driven by specific hormones and chemicals in the human body: Lust, Attraction and Commitment.

1.      LUST is basically, the first stage where the feeling is driven by sex hormones particularly Testosterone for men and Estrogen for women.

2.    ATTRACTION is the stage which involves the feeling of being love struck. Scientists speculate that Adrenaline, Dopamine and Serotonin are the chemicals responsible for this stage.

3. ATTACHMENT/COMMITMENT

According to Helen Fisher, attachment stage is the phase where in the bond between the couple is formed that keeps relationship strong for a long time. Scientists think there might be “two major hormones involved in this feeling of attachment; oxytocin and vasopressin”.

ADDITIONAL FACT:

OXYTOCIN - The “cuddle” hormone

Oxytocin is a powerful hormone released by men and women during orgasm. It is also the hormone responsible for mother and baby bonding. Probably, Oxytocin also increases the feeling of being attached to each other.

References:

The Science of Love. Retrieved last March 4, 2014 from  http://www.youramazingbrain.org/lovesex/sciencelove.htm

The Science of Love & Matchmaking. Retrieved last March 4, 2014 from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/01/02/the-science-of-love-matchmaking/
Image sources:
https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=hearing+aids&tbm=isch&bih=563&biw=1366&cad=b&cad=cbv&sei=UCEfU_a5DIKwiAeJ_4FI#q=couple+in+long+term+committment&tbm=isch&facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=-FSClzggixDI8M%253A%3BuiLfZrHApKtxLM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fmichaelhyatt.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2012%252F09%252FiStock_000018795852Small-575x382.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fmichaelhyatt.com%252F025-4-commitments-for-building-a-successful-long-term-marriage-podcast.html%3B575%3B382

Corn Ethanol: The Eco-Friendly Fuel

            Ever since the discovery of fossil fuels, we are still constantly looking alternative sources of energy. Now that fossil fuels become harder to obtain, the need for alternative or renewable sources of energy becomes much more urgent. However, these sources of energy may have harmful effects to our environment such as greenhouse gas emissions. Enter corn ethanol.

            Corn ethanol is ethanol produced from corn that is used as a biomass. It is produced by a process of ethanol fermentation and distillation wherein the corn grain is milled, then mixed with water to create a “mash.” Enzymes are then added to the mash and this mixture is cooked to hydrolyze the starch into glucose sugars. The yeast then ferments these sugars into ethanol and is purified through a combination of distillation and molecular sieve dehydration to create the fuel ethanol.

            What are the favorable effects of corn ethanol? For one, corn-based ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 18% to 29% per mile traveled compared to petroleum-based fuels. Using corn ethanol will definitely reduce the greenhouse gases being emitted by vehicles and is a step in the right direction in saving the environment. Another good effect brought about by corn ethanol is that is is biodegradable. Since the ethanol is made with organic materials, it is highly biodegradable, making unfortunate events like spills far less worrisome as compared to petroleum spills. When spilled, 74% of the ethanol is already broken down within 5 days. Last but certainly not the least, the process of producing corn ethanols yields usable by-products. Two of these are carbon-dioxide and DDGS (Dried Distillers Gains with Solubles) which are usable in other industries. The carbon-dioxide can be captured for use in the food and beverage industry while the DDGS can be used for cattle feed or further broken down to extra corn oil, and for food or biodiesel production uses.

            By using corn ethanol instead of using petroleum-based or fossil fuels, we will begin to decrease the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Although it is already being mass-produced, it has yet to make a significant impact in our society as we continue to consume fuel sources which we are used to using but the least we can do is accept this with open arms for the betterment of our environment and our world.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_ethanol

http://greenthefuture.com/ETHANOL_PROSCONS.html

Image Source:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampentland/2012/07/28/the-coming-food-crisis-blame-ethanol/

[By: Gian Fernando]