ATRC

RESNA

 

ADA 20th Anniversary

Entry into the offices at 200 N. Vineyard Blvd., where ATRC is located, now requires interaction with a security guard on the 1st Floor.  All visitors will be asked the floor they will be visiting, and the security guard will escort you to the elevator.  You do not need to specify which agency you are visiting - only the floor.

ATRC respects your privacy, therefore, if you have any concerns or questions about this new procedure please contact Barbara Fischlowitz-Leong at 808-532-7110 or email at barbara@atrc.org.

The Disability and Communication Access Board (DCAB) will be conducting FREE community forums to obtain feedback about emergency preparedness and the needs of individuals with disabilities and other access and functional needs related to the Interagency Action Plan for the Emergency Preparedness of People with Disabiities and special Health Needs.  Detailed schedule is below:

Date/Time: December 3, 2012 @ 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Location: Aging and Disability Resource Center Training Room, 1055 Kinoole Street

Date/Time: December 5, 2012 @ 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Location: Wailuku State Building, 3rd Floor Conference Room, 54 High Street

Date/Time: December 6, 2012 @ 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Location: Lihue State Building, 2nd Floor Conference Room A, B and C, 3059 Umi Street

Date/Time: December 10, 2012 @ 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Location: West Hawaii Civic Center, Community Meeting Hale, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy.

Date/Time: December 17, 2012 @ 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Location: Disability and Communication Access Board, 919 Ala Moana Blvd, 5th Floo Conference Room

Questions regarding registration for the forums or request an auxiliary aid or service (i.e., ASL interpreter, large print material, etc.), please contact Debbie Jackson at (808) 586-8121 or via email at dcab@doh.hawaii.gov seven days prior to the date of the event.

In the late October 2012, Microsoft launched a redesign of its Windows operating system - Window 8, the introduction of touch-only devices. Windows 8 has significantly improved key accessibility features for low vision users and those with significant visual impairments by building in Magnifier and touch-enabled devices and Narrator and touch-enabled devices.

 

In Window 8, Microsoft has made Magnifier App. easy to use with touch. To move around the screen, users just move their fingers around edges of the screen. To start Magnifier on a touch-enabled device users first will need to designate Magnifier as the start option when pressing the Windows logo button + Volume Up in the Ease of Access setting. Magnifier also supports multi touch. Using two fingers, users can zoom in and out very quickly.

 

Narrator is the screen-reading tool in Window 8 that is very useful application for users with significant visual impairment. Narrator is designed on touch screens that support four or more contact points. To start the Narrator, hold a window button and touch the volume button. Once narrow is running, users can touch around the screen and narrator will read around the user's finger.

 

In addition, Window 8 also supports JAWS - a screen-reader program for users who are blind.

 

Window 8 is available at ATRC's Microsoft Accessibility Resource Center. For detailed information, please check out the link below:

http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/windows8/

  

As a participant of the U.S. Department of State Legislative Fellows Program, Umut Sevilimus, from Bursa, Turkey, served as an intern at the Assistive Technology Resource Centers of Hawaii for three weeks in the past month.  Employed as the Project Coordinator of the NilüferDistrict Governorship in Bursa, Turkey Umut is responsible for assessing and collecting citizens' needs and inputs, and then implementing local, national, and international projects/programs to reflect such needs.  

 

Image 1:  Umut Sevilimus was engaging with AT Trainer - Onkar Nerurkar on how to design a good website accessible for people with disabilities.  "end of image"

At ATRC, Umut had the opportunity to meet with their clients, observe various training sections, participate in outreach activities, and learn about the U.S. Assistive Technology Act and Programs as well as AT equipment, devices, and applications for diverse disabilities available at the agency. 

 

Umut shared his insights into his deep interests in AT and disabilities and future plans after his internship experience at ATRC:  

 

"I am interested in disabilities and assistive technology because there are lots of people with disabilities living in my district.  Acknowledging that these people face tremendous challenges in their lives has urged me to do something for them.  I had experience in implementing a project on how to integrate people with hearing impairment into the society in my district; therefore, I was eager to learn more about AT to assist more individuals with different disabilities so their lives could have been easier.

 

At  ATRC I saw and learned about various software and AT applications that help people with disabilities to live more independently, to succeed at school and work, and otherwise to live active and productive lives.  To me that was fascinating.

In Turkey, public awareness of AT for disabilities is very limited.  There are some vocational schools that use a number of educational software for special children. Many software and AT applications which have been pervasively used in the U.S. are not accessible to many Turkish people because of their language barriers. 

The internship at ATRC has enabled me to develop an outbound project that aims at encouraging the people with disabilities to participate in local governance issues and to share their needs and interest with the Governor of the district.  I also want to introduce AT to more people in Turkey.  I certainly need some studies as regard to how to provide a Turkish language option for many AT apps, which are currently available in English.  Another program that I am planning is how to re-design websites of government organizations so that they would be accessible to people with disabilities in Turkey."

  

 

Earlier this month ATRC hosted a two-hour seminar at the University of Hawaii for 14 students enrolled in Professor Schmidt's SPED 480:  Assistive Technology for Children with Disabilities.  

 

Most of the students were double education and special education majors, and have already experienced working with special education students. They, however, did not have much hands-on experience with the broad array of assistive technology available for the educational setting.  

 

The ATRC President, Barbara Fischlowitz-Leong, gave an impassioned talk that included the history of the Tech Act, vignettes of the positive transformative effect assistive technology can have on a person, and cautionary tales where assistive technology choices were not made wisely.  Then, Darryl Lum - ATRC's AT Manager - demonstrated examples of assistive technology which have been widely used by individuals with visual impairment, hearing impairment, physical, and learning disabilities such as Ergo Rest, Topaz, Ruby, Onyx, Hear-It, Motiva 360, Intel Reader, Kurzweil Firefly, VNS Timer, LookTel Money Reader, Echo SmartPen, and Keys U See. 

 

The students were very involved in the process, asked questions, and shared their personal experiences with technology and students with special needs.

 

 

A delegation from the University of Hawaii's (UH) Counseling and Student Development Center visited ATRC office to learn about assistive technology devices, programs, and services available at the center. This group was particularly interested in AT that could be useful to students with learning disabilities at the university because the members were trained to assess and consult other UH students with learning disability and ADHD. 

 

The ATRC President, Barbara Fischlowitz-Leong and AT Manager, Darryl Lum, presented to the delegation relevant AT applications available at the center, such as Kurzweil Firefly, Intel Reader, and SmartPen. The delegation appreciated the AT information and demonstrations they received at ATRC. 

 

 

One of ATRC's outreach activities in November is its participation in the "Caring for Family, Caring for Yourself" conference, organized by AARP on November 14, 2012.  Representatives of ATRC - Jodi Asato and Kawika Shook - had the opportunity to share information on activities and programs on AT available at ATRC with more than 50 senior citizens. 

 

Image 2: ATRC outreach specialist, Kawika Shook, sharing information on programs and services at ATRC with a senior visitor at the ATRC booth. "end of image"

 

The majority of the senior visitors demonstrated their interest in vision and hearing AT in addition to some other specific interest such as a Bluetooth stethoscope or a handlebar for getting out of car.