Michigan's Assistive Technology Program
Assistive Technology Connections
Vol. 6, No. 11, November 2005
In This Issue:
- Calendar
- Hearing Assistive Technology
- Resources
- Asstitive Technology Act of 2004 Update
- Subscription Information
Assistive Technology Connections is a service of Michigan Disability Rights Coalition, A.T. Project. Funding is by the Assistive Technology Act received through Michigan Rehabilitation Services.
Calendar:
- November 3. IntelliTools New Classroom Suite: Authoring Made
Easy. Wayne ATRC, Lincoln Park, MI. For more information,
call Judy Phelps at 313.928.0408 or email her at
phelpsj@resa.net To register, go to:
http://www.solutionwhere.com/wayneresa/cw/CourseByCateg.asp
- November 3. Tours of MSU Usability's & Accessibility Center,
Garden Level, Kellogg Center from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
- November 3. Michigan World Usability Conference, 1 - 5:30 p.m.
MSU Union Ballroom, East Lansing, sponsored by MSU's Usability
& Accessibility Center and the Michigan Usability Professionals'
Association (MI-UPA), launching a project where people with
disabilities will advise designers on ways to eliminate barriers.
There is no charge, but registration is required. For more
information, go to: http://usability.msu.edu/conf3.asp.
- November 4, 2:30 - 4 p.m. U.P. Adaptive Blindness Technology
Seminar. Conference Room C in the Marquette- Alger Regional
Educational Service Agency Office, 321 East Ohio St., Marquette.
For more information, call John at 906.280.4740.
- November 8 - 10. Michigan Rehabilitation Conference. Amway Grand
Plaza, DeVos Place, Grand Rapids. For more information, go to
http://www.maro.org/mrc.html or call Harry Smith, 517.484.5588.
His email is hsmith2@maro.org.
- November 15, 9:30 - 2:30 p.m. Region II AT Consortium Conference.
Clinton County RESA, 1013 South US 27 , St. Johns, MI 48879. For
more information, contact Sheri Pelletier at 989.673.5200 ext. 433,
email spelletier@tisd.k12.mi.us or go to http://www.ccresa.org.
Hearing Assistive Technology (HAT)
Hearing Assistive Technology makes sound accessible to people with a hearing loss. This may be accomplished through amplification of sound or accessing other senses to convey meaning (such as lights and vibrations). Where there is a challenge to listening, such as in large groups, hearing assistive technology sends amplified sound directly to the listener's ear. Alert sounds, such as doorbells, telephone rings, smoke detectors, and pagers are made accessible through flashing lights and vibrators worn on or near the body. Computers offer the promise of automatically translating the spoken word into readable text (currently in the development phase). Through technology, people with hearing loss are gaining improved access to the information hearing people have always taken for granted.
Resources
- E- Michigan Deaf and Hard of Hearing People.
- National Center for Hearing Assistive Technology.
- Contact Michigan Self Help for Hard of Hearing (SHHH) to schedule a presentation by a trained Hearing Technology Resource Specialists. Michigan SHHH has trained over 30 volunteers across the state to educate their local communities about hearing assistive technology. Email info@mi-shhh.org.
- Michigan Association for Deaf, Hearing and Speech Services:
email: madhs@sbcglobal.net, or toll free at 1.800.YOUR.EAR (Voice/TTY.)
- American Speech Language Hearing Association:
- Gallaudet University's Technology Access Program (TAP) is a research group focusing on technologies and services that eliminate communication barriers traditionally faced by deaf and hard of hearing people. http://tap.gallaudet.edu/.
- Hearing Assistive Technology Online Guide (HAT Guide) is available in Adobe (pdf) format to help determine accommodations for a person with hearing loss. For assistance, contact Julie Eckhardt by phone 231.922.2943 or email jewel@chartermi.net.
New Tech Act Update:
Michigan's 3 year State Assistive Technology (AT) Plan application for the new Tech Act of 2004 has been approved. Funding has been released through the Rehabilitation Services Administration for fiscal year 2005. We are now waiting for the funding to be processed through the state. Funding for fiscal year 2006 is still held up in congress. We have received a no cost extension through the end of November to complete activities under the Tech Act of 1998. Our work under the New Tech Act is set to begin in December 2005 and will focus on Alternative Financing Program, Assistive Technology Demonstration and on the Xchange, a new web site in development for the recycling/reuse of AT.
List Information:
To Subscribe:
Send an e-mail message to: majordomo@match.org. In the body of the message, write: subscribe atconnections youremail@youraddress (replace with your email address.)
To Unsubscribe:
Send an e-mail message to: majordomo@match.org. In the body of the message, write: unsubscribe atconnections youremail@youraddress (replace with your email address.)
If you have problems or questions about this list send an e-mail message to Kathryn Wyeth or call 1(800)760-4600.
"The contents of this web page were developed under a grant from the Department of Education. However those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal government."
Search This Site and Communities of Power: