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Rep. Giffords' recovery includes the iPad
As reported by Reuters earlier today, the ongoing recovery and rehabilitation of wounded Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has progressed very well since the tragic and deadly assault at her event 12 days ago. Dr. Michael Lemole, the chief of neurology at Tucson's University Medical Center, noted that Giffords has demonstrated several key skills: "She is beginning to stand with assistance, she is scrolling through an iPad -- these are all fantastic advances for her. They do show higher cognitive function," he said. While it's certainly possible to frame Dr. Lemole's reference to the iPad as merely an example of the sort of thing Giffords and other brain trauma patients are able to attempt in the days and weeks after their injuries, the other side of the story is that the iPad has quietly begun to turn the world of assistive/adaptive technology -- specialized software, hardware and medical devices aimed at improving function and quality of life for people with disabilities or challenges -- on its head.
