AT Spring 2013- Distance

This is a series of video podcasts of AssistiveWare's webinars covering assistive technology solutions for Mac OS X and iOS. The first set of webinars are focussed on Proloquo2Go with a series aimed at users, family members and caregivers and a series aimed at professionals using Proloquo2Go with their clients.

The South Carolina Assistive Technology Program (SCATP) is a federally funded program that "is concerned with getting technology into the hands of people with disabilities so that they might live, work, learn and be a more independent part of the community". This website provides a link to an "Apps that Make Life Easier" page that lists app categories and identifies various apps within each category. While each app is listed, the icon displayed, the cost given and a paragraph description provided, the app is not reviewed. The SCATP Website presents quality information in regard to assistive technology, but does not provide a review of that information.

A review of freeware assistive technology aids for Windows computers. A free add-on for Microsoft Word (Office versions '97 through 2010,) WordTalk provides text-to-speech reading services. The info on this site is great. It highlights the freeware, gives a explanation of what it is and where to get it.

The AbleNet Website offers free online educational opportunities for professionals in the area of Assistive Technology through AbleNet University. These live and recorded webinars can be accessed on the AbleNet Website under the Professional Development tab and include training in Communication, Switch Mounts, iDevices, Computer Access, Electronic Aids to Daily Living, Universal Design for Learning, and Curriculum.

The St. Clair County RESA Website provides information regarding Assistive Technology iPad Apps which can be accessed by selecting the Education Services Menu, selecting the iPads link, and then clicking on Assistive Technology iPad Apps. The webpage contains a list of iPad Apps each providing a link to an iTunes page with the cost of the app, its icon, description, screenshots and customer reviews. The St. Clair County RESA Website provides quality information regarding education services and resources for the residents of St. Clair County.

This website is a resource to help people with disabilities that are looking for resources for AT opportunities that their employer will address.

This University of Buffalo website provides a variety of tutorials on a number of different computer based products. This is a good website that can bring you in to certain computer products and provide a beginning tutorial.

This website is a collection of add ons to the Google Chrome browser that make it more accessible for people with disabilities. If internet browsers are more accessible from a browser perspective it will be easier for a person to move from job to job because there are different add ons that they can have that will allow them to access the internet or other online options.

The Maine CITE web site that is committed to "helping Maine citizens with disabilities increase access to and acquisition of Assistive Technology (AT) when needed to participate in Education, Community Living, Employment and Information Technology/Telecommunications". It achieves this goal by providing information and links regarding items ranging from AT Laws and Policies to Accessible Web Design to Training. The target audience of the Maine CITE includes people with disabilities, their families, and the general public. The information presented in regard to apps on their Apps as Assistive Technology page is basically the name of the app and the developer. Maine CITE recommends that the reader go to the appropriate "app store" to review ratings and comments regarding the app. The Maine Cite webpage regarding apps has a "Buyer Beware" notice that indicates that "consumers need to do their homework and examine the quality of each purchase/download carefully". The Apps as Assistive Technology page also has a set of links to articles reviewing apps.

University of Maine website offers information on free training courses for professionals in areas related to assistive technology.

Target Audience: Many people visit Disability.gov, including individuals with disabilities, their families, Veterans, caregivers, employers, educators and others. Their purpose is to connect people of all abilities to the resources they need to fully participate in their communities.

Disability Resources, inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established to promote and improve awareness, availability and accessibility of information that can help people with disabilities live, learn, love, work and play independently. They serve thousands of individuals with disabilities through a multidisciplinary network of service providers and consumers. In order to reach as many people with disabilities as cost effectively as possible, they target our services and publications to libraries, disability organizations, independent living centers, rehabilitation facilities, educational institutions, and health and social service providers. They are a small group of volunteers (with and without disabilities) who work professionally in library, communications, and disability-related fields. They monitor hundreds of publications, audiovisual materials, on line services, and other information resources every month. They review and report on worthwhile materials in their newsletter, Disability Resources Monthly (DRM), and other publications. They also maintain an extensive database of disability-related resources in order to perform customized searches, and an on-line guide to disability resources on the World Wide Web. They are proud of the many awards and positive reviews they have received for this work.

List of free assistive technology software, developed by Ohio State University.

Overview/case study of portable applications for a student preparing for college. Article is from 2010, but provides good ideas for consideration of apps in planning.

The National Center for Learning Disabilities, www.ncld.org, provides information for children and adults with disabilities. There is information specific to LD, however, there are also links provided for the rights of students with a learning disability and parents with a child with a learning disability. It continues to provide information for adults as they continue in life with a learning disability.

this is a nice collection of downloadable visual supports for special needs students. It is provided by the Special Education Technology of British Columbia. It is easy to search through one of the six categories to find Boardmaker pictures already for you to print and use. There are boards that can be printed for language use or visual support in the classroom and then there are boards that are specific to communication devices to download and print for the device, such as a Go Talk, or to download and transfer to a computerized dynamic display device, such as a ChatPC.

The FCTD is a resource designed to help those that work with children or adults with disabilities or families of loved ones with disabilities. In the resource section there are over 1000 reviews of products and websites that pertain to AT. The FCTD operates entirely through program support from the Department of Education'sOffice of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and it is managed by a partnership of organizations, including Adirondack Accessibility, Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER) and the Center on Disability at the Public Health Institute. Their Board of Advisors are many well-known names that specialize in AT, including David Edyburn and Joe Zabala.

This site is maintained by a Speech Language Pathologist who shares her experiences and reviews of apps used in working with a variety of students. The reviews are subjective, and only from her point of view, but they do seem thorough and based in her actual experience working with the apps. The site is geared toward SLPs, parents and educators.

This training opportunity is geared toward professionals learning how to integrate AT in the educational environment. Modules include AAC, Hearing, Mobility, Reading, The User Interface, Vision, Writing (including Computer Access). Also explores funding options.

The Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs (ATAP) provides support to AT programs nationwide. This particular page provides links to the history, summary and overview of the Tech Act. Intended audience: AT providers and advocates.