Michigan's Assistive Technology Program
Assistive
Technology Connections
Volume 8, Issue 7, July 2007
In This Issue:
- Calendar
- AT Demonstrations in the Upper Peninsula
- Used Assistive Technology Web Site
- Subscription Information
Calendar:
- Anytime: On-line course on Universal Web Design $150 - open for 60 days from registration. This course is divided into eleven modules and a final examination. Georgia Institute for Technology CEUs= 0.66.
- Anytime: Courses on-line on a variety of accessibility
and access topics. You must register on the site. Some course are free, Abiltiy
Net Training
- August 7th, 8th, and 9th Assistive Technology of Alaska (ATLA) will host the Midnight Sun Assistive Technology Conference in Anchorage.
- August 14, 2007 Road to Freedom ADA Picnic Marquette,MI As part of a 50 state tour, the Road to Freedom bus will be in Marquette for the annual ADA Celebration. Activities include a picnic, music, food, entertainment and Assistive Technology information displays. For more information, please contact the Superior Alliance for Independent Living (SAIL) at (906) 228-5744 or (800) 379-7245.
- October 8, 2007 2nd Annual Life without Limits through Assistive Technology Conference and Expo Marriott Hotel at Centerpoint Pontiac, Michigan. This event is free to people with disabilities and family members; reasonably priced for professionals. For more information, please call UCP of Metro Detroit at (248) 557-5070 E-Mail: main@ucpdetroit.org. Web page about the conference.
- October 18, 2007 Pathway to Possibilities 2007 - Dearborn’s Disability Awareness Day at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center. This year’s Pathway to Possibilities theme will be “Let’s Make the World More Accessible for YOU”. The keynote speaker is Ira David Socol. For more information call Susan Fitzmaurice, City of Dearborn ADA Coordinator, at (313) 943-2789, TTY (313) 943-2835.
- October 18-20, 2007 Closing the Gap 25th Annual Conference & Preconference Workshops - October 16-17, 2007 Minneapolis, Minnesota
- January 30 - February 2, 2008 Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) 2008 Conference and Exhibition Caribe Royale Resort Orlando, Florida
Assistive Technology Demontrations in the Upper Peninsula
The Superior Alliance for Independent Living Center (SAIL) provides device demonstrations to people with disabilities in the fifteen counties of the Upper Peninsula to explore compare and contrast the features and benefits of various AT devices. SAIL is collaborating with the United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan's Assistive Technology Center. The program has helped many people in the area, for example:
A local physician referred a man with ALS who was having difficulty using the computer He had limited use of his left side and weakening strength in both hands. He lives in a very rural area and the program was able to bring the demonstration of devices to him. Through the device demonstration he was introduced to an on-screen keyboard, mouse emulators, a switch interface and switches, and voice recognition software. As a result of the demonstration, he is in the process of acquiring devices. Once he has them, he will be able to use the computer independently.
SAIL receives a subcontract for this activity through Michigan's AT Program. To request device demonstration, call SAIL at (906) 228-5744 or (800) 379-7245.
Used Assistive Technology: AT Xchange
http://www.atxchange.org is a new Michigan-based website where people can buy, sell or give away assistive technology (AT). Do you have a used AT item in storage that could really help someone who has a disability? It could be anything from a wheelchair, stair lift, Braille reader, or reacher! If so, just post a classified ad AT Xchange.org. Include a digital photo. ATxchange is open to vendors who have used equipment for sale also. And don't worry about cost, ATXchange is a free service! Maybe you or someone you know is looking for AT? If you can't find what you are looking for, you can post it as an item wanted and receive an email message telling you if and when someone posts the item you are looking for. You may find the AT you are seeking for a bargain price - even for free!
Resources Available for Community Groups
Michigan's Assistive Technology Program has copies of the DVD "Freedom Machines" available to community groups to show to the public in order to increase awareness of assistive technology. This documentary is a public television program and national outreach campaign, looks at our beliefs about disability through the lens of assistive technology. The program explores how human experience and technological innovations are outpacing social policies-and the perceptions that have guided them. The DVD includes: captioning, descriptive video, Spanish, lesson plans and community group presentation advice, other resources.
More information about "Freedom Machines" is available at http://www.freedommachines.com/. For information about how to obtain a copy Freedom Machines DVD for your community group, please contact Kathryn Wyeth at kdwyeth@prosynergy.org or (517)333-2477 ext 335.
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