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"Paddling for Possibilities"
~ UPDATE ~
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It's not too late to sign up for
the Mokoli'i Paddle Classic!
SEPTEMBER 15, 2012, SATURDAY
KUALOA BEACH PARK
TIME: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
COST:
$45 Early Registration Fee
($55 Late registration after September 9, 2012)
Please register online at
Pacific Sport Events and Timing:
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A big MAHALO
to the following sponsors
who have committed to support
Paddling for Possibilities!
- KonaRed will donate cases of their products to the overall winners of the Mokoli'i Paddle Classic.
- Ruth's Chris Steak House will provide free appetizer gift cards and Romano's Macaroni Grill will provide free dessert gift cards for the first 200 registered participants.
- Jamba Juice will be at the race whipping up some of their infamous fruit smoothies where a percentage of the proceeds will go to benefit Paddling for Possibilities.
- Aloha Friday Beverage Company, the first all natural vitamin and mineral enhanced waters that are made in Hawaii to promote energy, health, and wellness, will keep our participants hydrated and satisfied.
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On Sept. 10, 2012, Peter Fritz, ATRC Board of Director, will be on Hawaii Public Radio (HPR). In his conversation with HPR, he will promote Paddling for Possibilities among other programs at ATRC.
And on Sept. 11, 2012, the Director of the Race - Kawika Shook - will be on KITV4 morning news to share about the event. Keep an eye out for us on the week on September 10, 2012 as ATRC is scheduling to be on morning news of other local channels (KHON2 and KHNL/KGMB) to promote Paddling for Possibilities and encourage people to come out to the Mokoli'i Paddle Classic on September 15th, 2012.
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Tune into Da Paina 93.1 FM
for up-to-date media coverage
on the Mokoli'i Paddle Classic.
For the latest news and update on the race,
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ATRC's Participation in 2012 Give Aloha
ATRC's Code #77049
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 During September, please use your Maika'i card to make donations up to $249 to support the people with disabilities of Hawai'i. Please tell Foodland cashiers our code number: 77049 when you make contributions.
Look for ATRC banner if you happen to be at the Pearl City Foodland during September 1-30, 2012. ATRC is calling contributions from friends and other community members to support our mission to: provide assistive technology and services for residents of Hawaii with disabilities of all ages, and enable their independence and participation in every aspect of community life, including employment and education.
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The Kapiolani Community College Disability Support Service Office Visits ATRC
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Students with disabilities attending Kapiolani Community College (KCC) have a team of dedicated staff that provide a wide variety of support services, including note-taking, acting as scribes, transcribing text books into accessible formats, and providing assistive technology (AT) in the campus library. On August 10, 2012, seven members of the Disability Support Service Office (DSSO) staff visited ATRC in our new location at 200 N. Vineyard Blvd., and learned about a few AT devices that included the Topaz CCTV, Kurzweil 3000, educational software on Apple and PC, Proloquo2go augmentative communication software on the iPad that could be used by KCC students with disabilities.
 | Onkar Nerurkar, ATRC's summer intern,
and the KCC team at ATRC |
Most of the DSSO team is composed of fellow KCC students, some who are just a few months in, and others with over three years of experience. A common sentiment during the visit was that helping others is truly a big learning experience, and that their experience at the DSSO will be helpful to their future careers, ranging from Tourism and Hospitality to Medicine.
At ATRC, we continue to learn from shared experiences with people in other disciplines related to disabilities.
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A Foreign Intern's Reflection
By Hyeon-Jeong Yu
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My name if Hyeon-Jeong Yu, 21 years old. I am a student at the Department of Occupational Therapy at Far East University in Korea. I am interested in vocational rehabilitation because I want to be an occupational therapist. Thanks to the arrangement with my department, I was able to work as an intern at the Assistive Technology Resource Centers of Hawaii from August 6 - 31, 2012.
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Hyeon-Jeong observing a training session at ATRC.
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The purpose of my internship was to gain international working experience in occupational therapy. As an intern at ATRC, I observed assistive technology (AT) demonstration, training, and consulting service to persons with disabilities, assisted with office work, and participated in an outreach activity by disseminating information on AT and services available at ATRC at the Aloha United Way Workplace Giving Campaign 2012.
I have learned from my observation in training sessions that ATRC training staff gives clear and detailed instructions to clients. Clients were taught computer skills, i.e., typing and spreadsheets, and were trained to use various AT, such as smart pens or Dragon Naturally Speaking software. I was surprised at the diversity and prevalence of AT software that people with disabilities can learn at ATRC. I hope Korea will develop similar resource centers that provide AT and services to people with disabilities in the near future.
I also learned from observing a consultation session between Barbara Fischlowitz-Leong, President and CEO of ATRC, and a hearing impaired client who sought for loan accessibility at the center. The consultant asked specific questions about the client's residence, living, and financial status as well as issues relating to the client's family, and then decided whether a loan could be granted to the client. This experience was valuable to me because I will not be given a chance to observe a similar case in my country.
While people with disabilities always receive help from others in Korean society, this population segment in the U.S. tends to be more independent. The latter takes efforts to try AT services and devices. Perhaps, the U.S. central and state governments are highly aware of the rights of people with disabilities.
Personally, I am very impressed at how the public bus system in Hawaii successfully accommodates the needs of people who commute with a wheelchair or a walker. I will share these valuable experiences with my friends and teachers in Korea; and I would like to thank the ATRC executive director and staff for rendering my working experience that I will value for my lifetime.
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Opportunity to Support ATRC by Joining 2012 Aloha United Way Workplace Giving Campaign
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On Friday, August 24, 2012, ATRC staff joined its partnering agency - Aloha United Way - to kick off the 2012 Aloha United Way Workplace Giving Campaign at Tamarind Park in downtown Honolulu. ATRC staff provided information on services and assistive technologies available at the ATRC for visitors and by-passers.
To designate your donation to ATRC via the Aloha United Way, please add ATRC designation number: 75010.
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Onkar Nerurkar, client relations representative for ATRC, provided Chris Caneda with information on assistive technology at the ATRC exhibit camp.
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Please contact Hao Nguyen at 532-7113 or Jodi Asato at 532-7111 if you have any questions.
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Latest & Greatest in Technology
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New Federal Program Set to Distribute Communications Technology to People with Vision and Hearing Loss
Many thousands of Americans who have combined loss of hearing and vision may soon connect with family, friends, and community thanks to the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program. Mandated by the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA). Who is eligible to receive equipment?
Under the CVAA, only low-income individuals who are deaf-blind are eligible to receive equipment. Applicants must provide verification of their status as low-income and deaf-blind. For this program, the CVAA requires that the term "deaf-blind" has the same meaning given in the Helen Keller National Center Act. In general, the individual must have a certain vision loss and a hearing loss that, combined, cause extreme difficulty in attaining independence in daily life activities, achieving psychosocial adjustment, or obtaining a vocation (working). The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) defines "low income" to mean not more than 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, as indicated in the following chart:
2012 Federal Poverty Guidelines | | |
Number of persons in family/household
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400% for Hawaii
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1
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$51,440
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2
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$69,640
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3
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$87,840
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4
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$106,040
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5
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$124,240
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6
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$142,440
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7
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$160,640
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8
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$178,840
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For each additional person, add
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$18,200
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Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Additional information is available online at www.iCanConnect.org or by phone at 1-800-825-4595 or through the FCC at http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/national-deaf-blind-equipment-distribution-program.
For potential beneficiaries in Hawaii, contact ATRC Assistive Technology Manager, Darryl Lum at 532-7116 or Island Skill Gathering at 732-7622.
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