AT Program News Blog

Science Museums for Assistive Technology Outreach?

2012-02-01T07:33:18-08:00

Here's an interesting idea for marketing your assistive technology program. Partner with your local science museum! I just learned that one Massachusetts AT Regional Center was recently contacted by their local science museum. The museum is offering an after school program and is considering a unit on assistive technology. Hmmm... our local science museum brings in traveling exhibits. I wonder how these are developed/curated? Wouldn't it be wonderful to see a hands-on AT exhibit traveling to museums around the country, partnering with local AT programs as it goes with outreach materials? Has it ever been done? I'd love to know...

Are Your State Assistive Technology Regional Centers Listed at Proloquo2Go.com?

2011-12-07T06:51:51-08:00

I just got off the phone with a new coordinator of an AT Regional Center in Boston. She told me this inspiring story that I thought I'd share. The Proloquo2Go Web site has a state-by-state resources page to identify places to go see this communication app on an iPad. A colleague at the Center noticed the local children's hospital was listed and thought they should be listed too. They submitted their information and since doing so, a short time ago, they've had close to a dozen calls from people who need AAC (augmentative and alternative communication). Many of the people...

Christmas Comes Early Through ReMEDy

2011-11-28T13:49:00-08:00

By Jim Branum ReMEDy has many success stories. After all, the goal of the program is to loan used durable medical equipment to people who are unable to otherwise purchase what they need. So you can understand that we feel like it is Christmas every day we go to work and get to see the faces of the people we are able to serve. The story of C.M. is one such success story. It begins with Carolyn, a member of one of our Birmingham Baptist Association Churches (BBA), who worked at a metal manufacturing company in the western area of...

Vermont AT Reuse Project Receives Governor's Award

2011-11-23T13:04:00-08:00

Project Coordinator Sharon Alderman attributes recognition, in part, to the growth of Vermont's AT School Exchange Congratulations are in order to the Vermont Assistive Technology (VT AT) Reuse Project. In June the project received the 2011 Governor's Award for Environmental Conservation Excellence in Justice and Sustainability. VT AT Reuse initiatives include the Medicaid Equipment Reuse Project (recapturing publically-funded durable medical equipment for those who need it), the Assistive Technology Exchange in New England (a Craig's list style device "swap and shop"), and the Assistive Technology Exchange for Vermont Schools (helping share equipment among schools). "We received the award because our...

Pass It On Center Happenings

2011-11-22T14:00:00-08:00

The Pass It On Center is the provider of technical assistance to AT reuse programs nationally. PIOC provides site visits to established and emerging programs, offers webinars, teleconferences, and workshops for training purposes, and organizes reuse summits to foster regional collaboration and planning. The PIOC Web site is a deep resource of toolkits, archived webinars, and a "knowledge base" that includes everything from how to sanitize equipment to advice with choosing board members. Below are some recent and upcoming PIOC happenings. California site visit: This past summer, PIOC Director Carolyn Phillips was invited to visit the Ed Roberts Center (for...

Nebraska's AT4ALL (Does It All)

2011-11-21T12:39:00-08:00

An overview of Nebraska's popular equipment reutilization platform from Program Coordinator Barbara Schultz Our Web site address evokes our mission statement--assistive technology 4 all ages, disabilities, and locations in Nebraska--but our impact has gone beyond state lines. AT4ALL.com was developed in 2005 to help Nebraska achieve its statewide mission by providing an easy online tool for individuals with disabilities and others to learn about and locate assistive technology. Today 12 additional states have adopted the platform, customized for their own use. AT4ALL's structure is popular because its database is integrated. The site allows users to search for equipment available for...

The Reuse ReMEDy for Birmingham

2011-11-18T08:05:05-08:00

Birmingham Baptist Association taps a deep need for durable medical equipment with the help of STAR, Alabama's Assistive Technology Resource Over the last fifteen years, Alabama's STAR Program (through the Dept. of Rehabilitation Services) has used its limited federal AT Act dollars to develop a statewide network of equipment reuse programs through public-private partnerships. It's a model the Pass It On Center--the national provider of reuse program technical assistance--has been working to highlight. STAR's diverse partners range from disability services organizations, like Easter Seals and United Cerebral Palsy, to low-income and faith-based charities, like Goodwill and the Birmingham Baptist Association...

Poignant for the AT Community: Mona Simpson on Steve Jobs

2011-11-04T10:15:46-07:00

From Mona Simpson's "A Sister's Eulogy for Steve Jobs" at the New York Times Web site on October 30th, 2011: One time when Steve had contracted a tenacious pneumonia his doctor forbid everything — even ice. We were in a standard I.C.U. unit. Steve, who generally disliked cutting in line or dropping his own name, confessed that this once, he’d like to be treated a little specially. I told him: Steve, this is special treatment. He leaned over to me, and said: “I want it to be a little more special.” Intubated, when he couldn’t talk, he asked for a...

Digital Books: So Many (Free) Ways to Read--MassMATCH News Quarterly

2011-10-11T11:47:50-07:00

Check out the article I just wrote for the MassMATCH News Quarterly on free digital book sources: "An orientation to this dizzying world for everyone." This is a round up of resources for individuals with print disabilities as well as mainstream consumers. Along the way you'll learn a few things about play back devices and file types and all that confusing stuff. Read Digital Books: So Many (Free) Ways to Read at the MassMATCH Web site.

Google Improves Accessibility for Blind Users

2011-09-15T12:20:35-07:00

Google has announced improved keyboard shortcuts and support for screen readers in Google Docs, Google Sites, and Google Calendar. Google Accessibility Technical Lead T.V. Raman reports that Google has been working with advocacy organizations for the blind to improve its products and plans to continue to make enhancements over the coming months. Learn about Google's accessibility features Read the announcement at the Official Google Blog