Empowering Rural Students with Disabilities Through Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology Resources

Arkansas

  • Arkansas Easter Seal Society Outreach Program, 3920 Woodland Heights Road, Little Rock, AR 72212-2495, 501/228-8156
  • Increasing Capabilities Assistance Network (ICAN) , 2201 Brookwood Drive, Suite 117, Little Rock, AR 72202, 501/666-8868 or 800/828-2799 (Voice/TTD)

Louisiana

  • Louisiana Department of Education, Bureau of Technological Assistance/Staff Development, Assistive Devices Center, 2758-C Brightside Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70820, 504/763-3933
  • Louisiana Assistive Technology Access Network (LATAN), Central Office, 3042 Old Forge Drive, Suite B, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, 504/925-9500

New Mexico

  • Adaptive Bank of Loanable Equipment (ABLE), Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, 435 St. Michael's Dr., Bldg. D, Santa Fe, NM 87505, 800/866-ABLE
  • Funding Information System for Tech Act States (FIESTAS), Dept. of Vocational Rehabilitation, 435 St. Michael's Drive, Bldg. D, Santa Fe, NM 87505

Oklahoma

  • Oklahoma Regional Education Service Centers. The Oklahoma State Department of Education suggests that school districts contact their local service centers for information and assistance. The State Department of Special Education is at 405/521-3375.
  • Oklahoma Assistive Technology Center (OATC), University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, ORI WB-400, 1122 NE 13th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, 405/271-3625, 405/271-1705

Texas

  • Texas Regional Education Service Centers (ESCs). Each ESC in the state has a coordinator for assistive technology. The number of the Texas Department for Special Education is 512/463-9414.
  • Texas Assistive Technology Partnership (TATP), University of Texas at Austin, EDB 306, 35300, Austin, TX 78712, 800/TATP-TEX

Other Resources

  • ABLEDATA, 8455 Colesville Road, Suite 935, Silverspring, MD 20910-3319, 800/227-0216 or 301/588-9284 (V/TT), FTS Voice Line: 301/427-0277
    Funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) of the U.S. Department of Education, ABLEDATA provides information on assistive technology available both commercially and noncommercially for all consumers. Database searches can be performed by information specialists, or the database may be purchased in CD-ROM or diskette format.
  • Closing the Gap, P.O. Box 68, Henderson, MN 56044, 612/248-3294
    Closing the Gap publishes a bimonthly newsletter and conducts an annual conference each October focusing on the use of computer technology by and for individuals with disabilities.
  • The Technology and Media (TAM) Division of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), 1920 Association Drive, Reston, VA 22091, 703/620-3660
    TAM is dedicated to the effective use of technology to improve educational opportunities and increase independent functioning of individuals with disabilities. The organization holds training workshops and an annual conference.
  • Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI), EASI Chair: Norman Coombs, Ph.D. (nrcgsh@ritvax.isc.rit.edu) or EASI, c/o American Association of Higher Education, One Dupont Circle, Suite 360, Washington, DC 20036-1110.
    EASI, a program operated by the American Association of Higher Education, is dedicated to increasing access to information technology for persons with disabilities. The program coordinates three discussion lists on the Internet: (1) a general discussion on computer access (easi@sjuvm.stjohns.edu), (2) a discussion on library access issues (axslib-l@sjuvm.stjohns.edu), (3) a discussion on disabilities and employment (able-job@sjuvm.stjohns.edu). EASI recently received a grant from the National Science Foundation to create materials that will help disabled students study math, science, and engineering. Material will be distributed on the Internet in order for the work to reach the largest possible audience. The information will be in the form of an interactive on-line workshop and an accessible information database that will make all materials available on gopher. The project will also use traditional dissemination methods such as presentations, videos, and publications.
  • Information Technology and Disabilities, an electronic journal on the Internet
    To access the journal via gopher, locate the St. John's University (New York) gopher. Select "Disability and Rehabilitation Resources," and from the next menu select "EASI: Equal Access to Software and Information." The journal is an item on the EASI menu.
  • Adapt-it Workshop
    Adapt-it is an on-line workshop on adaptive computing and access to information technology. This workshop, a collaborative effort of EASI and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), is available through electronic mail and is offered on a quarterly basis. Norman Coombs, RIT history professor and chair of EASI and Richard Banks, an adaptive technologist at the University of Wisconsin's Stout's Library, are the presenters.
  • Technology: Becoming an Informed Consumer, 800/695-0285.
    This news digest is available at no cost from the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities.
  • CAMP TALK, Linda Kratz, Education Service Center-Region 20, 1314 Hines Avenue, San Antonio, Texas 78208-1899, 210/299-2400.
    CAMP TALK is a summer camp for students who use augmentative communication devices, their siblings, and their local service providers.
  • Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology Program (DO-IT), University of Washington, Mail Stop JE-25, Room 206, Seattle, WA 98195, 206/685-DOIT.
    DO-IT is a project dedicated to increasing the participation of secondary students with disabilities in science, engineering, and mathematics academic programs and careers. The project has an award-winning home page on the World Wide Web, which also provides access to many other resources related to assistive technology. A newsletter is also published.
  • Brett, A., and Provenzo, E. F. Jr. (1995). Adaptive Technology for Special Human Needs. New York: Suny.
    This book provides a general overview of how computers can augment the performance of individuals with both physical and cognitive impairments. It contains case studies about individuals who use assistive technology.
  • Chambers, A. C. (1995). Assistive Technology: A Guide to Consideration in the Educational Setting. Milwaukee: University of Wisconsin.
    This handbook was developed to help educators operationalize the IDEA's requirement for "consideration of the assistive technology needs of all children qualifying for special education." Its creative format and unusual clarity in bridging legal mandate to practice should make it a valuable guide for practitioners. To acquire a copy, contact Antoinette C. Chambers, 733 South Street, West Allis, WI 53214, 414/774-1282.
  • Rogers, J. (1993). Third Party Billing for Special Education: Panacea or Mirage. Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books.
    Dr. Joy Rogers, the author of this book, is a former school board president, a children's advocate, and a university professor of education. The book was the subject of an extensive discussion on a special education news list and was highly recommended. It covers possibilities for third party billing for special education costs, the advantages and disadvantages, and ethical considerations. To acquire, call 800/666-BOOK.

Credits

Written by Patricia Deloney and Richard Tompkins. (1994)