On Disabilities

Cheryl Woolnough, director of training at Patriot PAWS in Rockwall, Texas, works with Papi, a Labrador retriever.

Veterans Say Trained Dogs Help With PTSD, But The VA Won't Pay

6:05pm January 04, 2016

by Lauren Silverman

Service dogs help veterans with physical disabilities, and there's increased interest in using dogs for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, too. A study is underway to see whether that helps.

A hearing test you take on your phone provides immediate, private feedback.

Is Everybody Mumbling? Try A Hearing Test You Take On The Phone

6:39pm December 21, 2015

by Ina Jaffe

Testing your hearing is just a phone call away. Doctors hope a cheap, simple at-home test will encourage more people to get their hearing checked, and get help if they need it.

Queue Listen Now

When Mary asked Helen what she wants for Christmas, Helen said: "All I ask is to be in good spirits and in good health so I can come and show myself off when we have the party."

When Mom Has Alzheimer's, A Stranger Comes For Christmas

5:10pm December 21, 2015

by Vanessa Rancaño

The holidays can be difficult for families dealing with Alzheimer's, especially if the person with the disease is the one who used to be the heart and soul of Christmas.

Queue Listen Now

Health & Safety

America's 'Third Wave' Of Asbestos Disease Upends Lives

5:11pm December 17, 2015

Everything seemed to be going smoothly for Kris Penny, who pulled fiber-optic cables for a living. Then he got a cancer called mesothelioma that's almost always tied to asbestos exposure.

Be My Eyes pairs blind people with sighted volunteers who help them identify objects using a smartphone app and camera.

Help A Blind Person Identify Everyday Things, Via Smartphone App

9:05pm December 15, 2015

by Aarti Shahani

A new app called Be My Eyes pairs blind people with sighted volunteers who help them with daily tasks that require vision, at home and outside. It's part of a new "micro-volunteering" trend online.

Queue Listen Now

Michael Palone, 26, who has Asperger's syndrome and mild autism, is paid to assemble packages through a program run by The Arc in Union City, Calif. The program may close soon due to budget problems.

In California, Aid Withers For People With Developmental Disabilities

2:09pm December 04, 2015

by Melissa Hellmann

Budget cuts and rising costs are imperiling California's programs for people with developmental disabilities. The state had led the nation in providing innovative community based services.

A Mother Asks If She's Selfless Enough To Care For A Son With Autism

2:59pm November 30, 2015

by Lisa Aliferis

Sophie Sartain watched her grandmother take care of her intellectually disabled aunt, Dona, and thought that she could never be that devoted. Then her son was diagnosed with autism.

Bryan Bashin, CEO of the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, in San Francisco, started losing his sight in his teens. "Don't just hide," he advises others. "This is not some kind of deep loss. This is just another side of being human."

When A Stranger Leaves You $125 Million

8:02am November 21, 2015

by Amy Standen

A Seattle businessman left most of his fortune to a blindness organization he never contacted in life. Why the gift? Maybe, the evidence hints, to help others take the psychological leap he couldn't.

Kate Teague, a registered nurse at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, in Palo Alto, Calif., holds a premature baby's hand.

In Caring For Sickest Babies, Doctors Now Tap Parents For Tough Calls

3:43pm November 16, 2015

by Jenny Gold

Doctors were once unquestioned authorities on how aggressively to treat the sickest and most premature babies. Then parents started pushing back for more say. The responsibility can be excruciating.

Queue Listen Now

Omar looks through Kai's photo book. The charges for the infant's six months of care in the neonatal intensive care unit totaled about $11 million, according to the family, though their insurer very likely negotiated a lower rate.

An Ill Newborn, A Loving Family And A Litany Of Wrenching Choices

6:01pm November 13, 2015

by Jenny Gold

As families consider how far to push an infant's medical care, a chasm can open between the parents' hopes and what doctors and nurses consider realistic. How do you measure a baby's quality of life?

Queue Listen Now