Center for Disability Resources Library

Web Accessibility Network

2012-01-31T09:21:00.002-05:00

Icons vs. Text

Icons can present complex information, meaning, and functionality in a very small amount of space. A browser's "Home" icon (typically an illustration of a house) readily conveys rather complex meaning and functionality - activating it will take you to the browser's defined home page. While such icons can be very useful, care must also be taken to ensure that the icon is understandable to the end user and reflects well-known conventions. The floppy disk icon, for example, is used for "Save", yet the real-world connection between saving a file and an actual floppy disk (something that is rarely seen and no longer produced) is not present for many people, particularly newcomers to the web and youth. Real text ("Home" or "Save") should be used in place of an icon, or perhaps in conjunction with an icon.

Avoid Redundant Alternative Text

Images and related text are often paired together, such as a product image with the product name immediately below it, or a photograph with a caption. In instances where the text conveys the content of the image, the image should usually be given null or empty alternative text (alt=""). This avoids the redundancy of having a screen reader read the same information twice (once for the image alternative text and once for the caption or adjacent text).

If the image and the adjacent text are links to the same location, combine both the image and the text into one link and give the image null alternative text. This avoids redundancy, results in fewer links for the user to navigate, and results in fewer links for the user to navigate.

Extraneous Alternative Text

Alternative text should convey the content and function of an image, but it should not be used to convey additional information that is not presented visually by the image. For example, file size, file format, copyright details, that a graphical link opens in a new window, link destination, price (on e-commerce sites), keywords for search engines, etc. should not be included in alternative text. If this content is important, it should be included in the page in a way (such as in nearby text) that makes it available to all users. If this information is not necessary, it should be removed or may be presented in the title attribute value (which is intended for this type of advisory information).

Sensory Characteristics

Avoid relying on sensory characteristics, such as shape, size, or visual location. For example, "Click the green button" will not be useful to screen reader users or some users who are color blind. Instead, use "Click on the green button labeled 'submit'" or simply "Click the 'submit' button". Similarly, "Use the form on the right" could be changed to something more descriptive such as, "Use the search form on the right." Other examples include prompts such as "Click the larger button," "Select a state on the east coast on the map", "Instructions are included in the sidebar", etc. Purely auditory cues ("Click 'Continue' after you hear the beep") should also be avoided.

Adolescents With Autism Spend Free Time Using Solitary, Screen-Based Media

2012-01-30T09:00:00.001-05:00

ScienceDaily (Jan. 25, 2012) — "Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) tend to be fascinated by screen-based technology. A new study by a University of Missouri researcher found that adolescents with autism spend the majority of their free time using non-social media, including television and video-games.
"Even though parents and clinicians have often observed that children with ASD tend to be preoccupied with screen-based media, ours is the first large-scale study to explore this issue," said Micah Mazurek, assistant professor in the School of Health Professions and the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. "We found that 64 percent of adolescents with ASD spent most of their free time watching TV and playing video and computer games. These rates were much higher than among those with other types of disabilities. On the other hand, adolescents with ASD were less likely to spend time using email and social media."
The majority of youths with ASD (64.2 percent) spend most of their free time using solitary, or non-social, screen-based media (television and video games) while only 13.2 percent spend time on socially interactive media (email, internet chatting).
This is the first study to examine the prevalence of screen-based media use within a large nationally representative sample of youths with ASD. Data were compiled from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2, a group of more than 1,000 adolescents enrolled in special education. The study includes youths with ASD, learning and intellectual disabilities, and speech and language impairments."

NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

Working Too Much Is Correlated With Two-Fold Increase in Likelihood of Depression

2012-01-27T09:00:00.001-05:00

ScienceDaily (Jan. 25, 2012) — "The odds of a major depressive episode are more than double for those working 11 or more hours a day compared to those working seven to eight hours a day, according to a report is published in the Jan. 25 issue of the online journal PLoS ONE.
The authors, led by Marianna Virtanen of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and University College London, followed about 2000 middle aged British civil servants and found a robust association between overtime work and depression. This correlation was not affected when the analysis was adjusted for various possible confounders, including socio-demographics, lifestyle, and work-related factors.
There have been a number of previous studies on the subject, with varying results, but the researchers emphasize that it is hard to compare results across these studies because the cut-off for "overtime" work has not been standardized.
"Although occasionally working overtime may have benefits for the individual and society, it is important to recognize that working excessive hours is also associated with an increased risk of major depression," says Dr Virtanen."

NOTE: To learn more about the original research, click on the title above.

South Carolina Assistive Technology Expo

2012-01-26T09:09:00.001-05:00

Make plans to attend all or part of a unique event in South Carolina!
Please pass this information on to others who might be interested.

South Carolina Assistive Technology Expo

Tuesday, March 13, 2012, 9 am – 4 pm
Brookland Banquet and Conference Center, West Columbia, S.C. 29169

Over 50 exhibits and 12 workshops are available for people to see and try cutting-edge products and services for people with all types of disabilities and age-related limitations.

Workshops will address topics about programs that help people obtain used equipment, apps used with hand-held devices that help people with visual, organizing, attention, memory and communication challenges, information technology accessibility including video captioning, assistive technology for young children, mobility solutions for people with significant physical challenges, funding resources, speech recognition technology and experiences of people who use assistive technology to live more independently. For more information email Janet Jendron.

Some workshops are of particular interest to IT professionals:

Session 1: 9:30 10:30 AM
104 Hand-held devices help everyone, including people with disabilities!
Demonstration of apps and features of the Apple iOS mobile operating system (e.g. iPhone, iPad tablet) as well as the Android mobile operating system (e.g. Droid phone, Xoom Tablet) plus other hand-held devices that help people with visual and motor impairments. How these apps help with employment and independent living. Many apps discussed will help people without disabilities, e.g.,people who can't use their hands for access while driving with their respective devices. Jed Elmaleh, PT MPT, CAPS, MSCS and Clay Jeffcoat, SCSDB

Session 2: 11:30 12:30
204 Video Captioning for Accessibility and Usability
Differentiating between closed captioning and descriptive audio. Designing for readability. Addressing the needs of users with visual and cognitive impairments. Choosing fonts and colors. Free and reasonably priced tools to use in video captioning for the web and educational purposes. Challenges in posting videos on the web. This session is for everyone who uses video, not just web designers. Mark Gamble, Media Specialist, SCVRD

Session 3: 2:00 3:00 PM
304 Creating Accessible Word, PowerPoint and PDF Documents
Important basic principles that everyone should know about making these documents accessible and usable to people who use screen readers, have cognitive and mobility challenges. Topics include document structure, headings, lists, tables, Alt Text, captions and what happens when Word and PowerPoint documents are converted to tagged PDFs. Overview of some tools that can help repair PDF documents. This session is for everyone who works with these types of documents, not just people who design for the web. Natalie Denning, SC.GOV; Steve Cook, SCCB; Matthew Polkowsky, DHEC

303 Speech Recognition
In-depth comparison of the most widely used speech recognition programs (Microsoft Speech Recognition, Dragon Naturally Speaking, Via Voice, Speak Q, and Dragon Dictate Apps for use with the iPad/iPhone/iTouch). Crucial factors that enhance the use of these programs. Challenges that might be faced. Skills necessary to use speech recognition and how to get started. Val Gioia and Mark Daniels, SCDE AT Specialists

PRO-Parents

2012-01-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Having trouble reading this email? View it in your browser.

The Journey to Adulthood: What Parents Need to Know

Sexuality Training For Parents/Staff of Youth With Disabilities

Sponsored by: Sumter DDSN

Presented By: PRO-Parents of SC

Parents Reaching Out to Parents of South Carolina

Tanya Inabinet

Regional Education Coordinator

__________________________________________

Wednesday

January 25, 2012

10:00am-2:00pm

Sumter County DDSN

775 Electric Ave

Sumter, SC 29153

TOPICS:

Conversations about uncomfortable subjects

Help Youth understand and prepare for puberty

Impact of some disabilities on

Adolescent Development and Social Skills

(Workshop contains adult content)

Please call to register

Call 1-800-759-4776

Or (803) 772-5688

FREE WORKSHOP/OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Please visit our website

http://www.proparents.org/

for information & registration details

PRO-Parents of South Carolina
652 Bush RIver Road Ste 203
Columbia, South Carolina 29210
This email was sent to: rectanya@aol.com
Unsubscribe

Consistent Navigation and Identification

2012-01-24T09:21:00.001-05:00

Consistent Navigation and Identification

Consistency is important for web site accessibility and usability. WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 3.2.3 (Level AA) requires that navigation elements that are repeated on web pages do not change order across pages. Success Criterion 3.2.4 (Level AA) requires that elements that have the same functionality across multiple web pages be consistently identified. For example, a search box at the top of the site should always appear in the same place and be labeled the same way.
Separate Content/Functionality from Visual Design

Accessibility of web page content and functionality occurs almost entirely in page markup (HTML). Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), on the other hand, should be used exclusively for defining page styling and visual design. While CSS can be used to improve visual design, accessibility, and usability, screen readers ignore nearly all styles. When page content or functionality are integrated into visual design and CSS (such as a CSS background image that presents content, or a styled button that presents no functional text), then this content is not available to screen reader users. Ensure that content and/or functionality are not lost when page styles are disabled.
Accessibility of User Flows

When implementing accessibility, the issues on the most visited or high profile pages are often the first to be addressed. While this is effective, also consider user flows or processes. For example, on an online shopping site, focus on making the entire checkout process accessible. While the final purchasing page of this critical process may not be as high profile or receive as much traffic, if it is inaccessible, the entire flow is essentially inaccessible. Unfortunately, the user may not realize this until they have spent considerable time on previous steps in this flow.
Cognitive Load vs. Functionality

Cognitive load is the amount of mental effort required to engage in a process. On a web page, clutter, animation, confusing content, background sounds, complex information, and other aspects of poor accessibility and usability increase cognitive load. Try to provide necessary functionality while minimizing cognitive load. This can be particularly difficult on site home pages where much functionality is provided, which generally results in a very high cognitive load. Good usability and accessibility techniques, often as identified in user testing, can help site authors maintain necessary functionality while decreasing the cognitive load.

Accessibility Tips from ATAP and WebAIM

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Link Type Indicators
It is a good idea to inform users when a link goes to non-HTML content (such as a PDF file or Word document). It can be frustrating to activate a link and then realize that the link requires an external program or viewer. An icon (with appropriate alternative text) or text, such as "(PDF)", is sufficient. Because screen reader users commonly navigate by links, it is vital that the link type indicator icon or text be placed within the link, otherwise this information is readily available to sighted users, but not presented in the context of the link for screen reader users.

Accessibility User Testing
Instead of conducting accessibility testing with users with disabilities (asking users to identify accessibility issues), it is almost always more effective to do usability testing (asking users to evaluate overall usability) with users with disabilities. While accessibility testing can be used to identify instances of accessibility – poor alt text here and a missing label there, fixing all significant instances of inaccessibility and non-compliance still might result in a poor experience for users with disabilities. Basic user testing that includes users with disabilities has a focus on the broader user experience with a site, yet still can identify specific accessibility issues. User testing with individuals with disabilities should be part of a broader testing plan that involves compliance checklists, automated tests, manual testing, and assistive technology testing.

Do Not Require Unnecessary Form Data
One of the keys to creating highly accessible forms is to avoid as many errors as possible before the form is submitted. Ensure that forms are as simple and intuitive as possible, and don't require that a field be filled out if the content is not necessary (e.g., a telephone number to subscribe to an email discussion list). Errors can also be prevented by allowing informatoin to be entered in a number of logical formats. For example, allow a telephone number to be formatted: (123)456-7890, 123-456-7890, 123.456.7890, or 1234567890, as long as ten numerals are present. This data can easily be reformatted using scripting or database languages for further usage.

Large Clickable Targets
Some mouse users have may have difficulty with fine motor control, so it is important that clickable targets be sufficiently large. Radio buttons and checkboxes should include properly-associated labels (using the element). Small icons or text, such as previous/next arrows or superscript links for footnotes, should be sufficiently large or combined with adjacent text into a single link.

AAC and Literacy

2012-01-19T09:13:00.002-05:00

AAC and Literacy

Presenter: Kenneth P. Whitley, President, Key Technologies, Inc.

Date: Friday, February 10, 2012
Time:8:30am-10:30am
Location:
SC Assistive Technology Program
Poplar Building Conference Room
Midlands Center,
8301 Farrow Road,
Columbia, SC
Directions to the Conference Room
Cost: Free, but pre-registration is required.

This workshop is limited to 20 participants.

Description: A wide variety of AAC and Literacy devices will be shown. Typical users and practical features of the devices will be discussed. Participants will have opportunities for hands-on use and question-and-answer. The following AAC and Literacy devices will be demonstrated.

Ablenet: QuickTalkers, Boost Video Magnifier, TalkTrac Wearable Communicator
Attainment: GoTalk Express 32
Freedom Scientific: WYNN 6
Inclusive TLC: MyZone, Matrix Maker
Jabbla: Mobi 2 w/Mind Express 4, Allora
Saltillo: NOVA chat 7, SpeakOut
Unlimiter: The VoicePen w/VoiceSymbol and VoiceInk
Words+: Freedom Lite Convertible, Conversa Convertible
Zygo: Zygo Voice Amplifier, Optimist-MMX-V2, DigiCom 2000

To register for this demonstration:

Complete the online registration form

For questions, call Will McCain at (803) 935-5004 or Lydia Durham at (803) 935-5263 or 800-915-4522.

Web Accessibility Network

2012-01-17T09:42:00.002-05:00

Voice Control Software and Image Alternative Text

To activate links on a page, users of voice control software, such as Dragon NaturallySpeaking, speak the visible link text. When an image is linked, the alternative text of that image can be spoken to activate that link. When an image presents graphical text, the alternative text of the image should match the visible text to ensure voice control software users can easily activate that link.

Use True Text

True text has several advantages over graphical text and should be used whenever possible. True text is easier to read, especially if it is enlarged. The user can more easily customize the appearance of the text to make it more readable (changing color, size, font, etc.). File size is typically smaller for true text and it can be translated into other languages.

WCAG 2.0 Level AA requires that if the same presentation can be accomplished using true text, then you must use true text rather than an image of text. Level AAA requires that text cannot generally be used within images at all.

Text Readability

Keep the following guidelines in mind for displaying text:

Avoid very small text. This not only impacts some users with low vision, but many users with cognitive disabilities as well.
While serif fonts (e.g., Times) are more readable when printed, both serif and sans-serif fonts are appropriate when displaying body text onscreen, as long as the font is clean and readable.
Underlined text should be avoided, except to designate links.
Minimize the number of different fonts used on a page. Two to three fonts is optimal.
ALL CAPS should be used minimally. It is more difficult to read and is often interpreted as "shouting". Additionally, screen readers may read all-caps text letter by letter (like an acronym) rather than as full words.

WCAG 2.0 and Reading Level

It is always a good idea to make content as readable and understandable as is suitable for the audience. For complex content (defined as that which requires a reading ability more advanced than the lower secondary education level), WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 3.1.5 (Level AAA) requires that a more simplified and readable version of the content be provided. Much content cannot be made perfectly understandable at these levels (consider a college-level chemistry class, for example), thus it's a Level AAA success criterion. Regardless of the limitations for some content, for a page to be optimally accessible, it should be written so as to be easily readable and understandable to the target audience.

Study Could Lead to a Treatment for Angelman Syndrome

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

ScienceDaily (Dec. 21, 2011) — "Results of a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill may help pave the way to a treatment for a neurogenetic disorder often misdiagnosed as cerebral palsy or autism.
Known as Angelman syndrome, or AS, its most characteristic feature is the absence or near absence of speech throughout the person's life. Occurring in one in 15,000 live births, other AS characteristics include intellectual and developmental delay, severe intellectual disability, seizures, sleep disturbance, motor and balance disorders. Individuals with the syndrome typically have a happy, excitable demeanor with frequent smiling, laughter, and hand flapping.
No effective therapies exist for AS, which arises from mutations or deletions of the gene Ube3a on chromosome 15. The Ube3a protein produced by the gene is a key component of a molecular pathway that is very important to all cells, especially brain neurons by helping them pass electrical or chemical signals to other neurons via the synapse.
Angelman syndrome is linked to mutations or deletions in the Ube3a gene inherited from the mother; thus, the maternal allele. In most tissues of the body, both the maternal and paternal alleles are expressed. But in rodents and humans, the paternal Ube3a allele is intact but silent, or dormant.
What apparently accounts for the dormancy of that allele is a strand of ribonucleic acid known as antisense RNA, which in terms of gene expression keeps paternal Ube3a silenced, or off. Once referred to as the genome's "dark matter," antisense RNA makes no functioning gene product, but works to repress expression of another gene by binding to its RNA.
"We wanted to determine if there could be a way to "awaken" the dormant allele and restore Ube3a expression in neurons," said neuroscientist Benjamin D. Philpot, PhD, associate professor of cell and molecular physiology, one of three senior investigators in the study and a member of the UNC Neuroscience Center.
In a report of the research published online Dec. 21, 2011 in the journal Nature, the interdisciplinary team of UNC scientists say they have found a way to "awaken" the paternal allele of Ube3a, which could lead to a potential treatment strategy for AS."
NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

SCATP AT Expo 2012

2012-01-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, March 13, 2012
9 am – 4 pm
Brookland Banquet and Conference Center
1066 Sunset Boulevard
West Columbia, S.C. 29169
(803) 796-7525

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
NO PRE-REGISTRATION NECESSARY

Mark your calendars! The South Carolina Assistive Technology Program Expo is returning for another exciting year! Come see what's new in assistive technology and listen to free presentations by great speakers. Keep checking the web page for more details!

NOTE: To access the web page, where you can find additional information, click on the title above.

SC AT Exchange - New Listings

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Please send this message to other interested people and encourage them to join the SC AT Exchange. The more people we have involved, the more equipment we can find for South Carolinians. Please note, too, that some of the items needed are low-tech items that would make a huge difference in an individual's ability to live independently.
We have a number of wheel chairs and scooters listed that can be obtained for only the price of batteries and we can help get the batteries installed. Please look at the list carefully and spread the word!
Note that we can try to help facilitate transportation of equipment, if that's needed. We can't promise anything, but it's always amazing who can step in to help! If you know you need and item and need help with transportation, email Janet Jendron at Janet.Jendron@uscmed.sc. edu

Below are new listings on our SC AT Exchange.
You must login (or create a new account if you are a new user) to see the contact information. If you have already logged in (or at least tried to) and still have questions please email Catherine Leigh Graham of call her at 803-434-3189. If you can’t get Catherine, email Janet Jendron or call her at (803) 446-2566.

Please visit the AT Exchange web page and find the contact information/details for these and other items. The Assistive Technology Exchange website includes many items listed for sale or free, as well as items that are needed. These items are not located at any one place or warehouse. These are all items that are currently owned by someone else who is willing to sell at a reduced price or even for free in some cases.
If you have questions, please don’t respond to this email, but contact BOTH Janet.Jendron@uscmed.sc.edu AND Catherine.Graham@usc.med.sc.edu

Needed Items
891 w/c lift for a truck
910 Pediatric Stroller
911 Large Lift Chair
913 Lift Chair
914 Grab Bar for Tub
915 Grab Bar for Tub
916 4 Wheel Scooter
919 Shower Chair w/ Back
920 Small Shower Chair
921 Shower Chair w/ Back
922 Shower Chair
923 Heavy Duty Shower Chair
924 Heavy Duty Shower Chair
925 W/C Lift For Vehicle
926 W/C Lift for Vehicle
928 Shower Chair w/ Wheels
933 Lift Chair
935 Portable Ramp
936 Lift Chair
955 Ceiling Lift
977 adapted tricycle or bike
1023 a hospital/medical bed
1054 Full electric hospital bed
1057 6 way transfer seat
1058 Lift Chair

Available Items – Free
942 Orthopedic Hinged Leg Brace Columbia, SC
943 Pneumatic Foot Brace Columbia, SC
945 Ortho-Med Heavy Duty Commode Columbia, SC
952 Crutches and Cane Columbia, SC
957 PolarCare 300 Cold Therapy Cooler Columbia, SC
961 Grip N' Puff Switch Columbia, SC
962 Plate Switch Columbia, SC
966 String Switch Columbia, SC
967 Tread Switch Columbia, SC
973 Pulmo-Aide Compressor Nebulizer Columbia, SC
976 Manual Walker Columbia, SC
980 SureHands Lift System Columbia, SC
1031 Cases of syringes for gtube feeding West Columbia, SC
1033 SportNeb Nebulizer Pump Columbia, SC
1034 Youth Diapers Columbia, SC
1042 Reclining Pediatric Wheelchair Columbia, SC
1044 Universal Corner Chair Columbia, SC
1049 Physio-Roll Therapy Ball Columbia, SC
1056 Transport Wheelchair Blythewood, SC
1059 Bag of Hemostats Columbia, SC
1063 Invacare Pronto 91 Sure Step Power Wheelchair Blythewood, SC
1064 Rascal 318 power wheelchair Blythewood, SC

Available items – for sale or best offer
939 Pride Maxima 3 Wheel Scooter Blythewood, SC
940 Invacare Storm TDX3 Power Wheelchair Blythewood, SC
954 Maxima 4 Wheel Scooter Williamston, SC
956 Bioness L300 Greenville, SC
978 Scooter Hilton Head Island, SC
1001 Ensure Bone Health Milk Eastover, SC
1002 Ensure Plus Eastover, SC
1003 11 AirLife Prefill Nebulizer Kit Eastover, SC
1004 11 Cannister for Suction Machine Eastover, SC
1005 11 Neotech Little Sucker Eastover, SC
1006 11 Airlife Pediatric Trach Mask Eastover, SC
1007 11 Saline Eastover, SC
1008 11 Farrel Bag Eastover, SC
1009 11 Trach Care Tray cleaner Kit Eastover, SC
1010 11 Airlife Trach "T" adapter Eastover, SC
1011 11 Trach Collar Eastover, SC
1012 11 Large cloth bib Eastover, SC
1013 11 Large cloth bed pads Eastover, SC
1014 11 Suction Sponge & toothbrush Eastover, SC
1015 11 ReliaMed Flat Piston Irrigation Syringes Eastover, SC
1016 11 Plastipak Syringe Eastover, SC
1017 Kimba Ottobock Wheelchair Moore, SC
1021 accessible van Hillsville, VA
1043 Standing frame Greenville, SC
1060 Pride LX12 Power wheelchair Blythewood, SC
1061 Folding Power E & J Navigator Wheelchair Blythewood, SC
1062 Rascal 305 Scooter Blythewood, SC
1065 Hoveround MPV5 Blythewood, SC
1066 Jazzy 1104 Power Wheelchair Blythewood, SC
1067 Jet 3 Power wheelchair Blythewood, SC
1069 lenovo laptop with jaws Queens Village, NY
1070 Pediatric Stander Woodruff, SC

Accessibility Tips from ATAP and WebAim

2012-01-12T09:37:00.004-05:00

Low Vision Custom Color Settings

Some users with low vision can see content more easily if the default colors are inverted (white text on a black background), customized user styles are applied (blue text on a yellow background, for example), or a custom color scheme is used. This can be done using the operating system, with screen magnification software, or with user style sheets in a web browser. To ensure web accessibility for these users, make sure your page colors have sufficient contrast, that color is not used as the only means of conveying information or meaning, and that colors are specified for page elements (typically using CSS to at least define the page foreground and background colors).

Accessibility, Compliance, and Discrimination

Accessibility is about the user experience. Because a web site can always be more accessible, accessibility is best viewed as being a continuum. Web accessibility guidelines and standards (such as Section 508 and WCAG) provide useful measures along that continuum. Discrimination laws (such as the Americans with Disabilities Act or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act), however, generally do not define web accessibility, but instead clarify that web sites should not discriminate based on disability. Because standards and guidelines do not address all aspects of web accessibility, it is possible for a site to comply with a set of guidelines, yet remain very inaccessible to some users and potentially discriminatory. This is particularly true with very minimal standards such as Section 508. For these reasons, it is best to get a true understanding of accessibility and how end users access and use the web. Standards and guidelines should be used as tools and measures of accessibility, but the ultimate goal should not merely be compliance, but to provide an efficient, friendly, and accessible user experience regardless of disability.

Evaluating Web Accessibility with WAVE

WAVE is a free web accessibility evaluation tool found at http://wave.webaim.org/. Rather than providing a complex technical report, WAVE shows the original web page with embedded icons and indicators that reveal the accessibility of that page. This presentation facilitates manual evaluation of web accessibility. A Firefox toolbar version of WAVE allows evaluation of web content directly within the browser - thus allowing sensitive, password protected, dynamic, or intranet pages to be easily evaluated. Because WAVE performs evaluation after page styles (CSS) has been applied and (in the toolbar) after scripting has been processed, WAVE provides a very accurate representation of true end user accessibility.

Evaluating Alternative Text

When evaluating the alternative text of images, remember that the alternative text (whether in the image's alt attribute or in adjacent text) should convey the content and function of an image. Asking the question, "If the image could not be used, what text would replace the image?" is often a good way to determine appropriate alternative text. First, view the alternative text along with the image. Is the alternative text equivalent to the content of the image? Second, disable images and view the alternative text in place of the image and consider if the alternative text makes sense in its context and reading position within the page.

ATAC Meeting January 17th at the SC State Library

2012-01-11T08:34:00.003-05:00

The SC Assistive Technology Advisory Committee is meeting at the SC State Library on Tuesday, January 17 from 9:30 am to 12 noon.

If you’re interested in being on this committee or know someone who might be interested, please contact me a Janet.Jendron@uscmed.sc.edu and I can fill you in on what the Committee does. We have a definite focus on IT and Web accessibility for state agencies and other entities.

Our new web site is launched and in development!
http://accessibility.sc.gov/Pages/default.aspx

I’d also like to call your attention to the web accessibility resources on SCATP’s website.

Janet Jendron
SC Assistive Technology Program
SC Assistive Technology Advisory Committee
Chair, Web Accessibility Committee

NOTE: Click on the title above to read more about web accessiblility.

Columbia Parkinson's Support Group

2012-01-09T11:31:00.003-05:00

Meeting Reminder

Date: January 15, 2012

Topic: "What you need to know about Elder Care Law" This meeting will be very informative for Parkinson patients, their caregivers/care partners, and anyone else "regardless" of age. Even if you already have your legal affairs taken care of, you may learn other information that is of interest to you.

Time: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm With time after the meeting for additional discussion and socialization

Speaker: Sarah L. Clingman, Attorney at Law

Sarah Clingman is a certified specialist in Elder Law, as certified by the National Elder Law Foundation. The firm's practice is limited to Elder Law, including Guardianship & Conservatorship, Estate and Special Needs planning, probate, estate administration, fiduciary administration, and issues impacting the elderly, disabled, and special needs client or a family member. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the South Carolina chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and a past president.

SPECIAL NOTE: Temporary Meeting Room Change for January Only

Use this link http://tinyurl.com/7sb9pv9 to obtain a copy of a map for the Lexington Medical Center.

We suggest that you print out a copy of the LMC map, and then follow the directions below. Come to the North Tower Entrance of LMC Hospital. If you come in at the light where the Emergency Department (a.k.a. ER) is located – you would go to the four way stop, go straight, pass the ER/ED, down the hill and park in either the parking lots "F" or "G" as indicated on the map. Go in the "North Tower Entrance", take the elevators down to the Lower Lever, and go to Classroom 1.

Just in case - The employees/volunteers at the North Tower Entrance -or- at the main hospital entrance will also be able to give you directions. Just tell them that you want to go to the North Tower Entrance and Classroom 1 in the Lower Level of that building.

Don't Forget To Visit Our Website Often - http://www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org/

Visit our NEWS FOR YOU web page, which has "new" news and information that may be of interest to you http://www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org/news.htm

The 2012 MEETING & EVENTS CALENDAR web page at
http://www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.or/meet_calendar_2012.htm is updated often with new events, seminars, symposiums, and of course our meeting information.

Please Volunteer - We Need You! Our support group is operated and run by volunteers who are Parkinson patients themselves, caregivers / care partners of Parkinson patients, or people who have an interest in and support Parkinson's disease. We can always use volunteers. Please contact us if you have other experience or skills that you think can be used by our group.

"Thank You" Karen Basso for volunteering to be our Newspaper / Media PR contact.

"Thank You" Bob & Barb Nickel, and Joe Gilbert for volunteering to be greeters at our meetings.

Greeters - We still need additional "greeters", so that the greeters can alternate meetings. At the beginning of our meetings, you would greet meeting attendees at the door, and make people feel welcome, encouraging them to sign-in.

Program Committee Member - Currently Carol and Dottie have been doing the program planning, but we can use some help on the Program Committee. As a member of the program committee, you will have the opportunity to meet some really nice people who have an interest in or interface with the Parkinson's community in many different ways. We already have the year 2012 booked up for speakers, so you will have a "whole year" to work with Dottie and Carol and become familiar planning programs. Ability to send/receive Email is needed. Please note that you won't be doing this by yourself, Dottie and Carol will continue to be involved with the committee.

Support and Resource Group for Students and Parents & Educators of Students with Learning Differences

2012-01-06T09:13:00.002-05:00

Support and Resource Group for Students and Parents & Educators of Students with Learning Differences

What: Support and Resource Group meetings

When: Second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm

Where: Glenforest School (see below for directions)

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, January 10th, 2012.

We will discuss fostering metacognition – understanding how you think, knowing your learning style, and helping students use this information to their advantage during their education. It will be a very open environment in which everyone will be welcome to share their experiences and any strategies they have found useful.

Directions to Glenforest School: Take I – 26 to US-378 W toward Lexington (Exit 110).

If you are on I26 E, turn right onto 378 W toward Lexington.

If you are on I26 W, turn left onto 378 W toward Lexington.

Turn left onto Harbor Drive. (The 1st red light on 378 W).

Glenforest School at 1041 Harbor Drive is on the right.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------

Elizabeth Myers

Educational Initiatives Consultant

Landmark College Institute for Research and Training elizabethmyers@landmark.edu

(803) 635-3355

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Free Assistive Technology Workshops!

2012-01-05T10:23:00.000-05:00

FREE! Assistive Technology Workshops Facilitated by SC Department of Education Assistive Technology Specialists

Columbia workshops:

January 17: Intel Reader

Pee Dee workshop:

January 17: Boardmaker Basics

Upstate workshop:

January 26: Free Literacy and Study Supports

Coastal workshop:

January 26: Switch Basics

Lowcountry workshop:

January 11: Free Literacy and Study Aids

All of these workshops are free of charge, but require pre-registration. Registration information can be found in the description of each workshop. Note that the registration procedures differ depending on the workshop.

To see more information about the Columbia workshops, go to the SCATP training page. To see details of workshops presented by the SC Assistive Technology Specialists in other areas of the state, go to the ATS training page at the SCATP website.

SCATP Conference Date Announced!

2012-01-04T06:45:00.000-05:00

Mark your calendars!
The 2012 SC Assistive Technology Expo

Tuesday, March 13, 2012
9 am – 4 pm
Brookland Banquet and Conference Center
1066 Sunset Boulevard
West Columbia, S.C. 29169
(803) 796-7525

Come see what's new in assistive technology and listen to free presentations by great speakers.
You can learn more about the 2012 SC Assistive Technology Expo and see information (and pictures) from past Expos at our webpage:

http://www.sc.edu/scatp/expo/expo12.html

We are looking forward to seeing you at the 2012 SC Assistive Technology Expo!

Great News about SCATP!

2011-12-20T08:29:00.001-05:00

Great News!

As you may be aware, the 25% mandatory Alternative Financing Program funding set-aside language for the State Assistive Technology Act was removed from the Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) bill. The LHHS bill was approved at FY 2010 Funding levels through the rest of this fiscal year.

The South Carolina Assistive Technology Program (SCATP) sends a special thank you to everyone who wrote emails, faxed letters, and made phone calls to US Congressmen. Your efforts made all the difference! We also want to thank our Congressmen for supporting such a fiscally responsible program.

SCATP looks forward to continuing to provide assistive technology options and resources to South Carolinians with disabilities, their caregivers and the professionals who serve them for many years to come.

Best Wishes for a Happy Holiday!

Brain Injury Association of SC Event

2011-12-19T10:13:00.004-05:00

Events and News

NOTE: Click on the title above to go to the BIA's web site

URGENT: Funding Issue for SCATP

2011-12-15T06:35:00.000-05:00

NOW is the time to reach out to SC Congressmen about the mandatory set-aside language of the Federal Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education. The opportunity for Congress to eliminate this language from the House draft bill is NOW as this Friday, December 16th is the deadline for a Congressional vote on this issue.

The current wording would require all State Assistive Technology Programs to spend 25% of their federal allocation for alternative financing programs through contracts with community-based organizations. These cuts would have significant negative effects on SCATP’s device reutilization, device loan and device demonstration activities.

What it means for SC: The South Carolina Assistive Technology Program’s (SCATP’s) AT Reutilization Program connects consumers, agencies and other organizations in the donation and sale of used medical equipment to people who could not afford it otherwise. The past two years, this initiative resulted in a cost savings of $731,419 to consumers, state and federal agencies and other organizations. Funding cuts would also greatly reduce the offerings of SCATP’s Device Demonstration and Device Loan Programs. In FY 2011, over 350 people participated in SCATP’s device demonstration program and people got a chance to borrow approximately 400 devices to “try before they buy” through SCATP’s device loan program.

What can you do?

You may CALL and EMAIL your SC Congressmen (see below) and express your continued opposition to the mandatory set-aside funding language proposed in the House FY2012 LHHS bill and request this language be excluded from the final bill. Ask them to speak to the members of the House Appropriations LHHS Subcommittee and share how this legislation would impact SC though cuts in essential equipment reuse, demonstration and loan programs administered by SCATP. If you, a family member, friend, or client has benefitted from these programs, please share those personal stories.

Consider emphasizing the role that SCATP has played in ensuring that assistive technology is purchased or even given away, and used effectively by South Carolinians. The proposed language of the set-aside means SCATP would be forced to cut funding we currently use to implement SCATP’s AT Reutilization program, Device Demonstration program and Device Loan program. These programs reduce the demand for federal funding by millions of dollars and promote responsible decisions for purchasing devices using Medicaid and Medicare dollars.

You could mention the ways SCATP serves as a resource in helping agencies and individuals in activities ranging from education to health care and employment, as well as the outreach to rural, underserved and minority populations. If you are in the education field, you can emphasize how SCATP has helped school districts and students meet the goals of the "No Child Left Behind" legislation. It might also help if you let them know how much the SC Assistive Technology Program has helped you, a friend, relative or client with disabilities.

The Honorable Joe Wilson

Staff: Melissa Chandler- melissa.chandler@mail.house.gov, 202-225-2452, Fax: 202-225-2455

United States House of Representatives

The Honorable Trey Gowdy

Staff: Christopher Ingraham- christopher.ingraham@mail.house.gov, 202-225-6030, Fax: 202-226-1177

United States House of Representatives

The Honorable James E. Clyburn

Staff: Willie Lyles, willie.lylesIII@mail.house.gov, 202-225-3315, Fax: 202-225-2313

U.S. House of Representatives

The Honorable Jim DeMint

Staff: Erica Suares, erica_suares@demint.senate.gov, 202-224-6121, Fax: 202-228-5143

United States Senate

The Honorable Jeff Duncan

Staff: Caleb Paxton, caleb.paxton@mail.house.gov, 202-225-5301, Fax: 202-225-3216

U.S. House of Representatives

The Honorable Lindsey O. Graham

Staff: Courtney Titus, courtney_titus@lgraham.senate.gov, 202-224-5972, Fax: 202-224-3808

U. S. Senate

The Honorable Mick Mulvaney

Staff: Greg Thomas, greg.thomas@mail.house.gov, 202-225-5501, Fax: 202-225-0464

U.S. House of Representatives

The Honorable Tim Scott

Staff: Delores DaCosta, delores.dacosta@mail.house.gov, 202-225-3176, Fax: 202-225-3407

U.S. House of Representatives

We'd also appreciate your sending an electronic copy of your letter to CarolPageSLP@gmail.com>.

**If you have questions, contact carolpageslp@gmail.com> and we can update you on progress of this legislation and help you determine what you might do.

Meeting Reminder: Columbia Parkinsons Support Group

2011-12-14T07:15:00.000-05:00

Meeting Reminder

Date: December 18, 2011

Topic: Join Us For Our Annual Christmas / Holiday Party

Time: 3:00 pm

No RSVP is required - Just Join Us For The Party!

Place: Lexington Medical Center Auditorium - For our meeting information (time, place, map) please visit our website page of http://www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org/meeting_info.htm

Entertainment and Refreshments will be provided - Just bring yourself and your guests (family, friends, and anyone interested in Parkinson's)

We will be having live entertainment by Bob Michalski, who plays a wide variety of contemporary and jazz instrumental selections. Bob has appeared in many locations around Columbia, including churches, weddings, and corporate events. http://www.bobthesaxplayer.com/

This is a wonderful opportunity for you to enjoy the music, have some refreshments, have fun, and get to know other members of our Parkinson support group in a relaxing environment. This is where you can share information, ask questions, and learn more about our support group and its members.

VERY URGENT NEWS ABOUT SC ASSISTATIVE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM (SCATP) FUNDING ISSUE ~ December 16th is the deadline for a Congressional vote on this issue.

For more information click on this link http://www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org/news.htm

Please Don't Forget To Visit Our Website at http://www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org/ The NEWS FOR YOU web page has been updated with "new" news and information that may be of interest to you http://www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org/news.htm

We have been busy scheduling speakers and topics for our 2012 meetings. The 2012 MEETING & EVENTS CALENDAR web page has been updated on our website at
http://www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.or/meet_calendar_2012.htm We have some really great programs planned for 2012.

Please Volunteer - We Really Need You! Our support group is operated and run by volunteers who are Parkinson patients themselves, caregivers / care partners of Parkinson patients, or people who have an interest in and support Parkinson's disease. We can always use volunteers. Please contact us if you have other experience or skills that you think can be used by our group.

A special "Thank You" to Karen Basso for volunteering to do the
Newspaper Media PR position we had advertised last month!

Below are some other positions that we need volunteers for now.

Greeters - At the beginning of our meetings, you would greet meeting attendees at the door. Requirements are ability to smile, say hello, make people feel welcome, and encourage them to sign-in. Ability to send Email is needed. Having more than one "greeter" would be desirable so that they could alternate meetings.

Program Committee Member - Currently Carol and Dottie are doing all the program planning. We could use some help. Ability to send Email is needed. You will have the opportunity to meet some really nice people who interface with the Parkinson's community in many ways. We already have the year 2012 booked up for speakers, so you will have a whole year to work with Dottie and Carol to learn how to be a member of the Program Committee. You won't be doing this by yourself, Dottie and Carol will be working with you on the committee.

Contact either Carol or Dottie if you are interested in volunteering; or if you have other experience or skills that you think can be used by our group.

Carol Baker, Vice President
Telephone 803-781-6193
Email: caroltbaker@bellsouth.net

Dottie Gantt, President
Telephone: 803-604-0061
Email: contact@columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org

We look forward to seeing you at the December 18th meeting / party.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas - Happy Holidays - and Best Wishes for the New Year!

Dottie

--

Dottie M. Gantt, President

Columbia Parkinson's Support Group

Email  contact@columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org

http://www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org/

Telephone 803-604-0061

SCDDC Selects New Officers

2011-12-13T07:31:00.005-05:00

NOTE: To read the SCDDC Newsletter, click on the title above.

Webinar : Lessons Learned from the 12 Demonstration Projects: Outcomes

2011-12-12T07:23:00.002-05:00

This comes from Liz Persaud at Pass It On.

Join us for a Webinar focused on:

Lessons Learned from the 12 Demonstration Projects: Outcomes

Tuesday, December 13, 2011
2:00pm to 3:30pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

Presenters:
Joy Kniskern Principal Investigator, Pass It On Center,
Trish Redmon Consultant to the Pass It On Center,
Lindsey Bean Kampwerth AT Reuse Director, Paraquad/Consultant to the Pass It On Center

Credits Available!
Free CEUs - Visit www.aacinstitute.org to register for CEUs
1.5 CRC's have been Approved - If you are requesting CRCs, please email Liz@passitoncenter.org with your name, organization, city, state and corresponding email address.

Join us as we explore project experiences of AT Reuse programs across the country. In 2006, the Rehabilitation Services Administration awarded grants to 12 demonstration projects for AT reuse. After the completion of those projects, the Pass It On Center examined their experiences in light of the original objectives and the accomplishments during the grant period. This webinar will examine what was learned about outcomes for customers in those reuse programs as well as how AT Reuse is "filling the gap" when funding is scarce. These lessons are guaranteed to help your program maximize its potential and continue to best serve individuals with disabilities and the AT Reuse community.

Instructions to Access the Webinar

Link to Pass It On Center Webinar Conference Room: http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rs21c4e11226b6
Instructions for joining the Webinar are available online at: http://www.passitoncenter.org/Webinars.aspx
For more information, please contact Liz Persaud Liz@passitoncenter.org
Please forward this announcement to anyone interested in this topic or the Pass It On Center webinars.

CO-SPONSORED BY THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, REHABILITATION SERVICES

Webinar : Lessons Learned from the 12 Demonstration Projects: Outcomes

2011-12-12T07:23:00.000-05:00

This comes from Liz Persaud at Pass It On.

Join us for a Webinar focused on:

Lookout Call - An App for Motorists with Disability

2011-12-09T06:50:00.002-05:00

Disabled World - Disability News for all the Family:
Information provided by Andrew Lawn - Published: 2011-12-08

Disabled motorists urged to stay App–solutely safe - Disabled motorists are being urged to stay safe, with the help of a new iPhone app which allows peace of mind for loved-ones, without compromising the independence of the user.

Lookout Call, which is already widely-used commercially by lone workers across the UK, is being opened up to individual use and made available via Apple's App Store, in a bid to improve the safety of disabled motorists.

To celebrate the launch Lookout Call are offering a limited one-week free subscription, allowing individuals to try out the app for themselves, alongside the chance to win one of 10 iTunes gift cards.

With millions of disabled motorists, across the UK, their safety is of paramount concern to loved-ones.

It is here that Lookout Call comes into its own, allowing friends and family to be reassured that their loved-one has the tools to help enhance their safety, without being an overbearing presence in their lives.

NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

What is Web Accessibility?

2011-12-08T06:59:00.003-05:00

Article Updated May 1st, 2011
Joe Dolson

It is a common mistake to believe that accessibility refers exclusively to the relationship between people with disabilities and their environment. That is, that making a building, website, or other device "accessible" is merely the process of ensuring that a person with a disability will be able to use it. This is not precisely wrong; it is merely incomplete.

Making a website accessible goes well beyond providing access to the most obvious market, which is users with visual disabilities. What I'm going to describe in this article are general descriptions of the areas where accessibility needs must be taken into consideration and a brief discussion of some of the techniques used to accomplish those needs.

Technology Problems

Yes, one of the biggest barriers to the use of a website can be technology itself. If the entire world was using a single browser on one computer, then technology would cease to be an issue. However, this is very far from the case!

NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

Discrimination Against Disabled Children

2011-12-07T09:39:00.000-05:00

Medical News Today--Article Date: 05 Dec 2011 - 0:00 PST

Many disabled children fail to reach their full potential because they continue to be marginalised in schools, health and social care, according to new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

"We found that disabled children often experience discrimination, exclusion and even violence," say Professor Dan Goodley and Dr Katherine Runswick-Cole, who implemented the study at the Manchester Metropolitan University. "The biggest barriers they meet are the attitudes of other people and widespread forms of institutional discrimination."

NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

Why Do We Dream? To Ease Painful Memories, Study Hints

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

National Geographic News, Published November 29, 2011 -- "Dreaming may act like a type of overnight therapy, taking the edge off painful memories, a new study says.
In a recent experiment, brain scans of people who viewed emotionally provocative pictures and then went to sleep showed that the part of the brain that handles emotions powered down during rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep—the stage in which dreams occur.
What's more, the subjects reported that the images had less of an emotional charge the morning after. This suggests that REM sleep may help us work through difficult events in our lives, the researchers say.
Why we sleep is still unknown, and even more elusive is the relationship between sleep and our emotional well-being, said study leader Matthew Walker, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Berkeley.
There's already anecdotal evidence for sleep's therapeutic benefits—such as the oft-repeated adage that a person will go to bed and feel better in the morning, Walker said.
And clinical data show that psychiatric mood disorders, from anxiety to post-traumatic stress disorder, can lead to sleep abnormalities.
"Despite that suggested interplay, we've understood remarkably little about the basic brain science that may underlie a relationship between our emotional lives and our sleeping lives," he said.
As his new research now suggests, "it's not time that heals all wounds—it's REM sleep."

Eating Fish Reduces Risk of Alzheimer's Disease, Study Finds

2011-12-01T09:07:00.002-05:00

ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2011) — People who eat baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis may be improving their brain health and reducing their risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease, according to a study presented November 30 at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

"This is the first study to establish a direct relationship between fish consumption, brain structure and Alzheimer's risk," said Cyrus Raji, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "The results showed that people who consumed baked or broiled fish at least one time per week had better preservation of gray matter volume on MRI in brain areas at risk for Alzheimer's disease."

Alzheimer's disease is an incurable, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and cognitive skills. According to the National Institute on Aging, as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer's disease. In MCI, memory loss is present but to a lesser extent than in Alzheimer's disease. People with MCI often go on to develop Alzheimer's disease.
To read the entire article, please click the above title.

Violent Video Games Alter Brain Function in Young Men

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2011) — "A functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analysis of long-term effects of violent video game play on the brain has found changes in brain regions associated with cognitive function and emotional control in young adult men after one week of game play.The results of the study were presented November 30 at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
The controversy over whether or not violent video games are potentially harmful to users has raged for many years, making it as far as the Supreme Court in 2010. But there has been little scientific evidence demonstrating that the games have a prolonged negative neurological effect.
"For the first time, we have found that a sample of randomly assigned young adults showed less activation in certain frontal brain regions following a week of playing violent video games at home," said Yang Wang, M.D., assistant research professor in the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. "These brain regions are important for controlling emotion and aggressive behavior."
For the study, 22 healthy adult males, age 18 to 29, with low past exposure to violent video games were randomly assigned to two groups of 11. Members of the first group were instructed to play a shooting video game for 10 hours at home for one week and refrain from playing the following week. The second group did not play a violent video game at all during the two-week period.
Each of the 22 men underwent fMRI at the beginning of the study, with follow-up exams at one and two weeks. During fMRI, the participants completed an emotional interference task, pressing buttons according to the color of visually presented words. Words indicating violent actions were interspersed among nonviolent action words. In addition, the participants completed a cognitive inhibition counting task.
The results showed that after one week of violent game play, the video game group members showed less activation in the left inferior frontal lobe during the emotional task and less activation in the anterior cingulate cortex during the counting task, compared to their baseline results and the results of the control group after one week. After the second week without game play, the changes to the executive regions of the brain were diminished."
NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

Free Webinar on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Research

2011-11-30T15:25:00.002-05:00

Designing Effective AAC Technologies for Beginning Communicators

PRESENTER: Janice Light, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Penn State University

DATE: Tues., January 10, 2012
TIME: 12:00 - 1:30 PM E.T.
SESSION FEE: No Charge
OVERVIEW: To date there are few guidelines to support clinicians and manufacturers on the design of effective AAC systems for beginning communicators. When AAC systems are well designed they may enhance communication and language outcomes for beginning communicators with complex communication needs. This webinar will present research results from recent studies that address the design of AAC technologies, and will suggest clinical guidelines to improve design based on this research. Each study will be presented briefly with a focus on research results and their implications for beginning communicators. Examples will be used to illustrate key points.

NOTE: You can review the complete webinar abstract by clicking on the title above.

The South Carolina Assistive Technology Workshops

2011-11-29T09:38:00.001-05:00

The SC Assistive Technology Program and the SC Department of Education Assistive Technology Specialists are offering the workshops below in December. The workshops are free of charge, but require pre-registration.

12-5-11 – Columbia Boardmaker Studio Basics<http://www.sc.edu/scatp/trainings/midlandsfreeattrainings.html> – Val Gioia

Register for the Boardmaker Studio Basics workshop online<http://www.sc.edu/scatp/forms/trainingregform_12-7-11.html>

12-7-11 – Low Country Windows 7 Accessibility Features<http://www.sc.edu/scatp/trainings/lowcountryatstrainings.html> – Stacy Springer
Register by emailing Stacy Springer sspringer@ed.sc.govsspringer@ed.sc.gov>:

1. Your Name/Email/Contact Number

2. Your District/Position

3. The Training Title & Date

12-13-11 – Coastal Free Literacy and Study Aids<http://www.sc.edu/scatp/trainings/Coastal%20AT%20Trainings.pdf> – Stacy Springer
Register by emailing Stacy Springer sspringer@ed.sc.govsspringer@ed.sc.gov>:

4. Your Name/Email/Contact Number

5. Your District/Position

6. Training Title & Date

Saving For People With Disabilities May Soon Be Tax-Free

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Disability Scoop, November 15, 2011 - "A bill that’s expected to be introduced in Congress Tuesday would give families a new way to save money for people with disabilities without jeopardizing government benefits.

The legislation known as the Achieving Better Life Experience Act, or ABLE Act, would create savings accounts that could be used to pay for education, health care, transportation, housing and other expenses for people with disabilities.

A bipartisan group of legislators plans to announce that they will introduce the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate at a noon press conference Tuesday on Capitol Hill where they will be joined by representatives of the National Down Syndrome Society, Autism Speaks, The Arc and other groups.

Under the legislation being proposed, up to $100,000 could be deposited into a so-called ABLE account without compromising access to government benefits from Social Security, Medicaid and other programs.

The accounts are modeled after the popular 529 college savings plans, which can be opened at any financial institution. Interest earned on funds within the accounts would be tax-free.

“Our tax code currently provides advantages to help Americans save for college and retirement, yet people with disabilities do not enjoy those same financial planning tools,” said Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., who’s sponsoring the House bill. “No longer would individuals with disabilities have to stand aside and watch others use IRS-sanctioned tools to lay the groundwork for a brighter future. They would be able to as well.”
NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

People With Early Alzheimer's Disease May Be More Likely to Have Lower BMI

2011-11-22T09:09:00.002-05:00

ScienceDaily (Nov. 21, 2011) — Studies have shown that people who are overweight in middle age are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease decades later than people at normal weight, yet researchers have also found that people in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease are more likely to have a lower body mass index (BMI). A current study examines this relationship between Alzheimer's disease and BMI.

The study, published in the November 22, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, examined 506 people with advanced brain imaging techniques and analyses of cerebrospinal fluid to look for biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease, which can be present years before the first symptoms begin. The participants, who were part of the Alzheimer's Disease. Neuroimaging Initiative, included people with no memory problems, people with mild cognitive impairment, or mild memory problems, and people with Alzheimer's disease.

The study found that in people with no memory or thinking problems and in people with mild cognitive impairment, those who had the Alzheimer's biomarkers were also more likely to have a lower BMI than those who did not have the biomarkers.

For example, 85 percent of the people with mild cognitive impairment who had a BMI below 25 had signs of the beta-amyloid plaques in their brains that are a hallmark of the disease, compared to 48 percent of those with mild cognitive impairment who were overweight. The relationship was also found in people with no memory or thinking problems.

"These results suggest Alzheimer's disease brain changes are associated with systemic metabolic changes in the very earliest phases of the disease," said study author Jeffrey M. Burns, MD, MS, of the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "This might be due to damage in the area of the brain called the hypothalamus that plays a role in regulating energy metabolism and food intake. Further studies should investigate whether this relationship reflects a systemic response to an unrecognized disease or a long-standing trait that predisposes a person to developing the disease."

To read more about Alzheimer's disease, please click the above title.

Support and Resource Group for Students and Parents & Educators of Students with Learning Differences

2011-11-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

December 13, 7:30 pm Glenforest School 1041 Harbor Drive West Columbia, SC

We will discuss ADD/ADHD – the brain mechanisms involved, behavioral outcomes, and strategies for teachers, parents, and students. It will be a very open environment in which everyone will be welcome to share their experiences and any strategies they have found useful.

For information or directions call (803)718-3532 or e-mail elizabethmyers@landmark.edu

Max From NBC’s ‘Parenthood’ Talks Asperger’s

2011-11-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

Disability Scoop (Nov. 9, 2010)- When NBC’s “Parenthood” premiered in March, viewers quickly learned that 8-year-old Max Braverman has Asperger’s syndrome. Since then, autism has emerged as a central part of nearly every episode of the drama, which focuses on the experiences of three generations of a California family.

The Asperger’s storyline follows the family’s journey to accept Max’s diagnosis and help him progress, all while dealing with their own emotions. The show’s heavy focus on life with a developmental disability is believed to be a first and so far audiences both with and without ties to autism seem to be responding.

“While not all parents are dealing with autism or Asperger’s, what I do find is all parents are dealing with something with their kids,” says Jason Katims, the show’s creator who himself has a son on the autism spectrum.

At the heart of the “Parenthood” drama is actor Max Burkholder, 13, in the role of Max Braverman. Nearly halfway through the show’s second season, Burkholder opens up to Disability Scoop about what it’s like to play a character with Asperger’s.

Disability Scoop: How did you land the role of Max on “Parenthood”?

Max Burkholder: I went in to audition and I really liked it a lot, so I was hoping that I would get called back. I had no idea what autism was before so I wanted to be able to learn more. It’s hard sometimes thinking of stuff that a person with autism might do in any given situation, but it’s still really fun.

Disability Scoop: What’s it like to play a character with Asperger’s syndrome?

Max Burkholder: It’s quite a bit harder because I have to figure out a way of expressing what Max is feeling without making it seem that he doesn’t have Asperger’s.

Disability Scoop: What goes through your mind to get into character?

Max Burkholder: I just think what Max might be feeling. He has special interests, like he loves bugs, anything about bugs. So whenever there’s something about bugs I try to seem really interested. But he doesn’t like to be touched so I make myself think that if this person touches me, it’s going to hurt a lot.

To read the entire interview, please click on the above title.

SC Adult Sibling Leadership Network Newsletter

2011-11-18T08:00:00.003-05:00

NOTE: To see a larger version of the newsletter, click on the image above and then click again to zoom.

Columbia Parkinson's Support Group

2011-11-17T12:09:00.002-05:00

Meeting Reminder

Date: November 20, 2011

Topic: OPEN FORUM & DISCUSSION

For our open forum meetings we usually start with a theme or topic and go from there. Our members have an opportunity to share their own experiences; ask questions of each other; and help each other by proving solutions that they have for various issues, concerns, problems, etc. Our members tell us that at the open forum meetings, they learn about information and things that they can't find in anywhere else, because they are learning directly from other Parkinson patients and their caregivers.

For meeting information (time, place, map) please visit our website page of http://www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org/meeting_info.htm
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Join Us For Our Annual Christmas / Holiday Party on December 18th, 2011

In December, our regular meeting will be our Annual Christmas / Holiday Party.

Refreshments and Entertainment will be provided. There is no charge or fee. Please feel free to invite and bring guests.

Back by popular request --- We will be having live entertainment by Bob Michalski, who plays a wide variety of contemporary and jazz instrumental selections. Bob has appeared in many locations around Columbia, including churches, weddings, and corporate events.

Visit http://www.bobsdinnermusic.com/ to hear a short sample of Bob's dinner music -and- you can also go to Bob's website at http://www.bobthesaxplayer.com/ for more information and music.

This is a wonderful opportunity for you to enjoy the music, have some refreshments, have fun, and get to know other members of our Parkinson support group in a relaxing environment.

Bring yourself and your guests - Come to the party! No RSVP is needed.
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Visit Our Website at http://www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org/ The NEWS FOR YOU web page has been updated with "new" news and information that may be of interest to you http://www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org/news.htm

We have been busy scheduling speakers and topics for our 2012 meetings. The 2012 MEETING & EVENTS CALENDAR web page has now been posted on our website at
http://www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.or/meet_calendar_2012.htm We have some really great programs planned for 2012.
----------------------------------Please Volunteer - We Really Need You! Our support group is operated and run by volunteers who are Parkinson patients themselves, caregivers / care partners of Parkinson patients, or people who have an interest in and support Parkinson's disease. Contact us if you have experience or skills that can be used by our group. See below for some of the positions we need filled

Newspaper PR - This very easy position that can be done at home on your PC - 30 minutes a month - need to know how to "Google" and send email.

Greeter - Another position is to be a Greeter at the door for our meetings at the beginning of our meetings. Ability to smile and say hello are required.

Program Committee Member - Currently we have Dottie and Carol doing all the planning of programs. We could use some help. We would definitely be working with you. Computer skill with email needed. You will have the opportunity to meet some really nice people who interface with the Parkinson's community in many ways.
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We look forward to seeing you at the November 20th meeting.

Parkinsonian Worms May Hold the Key to Identifying Drugs for Parkinson's Disease

2011-11-16T09:00:00.003-05:00

ScienceDaily (Nov. 10, 2011) — Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have devised a simple test, using dopamine-deficient worms, for identifying drugs that may help people with Parkinson's disease.

The worms are able to evaluate as many as 1,000 potential drugs a year. The researchers have received federal funding that could increase that to one million drug tests a year.

The test is based on the difficulty that these "parkinsonian" C. elegans worms have in switching from swimming to crawling when they're taken out of water.

"They can crawl fine," says Jon Pierce-Shimomura, assistant professor of neurobiology. "They go into a puddle and can swim fine. But as soon as the puddle goes away they crash. In some cases an individual will remain rigid for about a half hour."

Pierce-Shimomura led a team of researchers, including Andres Vidal-Gadea, Stephen Topper and Layla Young, to identify this "motor switching" problem. Their findings were published last month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

"We take these motor transitions for granted," says Pierce-Shimomura, "like getting up out of a chair or walking through a doorway from one surface to another. But people with Parkinson's have a terrible time with this. They freeze at the threshold. It looks like we have a very simple worm model for this now."

To identify potential therapeutics, Pierce-Shimomura begins with worms that have been mutated to be deficient in producing dopamine. It's the loss of dopamine-producing cells in the brain that causes Parkinson's disease in humans.

The dopamine-deficient worms are put through the same paces that lead to the immobility, but in the presence of a drug.

If they become immobile as they normally would when water is removed, the researchers move on to the next drug. But if somehow a drug helps the worms' brains overcome the dopamine deficiency and they transition to crawling, the lab has a potential therapeutic.

Pierce-Shimomura says that although humans have a vastly more complex nervous system than the worms, the two species share an "ancient and conserved" genetic structure to their dopaminergic systems. What works to overcome a dopamine deficiency in the worms may do something similar in humans, and it can be tested in worms with extraordinary speed.

To read more about new therapies for Parkinson's, please click the above title.

Risk Factors for PTSS in Iraq & Afghanistan War Vets Similar to Those Observed in Vietnam Vets

2011-11-15T09:00:00.002-05:00

Women Veterans Face New Risk Factors

Veterans Today (Nov. 10, 2011)– Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) researchers from Boston report in the November issue of the Journal of Abnormal Psychology that risk factors for posttraumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS, short of full-blown posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD) in Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans were found to be similar to those observed in Vietnam Veterans. This suggests that there may be generalized mechanisms and pathways, common to different Veteran populations, through which risk factors contribute to PTSS.

“This research underscores the vital importance of VA’s outreach to Veterans, and their families, in helping them cope with posttraumatic stress,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.

The study subjects were a national sample of 579 (333 female and 246 male) Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans exposed to combat operations who had returned from deployment in the 12 months preceding the study. Using data from mailed surveys, the researchers assessed, as predictors of posttraumatic stress symptomatology, several risk factors which were previously documented among Vietnam Veterans. Examples include exposure to combat, predeployment stress exposure, dysfunctional family during childhood, lack of post-deployment emotional support from family and friends, and post-deployment stress exposure.

An interesting finding was that the women Veterans surveyed had new risk factors that were not seen in Vietnam-era women, such as exposure to combat and perceived threat. The authors ascribed that finding to the significantly different experiences of female Vietnam War and Afghanistan and Iraq war Veterans. Women Vietnam Veterans were primarily nurses or clerical staff. In contrast, women Veterans’ roles in Afghanistan and Iraq have substantially expanded, with much higher levels of exposure to combat. Thus, women Veterans in these more recent conflicts may have more in common with their male contemporaries, in relation to PTSS risk, than with their female counterparts from the Vietnam era. However, in terms of postdeployment readjustment, family relationships during deployment appeared to play a more prominent role in female compared to male Veterans.

“Our findings highlight the impact and role of family disruptions in increasing the risk for posttraumatic stress symptomatology, particularly for female servicemembers,” said Dr. Dawne Vogt, the paper’s lead author, from the VA Boston Healthcare System. “It is particularly noteworthy that women who experienced relationship problems during deployment, also reported less postdeployment social support.”

Veterans who believe they are experiencing symptoms of PTSS or PTSD may call the crisis hotline number at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and then push 1 on their telephone keypad to reach a trained VA mental health professional who can assist the Veteran 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
To read more about PTSD, please click the above title.

Apps for Autism: Communicating on the iPad

2011-11-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

(CBS News) -- "For severely autistic people, communication is often impossible, leaving them unable to convey what they want or need. But as Lesley Stahl reports, touch-screen apps designed for tablet computers like the iPad are now giving autistic people new ways to express themselves, some for the first time. Teachers and parents are hailing the technology as a breakthrough, one that can reveal the true depth of knowledge and emotion trapped behind a wall of silence.
In the weeks since Steve Jobs died, there has been an outpouring of gratitude from his fans for the way his inventions, like the iPad, changed their lives.
Among the most passionate are parents of children with severe forms of autism, especially those who can't speak and appear hopelessly locked inside themselves. Those parents often say these kids understand more and know more than they're able to communicate.
Well now, with the iPad and other tablet computers spreading through the autism community, some of those parents are finding out they were right.
It turns out that autistic children show a real interest in the iPad with its easy touch-and-swipe screens. With specially-designed applications, or apps, these computers are helping them communicate and unlocking the isolation of people like 27-year-old Joshua Hood.
Imagine spending your life having conversations like this...having to poke out words on a laminated piece of paper - one letter at a time.
It was so frustrating for Josh, his mother Nancy says he would often give up and retreat into himself. At family gatherings, he was sidelined because no one understood him. At school, he sat passively in class unable to participate. When Josh was feeling bad or really needed something, the family resorted to charades..."
NOTE: To read an interview with Nancy and more about the iPad applications, click on the title above.

State Assistive Technology Act

2011-11-11T09:18:00.000-05:00

URGENT

The issue: The draft Fiscal Year 2012 Labor, Health and Human Services funding bill contains new language of a mandatory Alternative Financing Program (AFP) set-aside of funding for State Assistive Technology Act. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education will continue negotiations with the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education THIS WEEK and our opportunity for Congress to eliminate this language from the House draft bill is NOW. Action is needed by Friday, November 4th. **

What it means: Under the new proposal, State Assistive Technology Programs would be required to spend 25% of their federal allocation for alternative financing programs through contracts with community-based organizations. These cuts would have significant negative effects on device reutilization, device loan and device demonstration activities.

What it means for SC: The South Carolina Assistive Technology Program’s (SCATP’s) AT Reutilization Program connects consumers, agencies and other organizations in the donation and sale of used medical equipment to people who could not afford it otherwise. The past two years, this initiative resulted in a cost savings of $695,172 to consumers, state and federal agencies and other organizations. Funding cuts would also greatly reduce the offerings of SCATP’s Device Demonstration and Device Loan Programs. In FY 2011, over 350 people participated in SCATP’s device demonstration program and people got a chance to borrow over 400 devices to “try before they buy” through SCATP’s device loan program. These programs greatly reduce demand for funding and promote responsible decisions for purchasing devices using Medicaid and Medicare dollars.

What can you do? If you feel that the proposed language of a new mandatory Alternative Financing Program set-aside in the draft 2012 Labor, Health and Human Services funding bill would negatively affect the lives of South Carolinians who have disabilities and those who serve them, consider these steps:

CALL, EMAIL or FAX your SC Congressmen and ask them to speak to the members of the House Appropriations LHHS Subcommittee and share how this legislation would impact SC though cuts in essential equipment reuse, demonstration and loan programs administered by SCATP. If you, a family member, friend, or client who has benefitted from these programs, please share those personal stories.

The Honorable Joe Wilson

Staff: Melissa Chandler- melissa.chandler@mail.house.gov, 202-225-2452

United States House of Representatives, 2229 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Trey Gowdy

Staff: Christopher Ingraham- christopher.ingraham@mail.house.gov, 202-225-6030

United States House of Representatives, 1237 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable James E. Clyburn

Staff: Willie Lyles, willie.lylesIII@mail.house.gov, 202-225-3315

U.S. House of Representatives, 2135 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-4006

The Honorable Jim DeMint

Staff: Erica Suares, erica_suares@demint.senate.gov, 202-224-6121

United States Senate, 167 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510-4004

The Honorable Jeff Duncan

Staff: Caleb Paxton, caleb.paxton@mail.house.gov, 202-225-5301

U.S. House of Representatives, 116 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-4003

The Honorable Lindsey O. Graham

Staff: Courtney Titus, courtney_titus@lgraham.senate.gov, 202-224-5972

United States Senate, 290 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510-4003

The Honorable Mick Mulvaney

Staff: Greg Thomas, 202-2greg.thomas@mail.house.gov, 25-5501

U.S. House of Representatives, 1004 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-4005

The Honorable Tim Scott

Staff: Delores DaCosta, delores.dacosta@mail.house.gov, 202-225-3176

U.S. House of Representatives, 1117 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-4001

The Honorable Addison Graves Wilson

Staff: Melissa Chandler, melissa.chandler@mail.house.gov, 202-225-2452

U.S. House of Representatives, 2229 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-4002

We'd also appreciate your sending an electronic copy of your letter to CarolPageSLP@gmail.com.

Key discussion points to consider:

· It is urgent that the proposed language of a new mandatory Alternative Financing Program set-aside for State Assistive Technology Act Programs be removed from the Fiscal Year 2012 Labor, Health and Human Services funding bill.

· The proposed language of the set-aside means SCATP would force cuts to funding we currently use to implement SCATP’s AT Reutilization program which connects consumers wanting to sell or give away used medical equipment to consumers in need of used equipment. Funding cuts would also greatly impact SCATP’s Device Demonstration and Device Loan Programs. These programs reduce the demand for federal funding by millions of dollars and promote responsible decisions for purchasing devices using Medicaid and Medicare dollars. Emphasize the role that SCATP has played in ensuring that assistive technology is purchased and used effectively by South Carolinians.

· You could mention the ways SCATP serves as a resource in helping agencies and individuals in activities ranging from education to health care and even jobs, as well as the outreach to rural, underserved and minority populations. If you are in the education field, you can emphasize how SCATP has helped school districts and students meet the goals of the "No Child Left Behind" legislation. It might also help if you let them know how much the SC Assistive Technology Program has helped you, a friend, relative or client with disabilities.

**If you have questions, contact carolpageslp@gmail.com and we can update you on progress of this legislation and help you determine what you might do.

Two New EASI Free Webinars

2011-11-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

EASYCHIRP, an Accessible Interface for Twitter
Saturday November 12 at 1 PM Eastern standard time

Presenter: Dennis Lembree

Social media seem to get more popular every day. People with disabilities have become more and more involved in these online meeting places. The interfaces have varying degrees of problems for such users. Here is a valuable tool for Twitter.

Dennis Lembree, author of Easy Chirp, discusses Twitter and accessibility. Easy Chirp, an accessible Twitter web application formerly named Accessible Twitter, and other Twitter applications will be discussed.

Register now from the Webinar page: http://easi.cc/clinic.htm

Basic Web Accessibility: Understanding WCAG 2.0
Wednesday, November 16, 2011, 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST

Presenter: Jon Mires

If you're tasked with helping ensure your organization produces accessible web content, you've probably heard of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0). As the most widely used international guidelines on web accessibility, and the basis for many federal and local standards, it's important to understand WCAG. In this webinar, we'll explore the relationship between WCAG 2.0, WCAG 1.0, and Section 508. We'll also discuss how to apply the WCAG 2.0 guidelines to actual web content, and the differences between A, AA, AAA level conformance. Despite all the acronyms and abbreviations, this webinar is intended for people who are new to web accessibility or new to WCAG.

Learning Goals:
* Learn how WCAG 2.0 fits into big picture of web accessibility guidelines and standards
* Understand what each of the guidelines means in practical terms
* Leave with a set of online references for achieving conformance

If you have any questions about the webinars, please contact Karen Sheehan, ksheehan@cforat.org

We Connect Now

2011-11-10T09:52:00.002-05:00

Our Mission – We Connect Now is dedicated to uniting people interested in rights and issues affecting people with disabilities, with particular emphasis on college students and access to higher education and employment issues.

One of the goals of this site is to help college students with disabilities to succeed in their studies by getting the information and support they need, both through resources, links, blogs latest news, studying existing laws and regulation and through personal contacts. Through this website people can also share and read other people’s stories as a source of support and comfort. We also want people using our webpage to take action by writing blogs, hosting an event or becoming involved in politics by knowing about upcoming legislation. Also, every month our webpage will focus on a particular disability or condition to bring our visitors more information and support related to our focus of the month. Through our jobssection, we also hope to help empower people with disabilities find employment through job posting and job searching tips, and if people have any questions we encourage them to contact us. The goal of this site is that people leave it having gained knowledge, a support system and having taken action. We were founded in 2008 as a blueprint project for Young People For.

To read more about We Connect Now, please click the above title.

Biologists Use Flies and Mice to Get to the Heart of Down Syndrome

2011-11-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

ScienceDaily (Nov. 4, 2011) — A novel study involving fruit flies and mice has allowed biologists to identify two critical genes responsible for congenital heart defects in individuals with Down syndrome, a major cause of infant mortality and death in people born with this genetic disorder

In a paper published in the November 3 issue of the open access journal PLoS Genetics, researchers from UC San Diego, the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., and the University of Utah report the identification of two genes that, when produced at elevated levels, work together to disrupt cardiac development and function.

Down syndrome, the most common genetic cause of cognitive impairment, is a disorder that occurs in one in 700 births when individuals have three, instead of the usual two, copies of human chromosome 21.

"Chromosome 21 is the shortest human chromosome and intensive genetic mapping studies in people with Down syndrome have identified a small region of this chromosome that plays a critical role in causing congenital heart defects," said Ethan Bier, a biology professor at UC San Diego and one of the principal authors of the study. "This Down syndrome region for congenital heart disease, called the 'DS-CHD critical region,' contains several genes that are active in the heart which our collaborator, Julie Korenberg, had suspected of interacting with each other to disrupt cardiac development or function when present in three copies. But exactly which of these half dozen or so genes are the culprits?"

To read more about Congenital Heart Defects, please click the above title.

‘Glee’ Star Tapped For President’s Disability Committee

2011-11-08T09:49:00.002-05:00

Disability Scoop (Nov. 7, 2011)- President Barack Obama is soliciting advice on disability issues from an actress with Down syndrome who has a regular role on Fox’s “Glee.”

Obama said he plans to appoint Lauren Potter, 21, to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. She is well-known for playing cheerleader Becky Jackson on the hit television show “Glee.”

The committee Potter will join is made up of 21 citizens and 13 federal representatives who are tasked with advising the president and the secretary of health and human services on issues pertaining to Americans with intellectual disabilities.

Potter rose to fame in disability circles in 2009 when she first appeared on “Glee.” The actress had recently graduated from high school when she impressed the show’s creators who decided to bring her back for additional episodes.

The notoriety from “Glee” led Potter to become involved nationally as a self-advocate, speaking out against use of the word “retard” and bullying of people with disabilities.

In addition to Potter, Obama also appointed Julie Petty to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. A self-advocate from Fayetteville, Ark., Petty is a past president of Self Advocates Becoming Empowered who recently testified before Congress on disability employment issues.
To read more about the Disability Committee, please click on the above title.

Brain Cells Responsible for Keeping Us Awake Identified

2011-11-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

ScienceDaily (Nov. 3, 2011) — "Bright light arouses us. Bright light makes it easier to stay awake. Very bright light not only arouses us but is known to have antidepressant effects. Conversely, dark rooms can make us sleepy. It's the reason some people use masks to make sure light doesn't wake them while they sleep.Now researchers at UCLA have identified the group of neurons that mediates whether light arouses us -- or not. Jerome Siegel, a professor of psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, and colleagues report in the current online edition of the Journal of Neuroscience that the cells necessary for a light-induced arousal response are located in the hypothalamus, an area at the base of the brain responsible for, among other things, control of the autonomic nervous system, body temperature, hunger, thirst, fatigue -- and sleep.

These cells release a neurotransmitter called hypocretin, Siegel said. The researchers compared mice with and without hypocretin and found that those who didn't have it were unable to stay awake in the light, while those who had it showed intense activation of these cells in the light but not while they were awake in the dark.

This same UCLA research group earlier determined that the loss of hypocretin was responsible for narcolepsy and the sleepiness associated with Parkinson's disease. But the neurotransmitter's role in normal behavior was, until now, unclear."
NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

Babies Understand Thought Process of Others at 10 Months Old, Research Suggests

2011-11-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

ScienceDaily (Nov. 1, 2011) — "New research from the University of Missouri indicates that at 10 months, babies start to understand another person's thought process, providing new insights on how humans acquire knowledge and how communication develops."Understanding other people is a key factor in successful communication, and humans start to understand this at a very young age," said Yuyan Luo, associate professor of developmental psychology in the MU College of Arts and Science. "Our study indicates that infants, even before they can verbally communicate, can understand the thought processes of other people -- even if the thoughts diverge from what the infants know as truth, a term psychologists call false belief."

During the study, infants were monitored during different trials of a common psychological test in which an actor indicated preference for certain objects. Researchers timed the infant's gaze, which is an indication of infant knowledge. The infants watched longer when the actor's preferences changed. This led the researchers to believe that infants understood how the actor interacted with the objects."

NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

Autism Moms Have Stress Similar To Combat Soldiers

2011-11-04T09:00:00.002-04:00

Disability Scoop (Nov. 10, 2009)- Mothers of adolescents and adults with autism experience chronic stress comparable to combat soldiers and struggle with frequent fatigue and work interruptions, new research finds. These moms also spend significantly more time caregiving than moms of those without disabilities.

Researchers followed a group of moms of adolescents and adults with autism for eight days in a row. Moms were interviewed at the end of each day about their experiences and on four of the days researchers measured the moms’ hormone levels to assess their stress.

They found that a hormone associated with stress was extremely low, consistent with people experiencing chronic stress such as soldiers in combat, the researchers report in one of two studies published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

“This is the physiological residue of daily stress,” says Marsha Mailick Seltzer, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who authored the studies. “The mothers of children with high levels of behavior problems have the most pronounced physiological profile of chronic stress, but the long-term effect on their physical health is not yet known.”

Such hormone levels have been associated with chronic health problems and can affect glucose regulation, immune functioning and mental activity, researchers say.

In a companion study, the researchers followed up with the same group of mothers daily to interview them about how they used their time, their level of fatigue, what leisure activities they participated in and whether or not stressful events occurred. This information was then compared with data from a national sample of mothers whose children do not have disabilities.

Mothers of those with autism reported spending at least two hours more each day caregiving than mothers of children without disabilities. On any given day these moms were also twice as likely to be tired and three times as likely to have experienced a stressful event.

What’s more, these moms were interrupted at work on one out of every four days compared to less than one in 10 days for other moms.

Despite all of this, mothers of an individual with autism were just as likely to have positive experiences each day, volunteer or support their peers as those whose children have no developmental disability, researchers found.

To read more about Autism Moms, please click the above title.

Discovery Helps Explain Progression of Lou Gehrig's Disease, Offers New Therapy Approach

2011-11-03T09:13:00.001-04:00

ScienceDaily (Oct. 17, 2011) — Researchers in Uruguay and Oregon have discovered a previously unknown type of neural cell that appears to be closely linked to the progression of amytrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, that they believe will provide an important new approach to therapies.

There is now no treatment for this disease, which causes progressive death of motor neurons, serious debility, paralysis and ultimately death within a few years.

Even a way to slow its progression would be hugely important, scientists say.

The findings were reported October 17 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, by researchers from the Pasteur Institute of Montevideo, Clemente Estable Institute and the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.

The scientists discovered a type of "astrocyte" cell that displays atypical behavior and causes motor neuron death. They are referring to them as aberrant astrocyte, or AbA cells. Astrocyte cells are very common in the brain, and usually help provide metabolic support and protection to neurons. But they can sometimes also become toxic and cause the death of neuron cells.

The researchers now have markers to identify the AbA cell, and found them adjacent to dying motor neuron cells in the spinal cord of laboratory animals with ALS.

The newly-identified AbA cells are selectively toxic to motor neurons, the researchers reported in the study, and 10 times more toxic than any other astrocyte cell known to exist. That level of toxicity is unprecedented, they said.

"We believe these aberrant astrocyte cells are helping drive the progression of ALS," said Joe Beckman, an OSU professor of biochemistry and principal investigator in the Linus Pauling Institute who has been working on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis for more than 15 years.

To read more about ALS, please click on the above title.

PRO-Parents 2011-2012 Calendar of Workshops

2011-10-31T20:41:00.002-04:00

THESE WORKSHOPS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC,
LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED ACCOMMODATIONS WHEN REGISTERING.
TO SCHEDULE A WORKSHOP IN YOUR AREA
PLEASE CALL: 1-800-759-4776

2011
11/01/2011 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Is Your Child a Target of Bullying? Workshop Kershaw County DSS Office 110 East DeKalb Street Camden, SC
Rene Sharkey, PRO-Parents of SC South Carolina Special Kids Project Project Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

11/03/2011 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
ADD / ADHD Workshop Marion School District 2 Mullins Early Childhood Center 111 Academy Street Mullins, SC
Kim Preston, PRO-Parents of SC South Carolina Special Kids Project Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

11/08/2011 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Getting and Keeping the First Job Workshop Aiken County DDSN 1016 Vaucluse Road Aiken, SC 29802
Tanya Inabinet, PRO-Parents of SC Region 2, Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

11/08/2011 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Positive Behavioral Interventions (PBI) Workshop Horry County DSS Office 1951 Industrial Park Road Conway, SC
Kim Preston, PRO-Parents of SC South Carolina Special Kids Project Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

11/09/2011 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Individual Education Program (IEP) Workshop Newberry DDSN 115 Nance Street Newberry, SC
Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC Region 3, Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

11/10/2011 9:00 am – 11:30 am
Individual Education Program (IEP) Workshop Greenville DDSN 12 Winchester Court Mauldin, SC 29662
Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC Region 3, Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

11/10/2011 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Communicating With the IEP Team Workshop Greenville DDSN 12 Winchester Court Mauldin, SC 29662
Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC Region 3, Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

11/10/2011 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Workshop Parent / Community REACH Center Robert Smalls Middle School 43 W. K. Alston Road Room L1 Beaufort, SC
Kim Preston, PRO-Parents of SC South Carolina Special Kids Project Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

11/14/2011 5:50 pm – 8:00 pm
Transitioning Out of Special Education Workshop Sponsored By: Family Connection of SC Center For Developmental Services 29 North Academy Street Greenville, SC
Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC Region 3, Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

11/16/2011 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
ADD / ADHD Workshop Oconee DDSN 116 South Cove Road Seneca, SC
Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC Region 3, Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

11/16/2011 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Transitioning Out of Special Education Workshop SC Youth Advocate Program 4995 LaCross Road Suite 1075 North Charleston, SC
Kim Preston, PRO-Parents of SC South Carolina Special Kids Project Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

11/16/2011 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Is Your Child a Target of Bullying? Workshop Marion County Schools Mullins Early Childhood Center 111 Academy Street Mullins, SC
Rene Sharkey, PRO-Parents of SC South Carolina Special Kids Project Project Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

11/17/2011 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Is Your Child a Target of Bullying? Workshop Chesterfield County DSS Office 201 North Page Street Chesterfield, SC
Rene Sharkey, PRO-Parents of SC South Carolina Special Kids Project Project Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

11/19/2011 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Individual Education Program (IEP) Workshop Connecting for Kids Greenville Technical College Room TBA Greenville, SC
Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC Region 3, Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

12/02/2011 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Transition Into Special Education Workshop Colleton County DDSN 728 Hiers Corner Road Walterboro, SC
Kim Preston, PRO-Parents of SC South Carolina Special Kids Project Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

12/02/2011 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Transition Into Special Education Workshop Pickens County DDSN 1308 Griffin Mill Road Pickens, SC
Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC Region 3, Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

2012
1/12/2012 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Getting and Keeping the First Job Workshop Calhoun County DDSN 78 Doodle Hill Road St. Matthews, SC 29135
Tanya Inabinet, PRO-Parents of SC Region 2, Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

1/25/2012 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Journey to Adulthood, What Parents Need to Know Workshop Sumter County DDSN 775 Electric Avenue Sumter, SC 29153
Tanya Inabinet, PRO-Parents of SC Region 2, Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

1/26/2012 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Is Your Child a Target of Bullying? Workshop Parent / Community REACH Center Robert Smalls Middle School 43 W. K. Alston Road Room L1 Beaufort, SC
Kim Preston, PRO-Parents of SC South Carolina Special Kids Project Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

2/16/2012 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Getting and Keeping the First Job Workshop Orangeburg County DDSN 2785 Magnolia Street Orangeburg, SC 29116
Tanya Inabinet, PRO-Parents of SC Region 2, Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

2/17/2012 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Getting and Keeping the First Job Webinar *** WEBINAR *** Sponsored By: Richland / Lexington DDSN Viewing Location: 301 Greystone Blvd Columbia, SC 29210 Internet and Phone Line Required to Participate
Tanya Inabinet, PRO-Parents of SC Region 2, Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

2/21/2012 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Individual Education Program (IEP) Workshop The Kershaw Center Kershaw County DDSN 1619 Jefferson Davis Highway Camden, SC 29020
Tanya Inabinet, PRO-Parents of SC Region 2, Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

2/22/2012 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Positive Behavioral Interventions (PBI) Workshop Bamberg DDSN (DSS Credit Training Hours Available) 16553 Heritage Highway Bamberg, SC 29042
Tanya Inabinet, PRO-Parents of SC Region 2, Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

3/13/2012 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Parent Resource Fair Sponsored By: Aiken County School District Byrd Elementary School 1225 Welldon Way Graniteville, SC 29829
Tanya Inabinet, PRO-Parents of SC Region 2, Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

3/16/2012 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Getting and Keeping the First Job Webinar *** WEBINAR *** Sponsored By: Chesterfield DDSN Internet and Phone Line Required to Participate
Tanya Inabinet, PRO-Parents of SC Region 2, Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

6/20/2012 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
TOPIC: TBA Darlington County DDSN 201 North Damascus Church Road Hartsville, SC 29550
Tanya Inabinet, PRO-Parents of SC Region 2, Education Coordinator
For More Information or To Register Call:  1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

Bio-Engineered Protein Shows Promise as New Hemophilia Therapy

2011-10-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

ScienceDaily (Oct. 23, 2011) — A genetically engineered clotting factor that controlled hemophilia in an animal study offers a novel potential treatment for human hemophilia and a broad range of other bleeding problems.

Bio-engineered protein safely controls bleeding in mice with hemophilia

The researchers took the naturally occurring coagulation factor Xa (FXa), a protein active in blood clotting, and engineered it into a novel variant that safely controlled bleeding in mouse models of hemophilia. "Our designed variant alters the shape of FXa to make it safer and efficacious compared to the wild-type factor, but much longer-lasting in blood circulation," said study leader Rodney A. Camire, PhD, a hematology researcher at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

"The shape of the variant FXa changes when it interacts with another clotting factor made available following an injury," added Camire. "This increases the functioning of the protein which helps stop bleeding." Camire is an associate professor of Pediatrics in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

To read more about a possible treatment for hemophilia, please click on the above title.

Handbook Offers College Advice For Students With Autism

2011-10-27T09:23:00.003-04:00

Disability Scoop (Oct. 25, 2011)- A new guide released this week offers a step-by-step look at college life for those with autism — offering tips on everything from classroom accommodations to dealing with roommates — and it’s written by adults with the developmental disorder.

At over 100 pages, the handbook produced by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network is said to be the first-of-its-kind to be geared toward individuals with autism rather than parents or professionals.

It’s punctuated by first person accounts and frank talk, offering young people with autism a look at the changes they can expect when transitioning to college both socially and academically.

The guide also touches on topics like self-advocacy, independent living and basics like maintaining good eating and sleeping habits.

Dubbed the “Navigating College Handbook,” the guide is available as a free download or in printed form for a fee.

To read more about the Handbook, please click the above title.

Bionic exoskeleton helps wheelchair users walk

2011-10-25T09:12:00.003-04:00

Yahoo!News (Oct. 21, 2011)- Amanda Boxtel, who is paralysed, is helped to walk with the aid of the new 'Bionic Exoskeleton' during its launch at the Excel centre on October 21, 2011 in London, England. The device developed by Ekso Bionics is a wearable, battery-powered, robotic exoskeleton, designed to aid wheelchair users and those who have suffered from spinal chord injuries to stand and walk. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

For more pictures of the Bionic Exoskeleton, please click on the above title.

Association of University Centers on Disabilities

2011-10-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

Resources, October 2011:

Early Childhood
1. Professional Training Resource Library
http://depts.washington.edu/isei/ptrl/ptrloverview.php
The Professional Training Resource Library (PTRL) is a searchable, web-based library with a wide range of free materials to support professional training in the field of early intervention. The PTRL is hosted by the International Society on Early Intervention (ISEI) in partnership with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD).

2. Understanding New Part C Regulations: Side-by-Side Comparison
http://www.cec.sped.org/Content/NavigationMenu/PolicyAdvocacy/IDEAResources/Celebrating_25_Years_of_Early_Childhood_Programs/PartCRegsSideBySideFULL.pdf
To help special educators and early interventionists in their monumental task of implementing the updated regulations, the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), its Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and the IDEA Infant Toddler Coordinators Association (ITCA) have released a side-by-side comparison of the 2011 final Part C regulations, published on Sept. 28, to Part C regulations from 1999.

Education
3. Characteristics of States’ Alternate Assessments Based on Modified Academic Achievement Standards in 2010-2011
http://www.cehd.umn.edu/NCEO/OnlinePubs/Synthesis85/default.htm
In 2007, federal regulations introduced another assessment option for students with disabilities—the alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS). The Institute on Community Integration's National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) has been tracking the characteristics of states' AA-MAS since 2007 and reports their findings here.

4. 2009 State Policies on Assessment Participation and Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
http://www.cehd.umn.edu/NCEO/OnlinePubs/Synthesis83/default.htm
The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) has been tracking and analyzing state policies on assessment participation and accommodations since 1992. The purpose of the analysis reported in this publication is to update information on these policies that was last reported by NCEO in 2008 (based on 2007 data). Policies from all 50 states and the District of Columbia are included in the report. In addition, current state accommodations policies were analyzed by grade and content area.

Fundraising
5. Million Dollar List
http://www.milliondollarlist.org/
Compiled by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, this list includes data on more than 60,000 gifts of $1 million and up since 2000 from individuals, foundations, and corporations. Gift information can be searched based on geography, dollar amount, type of charity, individual donor, organization name or other customizable criteria. Searches can also reveal trends and look for potential collaborations that help leverage giving for the greatest impact.

Health
6. Achieving Health Weight by Reducing Obesity and Improving Well-being for People with Disabilities Across the Life Course
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/disabilityandobesity.html
This report, from the CDC’s Division of Human Development and Disability, examines a number of challenges and barriers to weight management specific to people with disabilities, and explores opportunities to enhance research, programs, education, and tools. Specifically, the report recognizes the need for publicly funded programs to include people with disabilities in mainstream, and sometimes targeted, health programs and health services that help reduce obesity.

Medicaid and Medicare
7. Rebalancing Long-Term Services and Supports: Progress to Date and a Research Agenda for the Future
http://www.hilltopinstitute.org/publications/RebalancingLTSS-ProgressToDateAndResearchAgendaForFuture-June2011.pdf
This report, from the Hilltop Institute at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), discusses progress in rebalancing Medicaid LTSS spending, how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) can support states’ continued efforts to rebalance LTSS, and opportunities for future research to support continued system transformation.

8. Examining Medicaid Managed Long-Term Service and Support Programs: Key Issues to Consider
http://www.kff.org/medicaid/upload/8243.pdf
There is increased interest among states in operating Medicaid managed long-term services and support (MLTSS) programs rather than paying for long-term services and supports (LTSS) on a fee-for-service basis, as has been the general practice. This Kaiser Family Foundation issue brief examines key issues for states to consider if they are contemplating a shift to covering new populations and LTSS benefits through capitated payments to traditional risk-based managed care organizations (MCOs). It draws on current literature as well as discussions conducted during the spring and summer of 2011 with a variety of respondents – federal and state officials, researchers, representatives from managed care organizations, service providers, and consumer advocates.

9. Medicaid and the Budget Control Act: What Options Will Be Considered?
http://www.kff.org/medicaid/upload/8238.pdf
This Issue Brief, from the Kaiser Family Foundation, examines the potential Medicaid changes as a result of recent budget negotiations. It will examine the options available to Joint Select Committee, also known as the “Super Committee”, created by the 2011 Budget Control Act, as well as the Obama Administration’s Plan for Economic Growth and Deficit Reduction, which was released in September.

Critical funding situation for SCATP

2011-10-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

URGENT
The SC Assistive Technology program wanted to make you aware of this critical funding situation.

The issue: The draft Fiscal Year 2012 Labor, Health and Human Services funding bill contains new language of a mandatory Alternative Financing Program (AFP) set-aside of funding for State Assistive Technology Acts. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education has the right to remove this language from the bill before sending to the Senate. Action is needed by Friday, October 28th.

What it means: Under the new proposal, a major change would require State Assistive Technology Programs to spend 25% of their federal allocation for alternative financing programs through contracts with community-based organizations. These cuts would have significant negative effects on device reutilization, device loan and device demonstration activities.

What it means for SC: The South Carolina Assistive Technology Program’s (SCATP’s) AT Reutilization Program connects consumers, agencies and other organizations in the donation and sale of used medical equipment to people who could not afford it otherwise. The past two years, this initiative resulted in a cost savings of $695,172 to consumers, state and federal agencies and other organizations. Funding cuts would also greatly impact SCATP’s Device Demonstration and Device Loan Programs. In FY 2011, over 350 people participated in SCATP’s device demonstration program and people got a chance to borrow over 400 devices to “try before they buy” through SCATP’s device loan program. These programs greatly reduce demand for funding and promote responsible decisions for purchasing devices using Medicaid and Medicare dollars.

What can you do? If you feel that the proposed language of a new mandatory Alternative Financing Program set-aside in the draft 2012 Labor, Health and Human Services funding bill would negatively affect the lives of South Carolinians who have disabilities and those who serve them, consider these steps:

EMAIL and CALL your SC Congressmen and suggest they speak to the members of the House Appropriations LHHS Subcommittee and share how this legislation would impact SC though cuts in essential equipment reuse, demonstration and loan programs administered by SCATP. If you, a family member, friend, or client have reaped benefits from these programs, you might share those personal stories.

The Honorable Joe Wilson (R-SC)
Staff: Melissa Chandler- melissa.chandler@mail.house.gov, 202-225-2452
United States House of Representatives, 2229 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Trey Gowdy (R-SC)
Staff: Christopher Ingraham- christopher.ingraham@mail.house.gov, 202-225-6030
United States House of Representatives, 1237 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515

We'd also appreciate your sending an electronic copy of your letter to CarolPageSLP@gmail.com.

Key discussion points to consider:
It is urgent that the proposed language of a new mandatory Alternative Financing Program set-aside for State Assistive Technology Act Programs be removed from the Fiscal Year 2012 Labor, Health and Human Services funding bill.

You could emphasize the role that SCATP has played in ensuring that assistive technology is purchased and used effectively by South Carolinians. The proposed language of the set-aside means SCATP will be forced to cut funding we currently use to implement SCATP’s AT Reutilization program which connects consumers wanting to sell or give away used medical equipment to consumers in need of used equipment. Funding cuts would also greatly impact SCATP’s Device Demonstration and Device Loan Programs. These programs reduce the demand for federal funding by millions of dollars and promote responsible decisions for purchasing devices using Medicaid and Medicare dollars.

You could mention the ways SCATP serves as a resource in helping agencies and individuals in activities ranging from education to health care and even jobs, as well as the outreach to rural, underserved and minority populations. If you are in the education field, you can emphasize how SCATP has helped school districts and students meet the goals of the "No Child Left Behind" legislation. It might also help if you let them know how much the SC Assistive Technology Program has helped you, a friend, relative or client with disabilities.

If you have questions, contact carolpageslp@gmail.com and we can update you on progress of this legislation and help you determine what you might do.

Low Birthweight Infants Five Times More Likely to Have Autism, Study Finds

2011-10-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

ScienceDaily (Oct. 17, 2011) — "Autism researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing have found a link between low birthweight and children diagnosed with autism, reporting premature infants are five times more likely to have autism than children born at normal weight.The children, some born as small as about a pound, were followed for 21 years making this study, published in the journal Pediatrics, one of the most remarkable of its kind. The infants were born between September 1984 through July 1987 in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean counties in New Jersey at birthweights from 500 to 2000 grams or a maximum of about 4.4 pounds.
"As survival of the smallest and most immature babies improves, impaired survivors represent an increasing public health challenge," wrote lead author Jennifer Pinto-Martin, MPH, PhD, director of the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research and Epidemiology (CADDRE) at Penn Nursing. "Emerging studies suggest that low birthweight may be a risk factor for autism spectrum disorders."
Links between low birthweight and a range of motor and cognitive problems have been well established for some time, but this is the first study that establishes that these children are also at increased risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
"Cognitive problems in these children may mask underlying autism," said Dr. Pinto-Martin. "If there is suspicion of autism or a positive screening test for ASD, parents should seek an evaluation for an ASD. Early intervention improves long-term outcome and can help these children both at school and at home."
In future studies, Penn researchers will investigate possible links between brain hemorrhage, a complication of premature birth, and autism by examining brain ultrasounds taken of these children as newborns."
NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

Pollutants Linked to 450 Percent Increase in Risk of Birth Defects in Rural China

2011-10-20T15:49:00.002-04:00

ScienceDaily (Oct. 19, 2011) — "Pesticides and pollutants are related to a 450 percent increase in the risk of spina bifida and anencephaly in rural China, according to scientists at The University of Texas at Austin and Peking University.Two of the pesticides found in high concentrations in the placentas of affected newborns and stillborn fetuses were endosulfan and lindane. Endosulfan is only now being phased out in the United States for treatment of cotton, potatoes, tomatoes and apples. Lindane was only recently banned in the United States for treatment of barley, corn, oats, rye, sorghum and wheat seeds.
Strong associations were also found between spina bifida and anencephaly and high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are byproducts of burning fossil fuels such as oil and coal. Spina bifida is a defect in which the backbone and spinal canal do not close before birth. Anencephaly is the absence of a large part of the brain and skull.
"Our advanced industrialized societies have unleashed upon us a lot of pollutants," says Richard Finnell, professor of nutritional sciences and director of genomic research at the Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas. "We've suspected for a while that some of these pollutants are related to an increase in birth defects, but we haven't always had the evidence to show it. Here we quite clearly showed that the concentration of compounds from pesticides and coal-burning are much higher in the placentas of cases with neural tube defects than in controls."
The study, which was published in August in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the result of a more than decade-long collaboration between Finnell and a team of researchers in Shanxi, a province in northern China."
NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

SCAAIDD Conference

2011-10-19T11:22:00.005-04:00

October 18, 2011--
Yesterday I exhibited the CDR Library services at the South Carolina Chapter of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities annual conference. This year's theme was entitled, "Finding Ways to Enhance Quality." Overall, it was another great event at the Laurelhurst Conference Center, and I really enjoyed meeting and talking to over 100+ people that stopped by the booth to hear about the library and/or MedlinePlus.gov.

NOTE: Click on the title above to go to the SCAAIDD web site to read more about the conference sponsors, speakers, and exhibitors.

Downs Designs, a clothing line for people with Down syndrome

2011-10-18T09:45:00.002-04:00

Springwise.com (Oct. 10, 2011)-When Karen Bowersox’s granddaughter was born with Down syndrome, she saw the challenges her mother faced trying to find clothes that fit her properly. After extensive research she still could not find any clothes made specifically for people with Down syndrome and so took matters into her own hands, launching her own fashion line Downs Designs.

Bowersox’s goal is to produce clothes for people with Down syndrome that suit their body shape as well as being stylish. In 2010, she hired a designer to develop a new size of clothing which she calls “down sizing”. They started with a basic range of adult-size jeans and long-sleeved t-shirts, and used Down syndrome models to ensure the sizing was correct. Many factories were reluctant to produce their designs due to the irregular sizing, but they soon found a willing supplier in China. Sample garments were taken to the National Down Syndrome Conference in Florida, in order to get feedback and make final adjustments. The products proved popular — with easy-to-use fasteners and specific tailoring around the knees and elbows — and are now available to buy via the website. There are full instructions online about taking measurements and calculating sizes, and free phone consultations are available. Sale items start at USD 30 and the range covers adults, teens and kids. Downs Designs have plans to expand with more designs and a range of outerwear.

As we’ve seen many times in the past, personal experience is so often the catalyst for innovative solutions. One to be inspired by!

Website: www.downsdesigns.com
Contact: questions@downsdesigns.com

SC AT Exchange - New Listings

2011-10-18T09:30:00.000-04:00

Please send this message to other interested people and encourage them to join the SC AT Exchange. The more people we have involved, the more equipment we can find for South Carolinians. Please note, too, that some of the items needed are low-tech items that would make a huge difference in an individual's ability to live independently.
We have a number of wheel chairs and scooters listed that can be obtained for only the price of batteries and we can help get the batteries installed. Please look at the list carefully and spread the word!
Note that we can try to help facilitate transportation of equipment, if that's needed. We can't promise anything, but it's always amazing who can step in to help! If you know you need and item and need help with transportation, email Janet Jendron at Janet.Jendron@uscmed.sc. edu
Below are new listings on our SC AT Exchange.

Needed Items
712 Wheelchair lift
716 Pediasure or similiar
720 Wheelchair Acces Van w/ ramp
754 Hydrolyzed formula
755 Interactive Learning System for Hearing and Visual Impaired
759 Z-Vibe
760 Colostomy Supplies
772 Power Wheelchair or Scooter
774 Bed Rails
813 Lite Gait for a treadmill
833 Tumble form chair, medium
836 Weighted Blanket
837 Van Wheelchair Lift
841 Big Mac switch
842 Stander Wheelchair
843 Tens Unit
844 Portable Ramp for Minivan
845 Bath Chair
850 Pediatric walker
852 Stroller for 8 year old
891 w/c lift for a truck

Free Items
724 Bedside Commode Columbia
726 Walker Columbia
728 Manual Hospital Bed Columbia
731 Bruno SRE-1500 Stair Lift Columbia
751 Adult Potty Chair Columbia, SC
752 Adult Potty Chair Columbia
753 Adult Folding Walker Columbia
757 Bionaire Digital Humidifier Columbia
758 Vicks Humidifier Columbia
764 PolarCare 300 Cold Therapy Unit Columbia
766 Shower Stool Columbia
767 Commode with Frame Columbia
768 Bariatric Power Wheelchair Columbia
771 CPAP Mask and Supplies Columbia
789 Bedside Commode Columbia
790 Bedside Commode Columbia
791 Portable Aerosol System Columbia
792 Large Print Telephone Columbia
827 feeding Syringes Irmo
828 Deep suction catheter 10 fr Irmo
829 Invacare Infinity Wheelchair Cushion
831 Superprint 4425 TTY Machine Columbia
839 Semi-Electric Hospital Bed Columbia
847 Urinary Self Catheters Mary Bailey Greenville
848 Stander Columbia
849 Small Manual Wheelchair Columbia
853 Similac Baby Formula Samples Columbia
857 CPAP System Columbia
858 CPAP System Columbia
859 CPAP System Columbia
860 BiPAP Machine Columbia
861 Bath Chair Columbia
862 Roller Walker with Seat Columbia
863 Shower Transfer Bench Columbia
864 Shower Transfer Bench Columbia
865 Powered Personal Lift Columbia
867 Suction Pump with Tubes Columbia
869 Invacare Pronto Sure Step M51 Power Wheelchair Columbia
870 Dry Mouth Washes and Swabs Columbia
871 Nova Walker Cruiser Deluxe Columbia
876 Large Trackball Columbia
878 Splint Switch Kit Columbia
879 Sealed Rubber Switch Columbia
880 Kangaroo Joey 1000 mL Pump Sets Columbia
881 CPAP System with Tubing Columbia
889 Tube Feeding Formulas Columbia
890 MediBeads Therapy Heat Pads Columbia
892 Canon Inkjet Printer Columbia
893 Libra 90 Trackball Columbia
895 Shoulder Cryo/Cuff Cooler and Boots Columbia
896 Medical Bed Table Columbia
897 Metal Crutches Columbia
898 Wooden Crutches Columbia
899 Hankscraft Humidifier Columbia
900 Shower Chair Columbia
901 Potty Chair Columbia
902 Transport Wheelchair Columbia
903 Raised Toilet Seat Columbia
904 Rollator Walker Columbia
905 Kaye Vertical Pediatric Stander Columbia
907 Rollator Walker Columbia

Items For Sale
702 Baby-Jogger for young adult/elders
703 Solara Tilt-in-space Wheelchair
704 Quickie Iris Tilt-in-space Wheelchair
705 Wheel chair lift for full size van
706 Heavy Duty Hydraulic up/down chair
707 Above Ground Pool Lift
708 Suction Catheters with Sleeves
709 Medline Suction Catheters without sleeves
710 Toothette Suction Toothbrush
711 Airlife Saline for Trache
713 Jet 3 Power wheelchair Gaston
714 60-70 Self Cath Kits 14 french North Charleston
715 Words Plus Pegasus Lite AAC device Columbia
718 20" Color Inline CCTV System Magnifier Mount Pleasant
721 Jazzy Pride Power wheelchair Columbia
775 Hoyer Lift Charleston
776 Hoyer Lift Charleston
777 Hoyer Lift Charleston
778 Permobile Standing Power Wheelchair Charleston
779 Quickie IRIS Reclinging Push/Wheelchair Charleston
780 EZ Access Trifold ramp Charleston
781 Standing Walker Charleston
783 Invacare Hospital Bed Charleston
784 Arm strengthening slide board Charleston
785 Invacare shower chair Charleston
786 Portable Shower Chair Charleston
788 Jet 3 motorized wheelchair
800 Convaid Transit EZ Rider 18
801 Rifton Toilet System
802 Kaye Posture Control Walker
803 Invacare Portable Patient Lift 9805
804 Invacare Walker with Right arm support
805 Sunrise Zippie 2 Manual Wheelchair
806 Thermovent Portex heat & moisture exchanger
807 Farrel Bag
808 Kangaroo feeding pump bag
809 Duocal Energy Source
810 Ensure Plus
811 Bone Health Milk
830 Communicator Carrollton, TX
838 fr Cure Catheter Complete Kit Female North Charleston
840 Home with Accessible Features for Rent Moncks Corner
866 Permobile C300 Powerchair Lucy Anne Adams Enoree
868 Action Ranger Storm Series Power Wheelchair Columbia
872 Invacare Storm Torque 2GTR Power Wheelchair Columbia
873 Pride Jet 3 Power wheelchair Columbia
874 Pride Legend 4 wheel Scooter Columbia
NOTE: To join the SC AT network, and to find more information, click on the title above.

Taco Bell Locations Inaccessible, Judge Rules

2011-10-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Disability Scoop, October 10, 2011 - "Taco Bell may soon have to make changes at hundreds of restaurants after a federal judge found the fast-food chain to be in violation of disability access laws.
The finding comes in a class action lawsuit dating from 2002 alleging that Taco Bell locations in California do not meet state or federal standards.
In a ruling last week, U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton cited a number of violations at a San Pablo, Calif. location that was used as an example of all company-owned Taco Bells in the state.
Specifically, the restaurant did not provide parking places that were wide enough for wheelchair-accessible vans, the area where customers wait to place their orders was too narrow, entry doors were heavy and tables were too low to accommodate individuals in wheelchairs, among other issues, the judge found.
What’s more, Hamilton said that Taco Bell displayed a pattern of not following its own policies pertaining to accommodating customers with disabilities.
The court will soon decide what corrective action the chain must take."
NOTE: To read more on the topic, click on the title above.

Older Fathers Linked To Intellectual Disability

2011-10-17T08:00:00.002-04:00

Disability Scoop, October 11, 2011 - "Moms aren’t the only ones who pose a risk when they wait to have children. A new study suggests that older dads are responsible for some children developing intellectual disabilities.
In a study of 118 children with intellectual disability caused by a missing, repeated or an otherwise abnormal DNA sequence, Dutch researchers found that in most cases the problem originated with the father’s sperm.
What’s more, the study found that men who had the problematic sperm were often in their 40s and 50s.
The findings, published this month in the Journal of Medical Genetics, are the first to link intellectual disability and older fathers, though paternal age has previously been tied to other conditions like schizophrenia.
Other forms of intellectual disability such as Down syndrome, which occurs when a person has an extra chromosome, are associated with older mothers, reports The (Toronto) Globe and Mail."

NOTE: To read more on the topic, click on the title above.

Men With Disabilities At ‘Heightened Risk’ Of Sex Abuse

2011-10-14T09:00:00.001-04:00

Disability Scoop (October 11, 2011)- There have long been concerns about sexual abuse among women with disabilities, but new research suggests that men with special needs are at increased risk as well.

In fact, men with disabilities are nearly four times more likely to experience sexual abuse than their typically developing peers, according to a study published online Tuesday in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The finding comes from a 2005 survey of nearly 22,000 noninstitutionalized adults who were asked about unwanted sexual contact.

Nearly 14 percent of men with disabilities indicated they had experienced some type of sexual violence in their lifetime compared to less than 4 percent of men without disabilities. Meanwhile, almost 27 percent of women with disabilities and about 12 percent of typically developing women reported experiencing sexual abuse.

“Men with disabilities are at a heightened risk for lifetime and current sexual violence victimization,” said Monika Mitra of the University of Massachusetts Medical School who led the study. “The most notable finding is that the prevalence of lifetime sexual violence, completed rape and attempted rape against men with disabilities was comparable to that against women without disabilities.”

For purposes of the survey, individuals were considered to have a disability if they reported having a physical, mental or emotional problem as well as certain health problems that limited their activities for at least one year.

Researchers found that men with disabilities faced sexual abuse from a variety of perpetrators including family members, acquaintances, strangers, intimate partners and dates.

To read the entire article, please click the above title.

Plan To Relax Special Education Standards Worries Advocates

2011-10-13T09:03:00.002-04:00

Disability Scoop (October 11, 2011)- Disability advocates are calling out a group of Republican senators for proposing changes to federal education law that they say would lower expectations for students with disabilities.

In a letter sent to six Republican senators last week, more than three dozen disability advocacy organizations asked the lawmakers to reconsider their proposal to reauthorize the nation’s primary education law known as No Child Left Behind.

The senators introduced a bill in September that would allow students with “the most significant cognitive disabilities” to be held to different academic standards and take alternate achievement tests. The bill does not specify any limit on the number of students who could take the modified exams.

Disability advocates say they are concerned that the approach could jeopardize accountability by allowing an excessive number of students to take alternate tests.

“If large numbers or possibly all students with disabilities are given alternate or modified assessments, we will effectively — and under the proposed language — legally create a separate education system for students with disabilities,” the disability groups, including The Arc, Easter Seals and the Council for Exceptional Children, wrote in a joint letter.
Under the current No Child Left Behind law, only a small percentage of test takers are allowed to use modified exams.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told Congress in March that including most special education students in testing was one of the law’s benefits.
“NCLB was right to shine a bright light on achievement gaps and set a clear expectation that all students must learn to the same standards,” he said. “This has led to great progress in schools focusing more on the needs of English learners and students with disabilities and other at-risk students.”
To read the entire article on Special Education, please click on the above title.

WIND Wheeling in New Directions Conference

2011-10-11T09:29:00.004-04:00

Space is still available at the WIND Wheeling in New Directions Conference!

Come hear interesting speakers, talk with exhibitors, and enjoy a barbeque lunch.

When: Saturday, October 15^th

Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Where: Saluda Shoals

5650 Bush River Road, Columbia SC 29210

Registration: http://www.scspinalcord.org/wind.php

Registration is only $30, Family Member or Attendant Fee $15

The deadline for registration has been extended to October 12^th!

For more information call 803-252-2198 or 866-445-5509 (Toll-Free), or email: scscia@att.net

SCATP will have a booth, so we will see you there!

To read more about the WIND Conference, please click the above title.

A Special Needs Sensory Movement Conference

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

Managing Behavior Issues

Friday, November 4, 2011
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte Convention Center
501 S College St
Charlotte, NC, 28202

Carol Kranowitz, MA
Author of the bestselling book The Out-of-Sync Child
Barbara Sher, MS, OTR
International speaker, The Power of Play

Addresses sensory issues associated with:
Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, ADD/ADHD, Down Syndrome, SPD, OCD, Cerebral Palsy, and more

APA Continuing Education Credit = 6
ASHA Continuing Education Units = .6
Note: To register online and save $5, click on the title above.

Down syndrome's rewards touted as new test looms

2011-10-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Families report happy lives in first survey of impact of genetic condition
MSNBC - "David and Annelies Reilly had dozens of questions swirling in their minds when doctors diagnosed their newborn daughter, Melissa, with Down syndrome.
Could she learn? Would she go to school? Could she ride the bus alone? Could she live a normal life? Could they?
Melissa, now 25, is successful by any measure. The college student is a speaker invited to inspire others around the country. She travels to represent the Down syndrome community internationally, and is a Special Olympian who brings home gold medals in skiing, cycling and swimming. Additionally, she interns for a Massachusetts state senator and tutors pre-school students with Down syndrome in math and reading.
“She has taught us compassion for those who are not as strong or so-called perfect and beautiful,” says Annelies Reilly of Boxborough, Mass. "We see her as perfect and beautiful.”
Inspiring portrait of Down syndrome at odds with perfect baby pursuit
The Reillys represent some of the experiences reported in three surveys conducted by doctors at Children’s Hospital in Boston that suggest the reality of Down syndrome is positive for a vast majority of parents, siblings and people with Down syndrome themselves.
Among 2,044 parents or guardians surveyed, 79 percent reported their outlook on life was more positive because of their child with Down syndrome
This is particularly relevant as a new blood test to determine Down syndrome early in pregnancy is expected to be available within months."

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Evidence Found for the Genetic Basis of Autism: Models of Autism Show That Gene Copy Number Controls Brain Structure and Behavior

2011-10-07T09:00:00.001-04:00

ScienceDaily (Oct. 3, 2011) — Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have discovered that one of the most common genetic alterations in autism -- deletion of a 27-gene cluster on chromosome 16 -- causes autism-like features. By generating mouse models of autism using a technique known as chromosome engineering, CSHL Professor Alea Mills and colleagues provide the first functional evidence that inheriting fewer copies of these genes leads to features resembling those used to diagnose children with autism.

The study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the early online edition during the week of October 3.

"Children normally inherit one copy of a gene from each parent. We had the tools to see whether copy number changes found in kids with autism were causing the syndrome," explains Mills. In 2007, Professor Michael Wigler, also at CSHL, revealed that some children with autism have a small deletion on chromosome 16, affecting 27 genes in a region of our genomes referred to as 16p11.2. The deletion -- which causes children to inherit only a single copy of the 27-gene cluster -- is one of the most common copy number variations (CNVs) associated with autism.

"The idea that this deletion might be causing autism was exciting," says Mills. "So we asked whether clipping out the same set of genes in mice would have any effect."

After engineering mice that had a chromosome defect corresponding to the human 16p11.2 deletion found in autism, Mills and her team analyzed these models for a variety of behaviors, as the clinical features of autism often vary widely from patient to patient, even within the same family.

"Mice with the deletion acted completely different from normal mice," explains Guy Horev, a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Mills laboratory and first author of the study. These mice had a number of behaviors characteristic of autism: hyperactivity, difficulty adapting to a new environment, sleeping deficits, and restricted, repetitive behaviors.

To read the entire article on autism, please click on the above title.

New Regimen Frees Kidney-Transplant Patients from Dependency On Immunosuppresant Drugs

2011-10-06T09:20:00.003-04:00

Actor Tracey Morgan, recent kidney-transplant recipient

ScienceDaily (Oct. 5, 2011) — Investigators at the Stanford University School of Medicine have developed a novel protocol that allows kidney-transplant recipients to jettison their indispensable immune-suppressing drugs. The protocol could also spell substantial savings to the health-care system.

The researchers have reported their progress in a letter that will be published Oct. 6 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Eight of the 12 patients discussed in the small study have now been off of immunosuppressant drugs for at least one year, and in some cases for longer than three years, without any apparent damage to their new kidney -- unheard-of in patients undergoing standard transplantation procedures. None of the 12 patients has experienced kidney transplant failure or serious side effects. The withdrawal of drugs from the first enrolled patient was reported in the same journal in 2008, and the current report shows that the successful outcome has been reproduced.

In all 12 cases, recipients were supplied with immunologically matched donor kidneys from close relatives. But the trial, which has been actively enrolling new patients, is now expanding to include imperfectly matched donor-recipient pairs as well.

"Transplant recipients can ordinarily expect to be on a regimen of two or three immune-system-suppressing drugs for the rest of their lives," said immunologist Samuel Strober, MD, who is a professor of medicine and the new protocol's inventor.

"While they help ward off rejection of the new organ by the patient's own immune system, these drugs carry their own risk of side effects, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer," Strober said. The drugs themselves are somewhat toxic to the kidneys, although that is far outweighed by their value in preventing immune rejection.

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Hoping to Crack Alzheimer’s, Together as a Family

2011-10-05T09:00:00.001-04:00

NY Times (October 3, 2011)- For the Betancur family, it was a kind of pilgrimage, an act of faith in science.

In September, four family members traveled from Medellin, Colombia, to the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in Phoenix, along with eight distant relatives. There are many more where they came from, about 5,000 — all members of the largest extended family linked to an inherited form of Alzheimer’s disease.

“There’s no words to describe seeing a loved one decay to the point where you no longer recognize them,” said Blanca Nelly Betancur, 43, whose mother and, so far, three siblings have inherited the disease. “To see them as a cadaver.”

Banner’s researchers and a Colombian neurologist are studying the extended family, planning a clinical trial to determine whether Alzheimer’s can be prevented by giving drug treatment years before dementia begins.

The Colombian relatives are considered ideal for testing preventive treatments, because scientists can tell which family members will develop Alzheimer’s and approximately when. Those getting the disease carry a genetic mutation causing memory loss in their early to mid-40s and often loss of most cognitive functions by their early 50s.

The trial is not expected to begin until 2012 because researchers are applying for federal financing and have not yet decided which drug to test. Testing will occur in the region where most relatives live, Antioquia, which includes Medellin and many isolated mountain villages.

But last month, 12 relatives visited Phoenix so scientists could conduct PET scans that can show whether their brains have the characteristic amyloid plaques of Alzheimer’s disease. Altogether, these scans will be performed on 50 family members this fall, some with Alzheimer’s already, some with the mutation that will cause it, and some who have no mutation and will not get the disease.

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Men Don't Have To Be As Fat As Women To Get Type 2 Diabetes

2011-10-04T09:18:00.002-04:00

MNT (Oct. 4, 2011)- Men develop type 2 diabetes at a lower BMI (body mass index) than women, according to a new study by clinical researchers in Scotland expected to be published in a scientific journal this week. Their findings may explain why in many countries, men are more prone to the disease than women.

Being overweight is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, but this study appears to show that men have to gain less weight than women to develop the condition, said the lead researcher Professor Naveed Sattar, of the Institute of Cardiovascular & Medical Sciences at the University of Glasgow.

Body Mass Index is a person's weight in kg divided by their height in metres squared and is used in health research and practice as a measure of obesity.

Type 2 diabetes is a condition that develops when there is too much sugar in the blood and the body can't control it. This upsets several organs, and appears also to be linked to how much fat is in organs like the liver and also the muscles. According to information from the NHS, about 2.5 million people in the UK have type 2 diabetes.Sattar said there are several risk factors for developing the disease, including age, ethnicity, family history, and of course, being overweight.

But this study appears to show that men don't have to be as overweight as women to develop the disease:

"In other words, men appear to be at higher risk for diabetes," said Sattar.

For their study, Sattar and colleagues analyzed data from 51,920 men and 43,137 women living in Scotland who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and compared their BMI rates (measured within one year of diagnosis), taking into account factors like age and smoking status.
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Level and Nature of Autistic Intelligence: What About Asperger Syndrome?

2011-10-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

ScienceDaily (Sep. 28, 2011) — "Autism spectrum disorders, including Asperger syndrome, have generally been associated with uneven intellectual profiles and impairment, but according to a new study of Asperger individuals published in the online journal PLoS ONE, this may not be the case -- as long as intelligence is evaluated by the right test.Both autistic and Asperger individuals display uneven profiles of performance in commonly used intelligence test batteries such as Wechsler scales, and their strongest performances are often considered evidence for deficits.
However, this study reports that Asperger individuals' scores are much higher when they are evaluated by a test called Raven's Progressive Matrices, which encompasses reasoning, novel problem-solving abilities, and high-level abstraction. By comparison, scores for non-Asperger individuals are much more consistent across different tests. Interestingly, Asperger participants' performance on Raven's Matrices was associated with their strongest peaks of performance on Wechsler.
A previous study by the same group found very similar results for autistic individuals as well, whose peaks of ability are perceptual, rather than verbal as in Asperger individuals. This suggests a common information processing mechanism applied to different aspects of information (verbal vs. perceptual).
According to co-author Michelle Dawson, "while we know autistics process information atypically, very little thought has gone into how to fairly assess their abilities. In fact there is so little understanding of what autistics do well that their strong abilities are often regarded as dysfunctional. Here we have again found that measurable strengths in autistic spectrum individuals are not "isolated islets of abilities" as previously thought, but are in fact representative of autistics' intellectual abilities. This in turn raises questions about how we can provide autistics with the kinds of information they can process well, as we do with non-autistic individuals. We consider the effort to understand and encourage autistic strengths to be of paramount importance. "
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Upcoming SC Assistive Technology Trainings

2011-09-30T14:57:00.002-04:00

Tobii ATI Communication Products Demonstration
Date: Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Time: 10:00am – Noon
Presenters: Betsy Walker, MS SLP, Tobii, ATI Representative and
Wayne Jones, Regional Sales Consultant
Location: SC Assistive Technology Resource Center, Columbia, SC Cost: Free!
See the newest Sono Suite Product, Sono Flex, a symbol vocabulary that fits perfectly between Tobii Sono Primo and Sono Lexis. The iPad and iPhone application for Sono Flex will also be shown and discussed. In addition, Tobii Communicator 4.6 is here! They will be showing the new features and interface of Communicator 4.6.

Adapted Art Make ’n Take
Date: Friday, October 14, 2011 Time: 9:00am – 11:30am Presenters: Val Gioia, Assistive Technology Specialist, SC Department of Education and Carol Page, Program Director, SC Assistive Technology Program Location: SC Assistive Technology Resource Center, Columbia, SC Cost: $10
Art activities are difficult for some students because of limited mobility, poor fine and gross motor skills, difficulty with sensory integration, and visual impairments. These issues will be addressed and various solutions demonstrated that can be used by teachers and parents. Participants will build various art tools that target gross and fine motor skills, tactile stimulation, eye-hand coordination, and switch access. All materials will be supplied for this workshop and participants will take their projects home. This workshop has a maximum of 15 participants.

Music Make ’n Take
Date: Friday, October 14, 2011 Time: 1:00pm – 3:30pm Presenters: Ally Trotter, Director/Licensed Educator, Kindermusik by Ally and Carol Page, Program Director, SC Assistive Technology Program Location: SC Assistive Technology Resource Center, Columbia, SC  Cost: $10
Participating in music activities is difficult for some students because of limited mobility, poor fine and gross motor skills, difficulty with sensory integration, and visual impairments. Examples of how to create musical instruments using common objects around the home or classroom will be demonstrated. The fundamentals of appropriately selecting and the functional use of various music instruments will be reviewed. The workshop will conclude with a make-and-take opportunity for participants to choose from different projects to construct and then take the finished project(s) home. This workshop has a maximum of 15 participants.

Supporting Struggling Readers and Writers
Dates and Locations:
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 in Charleston
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 in Columbia
Thursday, October 28, 2011 in Greenville Time: 9:00am - 2:15pm Presenters: Dave Butler, Senior Educational Support Specialist, Don Johnston Incorporated and Kris Killough, SE Market Development Manager, Care Innovations Cost: Free!
A deli lunch will be provided by Care Innovations.
This workshop will review assistive technology tools for students with dyslexia, autism, dysgraphia, Down syndrome and other diverse physical and learning disabilities. How digital text can help individuals overcome barriers to academic and social opportunities will be discussed. Proven tools and resources will be explored including the Start-to-Finish Publishing Series and Read:OutLoud®. The afternoon will cover ways to meet the needs of struggling writers by exploring a variety of technology tools including Co:Writer and Write:Outloud. Free sources for activities, templates, lesson plans and ready-made files will be shared to help you quickly integrate Don Johnston products into your classroom for more literacy learning success! This workshop has a maximum of 15 participants.

NOTE: For registration information, click on the title above.

Prescribed Stimulant Use for ADHD Continues to Rise Steadily

2011-09-29T09:33:00.002-04:00

ScienceDaily (Sep. 28, 2011) — The prescribed use of stimulant medications to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rose slowly but steadily from 1996 to 2008, according to a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

The study was published online ahead of print September 28, 2011, in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

ADHD is one of the most common childhood disorders, and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. Symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity (over-activity). The condition is frequently treated with stimulants such as methylphenidate (e.g., Ritalin), amphetamines (e.g., Adderall) or other types of medications. Behavioral therapies can also be effective.

During the 1990s, stimulant prescription use increased significantly, going from a prevalence rate among youth of 0.6 percent in 1987 to 2.7 percent in 1997, with the rate stabilizing around 2.9 percent in 2002. Recent reports, however, suggest that the prescribed use of these medications and the diagnosis of ADHD have continued to rise. Based on the Health Resources and Services Administration's National Survey of Children's Health, the percentage of children age 4-17 years diagnosed with ADHD increased from 7.8 percent in 2003 to 9.5 percent in 2007.

To read the entire article, please click on the above title.

Combating Autism Reauthorization Act of 2011 Passed!

2011-09-28T09:46:00.001-04:00

CARA WINS FINAL APPROVAL IN THE SENATE!
NEW YORK, N.Y. (September 26, 2011) – The United States Senate this evening passed the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act of 2011 by unanimous consent, sending the bill to President Obama for his signature. Enactment of the bill, which the President has promised, will assure that federal support for autism, research, services and treatment will continue uninterrupted for another three years.

CARA would authorize a total of $693 million on continued biomedical and treatment research on autism and require further development of an overall strategic plan for the intensification, expansion and better coordination of federal efforts designed to help persons with autism and their families. The fight for CARA in the Senate has been led by Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Mike Enzi (R-WY).

CARA renews the Combating Autism Act which was signed into law on December 19, 2006 by President George Bush following a nearly unanimous Congressional vote. The CAA made a clear statement by the U.S. government on the public health emergency posed by the growing prevalence of ASDs, and the lack of adequate research, effective treatments, and services to address this urgent and growing crisis.

The bill was unanimously voted out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on September 7 and had been awaiting final Senate action. Recognizing the short time left for Congress to act, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) last week agreed to expedite a vote in the House where the bill cleared by two-thirds voice vote. The measure, HR.2005, sponsored by Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Mike Doyle (D-PA), attracted strong bipartisan support in both houses of Congress and was originally sponsored in the Senate by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY).

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