July, 2010
Words Are More Like Cats Than Dogs
by Bayard ("By") Baylis on July 28, 2010
By, with his daughter's dog Roxy
Aphasia is an acquired communications disorder usually as a result of a stroke or a brain injury. It strikes approximately 100,000 Americans each year. It is more prevalent than Parkinson’s disease, but fewer people are aware of it, and fewer still familiar with it. It affects different people differently.
In my case, I have difficulty in remembering words on call, and in following arguments and directions, especially verbally. I need to see something in writing to be able to digest it slowly. For someone whose life revolved around the use of words and arguments this has been difficult. The following essay is my attempt to describe what it’s like trying to work with words and arguments suffering with a mild case of aphasia. Continue reading the full article
Is Aphasia Funny?
by Nina Simmons-Mackie on July 21, 2010
Close Up Portrait of Senior Couple
No, having aphasia, an impairment of language, isn’t funny!! But people with aphasia can be funny. And it’s really good for people with aphasia (and everybody else) to laugh. So let’s think about aphasia and humor and laughter.
Humor is the cognitive experience of amusement, comedy, incongruity or absurdity. We respond to humor by laughing. Laughter can be mild…a brief chuckle Continue reading the full article
Aphasia in two languages? Important facts you need to know!
by Lisa Edmonds on July 14, 2010
Welcome sign in multiple languages
If you or a loved one has aphasia, then you know that aphasia, most often caused by stroke, results in difficulty producing and/or comprehending language. But what if a person spoke two languages before acquiring aphasia?
In this situation, both languages can be affected. This condition is known as bilingual aphasia. Here are a few additional facts about bilingual aphasia that might help you understand it better.
Continue reading the full article
Reducing Clutter on Websites
by Ognjen Todic on July 7, 2010
Reading content on the Internet sometimes feel like going through files in a messy office, like the ones in this image, doesn’t it?
A filing cabinet in an office that is a total mess
One of the biggest obstacles for people with aphasia when using the Internet is the extensive amount of clutter on webpages. Unfortunately, as the Internet has evolved over the last 15 years, there has not been enough push to make it more accessible.
In our previous, post Linda Worrall talked about An Aphasia-Friendly World. Well, a couple of weeks ago I ran into an interesting tool, a tool that I hope is a small step towards a world that’s more aphasia friendly. That tool is called READABILITY! Continue reading the full article