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Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative

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Volume 16, No. 1, Winter 2008

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What's Inside . . . Volume 16, No. 1, Winter 2008

Homegrown in Delaware LogoHomegrown in Delaware
This is the debut of our newest regular column, which will feature products, projects, or services created right here in the First State. Let us know if there's a local AT innovation that we should spotlight in a future issue of The AT Messenger. Special thanks go out to Keith Heckert, Senior Art Director for the Office of Public Relations at the University of Delaware, for the creation of the “homegrown” logo.

Telephone Captioning Services? Not in Delaware
For many years, the primary mode of telephone communication for people who are deaf and hard of hearing has been TTY (telephone typewriters) and the Deaf Relay system. While TTY and Deaf Relay represented significant progress a decade ago, in the 21st century their limitations seem significant. Consider the time it takes to type a conversation on a TTY machine or the intrusion posed by an operator facilitating a private conversation between two people. It is not surprising that the use of TTYs and Deaf Relay have declined recently around the country. E-mailing, Instant Messaging, and video relay have increased, along with a new telephone technology called CapTel.

Upcoming Training
Upcoming Training: Adult Services and Supports in DE

Amputee Coalition of America LogoProsthetic Parity Insurance Legislation
The Amputee Support Group of Delaware, in collaboration with the Amputee Coalition of America—the leading national advocacy group for amputees—is spearheading a statewide initiative called "Prosthetic Parity Insurance Legislation." Our state coalition is seeking to pass mandated insurance legislation to reverse the negative reimbursement trends that erode coverage and access to proper prosthetic care. At present, people living with the absence or loss of a limb face daunting obstacles when attempting to obtain appropriate prosthetic care. Prosthetic care, here, specifically relates to the replacement of artificial legs, arms, and eyes. Currently, it is difficult, if not impossible, for most amputees to obtain more than one prosthetic device in their lifetime through insurance, regardless of the fact that such devices have a typical life of between three and five years.

In Case of Emergency, ICE for Short
Are you aware that your cell phone can help you in an emergency even if you can't help yourself? There is a movement, of sorts, that seems to be sweeping the nation. This movement began when a British paramedic realized that many people he was serving had cell phones with stored numbers that might be of use in an emergency. However, there was a problem—how would emergency personnel know which number to call?

14th Annual Inclusion Conference
Designing Environments for Successful Learning
Thursday, May 8, 2008
8:00 am - 3:15 pm
Sheraton Dover Hotel & Conference Center
Dover, Delaware

Jumbo Universal RemoteThe AT Bargain Basement
Hello, True Believers, and welcome to yet another edition of the AT Bargain Basement! I'm Marvin Williams, your host for this assistive technology bargain jamboree. This is the place where I try to find you all of the lovely assistive technology bargains I can that cost $100 or less. Also, if you happen to find something that you think would be of value to the group, please feel free to send it along to me. I'll put it in a future issue of the Bargain Basement.