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Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative

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Vol. 11, No. 1: Winter 2003
(Distributed as Vol. 10, No. 4)

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What's Inside...the Winter 2003 issue:

Report on Unmet AT Needs Headed for Dover
In the waning hours of the Delaware General Assembly’s last session, the Delaware Assistive Technology Policy Committee was established. The Committee’s charge was to examine and report on the need for personal mobility and vehicular transportation technologies in Delaware. Because assistive technology use is generally not limited to one life domain, the Committee has been looking broadly at the unmet needs for assistive technologies supporting access, communication, self-care, seeing, hearing, recreation, community participation, learning, and working.

Meet DATI's Newest AT Specialist
Hello! My name is Marvin Williams and I am the new Assistive Technology Specialist for the Kent County Assistive Technology Resource Center. I have recently moved to Delaware with my wife, April, and our five year old son, Gabriel.

Medicaid Home and Community Based Waiver Programs
The major source of public funding for long-term services and supports for persons with disabilities nationwide is Medicaid. The percentage of Medicaid spending on services and supports provided in the home or a community setting has grown exponentially. These services may be offered either through a state’s “regular” Medicaid program or through a home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver program. This article will outline the use of Medicaid HCBS waivers by states to supplement and expand the services available to persons with disabilities in their homes and communities.

Zen and the Art of Successful AT Transitions
As transitions are inevitable, we can and should prepare for them as best we can. Without such planning, we jeopardize the efficiency of the transition process. The equipment may not be complete or may not be working properly. Problems with equipment ownership may arise if an item’s history has not been documented. The new staff may not know how to operate the equipment or how the particular individual uses the equipment. All of these problems—or even one of them—is enough to cause big headaches for everyone. The key to preventing these problems, or at least minimizing their destructive effects, is the successful transmission of AT information between service teams.

Augmentative Communication Training Planned for April
Dick Lytton, Director of Clinical AT Services at the duPont Hospital for Children
, will present a full-day workshop on April 3, 2003 titled Implementing Assistive Technology and Augmentative Communication in Schools and Homes.

Communication Aid Manufacturers Association (CAMA) Workshop
CAMA is a not-for-profit organization of the world’s leading manufacturers of AAC software and hardware technology, and is a recognized leader in helping professionals and consumers with a wide range of experience maintain their proficiency and enhance their skills and knowledge of AAC.

New Program Promotes Access to Distance Learning
An increasing number of institutions of higher education are turning to distance learning to serve their students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. However, most distance learning courses are limited in accessibility and pose problems for full participation of students and instructors with disabilities. This is soon going to change.

Essays Wanted
Guidelines for a Different Journey: Personal Stories for Parents by Adults with Disabilities
is a new book that Stan Klein and John Kemp are co-editing. For this book, adults who have grown up with disabilities and/or health care needs are invited to write short essays for parents of children with disabilities and/or health care needs.

New Address for CAST

PreK AAC Research Participants Needed
A doctoral student at Michigan State University is studying family factors that may affect successful agumentative and alternative communication (AAC) system use. Eligible participants are parents of pre-kindergarten children (ages 1-6 years) who have used their current AAC system for 6-12 months.

Tech Tidbits
PAC Mate & ErgoQuest Sit / Stand / Recline Workstations