Free Training - Working and Your Benefits

Disability Benefits & Employment Make it Work for You!

Are you interested in going to work or increasing your earnings? Do you need information on how working will affect your disability benefits? (SSI & SSDI) Do you want to connect with local agencies that can assist with finding a job and providing supports?

Please join us for this FREE community event!

Thursday, August 17, 2017 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM Florence Library, Stukes Meeting Room 509 South Dargan Street Florence, SC 29506

Register Here Today!

For more information, email Sandy Jordan at sjordan@able-sc.org or call 800.681.7715 or TTY 864.235.8798 Please make reasonable accommodation requests by August 10, 2017.

This event is coordinated through the efforts of the SC Disability Employment Coalition. Members of the Coalition are employers, state, and private agencies working to address the employment barriers of people with disabilities in South Carolina. The SCDEC is supported through funding from the SC Developmental Disabilities Council and the Administration for Community Living at the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Texthelp UDL Tools

Texthelp

Date: June 29, 2017

Time: 9:30-11:30

Place: SC Assistive Technology Program, Poplar Conference Room

Midlands Center, Poplar Building, 8301 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC 29203

Cost: Free!

Registration

We will look closely at a series of Texthelp UDL tools, both ELA as well as STEAM, which can significantly enhance student access and success.   We will also discuss ways to disseminate the availability of assistive technology options to a variety of students and teachers.   Participants will be eligible to obtain a FREE copy of Read&Write!

Speaker: Jeff Levinson

Jeff is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford Business School,  Jeff has been working in technology for over 20 years, most of it in the educational sector.   For the past eight years he has been responsible for Texthelp's efforts in the mid-atlantic and southeastern U.S.  and worked with some of the largest universities and school districts in the nation.  Perhaps Jeff's most significant accomplishments are his marriage of over 35 years and "management/survival" of seven (7!) children.

Attention! New Blog..."Perfectly Peter: A Family's Journey Through Autism"

Perfectly Peter is meant to be a way for our family to share information about autism with your family.

I am Laura, and I am the mother of three boys ages 18, 14, and 8.  Our youngest, Peter, was diagnosed with autism before the age of 2.  We have been on this path – this crazy, confusing, heartbreaking, and enlightening journey – for many years now.  Along the way we have learned a thing or two that might benefit families who join us on this road.

I intend to share what we have learned – the good and the bad – so that families in similar situations may find their way along the path just that tiny bit easier.  Please allow our family to help yours, and know that you are not alone.

https://perfectlypeter.wordpress.com/

Smartbox Grid 3 Software & Eye Gaze Training

Date: 6/27/2017

Time: 12:00-2:00PM 

Location: SC Assistive Technology Program, Poplar Conference Room,

8301 Farrow Drive, Columbia SC 29203

Speaker: Chris Gibbons, PhD, CCC-SLP, VP of Education & Assessment at Smartbox Inc.

Cost: Free

Registration

Join us for a discussion of clinical applications for Grid 3 including neurodegenerative and acquired communication disability, language strategies for early SGD users, and symbol communication. Client examples will be used to introduce grid set development, user profiles, and access solutions.  Learn about specific grid sets including those with core language systems, symbol set development and organization, as well as robust language and access training tools built into Grid 3. All with full alternative access from direct selection to eyegaze for communication, home automation, and computer needs.

Speaker: Chris Gibbons has worked in a variety of AAC clinical, research, and industry settings as a private practitioner, assistive technology specialist, and policy level consultant. For more than 20 years he has advocated for and contributing to SGD user success through increased access efficiencies and by working to improve funding for SGDs. As VP of Education and Assessment at Smartbox, Inc., Chris is focused on fully integrated AAC systems designed to provide maximum independence for the user.

Free Assistive Technology Trainings

This is from the Accessible Technology Coalition.

Free Webinars -  All Ages, Adults or Seniors

Augmentative and Alternative Communication and Aging from MaineCITE
Monday, June 5, 2017 at 10am Pacific, 1:00pm Eastern

New Technologies and Solutions for an Aging Society from AbilityTools
Wednesday, June 7th, 2017 at 10:30am Pacific, 1:30pm Eastern

Think College: Inclusive Higher Education for People with Intellectual Disability from ADALive on Wednesday, June 7, 2017 at 11am Pacific, 1pm Eastern

Digital Accessibility for the Travel and Hospitality Industry from SSB BART
Tuesday, June 13th at 11am Pacific, 2pm Eastern

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) Accessibility Basics from SSB BART
Tuesday, June 20th at 11am Pacific, 2pm Eastern

Smartphones and Smart Ideas: How to Use Your Smartphone to Boost Your Education, Career Readiness, and Daily Life from PACER
Tuesday, June 27, 2017 at 4:30pm Pacific, 7:30pm Eastern (90 min.)
 

Free Webinars -  K-12 Educators & Parents

Pediatric and Adult Eye Gaze Evaluations – Session 1 from AbleNet
June 1, 2017 at 8am Pacific, 11am Eastern and Session 2 on
June 21, 2017, same times

Clicker 7 Overview from SETC
June 1, 2017 at 3:30pm Pacific, 6:30pm Eastern

Creating Core Boards in Symbolstix Prime from SETC
June 5, 2017 at 1pm Pacific, 3pm Eastern

Speech Dude Tells More: Practical Technology for Moderate to Severe Students
from AbleNet on June 8, 2017 at 12pm Pacific, 3pm Eastern
 

Recently Archived Webinars

• Virtual Reality, Disability and Inclusive Design from AbilityNet
• State Perspective: How Utah is Strengthening Its Infrastructure to Support Accessible Materials from CTD
• AT and Apps to Suppport Learners with Autism, also from CTD
• Assessment Considerations for Children who are Deaf/Hard-of Hearing (3 part series) from the Idaho Training Clearinghouse
• Implementation Strategies for Building Communication and Learning through AAC in the Classroom, also from the Idaho Training Clearinghouse

AAIDD's 141st Annual Meeting, Promoting Health & Wellbeing, June 26-29 in Hartford, Connecticut

Promoting Health & Wellbeing

AAIDD's 141st Annual Meeting, Promoting Health & Wellbeing, June 26-29 in Hartford, Connecticut, is really the "must attend" meeting of the year!

Join us for informative and inspiring plenary sessions, cutting edge concurrent sessions, posters addressing emerging issues, and in-depth pre- and post-conference meetings on a number of important topics.

See the full schedule of events and register by clicking here.

June is National Vision Research Month!

June is National Vision Research Month! 

What better way to celebrate than to help improve vision for you or someone you love?

Check out some of our low vision items listed below. They are all available for FREE through our reuse program.  Each item is linked to a website (if available) that provides additional details.

Looking for help seeing small objects close-up?

Optivisors

Magnifiers from 4x to 12x 

For help with distance:

Monoculars

Spectable Binoculars

Other useful items:

Merriam-Webster large-print Thesaurus

If you have questions or want to pick up an item, please email me, Alli Upchurch, or call 803-935-5273.

Don’t see what you are looking for? Check out the AT Exchange!

Alli Upchurch | Program Coordinator II | SC Assistive Technology Program | Center for Disability Resources (UCEDD) | University of South Carolina School of Medicine | Columbia, SC  29208 | http://scatp.med.sc.edu/ | Phone: 803-935-5273 | Fax: 803-935-5342

South Carolina's 4th Annual Transition Conference

Greetings! We hope you will be able to be a part of our 4th Annual Transition Conference! We expect 300-400 transition professionals from around the state of South Carolina to attend this year's event. Space in the hotel ballroom is limited this year to 400 participants. We encourage you to register early to ensure your participation!  Downloadable Conference Schedule & Registration Exhibitor/ Sponsor Online Registration Hotel Registration © Copyright 2016 — Center for Disability Resources University of South Carolina School of Medicine (UCEDD) Contact Information: transition@uscmed.sc.edu Center for Disability Resources University of South Carolina School of Medicine  Department of Pediatrics Columbia, SC 29208 The Transition Alliance of South Carolina is made possible by funding from: The South Carolina Department of Education, The South Carolina Developmental Disabilities Council and The South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

2017 Life with Brain Injury Conference Exhibitors and Sponsors

Registration is Open!

Augmentative Communication Basics and Beyond

Date: Thursday, June 15, 2017

Time: 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Place: SC Assistive Technology Program, Poplar Conference Room
Midlands Center, Poplar Building, 8301 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC 29203

Cost: $20
- Make checks payable to SC Assistive Technology Program. Mail checks to Carol Page, SCATP, USC School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29208
or
- To pay by credit card, call Treginald Coleman at 803-935-5296. Be sure to mention the name of the workshop.

Registration

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is a complex issue for many parents and speech-language pathologists, but it doesn't have to be! Assessment and implementation of an augmentative and alternative communication system requires strategies for device selection, vocabulary selection, active participation, and facilitating functional communication experiences. This training contains basic information for the beginner or for someone who needs a refresher course on implementation of AAC systems.

Instructor: Carol Page, Program Manager, SC Assistive Technology Program

Carol A. Page, PhD, CCC-SLP, ATP, CBIS is the Manager of the South Carolina Assistive Technology Program (SCATP) at the USC School of Medicine, a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Center for Disability Resources, Department of Pediatrics. Carol is also an Adjunct Faculty member for the University of South Carolina Communication Sciences and Disorders department. She received her PhD degree in speech-language pathology from the University of South Carolina, her assistive technology professional certification from RESNA, and her Brain Injury Specialist certification from the Brain Injury Association of America. Carol provides trainings at a local, state, national and international level on assistive technology for persons with disabilities of all ages, their caregivers and professionals who serve them. She is the 2017 recipient of the Norman J. Arnold Alumni Award from the USC School of Public Health and the Louis M. DiCarlo Award for Outstanding Clinical Achievement from SCSHA.

"How my husband and son are teaching strangers about autism"

My husband has a special talent for talking to strangers.  Correction: he has a talent for encouraging strangers to talk to him.
[Read More at Autism Speaks]

Laura Townsend Kane is a medical librarian at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine.  The youngest of her three sons has autism.

Wheelchair Tennis Event-FREE

This is from Pamela Banks of the SC Tennis Association:

Come one, come all!  

What: Wheelchair Tennis Training and Clinic

When: Saturday, June 3

Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Where: Cayce Tennis Center, Congaree Drive, Cayce, SC 29033

Sponsor: Orthotic and Prosthetic Assistance Fund (OPAF)   

Free Registration

Morning session for therapists, teaching professionals and volunteers interested in learning more about grassroots wheelchair tennis.  Continuing Education Credits may apply and lunch will be provided.

Afternoon session will be an on court wheelchair tennis clinic and everyone is welcome!

This is being led by two time National Champion Sarah Casteel and supported by USTA SC and sponsored by USTA Wheelchair Tennis.

Register Now for the AAIDD 2017 Conference in Hartford, CT

Promoting Health & Wellbeing
AAIDD's 141st Annual Meeting, Promoting Health & Wellbeing, June 26-29 in Hartford, Connecticut, is really the "must attend" meeting of the year!
Join us for informative and inspiring plenary sessions, cutting edge concurrent sessions, posters addressing emerging issues, and in-depth pre- and post-conference meetings on a number of important topics.
See the full schedule of events, find hotel, and register by clicking here.
The deadline to register at the early bird rate is June 1, 2017.
Registration closes June 14! Register here.

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Free Training Opportunities for Educators and School Staff through June 30

The duration and time of day for each training can be tailored to fit the needs of professionals in your respective school or district.  Choose from three great training topics  Social Security Benefits and Employment: Learn the nuts and bolts of what going to work may (and may not!) mean for your students who receive Social Security benefits. This training will equip professionals with the knowledge they need to challenge common misconceptions about SSI/SSDI and employment, available work incentives for beneficiaries, and the community resources available to provide one-on-one support to beneficiaries and their families. Supported Decision Making and Alternatives to Guardianship: While the evidence base for self-determination and decision making support for young adults with disabilities is expansive, the rate of guardianship has tripled in the US over the last 20 years. Studies indicate that most education professionals are largely unaware of what guardianship entails and the potential impacts it may have on post-school opportunities and outcomes for young adults. This training will prepare educators with the awareness they need to ensure that students and families are being provided an array of options for decision making support to maximize positive post-school outcomes. Self-Determination and Free Resources for Teachers: This training covers the evidence base behind self-determination as an essential set of skills and awareness for empowering students with disabilities in transition and improving post-school outcomes. Educators will be provided an overview of the free, evidence-based tools available for fostering self-determination skills, collecting data alongside SD skill acquisition, and implementing student-led IEPs. To schedule a training, simply pick one of the above topics and click the button below.  For additional questions please call Charlie Walters at 803-779-5121 ext 133. Thank you to the SC Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Services for making these training opportunities possible!