The AT Messenger?bringing technology to you Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative (DATI), Volume 14, No. 4, Fall 2006 Access to Learning Through Technology Beth Mineo Mollica DATI Director Many students with disabilities and their families are frustrated because the students' disabilities interfere with their ability to access the curriculum, participate in learning activities, and demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Assistive technology can play a key role in helping students to participate and achieve in the educational environment, but there are still many barriers to be overcome. One of these barriers arises from things commonly found in the classroom: print-based instructional materials such as textbooks, supplemental readings, and worksheets. Lots of students have difficulties with print materials, and we're not just talking about those who are blind or low-vision. A student with a physical disability such as cerebral palsy may not be able to manipulate the pages of a book. A student with a reading disability may have difficulty processing the print on a page. A student with attention deficit disorder may find it difficult to concentrate when confronted with dense passages of text. A student with an intellectual disability may find the vocabulary in the text beyond his level of comprehension. (See Dan Fendler's article for a more in-depth discussion of access to print.) Another barrier arises when teachers and administrators are not aware of the tools and strategies that facilitate access to learning or do not know how to get them or use them in the classroom. Although our state's IEP form requires explicit consideration of a student's assistive technology needs, too often the assembled members of that child's team are not aware that there are tools that can help students access instructional content and demonstrate their competence. Recent developments on both the state and federal level seek to ensure that students can derive maximum benefit from their educational opportunities. First, close to home, the Delaware Department of Education (DOE) emphasizes that all students should have access to the curriculum, and DOE is actively promoting this goal in a number of ways. Curriculum experts at DOE are themselves learning about how to design lessons in ways that make them engaging and accessible to all students. Also, since last spring, DOE has offered a mini-course titled Accessing the Curriculum for All Students to teams from any district interested in participating. The five-day course emphasizes the universal design of curricula and the use of differentiated instruction strategies to ensure a connection between the student and the content, processes, and products of learning. Districts interested in participating in the next round of training, which begins January 9, 2007, should contact Lori Duerr at DOE (lduerr@doe.k12.de.us). Participants are provided with lots of training, technical assistance, and materials to help them implement their new skills. On the federal level, the release of the regulations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 brings with it some urgency in implementing the new National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard. This new provision, which went into effect on December 3 of this year, reminds schools of their obligations to ensure that print disabilities shouldn't be a barrier to accessing curricular content. It establishes a new mechanism to help schools get more timely access to instructional content in appropriate formats. See the article about IDEA 2004's impact for more information about NIMAS and its implications for students with print disabilities in Delaware. With sustained attention to these issues at the state and federal levels, we should begin to see some fundamental changes to curriculum access in our classrooms. The DATI is committed to assisting students, families, and educators in this process. Please contact us if you would like to arrange for some training or consultation customized to your needs, if you would like to explore technology options, or if you would like to borrow some technology to try out at school or at home. Remember, there is absolutely no cost for access to devices for trial use through the DATI, and sometimes a piece of hardware or software can make all the difference in the world! The AT Bargain Basement Marvin Williams, AT Specialist Kent County ATRC Hello there true believers, and welcome to another exciting edition of the AT Bargain Basement. I am Marvin, your guide through The Basement, and I can't wait to get to the bargains we have in this installment. However, before we begin our journey, I should explain, for all of you new readers, the ground rules. First, I try to bring you all of the AT bargains I and your fellow readers have found with a price tag of $100 or less. Second, I do try to bring you all of the bargains I can find available at local stores, but I may also bring you an Internet deal or two as well. Third, if you find a great bargain, you can pass it along to me to share here with the rest of the group. Now that that's out of the way, keep your fingers and toes inside of the windows as we begin our tour of the bargains! Our first bargain comes from Alma Cordero of Dover, and she's sharing the OneTouch can opener. Now, I must admit, I did also see the TV commercial for this handy little gadget, and I was impressed. It is an automatic can opener you place on the top of the can, and it drives itself around the top, opening the can in such a way that there are not sharp edges and you can re-use the lid to close the can again. Now this is where the lawyers pop up and say that I'm not telling anyone to consider this a safe alternative to Tupperware or similar things for food storage. Now the OneTouch boasts a price tag of $19.95, but if you pay the additional $4.95 for the deluxe model, you can also get something called a GripMate that looks like an automotive fan belt. Contrary to how it looks, the GripMate is actually fairly rigid, with just enough give to let you get a large jar lid into it or to squeeze it around a smaller lid. The totals with shipping and handling, a considerable $7.95, are $27.90 for the OneTouch and $32.85 for the Deluxe OneTouch and the GripMate. While these prices may seem a little steep for a can opener, they may be not too bad if you really have a problem with can openers. The operation seems to be much easier than other similar openers and the ?no sharp edges? are a big plus. I haven't been able to find the OneTouch in stores yet, but you can order it from the company website, www.onetouchopener.com. The next bargain was sent to me by a self-described "fan of the Bargain Basement," Kia Bergman. Kia's bargain is the EZ-Step portable step. It is just that: a portable step. It has a cane handle attached to a small step that is about half the height of a regular step. It comes in handy for those having difficulty climbing steps due to the height. It seems like a pretty handy little device, and with a price tag of around $80 ($69.95 + shipping and handling at www.ez-step.com), it makes it to the Bargain Basement. Seeing as how school is in the air again, I thought I'd take some time and focus on some bargains for the student who may need a little extra assistance. There are a lot of different bargains to be found if you know where to look. I'll start with the pocket electronic dictionary. While there are quite a few different ones out there to choose from, I do have some favorites that I think will make welcome additions to the Bargain Basement. The first is the Franklin SA-206S Spelling Ace with Thesaurus. I like this model because it is nice and compact, but it does have a nice large display on it, so you're not trying to read lines that are 1/8th of an inch tall for capital letters. The unit boasts phonetic spell correction for over 100,000 words, a thesaurus with over 500,000 synonyms and antonyms, an address book, learning exercises, and a currency converter. Not bad given its $19.98 price tag at Staples and $19.99 price tag at Target. If you want a talking model, there is the Franklin MWS1840 Merriam-Webster Speaking Dictionary and Thesaurus. This little beast offers a 120,000 word dictionary with 300,000 definitions and a 500,000 entry thesaurus. It also offers phonetic spell correction, learning games, a calculator, and speech for those needing to hear definitions read aloud. The display can show up to eight lines of text at a time, so the font could be hard to see for those with visual impairments. This bargain comes to us from Staples with a lovely price tag of $90.11 and well worth it given the functions. There are also various models that do foreign language translation and act as foreign language electronic dictionaries. One thing to keep in mind when purchasing any of these products is that if we have them in stock at any of the ATRCs, you can always try them out free-of-charge. If we don't have it for you to try, let us know, but do research the product if you can and try it out in a store if possible. If you have access to a computer, you can always research the item online and read some user feedback on it to see if it's really all that and a bag of chips. And that will bring to a close another action packed installment of the AT Bargain Basement. As usual, please send along any bargains you may find so that I can credit you and share them with everyone else. So until next time remember, just because it's a bargain, doesn't mean it's cheap! IDEA 2004?s Impact on AT Applications in Schools Lexie McFassel, Esq., Staff Attorney Disabilities Law Program In 2004, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was re-authorized as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004). The re-authorization included some changes from the prior law. There are two main impacts of IDEA 2004 regarding assistive technology: one of concern, and one which deserves some applause. The first impact was the exclusion from the definition of assistive technology of medical devices that are surgically implanted, and a correlative exclusion from related services of optimizing such devices. The concern focused largely on devices assisting individuals to hear. The second impact is the inclusion of NIMAS, or the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard, which will facilitate the provision of accessible instructional materials for blind, visually impaired, and print disabled students. Before describing these issues in greater detail, it's important to briefly review the law of IDEA 2004. Essentially, IDEA 2004 requires that public agencies ensure that assistive technology devices or services, or both, as those terms are defined by the statute, be provided to a child with a disability if required as part of the child's special education (300.26), related services (300.24) or supplementary aids and services (300.28, 300.550(b)(2), 34 CFR 300.105). The definition of assistive technology includes both devices and services. A device is defined as any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized from existing material, that is used to increase or maintain or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability. The definition is unchanged from the previous definition but adds an exception, which states, "the term (assistive technology device) does not include a medical device that is surgically implanted, or the replacement of such device." An assistive technology service is defined as any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device. The term includes: * the evaluation of the needs of such child, including functional evaluation in the child's usual environment * providing for the acquisition of assistive technology devices * selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, applying, maintaining, repairing, or replacing assistive technology devices * coordination of and use of other therapies in conjunction with assistive technology devices * training or technical assistance for such child, or the family of the child, where appropriate * training and technical assistance for professionals, employers, or other individuals who provide services to, employ, or are substantially involved in the major life functions of the child (20 U.S.C. ?1401). Neither the statute nor the regulations include, or attempt to include, any type of listing as to what constitutes, specifically, an assistive device or service. The Federal Regulations on IDEA 2004, published on August 14, 2006, indicate in comment that the definitions do not list specific devices, and decline to list specific devices, stating that it would be impractical to include an exhaustive list of qualifying devices (34 CFR 300.5). The comments say essentially the same thing regarding the definition of service. The determining factors are: 1) for a device, that it is "used to increase or maintain or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability? and 2) for a service, if it assists the child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of the device, and the IEP team determines that it is necessary to enable the child to receive FAPE (Free and Appropriate Public Education). The exception that IDEA 2004 makes from this definition is exclusion of a medical device that is surgically implanted, and the replacement of that device. The exception falls under the definition of assistive technology device, and not under the definition of service. However, the definition of "related services" specifically excludes a medical device that is surgically implanted, the optimization of device functioning, maintenance of the device, or the replacement of the device. From the passage of the new law until the publication of the regulations, there was concern regarding the new exception of assistive technology devices, which specifically excluded medical devices that are surgically implanted. The focus of concern was on the use and mapping of cochlear implants, and whether mapping of the implants would be considered a related service. A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device which provides a sense of sound to an individual who is deaf, or extremely hard of hearing. It works by using electrical impulses to stimulate any functioning auditory nerves in the cochlea. The device requires extensive "mapping" to the individual by an audiologist. Several groups, alerted to the concern, commented. Specifically, the National Disability Rights Network stated that the exclusion in related services of a medical device that is surgically implanted, the optimization of device functioning, maintenance of the device or replacement could be specifically used to rule out mapping of cochlear devices, resulting in a relaxing of the school's obligation to provide related services ensuring the proper use of a device. This concern that the exception would result in exclusion of cochlear implants was echoed in comments offered by the Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, the national organization representing State Assistive Technology Act Programs. In fact, the comment to the regulations released in August responds directly to these concerns and states that the exclusion regarding "optimization of device functioning" does indeed specifically exclude, pursuant to the regulations, the mapping of a cochlear implant as a related service. The comments suggest that the Senate did not intend that the costs related to a particular course of treatment chosen by the parents, including the costs associated with mapping, be the responsibility of the school district. However, the public agency has a continuing obligation to ensure that hearing aids are functioning properly, and this includes ensuring that the external components of surgically implanted devices are functioning. The public agency still has a role in providing other assistive technology needed, such as acoustical modifications, educational interpreters or other support services, and routine checking to determine whether the external portion of the device is functioning properly. The new IDEA also includes interpreting services and school nurse services in the definition of related service. Although one significant impact of IDEA 2004 was an exclusion, another was an inclusion. IDEA 2004 adds definitions and guidance related to NIMAS. NIMAS refers to the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard, which is the standard to be used in the preparation of electronic files suitable and used solely for efficient conversion into specialized formats. Specialized formats means Braille, audio, or digital text which is exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities. As part of the requirements for State eligibility for assistance, a State adopts the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS), and may either coordinate with the National Instructional Materials Access Center or give assurances to the Secretary that the agency will provide instructional materials to blind persons, or other people with print disabilities, in a timely manner. According to information found on their website, www.nimac.us, the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) is the repository that will contain NIMAS files. IDEA 2004 established this means of assisting States by collecting and storing these files. IDEA requires the State to work collaboratively with the State agency responsible for assistive technology programs in carrying out the plans for accessing this resource. Each State has responsibility for its coordination with the NIMAC, and must direct the publishers of the books purchased for instructional use to send files to the NIMAC. Educational agencies are responsible for writing contracts, when purchasing books, with terms requiring the publisher to submit the files. Then the educational agency will identify the authorized users who may obtain the files from the NIMAC, and have the files converted to accessible textbooks. There are also provisions which direct specific actions in order to conserve and avoid duplication of resources. Pursuant to the legislation, the NIMAC serves elementary and secondary level students. The new NIMAS provisions assure that print instructional materials will be made accessible to children with disabilities, defined in 34 CFR 300.172(e)(i) as those who would qualify to receive books and other publications in accordance with the Act entitled "An Act to Provide Books to Adult Blind". This Act indicates that the persons to be served are those certified by competent authority as blind or otherwise disabled in a manner which renders them unable to read normal printed material as a result of physical limitations. Additionally, the statute requires local educational agencies to ensure that children with disabilities who need instructional materials in accessible formats, yet who fall outside the definition of eligibility for access through the NIMAC mechanism, nonetheless be provided with such materials in a timely manner. The State of Delaware is going to work with NIMAS, and is currently following the process as it develops, according to Martha Toomey, Director of Special Education for the Delaware Department of Education. Delaware expects that working with the NIMAS system will provide benefits that extend beyond the individuals defined to receive services directly from NIMAS. Currently, it is an ongoing process within the State. IDEA requires that educational agencies consider assistive technology needs when developing individualized educational plans for all children with disabilities. IDEA 2004 goes further by facilitating access to instructional content that has been rendered using a consistent file format. Furthermore, although IDEA 2004 excludes from the definition of assistive technology and related services surgically implanted devices, the educational agencies must still maintain and monitor such devices. The evolution of IDEA continues, and new ideas have been added. The Holy Grail in Leveling the Educational Playing Field Dan Fendler, AT Specialist Sussex County ATRC Much of the education-related work we do at DATI revolves around tools and techniques that have the potential to level the educational playing field for all sorts of learners. We are often asked to train educators on the application and use of a number of available technologies. What I have come to appreciate while conducting many of these trainings is the importance of having educational material available in digital format. Being a "techie," the availability of digital text is something that I often take for granted. If I can't find a resource that has text already digitized, I'll take care of it myself, usually through the use of a scanner. I often assume that everyone fully understands the power and promise of digital text. Hopefully, by discussing the topic in more detail, more educators will understand why access to digital text is so critical. Digital text is simply any text material that is available in a format that can be read and manipulated by any number of electronic devices, including computers, personal digital assistants, and cell phones (think text messaging). Digital text is created in many different ways, but by far the most common way is through the use of word processors. Any documents, emails, or websites that you create are stored digitally, and thus have the potential to be manipulated. If you have paper based text material and want to digitize it, you can use an optical scanner in conjunction with OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software, which will translate the image on the paper into digital text. (I will come back to OCR scanning later in this article.) Advantages of Digital Text Think of all the printed materials used in a classroom today. They include textbooks, workbooks, worksheets, articles, newspapers...you name it. Now, consider how it is distributed to students. More often than not, students get photocopies of original material. The photocopies may not be in the best condition. With my own child now in the 6th grade, I've seen my share of bad photocopies. Often, the material is blurred, too dark, too light, has holes punched through a critical portion, or is otherwise unreadable. Poor quality material can negatively influence the abilities of a struggling student. Believe me; it can also negatively influence the abilities of a struggling parent! There are a number of reasons that photocopies provide poor quality materials: they can be copies of copies (of copies...); they can be copies of bound books that don't lie flat on the scanning bed; or they can be fed through automatic sheet feeders that don't position the original correctly. Whatever the reason, poor quality text reproduction can present an unintended barrier to the learning process. If you have the material available in digital format, you have more options. Having digital text, and digital media, gives you the flexibility to accommodate a number of different learners and learning styles. Digital text separates the content from the way in which it is displayed, and thus allows the format of the display to be altered to suit the needs of the student. Sources of Digital Text If many of the materials that you use in class are paper-based, there are several ways you can convert the material to a digital format. One of the most frequently used methods is through the use of optical scanners and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The other option is to create your own material, or enter existing material manually. Scanners are relatively inexpensive, and most come with software that will allow you to scan a document and convert it to a digital form. While it can be a useful technique, the drawback is that scanning (and editing) can be very time consuming, as the scanned document is rarely converted without errors. Manually entering material is also extremely time consuming. There are a number of sources that provide free access to text material in digital format. Here are a few: * The Online Books Page (http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu) offers over 20,000 copyright free titles, searchable by author, title, or subject. * Project Gutenberg (www.gutenberg.org) is a comprehensive site that allows you to search by author, title, or subject. Files are available in both .txt and .zip format. Some are also available in Plucker format (for use on hand held computers) and/or in MP3 format. * Reading Room at the Internet Public Library (www.ipl.org) offers books, magazines, and newspapers as well as special collections that range from Native American authors to the US Presidents and links to special multimedia exhibits. Available as text (.txt) files. * Electronic Text Center at the University of Virginia (http://etext.virginia.edu) offers online holdings available as text (.txt) files. These sites are great, but not helpful for material still under copyright. Most material used in the classroom is subject to copyright, so what options do you have? First, check with the publisher and see if the material is already available in a digital format. Some publishers have the material available. Unfortunately, not all do. Here is an opportunity to flex your considerable consumer muscle: if you are in the process of purchasing new text materials, insist that the publisher provide it all in a digital format. New mechanisms for accessing digital text continue to appear (see NIMAS article), but you can help speed the process by putting the onus on publishers and insisting that they provide you with the materials you need. Digital Text and its Applications Once you have the text available in digital form, there are so many wonderful options available that can be incorporated into your lessons. Some of the more obvious options include altering the font size, the use of color, tailoring the text to meet your lesson, etc. It can also be used by more sophisticated applications, like text-to-speech software. We have covered some uses in previous editions of The AT Messenger. As always, if you have any questions, or need additional information regarding digital text and its applications, please contact the ATRC nearest you. Just Arrived at an ATRC Near You! tango! is a new communication device by Blink Twice, a sister company of AbleNet, Inc. It comes with a built-in camera, voice-morphing technology, and is ergonomically designed with a combination of hard and soft buttons. Other features include scanning, and an SD card slot plus expansion slots for future use with features such as WiFi, Bluetooth, and cell phone. tango! incorporates state-of-the-art sound design that allows voices to be heard even in noisy environments. The tango! also offers a new approach to communication, called Language Streams, developed in conjunction with many of the field's leading professionals, including Pati King-DeBaun, Karen Erickson, Caroline Musselwhite, and Linda Burkhart. This innovative language structure allows users to have efficient access to thousands of useful phrases, while still allowing for word-by-word sentence generation and spelling for times when more specific language is required. To learn more about this product, visit the Blink Twice website at www.blink-twice.com. The website offers an on-line demo of the product's key functions. AbleNet, Inc. recently announced its newest AAC device, the FL4SH. Using static display technology, this four-location voice output communication device teaches scanning to users through a systematic approach to language. Its exclusive frame lighting feature provides motivational visual feedback for direct selectors and scanners alike. FL4SH includes activities specifically created for educators and students who are beginning to explore the process of communication and motor planning necessary for successful scanning. The device features three distinct scanning modes, and also offers auditory scanning. It boasts an adjustable viewing angle and automatic overlay detection. For more information, visit the AbleNet website at www.ablenetinc.com. RFB&D: Providing Audio-based Print Alternatives Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D), a nonprofit organization, is the nation's leading educational library serving people who cannot effectively read standard print because of a visual impairment, learning disability, or other physical disability. The organization provides audio textbooks read by trained volunteers familiar with the subject areas of the texts. It serves all educational levels, from kindergarten to post-graduate and beyond, in a broad range of subjects. With over 29,000 titles available in its AudioCD format, RFB&D works as a lending library, distributing books to eligible members. Memberships are reasonably priced, easy to establish, and are available for individuals, schools, and institutions. Currently, RFB&D distributes audio textbooks to nearly 150,000 members nationwide. Approximately 70 percent of those using RFB&D audio textbooks have dyslexia or other reading-based print disabilities, and about 25 percent are blind or have a visual impairment. The remainder of users are those whose mobility limitations interfere with turning pages and/or holding a book comfortably. RFB&D audio textbooks are played using specialized playback devices or software that enable users to navigate books by page, chapter, or section, adjust the speed of the reading voice, and place bookmarks within the book. Numerous hardware and software options are available. DATI's ATRCs have several of these players in stock, and the AT Specialists would be happy to give you a demonstration or lend you a device for a trial use period. Through the end of December, RFB&D is offering schools two Telex Scholar playback devices at no cost when they purchase a new RFB&D Institutional Membership. For more information, contact Michael Bloom, RFB&D's Director of Membership Development, at (609) 720-8419 or at mbloom@rfbd.org. If you've wondered about the impact of print alternatives, just read this testimonial from Lucinda Greene, the mother of a son with a reading disability. My son has a reading processing difficulty. An otherwise bright and articulate 12-year-old attending school in Denver, Jack's brain must work very hard to decode the written word. By the time he has completed reading a sentence, he often has no ability to comprehend what he has just read. After struggling through 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade reading and writing assignments with extraordinary effort and tears of frustration, we were introduced to the local chapter of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. By listening to the written word on CD while reading along in the text, Jack can comprehend the material like other children. Thanks to the assistive technology made available through RFB&D, Jack earned honor-roll grades throughout his 6th grade school year. In Jack's words, "After the audio books, it was a piece of cake to read and understand the material I was reading. It decreased my homework time by 50 percent! The audio books gave me more time to ride my bike or go play basketball with my friends. I also felt so much more confident about my work that if a teacher gave a pop quiz, it would be a snap!" This is music to a parent's ears. Nothing is more difficult than watching a child struggle with a disability. How wonderful that RFB&D has allowed Jack to reach his full potential as a student. Thankfully, our family is able to afford the assistive technology made possible by RFB&D, but so many other children and schools in Colorado are not ?I encourage you to access www.rfbd.org for further information about this wonderful non-profit! ************************************* Ms. Greene's story was originally shared through a web posting. She granted permission to RFB&D to share her testimonial with others, and RFB&D has permitted us to share portions of her story with readers of The AT Messenger. Vision Technology Inc. Introduces The VIEW Eden Melmed, AT Specialist New Castle County ATRC The new VIEW CCTV, weighing just 15 lbs, brings portability and capability together in this user-friendly, flat panel CCTV with distance, intermediate and desktop magnification. The 15 inch monitor folds flat for easy carrying and the adjustable height leaves you room for writing and task work. The camera focuses quickly and turns 360 degrees horizontally and 240 degrees vertically to allow you to read a book as well as to see things across the room on a blackboard. There are three viewing modes: color, enhanced black on white, and reverse white on black. You can adjust the magnification from 4x to 70x easily with the soft-touch controls and the rechargeable battery allows you take the VIEW with you for use in the workplace, at home, and in the classroom. The VIEW retails for $3,885, including shipping, battery and case. For more information about Vision Technology Inc. products, please visit their website at www.visiontechnology.com or contact your local ATRC. DATI Equipment Loan Policy DATI has a wide variety of equipment at the Assistive Technology Resource Centers for the primary purpose of demonstration and short-term loan. The policy for the loan of the equipment is as follows: The standard loan period is two weeks, defined as the day borrowed (e.g., Monday the 10th) to the same day two weeks later (e.g., Monday the 24th). Loans may be extended providing there are no names on the waiting list and/or that an extension will not interfere with an existing reservation. The maximum loan period is four weeks. A maximum of four devices may be borrowed during any single loan period. However, combinations of devices may be treated as a single device if the components are interdependent?either operationally, or because one component is required for the user to access another. Equipment loans across state lines are not permitted. Equipment must also remain in Delaware throughout the loan period. To Contact DATI?s Central Site office or the ATRC closest to you, call 1-800-870-DATI Press #1 for English or #2 for Spanish, then press #3 for the Central Site office #4 for the New Castle County ATRC #5 for the Kent County ATRC #6 for the Sussex County ATRC TDD callers: Do not press #1 or #2 and your call will be answered on a TDD line at the Central Site office. DATI Resource Centers Throughout the State? 1-800-870-DATI dati@asel.udel.edu New Castle County ATRC Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children 203 Administration & Research Bldg. 1600 Rockland Rd. Wilmington, DE 19899 (302) 651-6790; (302) 651-6794 (TDD); (302) 651-6793 (fax) Kent County ATRC Easter Seals Kent County Center 100 Enterprise Place, Suite 1 Dover, DE 19904-8200 (302) 739-6885; (302) 739-6886 (TDD) Sussex County ATRC New location to be announced! (302) 856-7946; (302) 856-6714 (voice or TDD) The AT Messenger is published quarterly by the Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative (DATI). Dissemination of this newsletter to other people, association newsletters, and electronic mailing lists is encouraged. Information contained in this publication may be reprinted without permission, although attribution to the author and DATI is required. Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative Center for Applied Science & Engineering University of Delaware/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children P.O. Box 269, 1600 Rockland Road Wilmington, DE 19899-0269 Phone: (800) 870-DATI or (302) 651-6790 TDD: (302) 651-6794; FAX: (302) 651-6793 E-mail: dati@asel.udel.edu; www.dati.org DATI is funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) of the U.S. Department of Education, Grant #H224A050008 to the University of Delaware. This publication does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of RSA/ED, and no official endorsement of the materials should be inferred. The University of Delaware is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, age, national origin, marital status or disability in conformity with applicable laws.