TECH CONNECTIONS is a national dissemination project designed to increase the utilization of existing and emerging assistive technology by State Vocational Rehabilitation programs, Employment Specialists, Employers, and anyone interested in getting assistive technology into the hands individuals with disabilities.
TECH CONNECTIONS will provide current information on assistive technology via an information center, Web site, and training programs.
Individuals with disabilities often have trouble obtaining appropriate technology to help them on the job site. There are a variety of reasons for this: they may not know that such technology exist, they may be only familiar with "last year's model" which did not have the features that they needed, or they may not know how to find funding for this particular device. People with disabilities have the best understanding of their own needs and should direct the process of acquiring assistive technology themselves, therefore; to do this they need the most current and comprehensive information about assistive technology.
Rehabilitation professionals face similar challenges, from not having enough training in assistive technology to decode product brochures to simply not being able to find the time to keep up with technology that changes daily. These professionals need information about assistive technology to help them determine what options exists for their customers.
Employers also need current and comprehensive information to understand how assistive technology can support people with disabilities and allow them to become fully productive and valued employees and help them understand how to make accommodations and to correct misconceptions about the ADA.
TRAINING MATERIALS
This project is developing an annotated bibliography of training materials to make available. We are asking schools and trainers that have materials of this type to share copies of their material with project staff. If you are willing to share your material with the public, we would like to include electronic copies on the project Web site. If you are not able to share your material on our site we would like to tell people how they may obtain information about your program.
We will be developing additional items to supplement existing material. Including overviews of assistive technology areas, lists, and case studies. A slide library of digital images, video clips, audio clips, and animation that illustrate various assistive technology concepts and demonstrate assistive technology at work.
TRAINING BROADCASTS
The project will conduct quarterly audio conferences and yearly satellite broadcasts to provide information about various assistive technology issues. Our first audio conference will be:
Wednesday, May 12th, 2008 (2:30-4:00 EST)
Funding Assistive Technology.
Although the intended audience will be state vocational rehabilitation professionals, other rehabilitation professionals, people with disabilities and educators are welcome. We hope that you will be able to participate!
TRAINING CALENDAR
Does you group conduct presentations/classes on assistive technology? Are you looking for information about local seminars? As part of our project, we want to help people find these types of training opportunities. The project Web site will include a searchable database of training programs, accessible by location, topic, date, and audience level. This information will be on line next summer.
INFORMATION SERVICES (Toll-free number; Web site)
In an effort to assist people with their assistive technology questions, the project will provide both a Web site on assistive technology and a toll-free number staffed by information specialists. The toll free telephone number is 1-877-TEK-SEEK. Calls about specific assistive technology products as well as questions about funding are welcome.
Have you completed a comparative review of several products, written up a tip sheet on how to program a communication device or put together an assistive technology "wish list" for college computer lab? To make our information resources as complete as possible, we would like to know about curriculums, fact sheets, and informational documents that you may have on a Web site or available for distribution. We will provide a link to Web sites; other documents will be published in electronic format with your permission.
MENTOR PROGRAM
The project is establishing a mentor program to match individuals with disabilities who are assistive technology users to people who are assistive technology seekers and would like to learn more about it. Our mentors are matched with people from their own state so they can share tips about local resources. Therefore, if you know of any assistive technology users in your area please ask them to contact us toll free at the number given above or fill out a mentor referral form and a representative will contact them directly with more information. The mentor list will not be made public; the project will arrange all matches.
TECH CONNECTIONS is funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the Department of Education (NIDRR), grant #H133A980052. TECH CONNECTIONS is a collaboration between United Cerebral Palsy Associations (UCP), the Center for Rehabilitation Technology at Georgia Tech (CRT), and the Southeast Disability Business Technical Assistance Center (SE DBTAC).