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Multiple sclerosis patient develops map to help people with disabilities

Shared by Rita Torrao on 2018-10-23 14:58

About the solution

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition which can affect the brain and/or spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms, including problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance. When Jason had his MS diagnosis at age 25 he decided to start documenting his disease progression on camera.

“I wanted to capture this transformative experience—becoming disabled—in WHEN I WALK because I hadn’t seen it done before, and people need to see how a degenerative disease impacts the lives of those living with it.”, says Jason about his documentary.

After 5 years, Jason, lost his mobility and became dependent on a mobility scooter. This new reality brought him the challenges of performing routine activities on a city that sometimes is not prepared for mobility devices. Jason knew he had to do more, he had to act. So, he and his wife, Alice, decided to create a map, AXS Map (access map), to rate businesses and places based on their accessibility and that could be used by everyone.

“When Jason lost the ability to walk he lost the ability to go to a lot of places,” said Alice. “And he had the idea that it would be amazing if people could see if a place is accessible before going there.”, mentioned Alice.

AXS Map aims to combine different opinions and points of view on one shared network, both creating a workable resource for and reinforcing a community of people who care about access and inclusion.

“We wanted the reviews to be really simple and something that anyone can do,” said Alice. “We didn’t want the review process to be onerous on the user. So we made it into something that takes just a second of your time.”, said Alice.

In 2011, a prototype of AXS Map was created based on grants from Google Earth Outreach and other foundations. From then, Jason and AXS Lab have been working to refine the map, spread the word about AXS Map and encouraging organisations and individuals to contribute to the database.

Adapted from: https://www.fastcompany.com/3042583/a-ms-patient-builds-a-yelp-for-peopl...

More info: http://wheniwalk.com/axs-map/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=4Chta29jjXQ

This solution shall not include mention to the use of drugs, chemicals or biologicals (including food); invasive devices; offensive, commercial or inherently dangerous content. This solution was not medically validated. Proceed with caution! If you have any doubts, please consult with a health professional.

DISCLAIMER: This story was written by someone who is not the author of the solution, therefore please be advised that, although it was written with the utmost respect for the innovation and the innovator, there can be some incorrect statements. If you find any errors please contact the patient Innovation team via info@patient-innovation.com

About the author

Jason DaSilva, a New Yorker filmmaker, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at age 25. Following his diagnosis, Jason recorded his disease progression on the documentary WHEN I WALK. During this journey, Jason lost his ability to walk and was confronted with the differences between accessible and inaccessible spaces. Determined to do more about the challenges faced, Jason and his wife, Alice Cook, created AXSmap, a crowdsourced map to rate businesses and places based on how accessible they are.

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