The Voiceless Minority

  As a journalist, it is your job to always be on the lookout for the next story or trend. I am no different; I am always looking for the next topic to cover on this blog; however, I never thought I would find it while chilling with my dad on a Tuesday afternoon. For those of you who don’t know him, let me quickly make an introduction. My dad is a loving, caring, ornery 63-year-old pain in my butt, but I love him with all my heart. Approximately 13 years ago, he became disabled, and we have grown closer since. Due to the nature of his disability, my dad has changed not only physically but also in other ways as well. He no longer has the attention span to watch a whole TV program or even read an entire chapter in a book. This means he enjoys doing so; it simply means that where you and I can watch a half-hour program in one sitting, it takes tremendous effort for my dad to do so. Therefore, he spends most of his time in his man-cave watching short YouTube clips. They can range from ...

  In September 2024, GemmoAI and the University of Limmerick launched the MoveMuse chatbot—a tool designed to help adults with Autism become more physically active. Through the application, it utilizes a method called “WOOP” - Wish (what you want to do), Outcome (how you’ll feel), Obstacle (what might stop you), and Plan (how to overcome the problem).   When I read this article, I found it interesting because I’ve seen applications that use different methods for weight loss. However, I hadn’t quite seen an application like this - one that provides this level of encouragement or planning. Many applications I see offer general exercises and diets that may help with weight loss, but they don’t necessarily have something that works for me.   If you know me, you know that I hate exercise. When I was in college, I lost roughly 70 pounds; however, I was too caught up in the number on the scale. I had anxious thoughts about what I was eating, how much I ate, and how often I exer...