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As technology evolves to customize education based on students’ strengths and weaknesses, assistive technologies typically used by students with special needs could also become powerful learning tools for the general student population, experts suggest.

Since the early days of the digital era, assistive and instructional technologies (AT/IT) have evolved along with other technologies, producing tools that can dramatically increase learning gains by children with and without disabilities. Still, getting that technology into the hands of those who need it the most remains a struggle in many schools and districts.

AgrAbility recognizes the immense potential for rural youth to excel individually and contribute to their communities. Therefore, the Project seeks to: Make lifelong changes in the worldviews of rural youth by exposing them to principles and examples of disability in agriculture increase disability awareness and foster the acceptance of peers with disabilities Encourage and empower rural youth with disabilities by providing them with vital resources concerning assistive technology and other disability-related resources Supply rural youth with relevant information to share with family members, neighbors, and other community members with disabilities Provide encouragement for community service projects, by such groups as FFA chapters and 4-H groups, to assist people with disabilities

New popular technological advancements, such as the recent release of the iPhone 5, can cause excitement for different reasons. For the hearing world, it’s for the improvements and new gadgets that will entertain and increase convenience. For those deaf or hard of hearing, however, it can serve as a tool to communicate in ways never before possible.

Recent advances in technology have the potential to improve the quality of life for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.  Here’s a look at four products in this space that caught our attention.

Twenty years ago, a simple, standardized way to link together pages of text via the Internet was invented, and the World Wide Web was born.  Perhaps equally amazing as this innovation are all of the commercial communications advances that were either nascent or not even invented then  – email, Smartphones, GPS, and the rechargeable batteries that power laptops, cell phones, and cameras to name a few.   For as powerful as these inventions were in changing the lives of so many Americans, we recognize that technology has the power not just to entertain but to enhance our work-life experience and connect us to our families and communities. This is particularly true for the approximately 54 million Americans with disabilities.

April 2010 - Epistemic Games: Role-Playing, Technology-Based Games for Real-World Thinking and Learning Computer games delight and distract kids – and occasionally infuriate parents and teachers – but some games actually aim to encourage students to think about their world and their place in it. That latter category encompasses epistemic games. Epistemic what? Epistemic games. Derived from epistemology – the study of knowledge -- epistemic games remain a largely unknown element in the growing gaming universe. But they have already carved out a small niche well worth examining: technology-based games that help young players, including those with disabilities, assume the perspective of a specific group of individuals, including attorneys, doctors and urban planners, among others. The objective of epistemic games is to teach players how to problem-solve like real-world individuals and, in the process, develop creative and innovative ways of thinking.

Welcome to the Family Center on Technology & Disability's Online Discussion Center. Join us this month for a discussion of "Improving Teaching and Learning through Technology." Led by national experts, Lisa Thumann and Karen Janowski, our discussion will range from the specifics of using particular applications for both teacher and student learning to the results of recent research on best classroom practices. Our threaded discussion format allows you to follow individual lines of discussion, start new topics, and easily post questions and comments.

Improving Teaching & Learning through Technology with Karen Janowski and Lisa Thumann

As inclusion classrooms proliferate nationwide and as schools and families become ever more accepting of, knowledgeable about and proficient in the use of assistive and other technology, familiarity is breeding a new approach but not necessarily sound approach to technology use by all parties, according to one prominent inclusion consultant and teacher, Paula Kluth.

In a much anticipated release, at this year’s Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) conference HumanWare and Code Factory debuted Oratio for the BlackBerry, the first-ever screen reader for the visually impaired using this smart phone. Oratio uses text-to-speech technology to convert the visual information displayed on the BlackBerry screen into audio output. Finally, visually impaired persons who don’t have an iPhone can have an accessible experience (the iPhone uses Apple’s proprietary VoiceOver screen reader.)

Crossing the Technology Bridge -- Where Do We Go as a Field to Help All Learners Succeed?An Interview with Ruth Ziolkowski, President and Chief Operating Officer, Don Johnston, Incorporated

This month the Family Center is pleased to feature the insights of Ruth Ziolkowski, President and CEO of the Don Johnston Company, a leading assistive technology firm that recently celebrated its 30th year in business. Don Johnston, and the company that bears his name, are known for literacy software programs, tools, devices and professional development services aimed at supporting students with cognitive, physical and learning challenges. We asked Ms. Ziolkowski to comment on various aspects of the AT field, including where it is headed in K-12 education.

The A.T.TIPScast: Assistive Technology Tools In Public Schools is a podcast about using technology to help students meet their educational goals.

Nearly 40 percent of Americans without high-speed internet have disabilities, according to the first-ever federal working paper on internet accessibility. People with disabilities largely cite the same reasons for limited access to high-speed internet as their non-disabled peers, according to the paper issued this month by the Federal Communications Commission. Cost is a top concern followed by limited computer literacy and a lack of interest in internet content. But the white paper does point out that these barriers can be exacerbated for those with disabilities. For example, assistive technology devices some people need in order to access the internet can make new technology cost prohibitive.

As an occupational therapy practitioner, researcher, and professor, Dr. James Lenker occupies a rare vantage point in the assistive technology field. His is a perspective that encompasses a wide range of AT-related issues: device adoption and abandonment, assessment, evaluation, consumer and rehab technology and AT research. It’s a panoramic perspective with a view of the horizon in every direction and a lens on changes that are remaking the AT landscape.

Click here to download full flyer with registration information (PDF) What: The Northern Rockies Association for the Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind & Visually Impaired is holding its annual conference. Presentations include: Teaching Braille though Arts and Games ~ Jan Zollinger, Distinguished Educators of Blind Children Award, 2004 Stress and the Deaf-Blind Student: Enhancing the Work Environment ~ Robin Greenfield, Coordinator of the Idaho DeafBlind Project Using the Low Vision Assessment Effectively ~ a panel (O&M Specialist; Teacher of the Visually Impaired; etc.) Options for Driving with Optical Devices ~ Dr. Dwight Hansen, Low Vision Specialist Transition and Beyond ~ Dana Ard, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the Blind Assistive Technology for Students with Multiply Impairments-Visual Impairments ~ Nora Jehn, Director of the Idaho Center for Assistive Technology Update on Accessible Technology for the Consumer (IPAD, Magnifiers, Notetaking Devices, Auditory Readers, etc.) Low Vision and Low Vision Devices American Printing House: new math and tactual graphics products Dog Guide Issues Where: Sun Valley Inn Ketchum, Idaho When: October 19-21, 2011

Students with disabilities face several longstanding challenges accessing services that may assist them as they transition from high school into postsecondary education or the workforce—services such as tutoring, vocational training, and assistive technology. Eligible students with disabilities are entitled to transition planning services during high school, but after leaving high school, to receive services that facilitate their transition they must apply as adults and establish eligibility for programs administered by multiple federal agencies. Students with disabilities may face delays in service and end up on waitlists if these programs are full. In addition, while all five states GAO contacted have taken steps to coordinate their transition services and assist families with the transition process, officials said that it is still difficult for students and their parents to navigate and for providers to coordinate services across different programs. Officials and parents GAO spoke with also noted a lack of sufficient information or awareness of the full range of service options available after high school on the part of students with disabilities, parents, and service providers. In addition, state and local officials said students with disabilities may not be adequately prepared to successfully transition to life after high school. This may be due, in part, to limited opportunities to engage in vocational and life skills training or obtain work experience while in school.

Click here to register for this webinar What: This webinar will discuss how to use Acrylic, Stratcore, Astrowhite, Loc-Line, Loc-Lift RG, Dual Loc, CPVC, Green Wire, Flag pole Holders, Model Magic, VHB tape and Epoxy Putty to create hundreds of  solutions in 5 minutes or less.  Participants will learn techniques in scoring, snapping, deburring, heating and bending acrylic.  In addition participants will learn creative techniques for working with PVC and CPVC.  When: Thursday, December 16th, 2010 11:00am -12:00pm Mountain Cost: Free for Lekotek Affiliates $30 General Public (per person) $200 for groups over 10 people