WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Students who dream of studying science but face hurdles because of physical impairments, may find new options thanks to a $2 million grant awarded to Purdue University.

The Scientist, July 1, 2012, Kerry Grens. If you’ve worn out the spike on your stiletto, misplaced your kazoo, or you need a cheap little centrifuge, three-dimensional printing and a growing community of designers devoted to open-source software have the solutions for you.

October 18, 2011 | MASHABLE Adaptive technology is a fairly new term, but the basic idea is not. Some adaptive devices are simple, like the cane, which has a history as old as mankind itself. Others seem to come more from the realm of science fiction. However mundane or complicated, all are a testament to human determination, creativity and ambition. Here, we look at seven high-tech assistive devices and how they’re helping those with disabilities lead full and fulfilling lives.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012, Joel Watson, examiner.com, Assistive Technology Microsoft’s Imagine Cup ended its five day competition today highlighting some of the world’s best technology students. The tenth annual event takes students from all around the globe and offers them the opportunity to solve important technological issues. This year’s theme, asked to more than 350 students from 75 countries, was to address the world’s toughest problems.

By Peggy Klaus, February 4, 2012 New York Times MANY people know of Berkeley, Calif., as the birthplace, in the 1960’s, of the Free Speech Movement. Fewer people know that Berkeley also played a major role in the disability rights movement. It was here, also in the ’60s, that Ed Roberts — a student with quadriplegia — became an outspoken advocate of the cause.

IEEESpectrum, August 30, 2012, Eliza Strickland. ieeespectrum. A video can be found on EEESpectrum’s website for those interested in seeing this technology in action. Until recently, an artificial leg was an inert object—a clunky piece of wood or plastic that supported a user, but didn’t help much beyond that. But these days artificial limbs can contain advanced sensors and microprocessors, and their motors can provide a power boost for each step.

MIT Technology Review, March 11, 2013, Susan Young. MIT Technology Review Broadband communication and custom signal-processing chips power a new brain-recording device that may one day help paralyzed people.