For most people, walking to a neighbor’s house or crossing a small bridge to reach a local store is an ordinary part of daily life, something done without thought or hesitation. For Mrs. Mary Roden, a 58 year old paraplegic living in Fiji, that simple act once felt impossible. A narrow timber bridge near her home stood between her and the community around her. It was unstable, uneven, and unsafe. Every crossing required careful balance and assistance. What should have been a

When earthquakes roll through cities and towns in the Middle East's mountainous regions, they damage the millions of older, unreinforced...