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Aleks Krotoski explores how technology can give someone back a life that had seemed gone forever.

Aleks Krotoski explores how technology can give someone back a life that had seemed gone forever.

From a 93 year old painter whose failing eyesight has left him no option than to turn to technology, to an agoraphobic blogger who shares her thoughts on fashion online; technology can be the only means some people can express the things that are most important to them. Aleks Krotoski explores the stories of individuals who've become reliant on technology to keep living the lives they love. She also discovers if this can be a trap for some robbing them of the will to tackle their problems head on.

Contributors: Hal Lasko (the pixel painter), Ryan Lasko, Ron Lasko, Sera McDaid, Dr Jennifer Wild, Dr Skip Rizzo

Producer: Peter McManus.

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30 minutes

Last on

Mon 11 Nov 2013 16:30

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    Minowski's Mind

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    Old Man playing boules

  • Tunng

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Hal Lasko

Hal Lasko

Hal Lasko, better known as Grandpa, worked as a graphic artist back when everything was done by hand. ÌýHe wasn't able to fully express his artistic desires until he retired. However, in 2005 he lost his vision due wet macular degeneration, which robbed him of his ability to paint.

His family introduced him to the computer and Microsoft Paint, which allowed him to create art again. Now, Grandpa spends ten hours a day, working pixel by pixel to create beautiful digital paintings. His work is a wonderful collision of pointillism and 8-Bit art.Ìý

Sera McDaid

Sera McDaid
Sera McDaid is a fashion blogger with a twist, she goes to no launches, and you won't bump into her in a shop - she's the Agoraphobic Fashionista. At her home in Northern Ireland she told us why the internet was a 'lifeline' for her, and why her blog allowed her to adapt to her illness and get out beyond her front door.

Dr Skip Rizzo

Dr Skip Rizzo

Psychologist Albert "Skip" Rizzo conducts research on the design, development and evaluation of virtual reality (VR) systems targeting the areas of clinical assessment, treatment rehabilitation and resilience at the University of Southern California. He tells us why virtual reality can help soldiers recover from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

To view some videos on his work, please visit his Ìý

Dr Jennifer Wild

Dr Jennifer Wild

Dr Jennifer Wild is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Senior Research Fellow in Clinical Psychology at the University of Oxford.Ìý She is an international expert in the treatment of post­traumatic stress and anxiety disorders. She explains how people deal with trauma, and how technology can help them recover.

Broadcast

  • Mon 11 Nov 2013 16:30

Podcast