Boston Globe 22nd June 2026 A robotic hand ‘talks’ to deaf and blind people. Here’s how it works. By Hiawatha Bray Globe Staff Ducharme uses a product called Tatum1, a disembodied mechanical hand plugged upright into a box studded with push buttons. Developed by Samantha Johnson, a bioengineering graduate of Northeastern University, Tatum1 uses gestures and touch to communicate with people who can neither see nor hear. The Tatum1 control box keeps it simple. There are buttons

ECNS 16th June 2026 Making toys and rebuilding lives On a late morning in May, the high-pitched whine of 3D printers filled a small workshop in Beijing's Chaoyang district. Cao Qiuping, a former Paralympian who uses a wheelchair, had arrived early and was sorting piles of brightly colored plastic toys — stress-relief ribbons, Minecraft-style blocks and cartoon character figurines. The souvenirs were destined for a Children's Day event in the nearby Sanlitun neighborhood. The

Unicef in Belarus 15th June 2026 When a child can say, “I want a hug” How assistive technologies help children with severe disabilities communicate and learn Roma presses a brightly colored button on communication device. A voice says out loud: “I want a hug!” He freezes for a second, then suddenly lights up: he smiles, looks at his teacher and immediately presses the button again. “There were such excited cries in the room,” his special needs teacher recalls. “It was pure ch