PRESS RELEASE FROM NATURE MEDICINE
(http://www.nature.com/naturemedicine)
VOL.15 NO.5 DATED MAY 2009
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Improving access: High-tech tools empower researchers with disabilities
The laboratory can present unpleasant challenges for researchers working with physical disabilities. Some scientists struggle with workspaces that are too high to access from a wheelchair, while others must cope with testing equipment that is difficult to run without sight. A news feature published this week in Nature Medicine explores how researchers are using high-tech solutions to overcome these types of challenges.
For instance, researchers have adapted the type of lasers used in security systems to help visually impaired scientists measure when a beaker is filled to the proper level. Similarly, as a way of creating representations of biological molecules for blind researchers, a printing tool makes three-dimensional wax models of molecular structures from computer designs. Other innovations that are helping scientists with disabilities include a robotic wheelchair that can make the lab bench more accessible.
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