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It seems impossible to many people that a person who is blind can use an iPhone, that a person with a significant physical disability can drive himself to work, or that a person who can’t read can go to college. Impossible, until they see it done. Throughout the years, I’ve spoken with people who are unsure that their child/student/client could achieve a life goal, even with the support of assistive technology (AT). They might think that AT is just for people with physical disabilities or those who are good with computers or for anybody else but themselves.

September 2010 - AT Assessments: The Right Device Is the Best Device

According to Leonard Trujillo Ph.D., an occupational therapist and AT assessment expert who chairs the occupational therapy department at East Carolina University and heads the university’s graduate OT assistive technology certification program, the best assistive technology device for a child is the device that enables a child to achieve at least some degree of independence.

This event features more than 200 educational sessions spanning the breadth and depth of assistive technology and an exhibition hall where you can see the power of assistive technology in action. Professionals, teachers, users and parents will all benefit from this empowering new conference. For full details on Conference Packages, Early Bird options and group discount program. ONLINE REGISTRATION

Assistive technology (AT) is "devices and aids which can help a person with a disability perform activities that might otherwise be difficult or not be possible." Our mission is to provide access to information on AT devices and services as well as other community resources for people with disabilities and the general public. This site is created and maintained through the collaboration of our Sponsors: Georgia Tech Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA), National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), and Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA).

Farming is not only a way of living, but it is many peoples' passion. When individuals who have had an amputation wish to return to work on the farm, there are a variety of adaptations that can be made to assist in their return to work. It is important to return famers to their desired functional level so they can reach their goals of independence. It is also imperative to consider their safety and to protect them from getting injured. Use of electronics and technology, such as centralized controls, hydraulics, monitoring systems, and computerization, on modern farms is making it easier to apply assistive technology to help those that have been faced with an amputation.[1]

A new study shows that assistive technology employed by a team of occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and educators has a significant impact on helping students with disabilities achieve their academic goals.

The research was published in the January/February 2010 issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy.

Assistive technology (AT) is available to help individuals with many types of disabilities — from cognitive problems to physical impairment. This article will focus specifically on AT for individuals with learning disabilities (LD).

There is a wide range of assistive technology (AT) tools available to help individuals who struggle with reading. While each type of tool works a little differently, all of these tools help by presenting text as speech. These tools help facilitate decoding, reading fluency, and comprehension.

What: This webinar will demonstrate an assortment of tools and materials that can be used to adapt toys or play activities for young children with disabilities.  Examples will include: making a momentary switch in one minute;  adapting pushbutton items; creating tactile images on-the-fly; creative uses of PVC pipe; mounting and stabilizing toys; cool fidget apps; and much more. When: Monday, April 12, 2010 - 8:00 am-9:00am (MDT)

FCTD Family Information Guide to Assistive Technology & Transition Planning This 50 page guide is aimed at providing families with the information they need to effectively prepare for and participate in periods of transition in their children’s lives. Individuals may order one free copy of the guide. Additional print copies are available for $10.A discount is available for bulk orders. To request one or more print copies, send an e-mail to fctd@aed.org.

There have been a lot of articles on a lot of websites about accessibility and the iPad since the specifications were first released. Now that our USA readers and bloggers have begun to get their hands on the devices there are even more articles being written, and I’m sure more will follow as the 3G enabled devices are released in the USA and both models become available in other countries starting on May 28th. As an assistive technology enthusiast and disabled blogger, it’s fantastic to see so much interest in the non-mainstream uses of these devices!

Click here to register for this webinar What: Dr. Therese Willkomm, Director of New Hampshire's Statewide Assistive Technology Program, and Phyllis Watson, CCC- SLP, Augmentative Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Assistive Technology Services,will review 20 of the most successful apps for children and adults who experience various communication impairments.  This includes apps related to sign language.  When: February 17, 2011 1:30pm - 3:00pm Mountain Time

Like many educators, Dr. Charmaine Lowe’s initial introduction to assistive technology was unexpected, untutored, and unequivocal. It happened a decade ago, Dr. Lowe recalls. “I was in an IEP meeting, which was an encounter for which my undergrad studies had not prepared me. I found myself conducting a rough and dirty search and getting online to get a handle on what I was going to be grappling with because I realized it was my job to be an advocate for this child. I learned fast that my training in special education and assistive technology was woefully inadequate. Fortunately, in that instance, all the parties were willing to learn and to understand, but the truth was we were dancing in the dark. From that point on I decided that the lack of preservice training in AT was something I could remedy as a college professor.” 

Click here to register for this webinar -- $39 What: Navigating the web of acronyms surrounding Accessible Instructional Materials can be confusing and frustrating.  NIMAC, NIMAS, Chaffee, 504, 508, etc: What do they all mean?  As educators, we have an obligation to provide equally effective access to the general curriculum for our students with disabilities.  How do we make sense of all this to get access to what our students need? This workshop will provide participants with a clear path of navigation through the maze of AIM and the related terminology.   When: Thursday, December 1, 2011 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time Presenters: Jan McSorley, Assistive Technology Specialist, Austin Independent School District Carye Edelman, Assistive Technology Specialist, Austin Independent School District Piret Sari-Tate, Assistive Technology Specialist, Austin Independent School District Full Abstract – Including speaker biography and learning points

“We have assistive technology in our classrooms – but no one uses it!” This is a refrain heard often in school districts that have invested in assistive technology that frequently sits dormant while children with disabilities, especially those with learning disabilities, do without. What’s the solution? According to Lorianne Hoenninger, an AT consultant on New York State’s Long Island, home to some of the nation’s largest suburban school districts, the solution is: “Build the AT infrastructure first.”

What:The hearing will focus on the importance of accessible technology and how this issue is impacting K-12 and higher education. Witnesses include:Panel I with Eve Hill,  Senior Counselor to the Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice. Panel II with Mark Riccobono, Executive Director, Jernigan Institute, National Federation of the Blind, Dr. John B. Quick, Superintendent, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation in Columbus, IndianaMark Turner, Director, Center for Accessible Media, Accessible Technology Initiative, California State University We hope to see you there. If you are unable to attend, the hearing will be broadcasted live online at www.help.senate.gov.Real time captioning and sign language interpreters will be provided at the hearing.When:February 7, 201212:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time Where:Dirksen Senate Building Room G-50Washington, D.C.Contact:Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions428 Senate Dirksen Office BuildingWashington, DC 20510Phone: 202-224-5375

3D printers are still new in the consumer technology market, but  3D printers have huge potential to help the blind and visually impaired. To be clear this technology is still in its infancy. Imagine a blind student reading about a geometric figure or a molecule, but who cannot understand the make up or configuration of the object. A sighted user might be able to gather the necessary information through an image but a blind student might need hands-on time for a better understanding of the object. This is where the 3D printer comes into play. If a digital 3D file is available the blind student could print out the object quickly right in their home or classroom.