Oct. 6, 2020
Fun for All
Nestled in the courtyard between Mizzou’s Lewis and Clark halls, the School of Health Professions’ new Inclusive Playground inspires people of all ages and abilities to do some exploring of their own. Tiger paw footprints lead to wheelchair-accessible structures and towers that include a Braille station and a music keyboard with drums nearby. Swings adapt to various mobility levels, an enclosed merry-go-round ensures safety and a basketball hoop adjusts to many heights. “We serve populations that can definitely benefit from something like this, so we thought it was a worthwhile investment,” says school advancement officer Michelle Custer, BA ’03. Populations…
Oct. 6, 2020
Speaking Out
People with Parkinson’s disease often struggle with weak, imprecise speech. To help them, the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences created a program that provides individual and group therapy. Under faculty direction, graduate students gain experience working with participants during the sessions. Since 2018, the nonprofit Parkinson Voice Project has provided yearly grants to carry out this work. Most clients enter the program speaking 5 to 10 decibels below average, comparable to a quiet conversation at home, and reach normal range the first day. However, it takes about two weeks before others notice and comment on their stronger tone.
Oct. 6, 2020
Celebrity Therapist
James McCorkle has used a wheelchair for most of his six years of life, and, for much of that time, he has been a client at the School of Health Professions’ PhysZOU clinic. That’s where he met physical therapy student Mark Weleaga, who quickly realized that McCorkle needed to improve his wheelchair skills. “During my first session with James, we had to encourage him a lot to get him to do different wheelchair skills and play games,” Weleaga says. So, for help, he went straight to the top — Mizzou’s wheelchair basketball team. “I was hoping to make therapy fun.”…
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