Free Webinar: Blind Spot Sensors for Wheelchairs

Blind Spot Sensors for Wheelchairs

Target Audience: OT's, ATP's, PT's, Family & Professional Caregivers, Wheelchair Users

Date: November 11, 2021

Time: 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. ET

Cost: Free!

Register Now!

Webinar Description: For wheelchair users who struggle to maneuver safely or just need more spatial awareness, Braze Mobility has created the world's first blind spot sensors that can be added to any wheelchair and transform it into a 'smart' wheelchair. Our system automatically detects obstacles and provides feedback to the user through intuitive lights, sounds, and vibrations.

Join the webinar and chat with Dr. Pooja Viswanthan, who has incorporated over a decade of smart wheelchair research to bring you and your clients the world's first blind spot sensors for wheelchairs.

Participants will learn:

• At least 3 benefits of blind spot sensors and scenarios where they are used
• At least 3 types of user feedback that blind spot sensors can provide
• At least 3 advantages of blind spot sensors over semi-autonomous wheelchairs

Speaker:

Dr. Pooja Viswanathan has a passion for improving accessibility and independence for people with physical disabilities. She has completed doctoral and post-doctoral research in robotics and assistive technologies and has been working with smart wheelchair technology for over a decade.

Accommodations:

CART captioning is provided for all SCATP webinars. If you need an additional accommodation to participate in this webinar, please contact the SC Assistive Technology Program at least one week prior to the webinar via e-mail at janet.lambert@uscmed.sc.edu or by calling 803-935-5263.

All SC Assistive Technology Program’s webinars are recorded and archived. If you cannot attend the live session, please go to our training page 24 hours after the webinar and register for the video link and transcript.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the SC Assistive Technology Program at janet.lambert@uscmed.sc.edu or by calling 803-935-5263.

Celebrating 75 Years of United Spinal

United Spinal's 75th Anniversary 

Gala and Community Event

 

Our November 10th 75th Anniversary Virtual Gala is rapidly approaching and we would love to see you there! All are welcome to register for the event—which is free—and be our guest, as we celebrate Building an Inclusive World! Please continue to spread the word among your friends, family and networks. Click here to register (which includes a variety of options to donate to help support 75 more years of United Spinal!):

For additional information on United Spinal’s 75th Anniversary Gala or if you have questions, please contact: Shannon Aquino, Vice President of Development at: saquino@unitedspinal.org 

Celebrating 75 Years of United Spinal Association

The October issue of New Mobility Magazine celebrates 75 years of United Spinal Association, devoting a section to highlight the four key elements that shaped our organization into the premier nonprofit for the SCI/D community. Filled with stories, posts and infographics on 75 years of accomplishments and service, there's a lot to be proud of. Check out the issue here.

People with Disabilities Make the American Workforce Stronger

"As I celebrate my first anniversary as United Spinal Association President/CEO, I want to take a moment to reflect on first principles for Disability Employment Awareness Month, and think about the journey that brought me here. Since my injury in 2010, I have been posing questions to Corporate America around the advancement and inclusion of people with disabilities at work and seeking solutions that the disability community can put into practice together with supportive peers and leaders in the corporate world." - Vincenzo Piscopo, United Spinal president & CEO. Read Vincenzo's full message.

Click here to read more of the 

United Spinal October 2021 Newsletter.

Free Webinars!

This list of free webinars is compiled from around the Web 

by the Accessible Technology Coalition. 

Follow the ATC Facebook page for late additions.

The SC Assistive Technology Program offers free webinars, too!

K-12 AT Webinars

Making Inclusion Work with UDL: A Guide for Related Service Providers from DJI

November 4, 2021 at 10am Pacific, 1pm Eastern

Accessibility in Science and Math from AEM Cafe

November 4, 2021 at 1pm Pacific, 4pm Eastern

Reading Tools for Chrome from PACER

November 9, 2021 at 12pm Pacific, 3pm Eastern

iPad apps for learners with complex needs from CALLScotland

November 10, 2021 at 9am Pacific, 12pm Eastern (30 min.)

Driving Engagement through UDL: Top Strategies from Paula Kluth’s Playbook from DJI

November 10, 2021 at 10am Pacific, 1pm Eastern

Using Switches to Access Academics Math/Science/Literacy from SETC

November 15, 2021 at 4pm Pacific, 7pm Eastern

Self-Determination & AT: Getting Students Ready for Postsecondary Settings from Infinitec

November 16, 2021 at 1:30pm Pacific, 4:30pm Eastern

Tools for Students Part 2: Plan, Write, and Complete School Projects from PACER

November 17, 2021 at 1pm Pacific, 4pm Eastern

Making Math Digital from SETC

November 17, 2021 at 3:30pm Pacific, 6:30pm Eastern

Adults or General

Accessibility Insights with Ted Drake of Intuit from AbilityNet

November 9, 2021 at  5am Pacific (oof) 8am Eastern

The Business Case for Accessibility and HR’s Role from TPGi, LLC

November 9, 2021 at 9am Pacific, 12pm Eastern

Wired Wednesday: AT Bits & Bytes with TFL and WATAP

November 10, 2021 at 11am Pacific, 2pm Eastern

Equipment and Assistive Technology that Helps Caregivers from the ALS Assn

November 15, 2021 at 11am Pacific, 2pm Eastern 

AAC Webinars

Google Action Blocks to support communication and physical impairments from CALLScotland

November 3, 2021 at 9am Pacific, 12pm Eastern (30 min.)

Building Capacity for AAC Implementation in a Large School District from SETC

November 4, 2021 at 3:30pm Pacific, 6:30pm Eastern

Voice and message banking from CALLScotland

November 24, 2021 at 9am Pacific, 12pm Eastern (30 min.)

Free training: Signing with Children Aged Birth to 3 and Beyond

Signing with Children 

Aged Birth to 3 and Beyond

Type: In-Person Training

Date: November 4, 2021

Time: 10 - 11:30 a.m.

Location: 8301 Farrow Road, Poplar Bldg., Columbia, SC 29203

Cost: FREE!

Participants must register to attend. 

REGISTER NOW!

This is a fun, interactive workshop. It covers 30+ single ASL signs, the manual alphabet, and numbers 1-10 as well as natural ways to incorporate signs at home and in therapy sessions.

Presenter: Jill Eversmann, MS, CCC-SLP, is a lecturer and clinical educator in the Speech-Language Pathology program at Columbia College, in Columbia, SC. She has over 30 years of experience as a pediatric SLP. She is a national presenter with Motivations, Inc. and a Signing Time Academy Instructor. She presents workshops and webinars for parents and professionals around the country. Jill is a graduate of James Madison University, VA (BS) and Towson University, MD (MS). She is ASHA certified and licensed in SC.

All SC Assistive Technology Program’s webinars are recorded and archived. If you cannot attend the live session, please go to our training page 24 hours after the webinar and register for the video link and transcript.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the SC Assistive Technology Program at janet.lambert@uscmed.sc.edu or by calling 803-935-5263.

November News from Family Connection!

 

Upcoming Family Connection Trainings! 

Family Connection 101

Learn about the resources and services Family Connection of SC provides for children and/or individuals with disabilities and/or special healthcare needs. Open to families and providers! 

Wednesday, November 3, 2021 

Zoom Meeting: 10:00 - 11:00 AM   REGISTER

Positive Parenting for Children with a Disability – Triple P Stepping Stones 

The Triple P series focuses on positive ways to promote your child's development. Each seminar includes a Q&A session. Zoom Meetings: 10:00 - 11:30 AM 

Seminar 1: Thursday, November 4, 2021 REGISTER 

Seminar 2: Thursday, November 11, 2021 REGISTER 

Seminar 3: Thursday, November 18, 2021 REGISTER 

Understanding Laws that Protect Students with Disabilities 

This interactive virtual training offers an in-depth look at laws that protect students with disabilities. Learn about the three federal mandates that protect the rights of students with disabilities. Benefits for students with disabilities in the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 will also be covered. 

Session 1: Tuesday, November 9, 2021 

Zoom Meeting: 10:00 to 11:30 AM REGISTER 

Session 2: Thursday, November 11, 2021 

Zoom Meeting: 6:00 - 7:30 PM REGISTER 

Fomentando Esperanza 

Un espacio dedicado a familias Latinas con niños con necesidades de salud especiales. Donde se ofrecen recursos, información, capacitación, y apoyo mutuo. 

A space dedicated to the Latino Families of children with special needs, where resources, information, training and mutual support is offered. 

Nombre del Grupo:  Fomentando Esperanza 

Facilitador: Jenny Nuvan 

Monday, Nov 15, 2021 @ 7:00 PM 

Únase a la reunión virtual por Zoom 

Registración: Para registrarse puede contactar a Jenny Nuvan al 803-995-9124 o al correo electrónico: jnuvan@familyconnectionsc.org o en la línea de Family Connection en Español al 1888-808-7465 

Click here to read more! 

Collecting Toys for the Adapted Toy Project

The SC Assistive Technology Program is collecting donated toys for its Annual Adapted Toy Project to be held in December 2021. SC Assistive Technology Program staff take battery-operated toys with an on-off button and convert them for switch use for children who have difficulty using their hands to activate typical toys. These toys are given to children in need for free. 

Amazon Wish List

Target Wish List

Walmart Wish List

You can send your toy to us in one of three ways: 

1. You can drop off your donated toy at our facility at the Midlands Center, Monday through Friday 8:30-4:30. Set your GPS to McPoplar Drive for our location on the grounds.

2. Place your order online. Have the company ship it to the following address:

Billfred Leverette, SC Assistive Technology Program Center for Disability Resources, 8301 Farrow Road Columbia, SC 29203

3. Ship the toy yourself to the above address.

For more information about 

the 4th Annual Adapted Toy Workshop 

please call 803-935-5263. 

This is Our Shot!

Para español haga clic aquí.

In this month’s newsletter, we’re going to focus on a variety of resources offering help with vaccines and information related to the COVID-19 pandemic.  This list is designed to help members of the Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) community with disabilities find information, answers, and even free or discounted transportation to vaccine sites. 

General Information Resources:

For detailed information about the rate of COVID vaccines among the disability population, you can visit The COVID-19 Vaccine and Disability Survey: Vaccine Hesitancy among Adults with Disabilities, by the American Association on Health & Disability. 

The COVID-19 misinformation alert page from the Public Health Communications Collaborative offers explanations for the most common vaccine misinformation on social media.  So, before you get nervous about the latest vaccine myth, consider searching for it in this great resource. 

These videos from the Georgia Tech Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation offer easy to understand tips about protecting yourself and your loved ones from COVID-19. 

FREE Transportation Resources: 

The AARP Ride at Fifty Plus program offers free rides to those fifty and older that can be used to get your COVID-19 vaccine.  This virtual training from AARP can help you learn more.  Also, from now until Dec. 17, rides in the Columbia and Lexington area are free.  Call (855) 955-1926 to learn more or book your ride. 

Uber is offering free rides to and from your vaccine through their partner, Go Go Grandparent.  To book your ride, call (855) 921-0033, and make sure to tell the representative you’re booking a ride for your vaccine. 

Lyft is also offering free rides to and from vaccine appointments for qualifying participants.  Complete this online screening to find out if you qualify. 

SC Disability Vaccine Access Hotline:

Remember to talk to your doctor or another medical professional you trust about whether the COVID-19 vaccine is right for you and which vaccine is best for your needs.  If you have any questions or need assistance with things like transportation or finding a vaccine location in your area, Able South Carolina and our partners are happy to help.  Give us a call at (800) 787-6046. 

Free Webinar about the WeWalk Cane and App

Demonstration and Overview of WeWalk Cane and App

Target Audience: O&M Instructors, individuals with vision impairment, individuals who are interested in emerging assistive technologies.

Date: October 28, 2021

Time: 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. ET

Cost: Free!

Register Now!

Join us for an introduction to the WeWALK smart cane and app! WeWALK is a smart cane developed to improve the mobility of people with vision impairments, allowing them full and equal participation in everyday life. The smart cane works in tandem with the app to help you navigate the world around you with fully accessible turn-by-turn GPS navigation, carefully designed for people who are blind or have low vision. WeWALK’s smart city integration gives information about the world around you such as public transportation options and an exploration mode to help you discover popular points of interests near you.

Before the Training: We kindly ask that all registrants download the WeWALK app before the session so that they can follow along during the session. You can download and install the WeWALK app on the iOS phone and the Android phone.

Participants will learn:

• WeWALK’s mission
• WeWALK Smart Cane hardware features
• WeWALK app features
• Q&A

Speakers:

Jean Marc Feghali (R&D Lead): Visually-impaired PhD researcher at Imperial College in visually impaired mobility and TfL IDAG advisory board member, receiving several academic awards including the Medal for Outstanding Achievement and the Walter Redlich Prize for Academic Excellence.

Joe Alfonso: Community Manager at WeWALK and with years of professional experience in the field of technology at Mars Inc./Wrigley as an IT Site Lead and as an Information Risk Management Sr. Consultant at Allstate Investments LLC.

Accommodations:

CART captioning is provided for all SCATP webinars. If you need an additional accommodation to participate in this webinar, please contact the SC Assistive Technology Program at least one week prior to the webinar via e-mail at janet.lambert@uscmed.sc.edu or by calling 803-935-5263.

All SC Assistive Technology Program’s webinars are recorded and archived. If you cannot attend the live session, please go to our training page 24 hours after the webinar and register for the video link and transcript.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the SC Assistive Technology Program at janet.lambert@uscmed.sc.edu or by calling 803-935-5263.

FREE Webinar!

 

Celebrate National Disability Awareness Month with us at this FREE webinar event! 

Register for this virtual event on 

October 27, 2021 from 3PM-4PM 

We'll provide you with information on: 

• FREE Covid-19 services, 
• Independent living skills services, 
• Employment services, and 
• Resources for people with disabilities and health conditions, as well as community providers 
• And more! 

Register Now!

Your opinion is needed!

Take the Survey: Banking Experiences of People with Disabilities 

From our friends at the Southeast ADA Center: 

We want your opinion! 

• Are you 18 years old or older? 
• Do you have a disability?   
• Do you live in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina? 

Fill out an online survey that will take 15-20 minutes. 

The Southeast ADA Center wants to hear about your experiences with the banking system. Have you had difficulty using banking services? Have you ever used a pawn shop, check cashing service, or payday lender? What are your personal banking preferences (internet banking, in-person banking, financial apps on your phone)? How did you learn to manage your personal finances? 

For more information, please contact adasoutheast@syr.edu or 404-541-9001 (voice/relay). 

Approved by the Syracuse University Institutional Review Board.

Your answers are kept private. Identifying information will not be collected. Participation is voluntary. 

The first 50 people in each state 

will receive a $5 certificate. 

Take the Survey!

Advocacy & Self Advocacy Webinar

 Register here!

AUCD2021 Conference Registration

Register Today!

AUCD2021 registration deadline is October 22

We welcome network members, non-network organizational partners, experts from across the disability field, individuals with disabilities, family members, and trainees to learn and share together during the AUCD 2021 Virtual Conference. This year’s Conference features live plenary sessions, live concurrent sessions and on-demand posters with a live Q&A session. A pre-recorded awards celebration will take place on Tuesday evening of the conference. Please join us for an incredible three-day Conference!

 

REGISTER NOW!

AUCD2021 Opening Plenary 

Learning Together: Finding Common Ground and Language Between Research and Lived Experience

Monday, November 15, 2021, 12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. ET

Keynote speaker Diana W. Bianchi, MD, Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, will share about her leadership at NICHD and her push for more meaningful inclusion of people with disabilities in the research process as well as a stronger connection between clinical and translational research. Following the keynote, NICHD Deputy Director Alison Cernich, PhD will lead a live Q&A session for our network and attendees.

The conversation will continue with a panel discussion led by NPR's Joe Shapiro. The following panelists will lend their unique and important perspectives to the discussion: Angel Miles, PhD, Health and HCBS Policy Analyst at Access Living, Caitlin McCormick, JD, Associate Director of Public Policy at Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and Vanessa Hiratsuka, PhD, MPH, Co-Director of Research and Evaluation at the University of Alaska Anchorage's Center for Human Development. 

Learn more about the Opening Plenary.

AUCD2021 Leading Change Sessions

Tuesday, November 16, 2021, 12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. ET

Conscious Collaborations for Equitable Research

In this interactive session, a panel of leaders will share their experiences and perspectives regarding equity in research. They will discuss what equity in research means and looks like throughout the lifecycle of a research project from conception through implementation to dissemination. Panelists will explore with one another the who, what, when, where and how of meaningfully involving diverse individuals and partnering with diverse communities throughout the process of scientific discovery. 

Do You See Me? Impact of Missing Disability Data on Research and Public Health

Join this dynamic session as we explore disability data, gaps in data and collection, and the impact of missing disability data on current research and public health efforts. Examples from state health departments, universities, and community partners will be reviewed as we share challenges and opportunities for research and the disability community. Insights into the lack of data in public health programs, its impact and how this is changing will be shared. We will explore policy levers to support disability data to enhance full inclusion and meaningful lives for all. 

Learn more about Tuesday’s Leading Change Sessions.

AUCD2021 Closing Plenary

Engaging with Congress to Connect Research and Lived Experience to Influence Policy

Wednesday, November 17, 2021, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET

Join us for the Closing Plenary where we'll learn about the legislative work and priorities of elected disability advocates in Congress and how you can influence their work. We will be joined live by Donna Shalala, former US Congresswoman from Florida and President of the University of Miami, the longest serving U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and Presidential Medal of Freedom winner. Dr. Shalala will be interviewed by our own AUCD Conference Chair and Director of the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami, Danny Armstrong. Their conversation will discuss disability policy, higher education, and the importance of inclusive research. We will also hear directly from Members of Congress via pre-recorded videos about their priorities and what we can do to promote them. 

Learn more about the Closing Plenary.

Accessibility & Inclusion 

Creating an environment where everyone feels they belong

At AUCD, we strive to make the Virtual Conference experience as accessible and inclusive as possible. We expect that presenters fully consider their potential audience when preparing and delivering their presentation, and that attendees feel included and comfortable. View our accessible presentation resources.

Keep up with new conference developments online.

Use #AUCD2021 to share about the Conference!  

 

What Questions Do You Have About Getting a Communication Device?

Survey for parents of children who are nonverbal 

We would like to create a brochure that answers parents’ questions about how it works to get a communication device for their nonverbal child and make these available state-wide. 

If you are a professional, please pass this information along to the parents of children who are nonverbal. It doesn’t matter if the child already has a communication device or not.

Parents’ Survey

Questions? 

Please contact Sade Moody at Sade.moody@uscmed.sc.edu or Carol Page at 803-935-5301 (or 800-915-4522 toll free) for more information. 

sc.edu/medicine/scatp