Subject: Business Week Online Story
From: ginette perkins (ginettep@seals.org)
Date: Fri Mar 09 2001 - 09:25:02 PST
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Business Week Online
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ginette perkins sent you a Business Week story and the following message:
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FEBRUARY 28, 2001
A Fairy Godfather for People with Cognitive Disabilities
BEA Systems' CEO Bill Coleman has donated $250 million to create an institute devoted to improving their lives
By John M. Williams
Bill Coleman has a vision. He sees a world where people with Down's syndrome can enter the workforce with the help of slimmed-down Palm handhelds designed to help them remember sequential tasks. He foresees voice-recognition systems so sophisticated single words or even sounds can be used to set off complicated computer commands. He dreams of a world where people with cognitive disabilities have access to the best technology to improve their lives.
It takes money to turn such ideas into real products for people. Which is where Coleman's first dream came in handy. That would be an e-commerce-software company called BEA Systems that he founded in 1995 after leaving a senior-executive slot at Sun Microsystems. As CEO, Coleman has built the company from ground zero to nearly $900 million in sales in 2000. Today BEA is arguably the fastest-growing software company in the world.
IMPROVEMENT NEEDED. That stellar growth has given Coleman the monetary muscle to make an unprecedented gift to assistive-technology research. In late February, he pledged $250 million to the University of Colorado to establish the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities (CICD). If properly spent, Coleman's gift could go a long way toward eventually providing innovative software, devices, and new technology to help the 20 million Americans with a cognitive disability such as mental retardation, Alzheimer's disease, autism, or traumatic brain injury.
Many assistive-technology devices already exist for people with cognitive disabilities, ranging from simple homemade contraptions to sophisticated communication enhancers and prompting devices. But Coleman thinks there's a lot of room for improvement. "Current devices are expensive, often cumbersome, and they do not continuously and automatically adapt to the environment of the user," Coleman says. Devices that perform at a higher level could help ensure the universal access he believes is society's moral responsibility.
That would be CICD's role. The institute will work with people of all ages with cognitive disabilities as well as with manufacturers of assistive-technology products. It will take a multidisciplinary approach, relying not only on engineers and computer scientists but also on life-science and health experts, educators, and therapists with strong field knowledge of the needs of those with cognitive disabilities. The ultimate goal is to use technology to reduce the challenges these people face every day in solving problems, reasoning, and using language. And Coleman himself plans to play an active role in this grand experiment, even contributing his own brain power to projects should the opportunity and need arise.
CHANGED PERSON. The head of BEA first witnessed the power of technology to assist a person with a cognitive disability 17 years ago. Coleman's mentally retarded six-year-old niece, Suzanne, was struggling in school and at home. Someone suggested that a computer might help. So Bill and his wife, Claudia, bought one for her. She quickly learned to use it and underwent a personality transformation. "Once Suzanne established a cause-and-effect relationship between the computer and herself, her hand-eye coordination and concentration improved," Coleman recalls.
Also with the help of a computer, she later started reading, writing, and solving problems. Two particular children's learning programs that aided Suzanne were Reader Rabbit and Math Rabbit. Today, Suzanne works at the food-service department at Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park, Kans., where she delivers trays to patients, cleans tables, and stocks condiments in the cafeteria. Her mother believes that without the computer Suzanne would be still be struggling in the world. Now she uses the computer to write e-mail and to read and make greeting cards.
As Suzanne progressed through the years, Coleman moved up through the ranks of the high-tech field. But he never forgot the example of his niece and her strides. In 1999, he stopped by the University of Colorado's Center for LifeLong Learning & Design after giving a guest lecture in a freshman computer-science class. He was blown away. "I saw incredible research being done in cognitive science and the use of computer-based technologies to support lifelong learning and online-community building," Coleman recalls.
BIG WINNER. The University of Colorado's program impressed Coleman so much that he sent out a request-for-proposal to universities, asking them to submit plans for creating opportunities for cognitively impaired individuals. The winner would get $300,000. But Coleman liked the University of Colorado's entry so much that he and Claudia upped their contribution to a quarter of a billion dollars. The initial $50 million will be used with matching funds to build the CICD building. The remaining $200 million will reside in a perpetual trust fund that will disburse at least $10 million annually in interest for research.
That cash should help level an imbalance Coleman perceives in the assistive-technology field, which has been more oriented toward people with physical disabilities than for those with cognitive disabilities, he says. "As computing and information technology advance, the possibilities improve for persons with cognitive disabilities."
Coleman believes that five years from now newer, smarter, smaller, less-expensive assistive tech products will be everywhere. They will include: smaller Palms with simpler operating instructions, improved voice-recognition systems with one-word commands for performing many tasks, improved "eyegaze" technologies for stroke victims who can't type or speak, more efficient thought-operated products activated by brain waves or other biofeedback mechanisms, and naturally, better access to the Internet.
"SPACE-PROGRAM EFFECT." Coleman hopes some of these technologies emerge from his institute. Any assistive-technology products developed at CICD will be licensed to manufacturers for public use. But profits received from business dealings by the institute will be put back into research and development of new products. In the end, Coleman envisions the institute creating a "space-program effect," where assistive technologies developed for people with cognitive disabilities will find applications in the broader population.
I hope his predictions come true and that CICD plays a major role in assistive-tech breakthroughs. I don't know if the institute will help 50, 500, 5,000, or 50,000 people with cognitive disabilities. But I like the comprehensive approach it has taken. Coleman deserves praise for his leadership in this field.
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ginette perkins sent you a Business Week story and the following message: FYI: Article FEBRUARY 28, 2001 By John M. Williams A Fairy Godfather for People with Cognitive Disabilities BEA Systems' CEO Bill Coleman has donated $250 million to create an institute devoted to improving their lives Bill Coleman has a vision. He sees a world where people with Down's syndrome can enter the workforce with the help of slimmed-down Palm handhelds designed to help them remember sequential tasks. He foresees voice-recognition systems so sophisticated single words or even sounds can be used to set off complicated computer commands. He dreams of a world where people with cognitive disabilities have access to the best technology to improve their lives. It takes money to turn such ideas into real products for people. Which is where Coleman's first dream came in handy. That would be an e-commerce-software company called BEA Systems that he founded in 1995 after leaving a senior-executive slot at Sun Microsystems. As CEO, Coleman has built the company from ground zero to nearly $900 million in sales in 2000. Today BEA is arguably the fastest-growing software company in the world. IMPROVEMENT NEEDED. That stellar growth has given Coleman the monetary muscle to make an unprecedented gift to assistive-technology research. In late February, he pledged $250 million to the University of Colorado to establish the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities (CICD). If properly spent, Coleman's gift could go a long way toward eventually providing innovative software, devices, and new technology to help the 20 million Americans with a cognitive disability such as mental retardation, Alzheimer's disease, autism, or traumatic brain injury. Many assistive-technology devices already exist for people with cognitive disabilities, ranging from simple homemade contraptions to sophisticated communication enhancers and prompting devices. But Coleman thinks there's a lot of room for improvement. "Current devices are expensive, often cumbersome, and they do not continuously and automatically adapt to the environment of the user," Coleman says. Devices that perform at a higher level could help ensure the universal access he believes is society's moral responsibility. That would be CICD's role. The institute will work with people of all ages with cognitive disabilities as well as with manufacturers of assistive-technology products. It will take a multidisciplinary approach, relying not only on engineers and computer scientists but also on life-science and health experts, educators, and therapists with strong field knowledge of the needs of those with cognitive disabilities. The ultimate goal is to use technology to reduce the challenges these people face every day in solving problems, reasoning, and using language. And Coleman himself plans to play an active role in this grand experiment, even contributing his own brain power to projects should the opportunity and need arise. CHANGED PERSON. The head of BEA first witnessed the power of technology to assist a person with a cognitive disability 17 years ago. Coleman's mentally retarded six-year-old niece, Suzanne, was struggling in school and at home. Someone suggested that a computer might help. So Bill and his wife, Claudia, bought one for her. She quickly learned to use it and underwent a personality transformation. "Once Suzanne established a cause-and-effect relationship between the computer and herself, her hand-eye coordination and concentration improved," Coleman recalls. Also with the help of a computer, she later started reading, writing, and solving problems. Two particular children's learning programs that aided Suzanne were Reader Rabbit and Math Rabbit. Today, Suzanne works at the food-service department at Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park, Kans., where she delivers trays to patients, cleans tables, and stocks condiments in the cafeteria. Her mother believes that without the computer Suzanne would be still be struggling in the world. Now she uses the computer to write e-mail and to read and make greeting cards. As Suzanne progressed through the years, Coleman moved up through the ranks of the high-tech field. But he never forgot the example of his niece and her strides. In 1999, he stopped by the University of Colorado's Center for LifeLong Learning & Design after giving a guest lecture in a freshman computer-science class. He was blown away. "I saw incredible research being done in cognitive science and the use of computer-based technologies to support lifelong learning and online-community building," Coleman recalls. BIG WINNER. The University of Colorado's program impressed Coleman so much that he sent out a request-for-proposal to universities, asking them to submit plans for creating opportunities for cognitively impaired individuals. The winner would get $300,000. But Coleman liked the University of Colorado's entry so much that he and Claudia upped their contribution to a quarter of a billion dollars. The initial $50 million will be used with matching funds to build the CICD building. The remaining $200 million will reside in a perpetual trust fund that will disburse at least $10 million annually in interest for research. That cash should help level an imbalance Coleman perceives in the assistive-technology field, which has been more oriented toward people with physical disabilities than for those with cognitive disabilities, he says. "As computing and information technology advance, the possibilities improve for persons with cognitive disabilities." Coleman believes that five years from now newer, smarter, smaller, less-expensive assistive tech products will be everywhere. They will include: smaller Palms with simpler operating instructions, improved voice-recognition systems with one-word commands for performing many tasks, improved "eyegaze" technologies for stroke victims who can't type or speak, more efficient thought-operated products activated by brain waves or other biofeedback mechanisms, and naturally, better access to the Internet. "SPACE-PROGRAM EFFECT." Coleman hopes some of these technologies emerge from his institute. Any assistive-technology products developed at CICD will be licensed to manufacturers for public use. But profits received from business dealings by the institute will be put back into research and development of new products. In the end, Coleman envisions the institute creating a "space-program effect," where assistive technologies developed for people with cognitive disabilities will find applications in the broader population. I hope his predictions come true and that CICD plays a major role in assistive-tech breakthroughs. I don't know if the institute will help 50, 500, 5,000, or 50,000 people with cognitive disabilities. But I like the comprehensive approach it has taken. Coleman deserves praise for his leadership in this field. This article can be found online at: http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/feb2001/nf20010228_248.htm Please note: if you no longer wish to receive these messages, please contact the sender (ginettep@seals.org), not Business Week Online. |
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