There may be a new, medical reason for disabled individuals to get a tongue piercing.
Strange as it may seem, a professor at Georgia Tech, Maysam Ghovanloo, is working on a new wheelchair technology that would allow individuals with spinal cord injuries to control their power chairs and other devices through a magnet in metal tongue piercing barbels.
According to the Washington Post, a recent study showed the new system allows for better wheelchair control than the current leading technology, the sip-and-puff. Essentially, in the sip-and-puff method, an individual controls their wheelchair by inhaling and exhaling, slowly or quickly – each action registering a different wheelchair function.
Since the equipment necessary is in the user’s tongue, there’s 24-7 access, unlike technology that would be mounted to a person’s wheelchair, bed, etc. One of the often overlooked aspects of being disabled, or being in a relationship with a handicapped person, is the sheer amount of stuff you have to bring with you. Anytime you can cut down on equipment is a bonus.
The thought of a needle going through your tongue freak you out? The professor is working on a version that relies on a retainer, instead of a piercing, since older generations are less receptive to the idea of a barbel in their mouth.
image from the Washington Post
The next step is to make the technology affordable for the public masses, by the time it hits the market in 2015 . . . but the article warns that we shouldn’t expect insurance companies to cover the technology, since there other, less costly options available already.
What do you think – would you get a piercing if it meant improving your mobility?
If you liked this post, check out Disability Searches that Landed You on this Blog: Answered and Tips for Talking to Your Kids about Disability
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