Communication device saves the day in Macy's parade accident

Assistive technology can be a lifesaver to those who need it, but rarely to this degree: When an M&M balloon knocked a light pole into two sisters at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, a DynaVox augmentive communication device absorbed much of the blow. Mary Chamberlain, 26, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, and her sister Sarah, 11, were attending the parade with their family. The parents had thought to leave the device that helps Mary communicate in the car due to the rainy weather, but Sarah insisted on bringing it along. Good thing: When the light pole fell, it hit the DynaVox instead of Mary's lap. Both sisters escaped with relatively minor injuries. In a New York Times' account, their father, Stephen Chamberlain, is quoted as saying, "If the DynaVox not been there, this could have been much worse." So hooray for assistive technology -- and for little sisters.