A drawing book for digital eyes

Looking at book covers may not tell you everything, but they do tell you something. A collection of leather-bound ‘how to draw’ books of the nineteen twenties exudes confidence, the expertise of the masters handed down. The titles indicate attention to technique, referring to ‘pencil drawing’, ‘lead pencil drawing’, or ‘pen and ink’, and speak of the ‘art’ of drawing. Some of these had been in print for fifty years. There are idealised classical figures, nature studies, but also stirrings of a more liberal approach. By the nineteen forties and fifties the books are less formal, less symmetrical, and more Do-It-Yourself: ‘I wish I could draw’, ‘Drawing at Home’, ’The Natural Way to Draw’, ‘Drawing Without a Master’. Some are slim volumes running in series devoted to subjects such as ships, cats, trees, even tanks. You draw the world around you

An Assistive Technology Manual to Enhance Occupations During Stages of ALS: A Manual for Occupational Therapists and Caregivers

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to develop a manual for occupational therapists and caregivers that provides assistive technology suggestions to address the needs of an individual with ALS at each stage of the disease. Methods: An extensive literature review was completed on ALS and assistive technology to examine the effects of ALS, course of progression of the disease, variations of the disease, and signs and symptoms. Multiple online databases were utilized including: CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, Academic Search Premier, Google Scholar, and OT search. Further literature reviewed included current assistive technology individuals with ALS found useful related to communication, mobility, and leisure engagement. Results: The ALS assistive technology manual was created based on the Ecology of Human Performance Model of Occupational Performance for OT practitioners. The product, Assistive Technology to Enhance Occupations during Stages of ALS, provides the OT and caregiver with information related to ALS and the progression of the disease throughout the areas of communication, mobility, home modification, and leisure engagement. Conclusion: The manual was created for practicing occupational therapists, other members of the health care team, and caretakers of individuals with ALS. The manual is not inclusive of all assistive technology (AT) options throughout the areas of communication, mobility, home modifications, and leisure engagement, but provides a comprehensive list of common and researched AT to increase performance range within the individual

The impact of freedom on fertility decline.

Although fertility decline often correlates with improvements in socioeconomic conditions, many demographers have found flaws in demographic transition theories that depend on changes in distal factors such as increased wealth or education. Human beings worldwide engage in sexual intercourse much more frequently than is needed to conceive the number of children they want, and for women who do not have access to the information and means they need to separate sex from childbearing, the default position is a large family. In many societies, male patriarchal drives to control female reproduction give rise to unnecessary medical rules constraining family planning (including safe abortion) or justifying child marriage. Widespread misinformation about contraception makes women afraid to adopt modern family planning. The barriers to family planning can be so deeply infused that for many women the idea of managing their fertility is not considered an option. Conversely, there is evidence that once family planning is introduced into a society, then it is normal consumer behaviour for individuals to welcome a new technology they had not wanted until it became realistically available. We contend that in societies free from child marriage, wherever women have access to a range of contraceptive methods, along with correct information and backed up by safe abortion, family size will always fall. Education and wealth can make the adoption of family planning easier, but they are not prerequisites for fertility decline. By contrast, access to family planning itself can accelerate economic development and the spread of education

Idaho v. Youmans Clerk\u27s Record Dckt. 42795

https://digitalcommons.law.uidaho.edu/idaho_supreme_court_record_briefs/6950/thumbnail.jp

Test Proctors Share All: Stories From The Frontlines of Testing

A compilation of test proctor stories from testing centers around the United States and across the globe. Proctors reveal the day to day realities of being on the frontlines of test fraud mitigation in an ever increasing digitally shareable society

People with dementia playing casual games on a tablet

Objective: Preserving clients’ quality of life (QoL) has become increasingly important in dementia care. Engagement in pleasant and meaningful activities may influence this QoL. We studied people with dementia’s experiences and views of independent tablet games in a practice-based study, conducted at two day-care centres and five small-scale living facilities for people with dementia in the city of Rotterdam. Method: The participants were 54 clients (24 men, 30 women; mean age 83 years) who participated in a total of 177 game-playing sessions. Ten existing iPad games and three new game prototypes were evaluated. Written informed consent was obtained from the clients or the clients’ representatives prior to the study. Data collection included epidemiological and game playing characteristics. Observers took note of the specific game(s) offered, the clients’ mood and engagement, and the duration of game playing. Immediately after each participant finished playing,a short 4-question interview was conducted to discover their opinion on the game. The participants’ answers were recorded verbatim. Qualitative content analysis was used to explore their experiences and views of the games. Results: This study revealed positive experiences related to people’s need for achievement, self-esteem, sense of connection and belonging, identity, having something to do, and admiration for the game. Negative experiences included failure (low self-esteem), annoyance and a sense of insecurity. Conclusions: This study shows there is potential for people with dementia to play casual games on a tablet as a pleasant and meaningful activity. It is important, however that there is a match between the game, the touchscreen skills of the person with dementia, and their ambitions or interests. It is challenging to find the right game for the right person. An interactive tool to support the choice of the game that is most suitable and a database of dementia-friendly tablet games may support the use of these games by people with dementia, in health care organisations as well as at home