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January 9, 2013 An experimental drug developed to fight Alzheimer's disease partially reversed hearing loss caused by exposure to extremely loud sounds, researchers say. The results apply only to mice, but scientists are encouraged by the fact that the medicine caused new hair cells to grow in the animals' inner ears.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

January 8, 2013 Congress expanded the scope of the Americans With Disabilities Act a few years ago to include food allergies. Now the Justice Department is making institutions accommodate students by providing "safe" food and special meal plans.

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November 14, 2012 Wearable robots are making walking a reality for paraplegics in rehabilitation centers around the country. But before Iron Man-like suits become mainstream, they'll need to overcome cost and regulatory hurdles.

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November 12, 2012 Andrew Solomon's new book is about families with children who are profoundly different or likely to be stigmatized. "We all love flawed children," says Solomon, "and the general assumption that these more extreme flaws make ... children somehow unlovable — it wasn't true of most of my experience."

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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

October 24, 2012 On a foot patrol in Kandahar, Nick Staback lost both of his legs after he stepped on a homemade bomb. Over the next year, his mother, Maria, became a tough coach as he learned to walk on two prosthetic legs, and together they adjusted to what she calls the "new normal" for their family.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

October 17, 2012 Researchers say falls often happen when the elderly are not using a walker or wheelchair. Though 75 percent of patients in a recent study used one to get around, only 20 percent were using one when they fell.

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September 7, 2012 The Paralympic Games wrap up in London this weekend. Athletes with a range of disabilities from more than 160 countries have participated in the biggest competition since the Paralympics began in 1960. Host Michel Martin speaks with wheelchair sprinter Anjali Forber-Pratt of Team USA.

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On Tell Me MorePlaylist

September 2, 2012 Champion wheelchair racer Tatyana McFadden's fight to compete alongside able-bodied athletes opened up civil rights laws providing more opportunities for her sister and other disabled athletes. The sisters will compete against each other at the Paralympic Games in London.

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On Weekend Edition SundayPlaylist

August 31, 2012 Ben Mattlin was born with a condition called spinal muscular atrophy. Many infants with the disease don't live past age 2, but Mattlin went on to attend Harvard, get married and have kids. "I had this dumb idea from childhood that I could do anything anybody else could do," he says.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

August 20, 2012 Here's a look at the government health care programs for the elderly and the poor, how President Obama's new national health care law affects them, and how Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan want to change things.

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June 26, 2012 Consensual sex among aging residents of nursing homes can be fraught. And when those older people are showing signs of dementia, family members sometimes stand in in the way of love.

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