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Zipping along in his wheelchair, Scott Dorfman often must rely on others to open doors for him. But a new device developed by a group of high school students is changing that. The tool called the Operational Portable Entry Device, or O.P.EN., has a mechanical arm with a clamp at one end. It is designed for a wheelchair user like Dorfman, 28, who has cerebral palsy, to open doors without having to lean out of the chair. The device is adjustable and works on a variety of door handles.

Voice4u, is a revolutionary AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) application that helps individuals to express their feeling, thought, actions and things they need. It is a perfect solution for learning and communication for autistic individuals and people around them. Also highly recommended for SLPs, teachers, parents, children and adults with developmental disabilities, stroke, or traumatic brain injury.

AccessApps is an initiative supported by the JISC Regional Support Centres (RSC) and JISC TechDis. It consists of over 60 open source and freeware Windows applications, running from a USB stick. AccessApps provides a range of solutions to support writing, reading and planning as well as sensory, cognitive and physical difficulties.

Freedom Scientific/Learning Systems Group Announces their WYNN Lesson Plan Portfolio

We are happy to present our newest educator resource, our WYNN Lesson Plan Portfolio! It is a new link on our Web site dedicated to presenting lesson plans for using WYNN to enhance the learning process.

In a move that has been eagerly anticipated by the disability community, the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday submitted its National Broadband Plan to Congress. The 360-page plan, which lays out a vision for high-speed broadband that’s both affordable and accessible, has wide implications for American with disabilities.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the approval of the Esteem – an implanted hearing system used to treat moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss, a type of permanent hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss is usually caused by genetic factors or damage to the inner ear resulting from noise, viral infections, or aging. The results are reductions in perception of sounds and in the ability to understand speech.

MICHAEL DUGGAN was overturning a table of trophies and jamming his hands into a celebratory cake at a sports banquet for disabled youths several years ago when he met Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. The two hit it off. Now, the 19-year-old Roslindale man and his family are teaming up with key players in Boston City Hall to improve the lives of people with autism, a disorder that robs people like Michael of normal linguistic and social abilities.

Visit funnix.com for more information Funnix, an education company based in Eugene, Oregon, is giving away their beginning reading program, which shares the same name as the company, absolutely free for the month of January. The giveaway is for the complete reading program, not a demo version. It never expires, and there is no limit to the number of copies that the company is willing to give away. However, there are only 18 days left to take advantage of this free offer. Already more than 18,000 copies of Funnix, valued at more than 4.5 million dollars, have been given away.

What:Prentke Romich Company and AAC: The Language Behind the Device   PRC believes in providing single words for novel communication in addition to pre-programmed sentences and topic/environment specific vocabulary. This webinar will explain the unique method of organizing and accessing vocabulary for all language levels and addresses the ongoing struggle with the constant need for adding vocabulary. When: February 28, 2011 2:00-3:00 p.m. Mountain Click here to join webinar:  http://tinyurl.com/atforum10

What: Overview of AT Assessment Tools-What is the difference between consideration and assessment? Do you know what a good AT assessment should look like? This webinar will help clarify the AT assessment process and introduce participants to a variety of tools and forms typically used in AT assessment. Training presented by staff from Parents Helping Parents (PHP). When: February 15, 2011: 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Mountain Click here to join webinar:  http://tinyurl.com/atforum8

ZoomReader is an iPhone app that combines the iPhone’s camera with high quality OCR, flexible reading options (magnification, contrast, etc.), excellent text-to-speech, and even voice recognition for commands. Aisquared is to be commended for putting all of this together for only $20.  They’re not only making accessibility simple, they’re making it affordable!

What: Montana State University Billings is hosting its second Summer Institute on June 6-9, 2011 on its main campus.  This is an excellent opportunity for professional development for educators, administrators, specialists, and other school staff.  The Institute will offer a wide variety of educational trainings at an affordable price.  To learn more about the Summer Institute you can visit the website at http://www.msubillings.edu/summerinstitute . There will be a variety of OPI training opportunities available at the Summer Institute.  The Institute will be offering Level I training in the following areas: Gifted and Talented; Media Literacy; Library Information Literacy Technology; and, Transforming School Counseling in Montana.   There will also be Level II training available for Gifted and Talented focusing on Identification and Curriculum. Stipends are available to assist those wanting to attend the Institute.  The stipends are available in the areas of Counseling and Gifted/Talented.  Stipends will be considered for those who register for the complete Institute on a first come, first served basis.  One stipend per individual registrant.  Both the registration and stipend forms must be completed for consideration.  Those receiving stipends will be notified by email. Important Information and Links: Summer Institute; http://www.msubillings.edu/summerinstitute Registration: http://www.msubillings.edu/summerinstitute/registration.htm Stipend Application: http://msubillings.edu/summerinstitute/stipend.htm For more information: Contact John Keener at 406-657-1743 or john.keener@msubillings.edu.

Most “standard” computer games get harder because they get faster, relying on the player’s reflexes and coordination keeping up. For example, in Tetris the blocks appear and drop faster and faster as your level increases Untimed games or time-independent games are those where you aren’t penalised if you play a game very slowly, have bad reflexes, or don’t posses the hand-eye coordination to time your movements accurately. Games like this are “turn-based” where any game actions only occur in response to the player’s actions, and don’t have any other timers or time-related limitations. One of my favourite time-independent games, Drop7, is another block-dropping game but each block only “falls” once you tell the game where to put it. Drop7 increases the difficulty by changing the mix of blocks which are dropped and by adding a layer of hidden (grey) blocks at the bottom of the screen after a number of moves Click here to read the full article

Click here to register for this webinar -- $49 What: School therapists will enjoy finding a bag of tricks in their pocket to meet the needs of a large and very diverse caseload. There are thousands of apps out there, but “How do I choose?”  This session will review apps for students with articulation problems, fluency issues, voice disorders and language delay.  Apps will be identified with some initial guidelines for how to evaluate these increasingly popular ‘pocket’ products. When: Monday, September 12, 2011 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Mountain Time Presenter: Phyllis S. Watson, CCC-SLP, Augmentative Communication Specialist, Crotched Mountain ATECH Services Full Abstract – Including speaker biography and learning points

Click here to register for this webinar -- $39 What: In this age of Apps, iPads and iPod Touches, parents, teachers and students are being bombarded. It seems every day, if not every hour, a new tool is available for our over-flowing toolbox. When is too much of a good thing, too much?  This presentation will focus on Apps and how they are delivered considering ways to identify, integrate, evaluate, and further implement in a meaningful way into the lives of those students with special needs.  Our purpose is to decrease App/iPad/iPod abandonment, misuse or simply no longer considering additional solutions in this ever-changing area. When: Thursday, October 6, 2011 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time Presenter: Sean J. Smith, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Kansas Full Abstract  - Including speaker biography and learning points

Click here to register for this webinar -- $49 What: Individuals with autism have complex needs. There are thousands of apps out there, but which ones will meet their needs? This webinar will provide a preview and describe uses of apps that therapists and parents are finding useful in meeting the unique challenges of individuals with autism. These apps promote a wide range of skills for individuals with autism: communication, social skills, behavior and more. When: Monday, August 15, 2011 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Mountain Time Presenter: Phyllis S. Watson, CCC-SLP, Augmentative Communication Specialist, Crotched Mountain ATECH Services Full Abstract – Including speaker biography and learning points

ZoncoArm manufactures Mobil Arm Supports for people with upper-limb disabilities which can help with rehabilitation, and can add more freedom and independence to such activities of daily living as feeding, using a computer, and controlling the joy stick of a power wheelchair.

A free text-to-speech plugin for Microsoft Word For people with reading and writing difficulties, having text reinforced by hearing it read aloud can be very useful.

Two weeks ago, a man named Chris Waddell arrived at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa. A paraplegic athlete from Park City, Utah, Waddell became the first in his condition to reach the summit of the 19,340-foot peak. In addition to the courage, vision and mental and physical strength he needed to achieve that goal, there was something else that helped propel him to the top of the largest free-standing continental mountain on earth; something that could only be found in the Bitterroot.