Assistive Technology (Disabilities) « Assistive Technology

Articles, Publications, Organizations and Resources re:
Assistive Technology for People with Disabilities

Articles & Publications:

• 14 Tech Tools that Enhance Computing for the Disabled (ComputerWorld)
  Getting work done on a computer is easily within reach of the blind and physically disabled with the help of these new and updated tools.
• Accessible Information Technology Resources – A Quick Reference Guide for Educators (Southern Regional Education Board)
  Educators need information to make websites and technology-related instructional resources more accessible to and usable by students with disabilities. Resources are provided to support students with vision, hearing and mobility disabilities.
• Amazon Kindle 2 and Childhood Disability (Bella Online)
  The updated version of the Kindle wireless reader is as pricey as the original, but new features make it even more attractive and practical for families and individuals with developmental disabilities, chronic health conditions, and other special needs.
• Changing Lives with Innovation, Collaboration & Leadership (Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities – MSU)
  MSU’s Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) has partnered for decades within and outside MSU to innovate technology for persons with disabilities, disseminating inventive work around the world.
• Considering Assistive Technology in the IEP Process (The Texas 4-Step Model)
  Provided to assist educational teams in considering assistive technology in the development, review, and/or revision of a student’s Individual Educational Plan.
• Disability Retrofit (OregonLive.com – 1/14/10)
  Remodeling a home can be daunting even under ideal circumstances. But combined with the stress of a sudden injury, the need to care for an aging family member or sensory loss due to a disease, the prospect of a big retrofitting project can be overwhelming.
• How to be a Leader with Assistive Technology (eSchoolNews – 10/30/09)
  During an Oct. 21 webinar hosted by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), titled "The Building Blocks of a Successful Assistive Technology Team," Sally Norton-Darr and Chris Bugaj, both AT trainers for Virginia's Loudoun County Public Schools, offered their expert advice on how to evaluate assistive technology products for use in schools.
• iPortal Set to Change the Lives of Wheelchair Users With iPhone and iPod Touch (Voxy – 8/25/10)
  Dynamic Controls today announced its innovative iPortal is now available worldwide. The iPortal solution connects powered wheelchairs to the internet using an iPhone or iPod in a special mount and also includes a 'chair doctor' diagnostics feature that interprets any problems with the wheelchair and an on-chair charger so devices never run flat. "We predict iPortal will change the quality of life of thousands of people by connecting their powered wheelchair to the internet via iPhone or iPod touch," said Charlotte Walshe, CEO of Dynamic Controls. "iPortal is a revolutionary approach to wheelchair displays and provides key information such as battery capacity and seat adjustments.
• New Products Make Life Easier for Those With Disabilities (My Fox Atlanta – 10/18/10)
  Having a disability is the great equalizer. It does not respect age, race or gender, and it affects more people than you might think. But as the population of disabled Americans grows so does the innovation.
• Nintendo Wii Therapy Rehab for Children and Teens ( Bella Online)
  Children and teens who have physical, sensory or intellectual disabilities find the same benefit in playing games with the Nintendo Wii game system as their mainstream peers.
• PARO Robot: Ethical or Not (Telecareaware – 7-22-10)
  Is this $6000 Class II medical device a comforting, interactive emotional support for older people, particularly those with dementia–or an inhumane diversion that relegates humans to mundane tasks and away from emotional connection with residents?
• Physical Therapists Prescribe Wii Time (Reuters – Dec. 6, 2007)
  An occupational therapist is convinced that the Nintendo game could help patients build balance, coordination, endurance and upper and lower body strength.
• The Aurora Project – Robots Helping Autistic Children (MangoMon – 8/2/10)
  The Aurora Project was created as a long term project in the United Kingdom in 1998. It is a project supported by the University of Hertfordshire School of Computer Science with local schools. The program pairs autistic children with robots, a high-interest ‘toy’, to help them build educational and social skills.
• The iPrompts Application and Childhood Disability (Bella Online)
  There has been quite a bit of discussion recently about cell phone software applications created for children or teens with developmental disabilities, communication challenges and chronic health conditions.
• The Medicine Cabinet of the Future (Popsi.com)
  Your future medicine cabinet will integrate home, pharmacy and doctor's office into a digital health network.
• What is Assistive Technology?
  Assistive Technology is any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.

Organizations & Services:

• Family Center on Technology and Disability
  Provides a wide range of resources on assistive and instructional technologies. Also, check out their informative monthly newsletters.
• International Society for Technology in Education
  ISTE is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving learning and teaching by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12 and higher education.
• Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA)
  Purpose is to improve the potential of people with disabilities to achieve their goals through the use of technology.

Resources (Websites & Blogs):

• AbledBody.com
  News and insights on assistive technologies and innovations for people with disabilities. See article in Mediadis&dat – 3/27/09
• Assistive Technology and Portable Tools for Exchange Participants with Disabilities (Mobility International USA)
  What assistive technology, adaptive software and portable tools do people with disabilities use to independently access information, activities and places in their daily lives? The following tipsheets share information by disability type and include portable or remote options for people with disabilities who travel internationally.
• Assistive Technology News
  Independence through technology.
• Assistive Technology Rocks! (Cecilia Garcia blog)
  An article asking the question "Why is inclusion important both to the student with special needs and the culture of the class?
• AT Cubed
  Brian Wojcik, an assistive technology specialist, shares reflections and commentary about using assistive technology in the classroom. Many of the posts aim to start discussion about the needs and use of assistive technology, and pose thoughtful questions.
• Disabled and Elderly Assistive Technologies in the U.S.
  Assistive technology products are products designed to assist people who, because of specific disabilities or the general infirmities that often accompany old age, would otherwise be unable to participate meaningfully in economic, social, political, cultural, and other forms of human activity in their communities.
• No Limits to Learning
  This assistive technology blog guides teachers and educators through the use of technology such as the iPhone, web applications, and software.