International Day of People With Disabilities 2020

Elsevier, 13th November 2020

December 3rd is the International Day of People With Disabilities (IDPWD). In support of this year's theme - 'Not all Disabilities are Visible' - Elsevier presents presents a curated, open access collection of over 50 journal articles and book chapters focused on spreading awareness and understanding of disabilities, many of which are not immediately apparent. This includes mental illness, chronic pain or fatigue, brain injuries, neurological disorders, learning differences and cognitive dysfunctions, among others. 

According to the WHO World Report on Disability, 15 per cent of the world’s population, or more than 1 billion people, are living with disability. Of this number, it’s estimated 450 million are living with a mental or neurological condition— and two-thirds of these people will not seek professional medical help, largely due to stigma, discrimination and neglect. 

Another 69 million individuals are estimated to sustain Traumatic Brain Injuries each year worldwide, while one in 160 children are identified as on the autism spectrum. 

These are just some examples of the millions of people currently living with a disability that is not immediately visible, and a reminder of the importance of removing barriers for all people living with disability, both visible and invisible. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, isolation, disconnect, disrupted routines and diminished services have greatly impacted the lives and mental well-being of people with disabilities right around the world. Spreading awareness of invisible disabilities, as well as these potentially detrimental impacts to mental health, is crucial as the world continues to fight against the virus. 

Table of contents

Elsevier,

Neuron, Volume 100, 24 October 2018

Recent progress in the genomics of non-syndromic autism spectrum disorder (nsASD) highlights rare, large-effect, germline, heterozygous de novo coding mutations. This distinguishes nsASD from later-onset psychiatric disorders where gene discovery efforts have predominantly yielded common alleles of small effect. These differences point to distinctive opportunities for clarifying the neurobiology of nsASD and developing novel treatments.

Elsevier, Neuron, Volume 101, 6 March 2019
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is considered a polygenic disorder. This view is clouded, however, by lingering uncertainty over how to treat the quasi “monogenic” role of apolipoprotein E (APOE). The APOE4 allele is not only the strongest genetic risk factor for AD, it also affects risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke, and other neurodegenerative disorders. This review, based mostly on data from human studies, ranges across a variety of APOE-related pathologies, touching on evolutionary genetics and risk mitigation by ethnicity and sex.
Elsevier,

Elsevier Connect, June 3rd 2020

A civil engineer/cyclist helps his research team understand challenges faced by cyclists with disabilities, addressing SDG 3 and 10.
Elsevier,

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Volume 120, March 2020

Smart home technologies refer to devices that provide some degree of digitally connected, automated, or enhanced services to building occupants. Smart homes have become central in recent technology and policy discussions about energy efficiency, climate change, and the sustainability of buildings. Nevertheless, do they truly promote sustainability goals? In addition, what sorts of benefits, risks, and policies do they entail?

Elsevier, Journal of Transport and Health, Volume 18, September 2020
Introduction: Transport, a well-recognised determinant of health, is particularly salient to well-being and equitable health outcomes amongst older people and people living with disabilities living in low-and middle-income countries. This study explored the facilitators and barriers for safe and accessible transportation from the perspectives of older people and those living with disabilities in Sri Lanka.
Elsevier, Journal of Air Transport Management, Volume 87, August 2020
Passengers who require special assistance at airports and on aircraft represent one of the fastest growing demographics for aviation worldwide. At some airports, annual growth in PRM (persons with reduced mobility) traffic is six times greater than the overall rate of passenger growth yet barriers to accessible air travel remain and disabled passengers continue to exhibit a lower propensity to fly than other travellers.
Elsevier,

Biomedical Signal Processing and Control, Volume 62, September 2020

Objective imaging-based biomarker discovery for psychiatric conditions is critical for accurate diagnosis and treatment. Using a machine learning framework, this work investigated the utility of brain's functional network topology (complex network features) extracted from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) functional connectivity (FC) as viable biomarker of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To this end, we utilized resting-state fMRI data from the publicly available ABIDE dataset consisting of 432 ASD patients and 556 matched healthy controls.

Elsevier, Biomedical Signal Processing and Control, Volume 62, September 2020
Objective: Many studies evaluated how the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) field strength affects the effectiveness to detect neurodegenerative changes of Alzheimer's disease (AD), derived from atrophy or thickness. To the best of our knowledge, no study evaluated before how tissue texture changes are affected. In this research, hippocampus texture features extracted from 1.5 T and 3 T MRI are evaluated how are affected by the magnetic field strength.
Elsevier, Journal of Transport Geography, Volume 87, July 2020
In the U.S., substantial employment and wage gaps persist between workers with and without disabilities. A lack of accessible transportation is often cited as a barrier to employment in higher wage jobs for people with disabilities, but little is known about the intraurban commuting patterns of employed people with disabilities in relation to their wage earnings.
Elsevier, Biomedical Signal Processing and Control, Volume 57, March 2020
Clinical assessment of speech abnormalities in Cerebellar Ataxia (CA) is subjective and prone to intra- and inter-clinician inconsistencies. This paper presents an automated objective method based on a single syllable repetition task to detect and quantify speech-timing anomalies in ataxic speech. Such a technique is non-invasive, reliable, fast, cost-effective and can be used in the comfort of home without any professional assistance.
Elsevier, Scientific African, Volume 7, March 2020
Persons with disabilities form a significant proportion of the global population, majority of which are women. The United Nations Convention guarantees persons with disabilities equal rights to reproduction and healthcare access. Similarly, the Sustainable Development Goal 3 targets improvement of the health and well-being of individuals including persons with disabilities. However, women with disabilities have not been given close attention, particularly in developing countries.
Elsevier, Transport Policy, Volume 95, September 2020
The governance and provision of accessible transport services for students with disabilities is complex and involves numerous stakeholders, from families and schools, to transport operators and various levels of government. Experiences of traveling to school via bus can also be remarkably difficult for children with disabilities and their families. Despite the complexity and challenges associated with accessible student transport, little has been written about this topic. This scoping review begins to address this knowledge gap.
Elsevier, Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Volume 4, March 2020
Introduction: Driving is an important activity for the social participation of young people with physical and cognitive disabilities. Learning to drive, however, presents difficulties for this population. Innovative services have been developed in the province of Québec, Canada, but the extent to which they are evidence-based is not known nor are optimal parameters for learning to drive.
Elsevier, Development Engineering, Volume 3, 1 January 2018
A human-centered design thinking approach has been applied to a course at the MIT D-Lab on creating low-cost prosthetic and assistive devices for the developing world. Teams of students with diverse backgrounds are paired with international stakeholders and industry partners to tackle real-world prosthetic technology needs, learn the design process through interactive lectures and workshops in the classroom, and are given the opportunity to conduct testing of the prototypes generated during the semester at field sites around the globe.
Elsevier, Neuron, Volume 104, 20 November 2019
Neuropathic pain (NeuP) arises due to injury of the somatosensory nervous system and is both common and disabling, rendering an urgent need for non-addictive, effective new therapies. Given the high evolutionary conservation of pain, investigative approaches from Drosophila mutagenesis to human Mendelian genetics have aided our understanding of the maladaptive plasticity underlying NeuP. Successes include the identification of ion channel variants causing hyper-excitability and the importance of neuro-immune signaling.
Elsevier, Neuron, Volume 103, 7 August 2019
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one the most common human afflictions, contributing to long-term disability in survivors. Emerging data indicate that functional improvement or deterioration can occur years after TBI. In this regard, TBI is recognized as risk factor for late-life neurodegenerative disorders. TBI encompasses a heterogeneous disease process in which diverse injury subtypes and multiple molecular mechanisms overlap.
Elsevier, Neuron, Volume 102, 22 May 2019
Healthy psychological and brain development is not a privilege, but a fundamental right that requires special protections and opportunities for building cognitive, emotional, and social skills necessary for becoming a contributing member of our society. Healthy psychological and brain development is not a privilege, but a fundamental right that requires special protections and opportunities for building cognitive, emotional, and social skills necessary for becoming a contributing member of our society.
Elsevier, Neuron, Volume 102, 17 April 2019
RNA binding proteins are critical to the maintenance of the transcriptome via controlled regulation of RNA processing and transport. Alterations of these proteins impact multiple steps of the RNA life cycle resulting in various molecular phenotypes such as aberrant RNA splicing, transport, and stability. Disruption of RNA binding proteins and widespread RNA processing defects are increasingly recognized as critical determinants of neurological diseases.
Elsevier,

Neuron, Volume 102, 3 April 2019

Perinatal depression (PND) is a heterogeneous disorder with differences in timing of onset of depression, which influences symptomology, severity, and treatment efficacy. Researchers must embrace the heterogeneity to bring fruition to a precision medicine approach for women in reproductive mental health care. Galea and Frokjaer discuss the heterogeneity of perinatal depression based on timing onset, which influences symptoms and has implications for etiology and treatment efficacy.

Elsevier, Materials Today Bio, Volume 7, June 2020
Repair of injured skeletal muscle is a sophisticated process that uses immune, muscle, perivascular, and neural cells. In acute injury, the robust endogenous repair process can facilitate complete regeneration with little to no functional deficit. However, in severe injury, the damage is beyond the capacity for self-repair, often resulting in structural and functional deficits. Aside from the insufficiencies in muscle function, the aesthetic deficits can impact quality of life.
Elsevier, Neuron, Volume 102, 3 April 2019
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a severe and disabling psychiatric disorder that presents several challenges for neuroscience. Recent advances in its genetic and developmental causation, as well as its neuropsychological basis, are reviewed. Hypotheses concerning an imbalance between goal-directed and habitual behavior together with neural correlates in cortico-striatal circuitry are evaluated and contrasted with metacognitive theories.
Elsevier, Neuron, Volume 102, 3 April 2019
Here, Nestler and Lüscher link addiction circuits to epigenetic mechanisms that are engaged by drug exposure or reflect life experience. These molecular alterations may not only explain the basis of drug-evoked synaptic plasticity, but may also help understand individual addiction vulnerability.
Elsevier, Neuron, Volume 102, 3 April 2019
Threat processing is central to understanding debilitating fear- and trauma-related disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Progress has been made in understanding the neural circuits underlying the “engram” of threat or fear memory formation that complements a decades-old appreciation of the neurobiology of fear and threat involving hub structures such as the amygdala.
Elsevier,

Neuron, Volume 102, 3 April 2019

There have been several recent studies addressing the genetic architecture of depression. This review serves to take stock of what is known now about the genetics of depression, how it has increased our knowledge and understanding of its mechanisms, and how the information and knowledge can be leveraged to improve the care of people affected.

Elsevier,

Neuron, Volume 101, 20 March 2019

Altered synaptic structure and function is a major hallmark of fragile X syndrome (FXS), autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), and other intellectual disabilities (IDs), which are therefore classified as synaptopathies. FXS and ASDs, while clinically and genetically distinct, share significant comorbidity, suggesting that there may be a common molecular and/or cellular basis, presumably at the synapse.

Elsevier, Neuron, Volume 101, 2 January 2019
The NeuroDev study will deeply phenotype cognition, behavior, dysmorphias, and neuromedical traits on an expected cohort of 5,600 Africans (1,800 child cases, 1,800 child controls, and 1,900 parents) and will collect whole blood for exome sequencing and biobanking.
Elsevier,

Active Above-Knee Prosthesis, A Guide to a Smart Prosthetic Leg, 2020, Pages 1-17

During the last decade, there has been both academic and industry interest in devising technologically advanced solutions for the improvement of mobility of people with a lower-limb amputation. This is due to the increased number of lower-limb amputees and the fact that the majority of current prosthetic solutions are energetically passive devices that are unable to restore full mobility to lower-limb amputees. This book chapter addresses SDG 10 by focusing specifically on lower limb prosthetics for amputees.
Elsevier,

Assistive Technology for the Elderly, 2020, Pages 1-43

Assistive technology for the elderly has the ability to greatly enhance the experience of the elderly needing assistive technology. This book chapter addresses SDG 10 by covering the design of assistive technology including magnifying book contents, speaking electronic devices, alarms for doors and windows, smart alert bands, panic buttons, medication dispensers and reminders, Wander Gard, physiological parameters monitoring systems and smart home monitoring systems.
Elsevier,

Advanced Rehabilitative Technology, Neural Interfaces and Devices, 2018, Pages 1-10

Presents insights into emerging technologies and developments that are currently used or on the horizon in biological systems and mechatronics for rehabilitative purposes. This chapter addresses SDG 10 by providing detailed description of the bio-mechatronic systems used and then presents implementation and testing tactics to address the challenges of rehabilitative applications in areas of bio-signal processing, bio-modelling, neural and muscular interface, and neural devices.
Elsevier,

Improving Library Services to People with Disabilities, Chandos Information Professional Series, 2007, Pages 1-20

To maximize potential, people must have lifelong access to the information and services offered through books and libraries. Whether to address concerns of an ageing population or to enable all citizens to contribute fully through meaningful education and work opportunities, more emphasis is being given to promoting library services to people who have disabilities. This chapter addresses SDG 4 as librarians, policy makers and constituents will gain an understanding of the importance of serving all potential patrons.
Elsevier,

Improving Library Services to People with Disabilities, Chandos Information Professional Series, 2007, Pages 65-86

To maximize potential, people must have lifelong access to the information and services offered through books and libraries. Whether to address concerns of an ageing population or to enable all citizens to contribute fully through meaningful education and work opportunities, more emphasis is being given to promoting library services to people who have disabilities. This content addresses SDGs 4 and 10 by focusing on serving adults with disabilities in an international setting allowing librarians, policy makers and constituents to understand the importance of serving all potential patrons.
Elsevier,

Epidemiology of Diabetes, 2019, Pages 45-55

Although it may be an "invisible disability", people with all types of diabetes are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This chapter contributes to SDG 3 by addressing the patterns, risk factors and prevention tactics for the epidemic of diabetes in the US population.
Elsevier,

Global Mental Health and Neuroethics, Global Mental Health in Practice, 2020, Pages 237-261

Global mental health, neuroethics, and disability have become three intertwined disciplines/fields. Mental disorders are a major contributor to global burden of disease. Advances in neuroscience-technology expand our vision of the relationship between brain, mind and environment.This chapter addresses the SDG 3 by exploring the challenges and hopes in this area.
Elsevier,

Rosenberg's Molecular and Genetic Basis of Neurological and Psychiatric Disease (Sixth Edition), Volume 1, 2020, Pages 199-207

This chapter explores a third use of neurotechnology that neither fits squarely into the category of treatment nor carries some of the moral hesitancies of pure enhancement in persons without physical or intellectual impairment. This third category, referred to as enhancement-2, is the enhancement of cognition for persons who have intellectual disabilities. This content addresses SDG 3 by giving comprehensive coverage of the neurogenetic foundation of neurological and psychiatric disease; explaining all aspects essential to the practice of neurogenetics to inform clinical diagnosis, treatment and genetic counseling.
Elsevier,

Emerging Voices in Natural Hazards Research, 2019, Pages 327-356

This chapter addresses SDGs 3 and 10 by exploring the process of Disability-inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DiDRR) from two Deaf Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) practitioners working in partnership with an international team.
Elsevier,

Social Media: The Academic Library Perspective, Chandos Publishing Social Media Series, 2019, Pages 45-55

This chapter addresses SDGs 4 and 10 through the use of a case study from a very large academic library that collaboratively compiled a set of guidelines specifically addressing copyright and disability issues on social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. It also discusses disseminating these guidelines through a series of workshops targeted at social media managers, and offers an initial assessment of the guidelines impact on social media account owners, managers, and users.
Elsevier,

Multimodal Behavior Analysis in the Wild, Advances and Challenges, Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, 2019, Pages 79-102

This chapter addresses SDGs 3 and 9 by examining the technologies devised in Glassense—Wearable technologies for sensory supplementation. This regional project aimed to develop a proof of concept prototype of a sensorized pair of glasses to assist users with limited technology skills and multiple disabilities.
Elsevier,

Assistive Technologies (Fifth Edition): Principles & Practice, 2020, Pages 16-30

This chapter addresses SDGs 4 and 10 by offering a systematic process for ensuring the effective application of assistive technologies with a focus on the relationship between the human user and the assisted activity within specific contexts.
Elsevier,

International Review of Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 48, 2015, Pages 1-9

This chapter addresses SDGs 3 and 10 by providing a review of intellectual disabilities, health disparities and health inequality in both children and adults through current research on the causes, effects, classification systems and syndromes of developmental disabilities.
Elsevier,

International Review of Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 48, 2015, Pages 43-72

This chapter addresses SDGs 3 and 10 by providing a review of intellectual disabilities, health disparities and health inequality in both children and adults from wide-ranging perspectives including genetics, psychology, education, and other health and behavioral sciences.
Elsevier,

International Review of Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 55, 2018, Pages 145-180

This chapter addresses SDGs 3 and 10 by providing content on a variety of topics pertaining to intellectual and developmental disabilities through the most recent research on the causes, effects, classification systems and syndromes of developmental disabilities.
Elsevier,

International Review of Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 55, 2018, Pages 213-266

This content addresses SDGs 3 and 10 by identifying practices that promote integrated and competitive employment for people with IDD, examining the current state of employment for people with IDD, reviewing the level of evidence of studies that have examined the effectiveness of interventions targeting employment for adults with IDD, showing the connection between post secondary education (PSE) and employment and reviewing the research on PSE and outcomes for individuals with IDD.
Elsevier,

International Review of Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 54, 2018, Pages 71-104

This chapter contributes to SDGs 3 and 10 by a review of the transition planning process, policy related to collaboration and transition planning, and research supporting collaboration during transition to adulthood for young adults with disabilities.
Elsevier,

International Review of Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 54, 2018, Pages 177-209

This content supports SDGs 3 and 10 by providing examples of formal support that can enhance natural and informal supports by recognizing and enhancing a person's capacities, strengthening and connecting social networks, leveraging resources within environments accessed by all citizens, and utilizing technological innovations so people with IDD can achieve their preferred quality of life.
Elsevier,

International Review of Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 52, 2017, Pages 37-74

This content addresses SDGs 3 and 10 by examining the effectiveness of intervention trials that target the development of friendship, peer networks, and discrete social skills (e.g., engagement, social initiations) in young children with ASD using both single subject research designs (SSRDs) and randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Elsevier,

International Review of Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 52, 2017, Pages 141-174

Conversations about inclusive education have dominated discussions within the field of severe disabilities for more than four decades. Parents, educators, advocates, policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders have all wrestled with—and vigorously debated—a progression of intriguing interrogatives. This content addresses SDGs 3 and 10 by addressing peer support arrangements as a promising and practical approach for supporting students with severe disabilities to access the myriad social and learning opportunities available within inclusive secondary school classrooms.
Elsevier, Smart Health, Volume 9-10, December 2018
This work intends to develop an intelligent, four-dimensional (namely X-Y-Z plus somatosensory), partial control, and virtual-reality-enabled Tai-Chi System (VTCS). Tai-Chi is a traditional mind-body wellness and healing art, and its clinical benefits have been well documented. VTCS integrates Tai-Chi with a series of cutting-edge computer technologies including 4D sensor technology, big-data, signal processing and analysis, human body kinematics, deep learning, virtual reality, and 4D-reconstruction, etc.
Elsevier, Computer Law and Security Review, Volume 38, September 2020
The article examines a number of ways in which the use of artificial intelligence technologies to predict the performance of individuals and to reach decisions concerning the entitlement of individuals to positive decisions impacts individuals and society. It analyses the effects using a social justice lens. Particular attention is paid to the experiences of individuals who have historically experienced disadvantage and discrimination.
Elsevier, Neuron, Volume 105, 19 February 2020
The use of advanced technological solutions (“neurotechnologies”) can improve the clinical outcomes of neurorehabilitation after stroke. Here, Micera et al. propose a paradigm shift that is based on a deep understanding of the basic mechanisms of natural stroke recovery and technology-assisted neurorehabilitation to improve the clinical effectiveness of neurotechnology.
Elsevier, Journal of Transport and Health, Volume 16, March 2020
Introduction: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) including Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) often face serious transportation challenges that impede healthcare access, community participation, and employment opportunities. Travel training, which makes use of one-on-one instruction, may help people with IDD overcome transportation barriers. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a comprehensive travel training program on the travel skills of individuals with IDD.
Elsevier, Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Volume 135, May 2020
Improving bus stops by providing shelters, seating, signage, and sidewalks is relatively inexpensive and popular among riders and local officials. Making such improvements, however, is not often a priority for U.S. transit providers because of competing demands for capital funds and a perception that amenities are not tied to measurable increases in system effectiveness or efficiency.
Elsevier, Disability and Health Journal, Volume 13, July 2020
Background: Few population-based studies have examined the association between disability and personal wellbeing (PWB) among working-age adults. Objective/Hypothesis: To determine: (1) the magnitude of differences in wellbeing between working-age adults with and without disability in contemporary samples representative of the UK population; and (2) whether the size of any observed differences between people with and without disability is moderated by age, gender, ethnicity, partnership status, educational attainment or employment status.
Elsevier, Disability and Health Journal, Volume 13, October 2020
Background: There are growing numbers of adults aging with long-term mobility disabilities. Very little is known about the challenges this population experiences with everyday activities, and such challenges are likely to be greater and more complex than those of older adults who experience mobility declines later in life. Objectives: The current manuscript presents in-depth insights on the specific activity challenges experienced by older adults with long-term mobility disabilities, and the response strategies they employ to overcome those challenges.
Elsevier, Disability and Health Journal, Volume 10, October 2017
Background There has been a growing interest in disability and poverty on the international research and policy stages. Poverty assessments for persons with disabilities may be affected by the experience of extra costs associated with a disability. Objective This article provides a systematized review of the global literature on the direct costs associated with living with a disability at the individual or household level. Methods We searched three databases for peer-reviewed journal articles that estimated extra costs associated with disability: Econlit, SocIndex and PubMed.
Elsevier, Disability and Health Journal, Volume 11, July 2018
Background: Disability and poverty are interconnected and although this relationship has been recognised, there is a lack of empirical evidence to support any possible causal relationship in this topic, particularly in the context of Latin America (LA). Hypothesis: This study tests the hypothesis “Disability increases the risk of multidimensional poverty of people living with disabilities and their families”.