Joanna Nayer Hardin

Born: Unknown

Country of Birth: USA

Nationality: USA

Ethnicity: Black

University of Connecticut 1970-72

""Bernie and I designed ergonomically designed CompUrest to heal and prevent computer injuries by fully supporting fingers, hands, forearms, elbows, upper arms and shoulders. Lowering the keyboard keeps the carpal tunnel flat, straight and open rather than pinching nerves in bent wrists. The arm rest portion removes computer stress by eliminating the need to hold the upper body unsupported at an angle. Relaxing my shoulders took the strain off my neck." (compurest.blogspot.com); "Back in the 70's and '80's I use to type up to 119 w.p.m. and by the mid 80's I had every computer injury in the book. At the time my right arm was paralyzed for the second time as a result of my extensive (my sister Jacquie called it obsessive) computer use. Since not computing wasn't an option, my friend Bernie Hirschenson and I got to work. For the razor sharp pains in my arms, we placed a solid oak armrest (since evolved into high density foam armrest) under my forearms. We created the armrest with an indentation in it to remove stress and allow me to keep my elbows and upper arms comfortably positioned at my sides when keying. This indentation extends the armrest's support all the way to the shoulders. We lowered the keyboard to eliminate the bending that was pinching the nerves in my wrists. I immediately felt relief when I rested my arms on my CompUrest. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" (compurest.blogspot.com); "As a computer diva since the 1970's, with my personal Emancipation Proclamation Day as 7/7/77, when I started working on computers full time, what I have plenty of is computer love and passion, which I joyously share." (hempnayer.blogspot.com); "

— Joanna Nayer Hardin

Field of Study: Cyber Activist

Institution/Corporation: CURE

Degrees & Memberships: None found

Awards: None found

Achievements: co-designed CompUrest, a computer accessory designed to support the user’s arms, elbows, and shoulders, as well as fingers, hands, and wrists; 1984 established Computer Underground Railroad Enterprises (CURE) to sell her armrest; has co-authored and published seven books covering topics like: Medical cannabis and holistic healing; Climate change and free energy; Systemic injustice and environmental racism; helped organize the Million Marijuana March in Los Angeles (1999);