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Thanks for Your Inspiring Contributions!
 | David Dikter, CEO ATIA
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ATIA 2013 was my 11th conference as ATIA CEO and I'm happy to report that the experience gets better each time. Seeing the enthusiasm, the networking, the awesome education, the exhibitors--all these great interactions across the convention center--is inspiring. It reminds me of all that we have accomplished and all that we have yet to do when it comes to assistive technology. After all, the diversity of the technology that exists now is truly breathtaking. And this diversity exists because of the diversity of the needs. Indeed, there will never be one size that fits all for AT. So when I look around the exhibit hall, at all this choice and variety, what it says to me is now we can reach more students. The potential is there to expand the possibilities for so many individuals with a range of abilities. The solutions are there. It's time to get really busy.
As CEO I get to hear about a lot of special moments at the conference. And what I hear repeatedly is how your ATIA Orlando experiences--the learning moments, those new connections--are something to hold onto throughout the year, to use as motivation to keep looking forward. This year I'm encouraged, too, by how many new faces were in attendance, bringing new contributions and thinking. This says to me that despite all the budget crises in schools and agencies and government funding issues, that no matter what is happening economically, the needs must still be met and people are still pushing ahead. Thank you everyone, to our members and exhibitors, attendees, and especially to our speakers! Your expertise and energy is a big part of ATIA's success, and your guidance to our ever-widening community is essential if we are to see more individuals successfully use technology to open new doors. Thanks, too, for your enthusiasm for our new ATIA mobile app! Launched this year, the app helped many of you navigate the complex education schedule and the exhibit hall. If you used it, please send us your feedback at mobilefeedback@atia.org (we're making improvements for 2014). And do you have something cool to share? Consider becoming a speaker. With your contributions 2014 will be better still.
--David Dikter, CEO ATIA
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Moving Forward Together at ATIA 2013
How you help make this such a great conference The feedback is rolling in and it would appear that many of you enjoyed more than just fabulous weather in Orlando this year.
"I have been attending this conference for over 10 years, educationally this was the most robust ever."
ATIA 2013 included over 350 educational sessions across 12 professional development strands, all supporting learning in the field of assistive technology for individuals with disabilities. The strands, or specialized learning tracks, ranged broadly from topics such as Transition, Common Core Standards, and Everyday Technology--to Policy and Practice, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), and Workplace/Vocational Rehabilitation.
"All of the sessions were great. There was so much to see, I cannot imagine what else could have been added at this point."
So how does ATIA do it? The answer, of course, is that we don't-- you do!
Educational tracks are shaped by strand advisors--leaders in their fields--who review and select proposals for workshops, presentations, labs, and smack-downs. Thanks to the growing enthusiasm and strength of our AT community, the volume and quality of these proposals steadily climbs each year. So while 350+ sessions may seem like a lot, this year many proposals competed for each slot, which put ATIA's strand advisors in a wonderful position to craft a truly great educational offering. For this reason it doesn't surprise us when we hear (or in this case read): "Best ATIA Conference so far!"
Who presents at ATIA? A range of AT professionals, family members, AT users, educators, policy makers, and vendors, all of whom--at one time or another--were a "first timer" ATIA attendee. If you made it to the conference this year, you may have noticed ATIA first timers wearing their blue ribbons (or wore one yourself). They accounted for a third of the roughly 2,300 attendees. In the future, some of them (some of you) will learn something too good to keep to yourself. This year a third of our speakers were new to presenting, and we're pleased to report that 98% would recommend their experience to others.
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ATIA first-timer Cameron Haines (and her father Rick) is greeted warmly by long-time ATIA attendee Confetti-the-guide-horse (and Chris and Cheryl Spencer)
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Overall, ATIA 2013 was highly-rated by attendees.
Exhibit Hall Highlights
ATIA 2013 was also made possible by over 125 assistive technology manufacturers and vendors who had a presence at the show.  | | Fun playing virtual soccer with eye-tracking technology at the Tobii booth. |
Access to the exhibit hall is free in Orlando (Fri-Sat), so many locals from the community as well as conference participants come to learn about the broad range of AT products, take advantage of product demonstrations, and talk to vendors.
As in the past, Microsoft sponsored the Wednesday evening Exhibit Hall Opening Reception. This year they were demonstrating their new Surface tablet computers (built-in USB support!) and providing presentations on Windows 8 accessibility features. Of particular interest to ATIA attendees were the newly redesigned Narrator (which can now speak documents and Web sites!) and Magnifier (controlled by touch from the edges of the screen). Learn more about Windows 8 accessibility.
 Another sponsor was ViewPlus, the distributor in the United States of VoicEye's technology for text-accessibility. Conference attendees may have noticed the square box of code in the upper right corner of the Exhibit Hall Guide. More than a QR, VoicEye's code will directly download the content of a printed page to your mobile device. Users may then choose text-to-speech options, display options, or Bluetooth options (such as to a refreshable Braille display) from within the VoicEye app. VoicEye software is free to publishers. Learn more at the VoicEye Web site.
 | | Thomas Simpson demonstrates VoicEye to Sherri Brun |
Speaking of ViewPlus, Sherri Brun and Thomas Simpson (of ViewPlus sales and marketing) made a valuable connection in the exhibit hall this year. When Brun (a local from Orlando) expressed enthusiasm for VoicEye's hardware prototype (for blind users without smart phones), Simpson offered to give it to her for beta testing! It was hugs all around.
Also popular in the exhibit hall were Talking TILES and Text Help. Both companies signed up for ATIA's New Product Release Program this year.
 Talking TILES is a new kind of AAC app. Designed to be collaborative between professionals and caregivers, this touch-based app will run on all major mobile devices, may be programmed remotely, and is customizable. With a cloud subscription model, Talking TILES has the largest collection of symbol libraries, voices, languages, and ready made content available. Learn more at the Talking TILES Web page.
 TextHELP is getting a lot of attention in the blogosphere for Read&Write for Google Docs. This is a free Web app available for use with Google Chrome (Macs and PCs), making available a host of powerful Read&Write tools. These include text-to-speech with dual color highlighting, dictionary, picture dictionary, and study skills highlighters. The app is available in the Chrome Web store. Learn more at this Text HELP Web page.
Pre-Conference Boot Camps--More than a Work Out
 | | Therese Willkomm, Ph.D. showing off her "virtual student" made from a mounted iPad. |
Therese Willkomm, author of AT Solutions in Minutes, confirmed her overwhelming popularity this year when her 2-day iPad Boot Camp obtained 50+ registrants! And little wonder, attendees received intensive training on everything from apps for individuals with different disabilities, app feature matching tools, ways to use the iPad camera, ways to make iPad more accessible, and--of course--ways to make stands and mounts and other do-it-yourself adaptations ("in minutes"). Word has it that on day one a spontaneous iPad chucking event (testing specialized protective cases) garnered some Olympic-styled fever (and many were miffed when the Canadians prevailed!)
 Meanwhile, Kirk Behnke and Mike Marotta's "AT Bootcamp" attracted 20+ participants, and a lot of grateful feedback. AT Boot Camp is a 2-day introduction to the field of assistive technology for first-time conference attendees (and those new to AT). Participants were provided a foundational overview of tools and strategies as well as a chance to plan their upcoming educational sessions to make the most of their ATIA experience. For some, attending Boot Camp alone was transformational: "The speakers ignited my passion for my field again as I have been facing burnout. THANK YOU!"
AT Boot Camp was new this year, and for long-time AT trainers Behnke and Marotta, teaching it was rewarding. "It gave me a chance to see who is coming into the field," Marotta reports, "from school, adult services, higher ed...and what problems they've come to solve. Doing this, we're more in touch with what's going on out there and it's a reminder to keep it practical." Marotta and Behnke also feel having two days is an advantage. Participants, they say, become comfortable enough to talk about their individual professional situations, to connect with one another, and develop a camaraderie. "Ultimately, " Marotta notes, "we all come here with some problem we need to solve. The two days means they ask, Can you help me?"
Exciting Presentation - Michael Phillips, Cre Engelke (UCLA), Robert Martinez (Anybots), and a robot...  | | Michael Phillips controlling the Anybot with a laptop and forehead sensors while Cre Engelke looks on. |
One of the most interesting and unusual sessions at the conference featured well-known AT aficionado and expert user, Michael Phillips, UCLA Language Anthropologist Cre Engelke, and a robot. The robot was courtesy of California-based Anybots, with Robert Martinez on hand as a technical adviser to explain some of the robot's more technical features. The robot was on Segway-type wheels and was fitted with a camera, microphone, and LCD screen. Michael manipulated the robot through a MacBook Pro which he accessed via NeuroSwitch, a switch activated by sensors attached to his forehead (that reads nerve imputes). NeuroSwitch talks to AssistiveWare's Switch Access software--SwitchXS--wirelessly via Bluetooth. Using this unique combination of hardware and software, Michael was able to interact with the audience as the robot moved up and down the aisles of the session room! One question asked by a member of the audience was about the range of the robot device and how far away it could be from Michael. "Well," Robert Martinez replied, "as it only requires access to Wi-Fi, in theory it does not matter. Michael could be here in Florida, manipulating the robot which could be in Paris in the Louvre or in the Getty Art Museum in Los Angeles."
Thanks Michael, Robert, and Cre for a look at the vast potential of Anybots as AAC devices to extend the presence of persons with physical disabilities in exciting new ways! See the video of this presentation at Vimeo Disability Equality Index Seeks Your Input
 
TaKeisha Walker and Randy Cooper of the AAPD (American Association of People with Disabilities) took advantage of the conference to solicit feedback about the Disability Equality Index initiative they are soon launching with the US Business Leadership Network (USBLN). The Index is under development to become a national disability inclusion benchmark tool. It will score major employers on their disability inclusion related employment policies and practices.
Discussion highlighted that the tool will:
- Measure companies against an objective transparent set of criteria (not one another);
- Use the Human Rights Campaign's highly-regarded model as a launching point for development;
- Provide companies an opportunity for continuous improvement;
- Engage employers and provide them a way to demonstrate commitment and movement toward inclusion; and,
- Create opportunities to model and share best practices and learning.
Enthusiasm among the intimate groups of attendees for the session was strong. Sandy Hanebrink of SC's Touch the Future reflected that there could be a way to integrate this with upcoming ADA 25th anniversary planning. ATIA CEO David Dikter recommended emulating the work of eSSENTIAL Accessibility which has improved Web access and enabled a way for companies to market themselves to the disability community.
Walker and Cooper emphasized their eagerness to work with employers and have them take ownership of the initiative from the ground up. They agreed with Dikter that this should become a powerful positive marketing tool. Release is planned for 2013.
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AT Leadership Profile: David Banes
 | | David Banes |
What's this Brit doing running an AT Center in Qatar?
Before the hubbub of the conference, Friends of ATIA newsletter (FOA) had a chance to sit down with David Banes, CEO of the Mada AT Center of Qatar, learn how he came to play a central role developing the first regional AT center in the Arabic speaking world, and hear where this work is headed.
FOA: David, tell us how you got into AT.
David Banes: I have a brother with cerebral palsy, so that was likely an influence in deciding to go into disability. I'm trained as a teacher; I taught in special schools for children with severe learning difficulties (and got started around the time when BBC Micros were used in the schools). Then I went to work for the National Curriculum Council in the UK. And when they put together a team to develop curriculum guidance for children with special needs, I got IT and mathematics, and the IT area was growing very rapidly. From there I went to work for Meldreth Manor, a big residential school for children with cerebral palsy, and worked my way to become principal which culminated with the school being quite successful with technology (we won one of the Bill Gates Road Ahead Awards and a few other things).
At that point I began to think technology was the only solution that would really make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. I didn't really see the education system changing, not for the sea change that was needed for children with disabilities, but technology could. So in 2000 I went to join an NGO as director of operations to set up a network of AT centers across the UK, and I stayed for the next 10 years. At the end of that time I met some people from Qatar at an AT event in Europe and eventually I was asked to go to Qatar to do some consulting to set up the Mada center. Mada opened in June of 2010, and they asked me to stay on. When Faleh al Naimi took another opportunity, I became CEO (though he still advises us).
FOA: Who makes up the Mada center?
DB: It's a mixture of ex-pats and Qataris, a merging of people with 15 -20 years of experience with assistive technology from other Arabic-speaking countries, and people with a passion for their country and what can be done there for people with disabilities. Attending ATIA this week are four of our Qatari staff: Head of Training Ohood Alshaab, Latiffa Aldarwish a training specialist, and Noor Al Mazore and Sabine Sandross who are AT specialists. All are Arabic speakers coming from different backgrounds and experiences.
FOA: What does it mean for you in Qatar that you are not an Arabic speaker? You're not I assume...
DB: Not at all! Ohood tried to teach me, and she's admitted it as one of her biggest failures! But Qatar is a country with a lot of English speakers and we have translators. Thinking about language differences and AT has been interesting. I've come to realize that while we talk a lot about Universal Design in the AT world, actually very few people talking about it take into account language and culture.
For example our experience trying to localize English assistive technologies to Arabic has been really interesting. There were some products we couldn't make work because the language was so hard-coded into the solution that it basically needed to be re-engineered from the bottom upwards. Things like word prediction. We looked at some solutions that were near impossible to switch from left-to-right languages to right-to-left. It was a huge job to make it work the other way. Other things too--obviously representation of non-Latin characters--and icons, looking at whether or not the icons that we use have the same level of meaning for a non-Western audience. One of the first products that we worked to localize was Clicker 5, and that was a real eye opener for everyone involved.
FOA: It seems like part of your objective has been to hammer this point about UDL and culture. I recall your talking about it at last year's ATIA, and I'm wondering what your experience has been with that campaign?
DB: The first year was quite challenging. I remember getting a phone call just before I went to Qatar to take up the job and it was an AT company asking if this big order they had just received from Qatar was real. So the immediate thing that happened when AT companies first began to get inquiries from a region with which they had very little involvement was this concern that it was, you know, you've won $10 million in the lottery just send in your bank information....
FOA: That you might be a Nigerian Prince buying AT...
DB: Yes. And then I met David Dikter at a conference in Brazil. And David did something really important for us. He brokered our introduction to some of those AT companies, and he also highlighted to them that there was an opportunity here. There are, after all, 400 million Arabic speakers in the world; it's the fifth largest language, and there are people with real needs [Qatar also has the highest per capita income].
So the first year we identified a number of products, including Clicker, to localize them, and things were a bit slow. Then the second year--last year--was very different. A sea change had taken place and we were on the receiving end of companies introducing themselves to us. Which was helpful because in Qatar I was surprised by what wasn't there. I knew the services weren't there. What I hadn't realized was how little product was going to be available. The more we got into that, the more we realized that had to be the priority. For example, Arabic OCR needs to be developed if there's going to be digital Arabic books (a 60% accuracy rate isn't good enough). Once we have that, that will create the next big technology explosion (it's why we're working with Bookshare). And then there's Arabic voice recognition....
FOA: What will year three be like for Mada? What's the next stage?
DB: Part of our strategic plan is to try to influence AT services within the Gulf region beyond Qatar. And actually that's been accelerated more than we expected. We've already established a Gulf AT Network which is now the sub group for the region of the G3ict global network. Before Mada there was development going on in different countries but it was often disability-specific or for particular environments (like at Universities). Also it wasn't really getting shared across regions.
FOA: So what was the catalyst?
DB: I think one of the big catalysts, definitely, is that a number of countries signed on to the UN Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. And I think Mada came at the right time, on the back of the UN Convention. It was pan-disability, and it was all ages, and all settings. So we could provide an umbrella and help raise the issue's profile.
FOA: You helped develop a sense of a common identity, around disability, and disability in the region...
DB: Yes. And now as part of the G3ict network we are working to share our resources and build capacity. The meeting here in Orlando is an opportunity to continue that conversation and look for opportunities for collaboration among AT initiatives from around the world. For example, Mada is about to release 100 information resources under Creative Commons that are available to other programs to localize for their own use. We could not have done that alone. After Orlando we will meet again at CSUN. So the work continues.
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How ATIA is A LINK to Success and Helps Individuals Touch the Future Each Day
 | | Sandy Hanebrink with FDR |
Sandy Hanebrink shares (gushes?) about everything she's gleaned from partnering with ATIA
As an occupational therapist (OT) advocate for assistive technology (AT), and as an executive director of an AT center (Touch the Future), I wanted to share my personal journey with how partnering with ATIA has been a link to success for both of my roles. I first got involved with ATIA when I heard about the Alliance Partner program at an AT ReUse Conference. The Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) had just joined on, and I volunteered to help create a partnership with the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). In just a few months this was in place, and from there I found myself a strand advisor for the ATIA conference representing AOTA, and part of an amazing group of leaders.
ATIA and the AOTA/OT relationship continues to grow with AOTA Preferred Provider CEU Status, increased OT participants, and future conference collaborations. As part of these efforts the Community Access Through Technology (CATT) professional development conference strand has been established to specifically support the needs of OTs with assistive technology (as well as other ATIA participants). In my role as a strand advisor, I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago for the ATIA Conference and there met Kamran Vahedi from Belgium and the Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe (AAATE). I was intrigued by his technology and kept bringing my OT colleagues over to see him. Kamran decided to also come to ATIA Orlando. We connected again and, as a result, Touch the Future became his North America distributor. What a huge success for us!
Since then, we have continued to grow these relationships and to partner with Kamran and his global network. Touch the Future is now also an ATIA Alliance Partner and this prestigious honor has facilitated additional relationships which have helped expand our programs and services. Now we have three locations, an expanded network, and our programs not only provide grassroots local support, but also national and international opportunities. For example, we were very fortunate to participate in the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information Communication Technologies' (G3ict) session that ATIA hosted in 2012, and to join the G3ict AT Center Leadership Steering Committee. We also had an opportunity to present as part of the panel for the G3ict at CSUN 2012 as well as ATIA 2013, and look forward to being part of the M-Enabling conference coming in June to Washington, DC.
It seems that every opportunity with ATIA has opened doors to other opportunities for Touch the Future and for our network. Another strategy brought to us through Kamran and the G3ict is BlueAssist. BlueAssist is a social innovation project that engages the community. It is aimed at improving self-reliance for individuals needing assistance with everyday activities. The BlueAssist logo, once adopted, labels a person, place, or business approachable and safe for asking assistance. The goal is to make the BlueAssist universally adopted much like the blue wheelchair emblem has come to mean access. It is taking off with rocket speed in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and (with our help) soon in the Americas.
Another opportunity that has emerged from both ATIA and the G3ict is the connection with global leaders. It seems that almost kismet connections have been made. Shilpi Kapoor, from Barrier Break in India, and I seemed to be in sync and are now working to connect and collaborate as mentors for each other, to share ideas and efforts to support each others organizations. Technology has brought us together and technology will enable us to continue as global partners to ensure opportunities for access and participation by individuals with disabilities will improve throughout the world. Truly success is in the making.
ATIA member companies have also been an integral part of our success. We have worked with many vendors to get AT for demonstrations, for ReUse programs, and as resellers. We are also working with ATIA members to provide opportunities for hands-on training and education in our centers, and for communities across the country. This summer, for example, we will host a one week AT Summer Camp for education professionals to provide in-depth opportunities to share products and first-hand experiences from vendors and national AT leaders.
Networking with ATIA participants has also been key for success. Through these relationships we have learned from the best, developed collaborations, and expanded our A LINK Training & Consulting Team so that ATIA's education and networking opportunities extend far beyond one week in Orlando. I can truly say that my experience and the experience of our organization with ATIA has been the best investment our company has ever made. ATIA has become A LINK to independence and helps us Touch the Future of lives each day. We cannot wait to see what the future holds. Thank you ATIA and all those who have become part of us and our success.
Sandy Hanebrink, OTR/L, is the executive director of Touch the Future, Inc., and ATIA CATT strand advisor.
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Thoughts on Large-Scale Assessment Accommodations
 | Joy Zabala
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Joy Zabala, Ed.D., ATIA conference program chairperson, shares her concerns and urges engagement The U.S. Department of Education has funded two major consortia to develop and implement large-scale summative assessments for use across the country. These are: 1) the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness College and Career (PARCC) and 2) the Smarter Balance Assessment Consortia.
Recently PARCC has begun releasing proposed accommodations for public comment. It is very important that people interested in and concerned about equity and fairness for ALL students visit this PARCC Web page on Accessibility, Accommodation and Fairness. Be sure to read the proposed guidelines very carefully and think about their intended and the unintended consequences. The following are areas that I find of potential concern:
1. Definitions of accommodations. I'm concerned that some could lead to a misunderstanding of the skills needed by a student to use the accommodation (e.g. "A scribe is a human or device that records verbatim what a student dictates.")
2. Description of accommodation conditions. I'm concerned they may dictate setting or put an undue cognitive load on a student using the accommodation (e.g. "[scribe] must be provided in a 1:1 test setting" or "Students are required to capitalize and punctuate responses during dictation.")
3. Eligibility requirements. I'm concerned they may appear overly restrictive (e.g. "[use of a calculator] requires that a student be unable to calculate single digits 0 through 9 without the accommodation.")
4. Eligibility language. I'm concerned that it does not take into account that most students needing the accommodation, in some instances during instruction, will use other strategies (e.g. "Student only has access to written expression during routine instruction through the use of a scribe."
5. Built-in accommodation configurations. I'm concerned that students will not have the accommodations they are accustomed to using in favor of new "built-in" assessment accommodations which may increase their cognitive, attentional, and physical loads (e.g., the particular way the student uses word prediction or a "scribe" during instruction may be different than the way word prediction is presented during testing).
I am not asking that you agree or disagree with my thoughts and concerns, but rather formulate your own opinions through a close read of the proposed accommodations. Although the current period for public review and comment has passed, please visit the Web sites of both PARCC and Smarter Balance to take advantage of future opportunities to let your voice be heard.
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ATIA Updates:
Catch What You Missed!
Suite of 10 ATIA 2013 Conference Recordings Now Available
--10 CEU Hours--
View from Home or Office!
This year a selected suite of ten
educational sessions were recorded in Orlando and are now available for viewing. Each received high ratings by conference-goers. The suite is eligible for 10 CEU hours and is another great way to take advantage of ATIA professional development even if you couldn't make it to Orlando. Conference attendees with full registrations may purchase access at a discounted fee of $105 ($225 savings!) and share that discount with co-workers and team members who were unable to attend themselves. One seat is $325 with additional seats for co-workers available at $105. There are discounts for 5 and 10 Packs.
For details on the Orlando Attendee offer, email: recordings@atia.org. Review the list of recorded sessions at this ATIA Recordings Web page.
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ATIA Webinar Series News
Outstanding Presenters and Topics for 2013!
Hot topics include:
Webinar: AT13-WEB05-LB
Creating Assistive Technology Solution in Minutes - Quick Make and Take Tips, Tricks and Techniques
Speaker(s): Therese Willkomm, Director of ATinNH, University of New Hampshire
Webinar: AT13-WEB06-LB
AIM Beyond the Classroom: New Options for Accessible Instructional Materials
Speaker(s): Cathy Hoesterey, Assistive Technology Specialist, Bellevue School District
Webinar: AT13-WEB07-LB
iPads in the Smart Classroom
Speaker(s): Alexandra Dunn, Speech Language Pathologist, Inclusioneers/Upper Canada District School Board and Sasha Zekulin Sharp's Audio Visual
Webinar: AT13-WEB08-LB
AT Services: New Times, New Approaches
Speaker(s): Denise DeCoste, Consultant/Coach, Accessible Technology in Education
Webinar: AT13-WEB09-LB
iPads: What are the Possibilities for the Visually Impaired and Blind
Speaker(s): Donna Schneider, Assistive Tech Specialist/Special Education Teacher, iteachitech.com
Anna Berardo AT Specialist iteachitech.com
Webinar: AT13-WEB10-LB
What's New? Top Apps for Individuals with Autism
Speaker(s): Phyllis Watson, Augmentative Communication Specialist, Crotched Mountain ATECH Services
Check out the full line up for 2013 live broadcasts at this ATIA Webinars Web page. |
Alliance Partners Update
ATIA is pleased to announce a new Alliance Partner:  United States Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (USSAAC) is an organization dedicated to supporting the needs and desires of people who use AAC as well as the family members, professionals, and manufacturers making up this community. USSAAC members join forces to improve the services, resources and products used by children and adults who use and optimize AAC methods in order to communicate. USSAAC strives to enhance the communication effectiveness and, ultimately, the independence of persons desiring access to an alternative communication system. In fact, USSAAC is the only national association specifically designed to address the needs of persons who are experience significant difficulty speaking and/or writing (communicating). We are also dedicated to answering the needs of individuals who support the AAC community through therapy, special education or the creation and manufacturing of technology.
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Call for Presentations:Submit for 
April 22- June 21, 2013
ATIA is holding the Call for Presentations for a period of two months, opening in late April (April 22 - June 21, 2013) to enable speakers to submit abstracts for the 2014 Orlando conference. All past speakers and attendees will receive an invitation to submit for the Call for Presentations prior to the Call For Presentations opening. Please be sure to check back at the ATIA Web site for more details in the months to come. ATIA welcomes abstracts on the uses of assistive technology in a wide variety of settings - school, home, recreation, rehabilitation, university and workplace - from an equally wide group of qualified individuals including: AT professionals, educators, individuals with disabilities and family members of individuals with disabilities, OTs, PTs, RTs, researchers, SLPs, students and others engaged in the disability services field. We look forward to hearing from you! |
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My Top Three Ideas for AT Integration from ATIA 2013
 | | Gayl Bowser |
Gayl Bowser shares some favorite take-aways from this year's conference
At the ATIA conference this year I looked for ideas about AT integration and strategies to help make it happen. Below are my three favorites:
1. Red, Yellow, and Green Light Activities for Teachers
Here's a new twist on a great idea that I have applied to kids for years.
Patti King DeBaun taught me once about red light, yellow light, and green light activities for kids. The idea is that green light activities are ones that students have mastered and find easy. Yellow light activities are ones that that students know and understand, but are still working to master. Red light activities are hard and ones students may be struggling with and need to learn. The idea behind the labels is that they can help us steer students from attempting more than one red light activity at a time. For example, no one should learn text-to-speech software while writing a term paper! Easy tasks should be paired with new software and harder tasks with a familiar tool.
Now here's the twist on integration of AT that I learned at this conference: Scott Marfilius and Kelly Fonner pointed out that teachers should also not be asked to do two red light activities at the same time. We need to develop systems to support AT integration so that teachers don't have to use unfamiliar teaching strategies or content at the same time they are trying to teach with a new kind of technology. They can teach a familiar lesson with a new technology or teach new content with a familiar instructional or assistive technology, but not both red-light activities at the same time.
2. Innovative Just-in-time Needs Assessment
This one comes from Matt Press and Alicia Craven of the Pendergast Schools in Phoenix Arizona. They needed answers to specific questions about which text reading software to purchase for their district. Their solution? A just-in-time AT needs assessment using online polling software at a district-wide staff meeting! They used it to ask a few multiple choice questions about the needs of all the teachers in attendance. Staff immediately sent text answers to the site. In just a few minutes Matt and Alicia had data and opinions from everyone in the audience and were able to make quick AT decisions with input from lots and lots of staff members.
It has always seemed to me that involving people in the AT decision-making process as early as possible is an important strategy to ensure buy-in and more effective AT integration. What a great way to do that!
3. AT Point Persons
Here's a great AT integration tip I heard several times during the conference with variations based on the school district's service design. Whatever their AT model of service, agencies are assigning an AT contact person in each school.
Sometimes it is a person who works within the school and attends Student Services Team (e.g. Response to Intervention Team) meetings every time they meet. This person is assigned to make technology-based suggestions or, when more advanced information is needed, to initiate an AT referral. Another version of this every-school approach is one where members of the Assistive Technology Support Team are assigned as the Team's liaison to schools. They also attend the regularly scheduled RTI or SST team meetings in order to suggest technology-based options that other team members may not know about.
Regardless of who is assigned, the intended result is an increase differentiation of instruction that includes technology, increased use of UDL approaches to instruction, and increased attention to and trials of assistive technology as an intervention. The reports from several ATIA sessions were positive. It seems that taking steps to make sure that assistive technology information is more readily available in the environments where it will be used is a successful approach to AT integration.
I like these ideas. I am going to watch for chances to use them as I help to integrate AT in a variety of settings! I hope you find them useful too.
Gayl Bowser is an independent consultant providing AT training, technical assistance, and consultation throughout the U.S. and internationally. She is a member of the leadership team of the Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology (QIAT) Consortium. Read more from her at her IntegrATe blog.
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New "AT for Business/Employers Initiative" Introduced at ATIA 2013
The RESNA Catalyst Project had the opportunity to give a presentation on the "Assistive Technology for Employment Initiative" at this year's ATIA conference. Presenters included Paul Galonsky, RESNA Catalyst Project; Rajesh Pagadala, MSBME, ATP, RET, a RESNA member and AT Services Director, Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency; and Arlene Lugo, Director of the Connecticut Assistive Technology Act Program.
A spirited group of over 25 attendees were very interested in finding out about the Statewide Assistive Technology Act Programs, and how these programs provide
device loans and demonstrations of assistive technology. These services allow individuals to see a range of devices and then try them out at home, work, or school. It's a feature of the Statewide AT Act Program that's particularly attractive to individuals with disabilities in the workplace or who are pursuing employment. Short-term device loans allow persons with disabilities to trial equipment they are considering for purchase or to fill a short-term need (such as when their own device is out for repair).
Pagadala shared with the audience examples of assistive technology accommodations used in the workplace: a modification of a cash register, a fabrication of a portable aid for a low vision client, and a cordless phone and mouth stick holder. Participants also heard about innovative ways to increase state level capacity to promote assistive technology use in the workplace. Lugo shared how the Connecticut program used American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to purchase equipment for a device lending library serving Vocational Rehabilitation consumers. Consumers can now access assistive technology for interviews, work place evaluations, and on the job training.
Finally, the audience received a first look at a new web portal designed to promote assistive technology in the workplace and connect businesses and employers with solutions. The Assistive Technology for Business/Employers Web Portal is a joint project between the RESNA Catalyst Project and AT Connects, a national internet site. It features information on assistive technology solutions in the workplace, access to assistive technology through State Assistive Technology Act programs and projects, a consultant data base directory of RESNA job accommodations experts, publications on assistive technology and employment, and several other resources. Now that the portal is launched, the RESNA Catalyst Project and its many partners are working hard to get the word out to businesses about this great new resource. Visit this AT Connects employers Web page
for more information.
Andrea Van Hook is communications and marketing manager for RESNA
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Thanks for Going Green! Now have Lunch with David...
Nine ATIA 2013 attendees won lunch with ATIA CEO David Dikter in Orlando this year. They were randomly selected from all registrants who signed up to forgo printed conference material in favor of using the new ATIA mobile app. Lunch took place on Thursday, January 31st, so for many it was early in their conference-going experience. Still it was a great opportunity to share impressions, past experiences, feedback on the app, and for Dikter to answer questions and catch a quiet moment with a handful of attendees representing diverse AT interests.
Overheard over soup: 
Dikter: "Developing this app almost killed me. Trying to get everything into it that I wanted." His favorite feature? The ability to follow up with and email conference speakers directly from the app! Least favorite feature? The Twitter feed that didn't provide access to a user's Twitter account. Feedback, he told the room, is important for 2014... Attendees: "I wanted a way to export my schedule to my calendar. I wanted to be able to take notes on sessions, not just vendors from within the app! And then export! I loved not carrying around that heavy book!"
Overheard over chicken: 
Dikter: "What's best about being here?"
Attendees: "Face time with vendors and attendees and people who really GET IT about AT. Getting to meet the bloggers and Tweeters I read! And pick their brains! The opportunity to talk with smaller developers, to give feedback, and then see it actually show up in their products later! The opportunity to talk with people with different disabilities about their experiences (culturally, it's okay to do that here). Coming away with a network of people to go to, knowing where to get your questions answered after the conference! The chance to be with so many people with AT skills all in one place."
Overheard over strawberry shortcake: 
Dikter: "How do you like the venue?"
Attendees: "Coming to Florida in January? Don't ever change! And the hotel is really nice."
Dikter: "It's independently owned, not part of a chain. And they love ATIA. It's why we've kept it here for nine years. They love having our community here."
Thanks again, everyone, who chose to "Go Green for 2013"! ATIA anticipates reducing printing expenses by half in 2014. And congratulations to Mathilde Lavoie of Montreal for winning a full conference registration for ATIA 2014!  | | ATIA CEO David Dikter with "Go Green" lunch winners Chad Counts, Janet DeSenzo, Sheldon Harris, Sandi Mahl, Larry Klug, Debra Mastin, Nicole Natale, Ashley Tremblay (and newsletter editor Eliza Anderson) |
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Nominations Sought for the McLean-Yoder Award for Professional Excellence!
The National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities (NJC) is very excited to announce the annual McLean-Yoder Award for Professional Excellence! This award is intended to honor either an individual or team that exemplifies high quality professional service to individuals with severe disabilities. Winners of this award will receive an honorary plaque and recognition at upcoming conferences attended by members of the NJC including the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, American Occupational Therapy Association, American Physical Therapy Association, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, Council for Exceptional Children/Division for Communicative Disabilities and Deafness, TASH, and the United States Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
Learn more at this ASHA Web page.
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Our next newsletter...
 ...is due for release in mid April. Contact me if you have a program, initiative, or event you would like our 15,000+ subscribers to know about. We are particularly interested in content related to accessibility for this edition.
Contributions may be between 300-500 words. Send your article to newsletter@atia.org by April 5th (editing support is provided). Thanks again for your enthusiasm!
--Eliza Anderson, managing editor Friends of ATIA newsletter |
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