We carried out a randomized controlled trial in Bogotá, the recipient of Colombia's highest number of internally displaced people (IDP), to assess whether the use of SMS to communicate eligibility to social benefits fosters the welfare of victimized internal refugees. Only a fraction of IDP are eligible to benefits. We inform eligibility via SMS to a random half of such households, and estimate...

T elimination of health disparities in the United States is a national priority and overriding goal for Healthy People 2010 (HP 2010). Surveillance of health indicators among minority populations is essential to eliminating disparities. Surveillance is critical for program planning, policy making, evaluating population-based strategies, and tracking progress toward national and state objectives.

In this paper, the implementation of Finger-Braille interfaces for navigation of Deaf-Blind people and the ubiquitous environment for barrier-free application are described. Finger-Braille is one of the commonly used communication methods among Deaf-Blind people in Japan. Two types of Finger-Braille devices, the vibration motor type and the solenoid type, are developed. Each device is connected...

PURPOSE To estimate prevalence and number of people visually impaired or blind due to cataract. METHODS Based on the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2010 and ongoing literature research, we examined how many people were affected by moderate to severe vision impairment (MSVI; presenting visual acuity <6/18, ≥3/60) and blindness (presenting visual acuity <3/60) due to cataract. RESULTS In 201...

This paper describes the implementation of short range Object detection and distance measurement device with sensors for blind people. By using an ultrasonic transducer pair for producing ultrasonic sounds and sensing the reflected sound waves, the obstructions (objects) are detected. Distance measurement is used in a large number of applications such as robotic movement control, vehicle contro...

Self-control is one of the most important skills that are considered as the main characteristic of individual adaptability. Indeed, an individual with self-control ability is one who can prioritize his/her goals and keep a balance between his/her emotions and thoughts. The purpose of this study was to compare self-control and behavioral activation and prevention systems in both normal and blind...

Background: The present investigation is motivated by the fact that the incidence of visual impairment is increasing all over the world. Blind people may encounter specific problems in plaque control, leading to a higher risk of periodontal disorders. Objectives: To evidence the effect of alternative senses, other than sight, for controlling plaque formation and reducing periodontal indices in ...

We examined haptic perception of the horizontal in visually impaired people. Blind people (late blind and congenitally blind), persons with very low vision, and blindfolded sighted individuals felt raised-line drawings of jars at four angles. They had to demonstrate their understanding that water remains horizontal, despite jar tilt, by selecting the correct raised-line drawing given four choic...

Currently, visually challenged people are not able to use computers on their own mainly because keyboards are not user-friendly to them. With advancement in technology, these people find themselves technologically more challenged. This is true especially in the case of social networking, which these people cannot do without external help. Voice-Mail architecture helps blind people to access e-m...