Advocacy Training for Youth with Brain Injury

SC Transition News

Building Bridges:
Constructing and Navigating
Transition Services for Youth with Disabilities
South Carolina’s 6th Annual
Interagency Transition Conference  

November 19-21, 2019
Downtown Greenville, SC

Convene your local transition team and join your peers from across the state for South Carolina’s annual interagency transition team conference.

Sessions will include information and resources designed to improve practices and programs to support youth with a variety of transition service needs. Topics will range from career preparation, community-based employment experiences, and school based enterprises – to self-determination, student leadership, parent engagement, and drop-out prevention strategies. Sessions meeting the information needs of teachers and practitioners helping students work toward the SC High School Credential will also be highlighted.

GENERAL SESSIONS
Eric Rowles of Leading to Change
Youth from Charleston’s Leadership Academy
State Transition Leadership Updates

Register Now!

https://2019tascconference.eventbrite.com

Download Flyer





Our podcast, The Access Aisle, is NOW AVAILABLE!



On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, signaling a complete end to all barriers facing people with disabilities in America…except not.

Here we are, over 10,000 days since its passing and millions of Americans still face considerable barriers impacting their access to even the most basic of goods and services. From inaccessible job applications to patronizing customer service to drivers ignoring the importance of keeping access aisles clear – problems still persist. But so do we.

Able South Carolina is proud to announce The Access Aisle, a monthly advocacy podcast dedicated to exploring the barriers facing people with disabilities. Each month, we’ll be tackling real issues with real people working toward real solutions. We’re bringing together policy experts and the people who are impacted to give you the full picture on what’s being done to make change and what you can do to help. 

You can find all the episodes here or on our website.

Happy listening!


News From New Mobility - May 15, 2019

NEWS


Ali Stroker Nominated for a Tony Award
Ali Stroker, best known for her guest-starring role as Betty Pillsbury on the TV show Glee, has become the first wheelchair-using actor ever nominated for Broadway’s highest honor. She received the nod for her role as Ado Annie in the 2019 revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! The role wasn’t originally written for a wheelchair user, but “they said I was the best person for the role and I happen to be in a chair,” says Stroker.


TRENDING


Twitter Conversation: #TheCostofBeingDisabled
In a recent article for Good Company, disability activist Imani Barbarin outlined the hidden costs of living with a disability. Now she’s created the hashtag #TheCostofBeingDisabled, and disabled people all over the world are using it to share examples of how expensive — whether monetarily, socially or psychologically — disability can be. Use the hashtag to add your voice to the conversation.


SPONSORED CONTENT


Power Wheelchair Do’s & Don’ts From the Experts
Taking good care of your power wheelchair can help keep it running at optimal performance levels. But with so many electrical components, how you take care of it is very important so as not to damage anything. Get some tips for proper upkeep of power chairs from the Wheeltime team at Numotion in this video.


The Ultimate in TRULY Portable Mobility!
At home or on-the-road, GO-Anywhere Chairs™ from GO! Mobility Solutions’ enable people with disabilities to GO wherever they'd like, whenever they want. Completely portable, these commode/shower chairs fold and pack away easily in their wheeled travel bags. Convenient and lightweight GO-Anywhere Chairs™ are safe, durable, easy to use, adjustable, comfortable and maintenance-free. We ship worldwide and customer service is second to none!


NEW COLUMN


In the Media: An Authentic Voice in the Writer's Room
In her new column “In the Media,” Teal Sherer gives a behind-the-scenes look at disability in the entertainment industry. The first installment shares how NCIS: New Orleans recently broke new ground with an episode written by a wheelchair user, featuring wheelchair-using characters played by actual wheelchair users. Authentic disability representation on TV might seem like a far-off dream, but in some cases, at least, it’s starting to happen.


PRO TIPS


Adaptive House Painting
This month’s Gear Hacks will help you give your house a fresh glow, as we tackle tips and gear for house painting from a wheelchair. With a little help, a lot of patience and some common painting tools — extension handles, mini rollers and a box cutter, among others — you can DIY an otherwise expensive home improvement.


Dreaming with a Spinal Cord Injury
Hunting to locate an elevator in outer space, wandering through labyrinths looking for barrier-free exits and worrying about your wheelchair while walking — welcome to the strange world of paralysis at night. Brook McCall looks at the quirks and commonalities of dreaming with an SCI, and how some even use dreams to help solve problems and “explore physical experiences … and feel the sensation of activities we may not otherwise be able to access while awake.”


New Mobility is the member publication of United Spinal Association, whose mission is to improve quality of life of people with spinal cord injuries and disorders. It's free to join United Spinal, and members may receive New Mobility magazine for free. Join here.

Building Bridges Conference-Call for Proposals

www.transitionalliancesc.org

The Transition Alliance of South Carolina is pleased to announce that we are now accepting presentation proposals for the 6th Annual Building Bridges Interagency Transition Team Conference, to be held November 20-21st, 2019, in Greenville, SC.  TASC is looking for dynamic presenters that are willing to share their innovative practices and resources with South Carolina Transition Teams. 

Please click here for additional information and to submit a proposal.

 

LOOK! 2019 - Thank You, Groucho's Deli!

Thank You, Groucho's!

The third annual opening night of LOOK! will be on May 17, 2019, at EdVenture Children’s Museum in Columbia, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the program starting shortly thereafter.

 

Family Connection will be joined by our LOOK! event Life Changer sponsor, Groucho's Deli. Representatives from Groucho's Deli will be in attendance, along with Groucho Man, himself!

Groucho's founder, Harold "Groucho" Miller was a strong believer in giving back to his community.

 

Groucho learned at an early age in a Philadelphia orphanage, that the people you encounter in your neighborhood, are the same folks who look after you when times are tough. He carried this ideology to Columbia when he relocated his family to open Groucho’s Deli in 1941.

He immediately joined charities to help the needy, and his efforts were embraced by his new community. He helped everyone he could, focusing on obvious needs within a five mile radius of his home and business.

Groucho's Deli follows this tradition of giving back to communities they serve in every way possible, including giving support to Family Connection.

Family Connection would like to thank Groucho's for their generous support throughout the past few years; it has helped us to provide services to children and families living with a disability in South Carolina.



To read more about Groucho and how their legacy of giving, click here.





FREE Training: Do You Know Your Rights?

As a person with a disability, you have certain rights to housing, public access, and education, to name a few. Join us for this free training online or in-person to learn more about the laws that gave you these rights, and how to use this knowledge to advocate for yourself and others.

Register here!

Please make requests for accommodations

at least one week prior to the event

by emailing Dori at dtempio@able-sc.org
or calling 800-681-6805/TTY: 803-779-0949

Online Training

Monday, May 20, 1-2 PM

In-Person Training

Tuesday, May 21, 2-3:30 PM
Able SC Columbia
720 Gracern Road, Suite 106
Columbia, SC 29210

EdTech 2019 - Call for Proposals Now Open!

EdTech 2019 - Call for Proposals Now Open!

 

(Via Valarie Byrd from the SC Department of Education.)

Do you want to be an important part of EdTech 2019? Then you should apply to present a session at the state’s biggest educational technology conference!

The SC EdTech 2019 Conference will be November 6-8 at the Greenville Convention Center in Greenville, SC.

South Carolina’s premier educational technology conference is designed to promote the use of educational technology to enhance student learning. The mission of EdTech 2019 is to bring educators, administrators, technology professionals, college faculty and staff, public and academic librarians, business and industry trainers, industry representatives and policy makers together to think, discuss, listen and learn the best strategies to plan for, implement, and use educational technology in our schools.

We are looking for proposals on a variety of topics relevant to educational technology.  These include:

• Integrating Technology into the Classroom
• Distance Education
• Funding and Grant Issues
• Multimedia Applications
• Assistive Technology
• Wireless Technology
• Creating Websites and Online Courses
• Electronic Portfolios
• Technology Administration
• Integrating Technology into Standards
• Handheld Technologies
• Digital Media in Instruction
• Educational Television
• Technology in the Media Center
• Video on Demand
• Managing Tech Support
• Security
• and much more

The following tracks will be used to organize sessions:
 
• Instructional Technology
• IT Security
• Devices
• Technical Support
• Network and Infrastructure
• PowerSchool
• Professional Development and Professional Learning Communities
• One to One Initiatives
• Assistive Technology and Accessibility Technology
• Policies, Procedures and Safety

For more information and to submit a proposal, go to http://edtech.scaet.org/index.cfm/cfp/ After logging in with your EdTech user account (or creating a new account) you can download a worksheet to assist in your proposal preparation.

Proposals are only accepted via online submission. The deadline for submissions is May 31, 2019.

Be sure to visit the conference website and our Facebook and Twitter pages for updates and the latest conference news.
 

We hope to see you at EdTech this year!


Free Equipment!

Time to celebrate Spring with some

FREE pediatric equipment from SCATP!

To make an appointment to pick up a piece of equipment,

please contact Alli Upchurch at (803) 935-5273.

Note:

If there is a piece of equipment that you need that is not listed on here,

please call to see if we have it.

We have more available than what is listed here!

Prone/Supine Stander
Size 3
Maximum user weight 176 pounds
User height 49 inches to 61 inches

Mini Pacer Gait Trainer
Maximum user weight 50 pounds

Gait Trainer
Maximum user weight 200 pounds

Rifton Activity Chair
Seat size-13 inches wide, 11 inches deep
User height 42 to 50 inches tall

Adaptive tricycle
User height 40 to 48 inches tall;

waist height between 23 and 33 inches

Gait trainer
Maximum user weight 75 pounds

Rifton gait trainer
Size medium
Maximum user weight 150 pounds

Multistander
Prone and supine stander
Size 1
Maximum user weight 77 pounds
Maximum user height 46 inches

Kaye walker
User height 45 to 57 inches
Maximum user weight 130 pounds

You can also check the AT Exchange!

Free AAC workshop with ASHA CEUs

AllAccess:

Exploring the Possibilities of Alternative Access and AAC

Date: May 15th, 2019
Time: 8:30 am – 11:30 am OR 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Cost: FREE
Location: Med Park 2 Conference Room, 2 Medical Park Rd, Columbia, SC 29203 (Directions)
Limit: 15
ASHA CEUs: 3 Hours or .3 ASHA CEUs

REGISTER NOW!

There are many individuals who can access augmentative alternative communication (AAC) with the touch of a finger. However, there are also a significant number of people with more complex physical disabilities that require an alternative to touching a screen.

This three-hour class will give participants an overview of access method options in AAC. Using case studies, the following access methods will be reviewed: touch, NuPoint (cursor is controlled by head movement), NuEye (cursor is controlled by eye gaze), and one/two switch scanning. Through demonstration, videos, and audience participation attendees will learn about vocabulary, hardware, and software considerations when setting up an alternative access method for an individual.

This class in intended for professionals, parents, or individuals who use AAC who want to learn more about access method options in AAC.

You do not need to bring an AAC device to this training as equipment will be provided.

Training Objectives

Following the training, participants will be able to:

• Briefly describe each access method.
• Name two software customizations that can be applied when using NuPoint or NuEye.
• Name two software customizations that can be applied when using one or two switch scanning.

Presenter: Dawn J. Sowers, M.A.,CCC-SLP, has been a speech-language pathologist for over 20 years. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Florida and a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  Her passion is for AAC implementation across the lifespan in a variety of populations.  Dawn has had a variety of clinical experiences including in the classroom, hospital and outpatient services.  Much of that experience was with multi-disciplinary teams; co-evaluating and treating individuals. She has a special interest in working with individuals with communication and motor impairment and solving difficult access issues. Dawn works closely with teams and families to insure successful use of the device across environments.  When not working, Dawn enjoys her family, being outdoors and spending time volunteering with mission efforts.

MUSC Programs to Improve Care for Autism

Multiple programs underway at MUSC

to improve care for people with autism

 

The Charleston Chronicle
By Leslie Cantu, MUSC Catalyst
April 25, 2019 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 59 children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The diagnosis includes autism as well as conditions that were previously known as Asperger’s syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified.

 

Scientists think autism is caused by interactions between genes and the environment, but no one knows exactly why it appears or manifests differently in different people.

“Autism has many million dollar questions, and I love that we’re an active site here to hopefully get some answers,” said Silvia Pereira-Smith, M.D., a developmental-behavioral pediatrician at MUSC.

 

MUSC has nationally known experts in autism, she said, pointing out that Laura Carpenter, Ph.D., was asked by the American Academy of Pediatrics to speak at a training conference about autism behavioral interventions.

Here are a few of the autism studies underway:

Smartphone screening for autism

Carpenter said MUSC participated in a study of a smartphone app to identify children at risk of autism and continues to work with Cognoa, the app creator, to refine it.

Nationwide, parents face a six-month wait between the time concerns about autism are raised and when they can actually get their children in to see a specialist for evaluation. The app, which includes an option for parents to upload videos of their children, could help push children most at risk to the front of the line, Carpenter said.

 

“If we could do a better job of identifying the kids who are truly at risk for autism and getting them in quickly, while also excluding those kids who aren’t at risk for autism, I think we could get through the waitlist much quicker,” she said.

 

Although families don’t need an official diagnosis to begin therapy, Carpenter said, doctors and health care providers would like to be able to give them answers in a timely manner.

Blood test for autism

MUSC is now recruiting participants for a study seeking to develop a blood test for autism.

 

“There’s no gold standard confirmatory blood test the way there would be with cancer or other medical concerns,” Carpenter said.

 

Greenwood Genetic Center is leading the study with participation from MUSC and the University of South Carolina.

 

Right now, the earliest that autism can be identified is between 15 and 18 months old, and it’s almost impossible to identify before children reach their first birthdays.

 

“If we had a blood test, we could identify kids at risk at birth and then start to do some early intervention that would change their trajectory entirely,” Carpenter said.

Click here to read more!


New Sensory Room in Florence District 3

A place to grow:

New sensory room provides safe space

for Florence County School District Three

students, teachers 

By Shamira McCray

May 5, 2019

 

smccray@florencenews.com

LAKE CITY, S.C. -- Florence County School District Three opened its second sensory room in April.

Last year, the district created a sensory room at Lake City Early Childhood Center. And this spring, a sensory and action-based learning room opened at Dr. Ronald E. McNair School of Digital Communication and Leadership.

Cheryl Hubbard-George, the district’s director of exceptional children, said the room is an inclusive space that she wants both students and teachers to take advantage of. She said she wants them to be able to have that safe space to go to, reflect, plan and grow.

Inside the sensory room, there is a space for relaxation and a space for action-based learning. In the relaxation space, the lights are dim and gentle sounds can be heard. The area includes balance surf boards, bean bags, books and other things.

In the action-based learning space, the area is lit with brighter lights and includes balance balls, a boxing bag and gloves, weight bench and action bikes with iPads to access instructions.

Click here to read more.

SC State Library Inclusive Services Center

Assistance for All:

Inclusive Services Center

Our goal is to provide library services that meet many needs. The Inclusive Services Center, located on our Mezzanine level, features a variety of assistive technology and accessibility tools. These include a computer equipped with Zoomtext Fusion and a large print keyboard, Braille and Tactile books, and magnifying equipment. Our Inclusive Services collection houses materials related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in library services. Materials are listed in the SCLENDS catalog and most may be checked out with a State Library card. Make an appointment for staff assistance by contacting the Inclusive Services Consultant.