US Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot through the head twelve days ago during a Tucson, Arizona rampage that left six dead and thirteen wounded, is now able to stand with assistance… and is using an iPad.
Representative Giffords can not speak due to a tracheostomy and the insertion of a breathing tube, but her use of the iPad is not only a remarkable sign of recovery for a woman so critically injured that a portion of her skull had to be removed, but also testament to the transformative effect that the iPad can have in the lives of the ill or handicapped.
Giffords’ doctor, Michael Lemole, has told reporters that “[Giffords] s beginning to stand with assistance, she is scrolling through an iPad — these are all fantastic advances for her. They do show higher cognitive function. But I do want to caution that she has a long road ahead of her.”
Right now, Giffords is apparently only able to use the iPad for browsing… but how long will it be before she uses her Apple tablet to try to communicate? Not long, we hope.
John Brownlee is a writer for Fast Company, and a contributing writer here at CoM. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.
