Center for Disability Resources (CDR)

Monday, January 08, 2018

Family & Friends Breeze Peer Support Group

Family & Friends

Breeze Peer Support Group

The South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Association
is starting the first
Family & Friends Breeze Peer Support Group!

Thursday, January 18 at 6:00 pm
720 Gracern Rd, Suite 106
Columbia, SC 29210
(inside Able South Carolina)

This first meeting will be an introductory and organizational meeting.

We want to see what you need.

Please RSVP by clicking on the button below.

Peer-to-Peer Support:
How does it help?

Overall, peer-to-peer studies have found that social support:

• decreases morbidity and mortality rates
• increases life expectancy
• increases knowledge of a disease, illness, or injury
• improves self-efficacy
• improves self-reported health status and self-care skills, including medication adherence
• reduces use of emergency services

What do you get?

• New friends
• Listening heart
• Opportunity to learn from others
• Opportunity to share your knowledge
• No judgement
• Better quality of life
• Chance to talk with others in similar situations

Upcoming Trainings

This is from the Accessible Technology Coalition:

Free Webinars - Adults and Transition-Aged

PDF Accessibility Basics Series: Accessibility Checker from LEVELaccess
Thursday, January 4, 2018 at 11am Pacific, 2pm Eastern

Transitioning to Higher Ed for Students with Disabilities from CTD
January 10, 2018 at 1pm Pacific, 4pm Eastern

Improvements to Accessibility in Office from EASI
January 16, 2018 at 11am Pacific, 2pm Eastern

Commitment to Digital Accessibility: Best Practices for Inclusive Tech from Mid-Atlantic ADA Center on January 17, 2018 at 11am Pacific, 2pm Eastern (90 min.)

Appy Hour : Apps for Health & Wellness from PACER
January 18, 2018 at 9am Pacific, 12pm Eastern

Expanding Accessibility Awareness in Higher Ed from PEAT Talks
Thursday, January 18, 2018 at 11am Pacific, 2:00pm Eastern

Free Webinars - K-12

Early AACtion: Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication with the Birth to Five Population from AbleNet
January 11, 2018 at 10am Pacific, 1pm Eastern

Revisioning Inclusive Classroom Environments with AT from CTD
January 17, 2018 at 1pm Pacific, 4pm Eastern

Making and Tinkering with AT: Helping Young Childen “Do” from CTD
January 24, 2018 at 1pm Pacific, 4pm Eastern

SETC webinars are at 3:30pm Pacific, 6:30pm Eastern, except one as noted.
January 17, 2018 Windows Accessibility at 11:30am Pacific, 2:30pm Eastern
January 17, 2018 Elementary Math Supports
January 23, 2018 Developing Switch Access Skills
January 24, 2018 Secondary Math
January 25, 2018 AT Accommodations for State Testing
January 29, 2018 Overview of Switch Interfaces

You have missed:

Virtual Reality, Disability and Inclusive Design from AbilityNet
Inclusive PDFs by Design from AEM
Dragon Naturally Speaking Basics from iCater
Use Audio & Video to Engage Students and Promote UDL from CTD

The ATC website is a great resource for articles, videos, and AT news.

Friday, January 05, 2018

Autism on the Seas

Who ARE these people, these Angels in Orange?

They are volunteer members of an organization called Autism on the Seas(AotS). Putting it simply, AotS gives families of special needs children a chance to enjoy a cruise with as little hassle and worry as possible. In collaboration with Royal Caribbean International (and other cruise lines), AotS offers cruise vacation services to accommodate adults and families living with special needs children, including Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and all other cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities.

Our reference librarian Laura Kane describes in her blog her experience and witnessing volunteers wearing orange help make this opportunity possible, manageable, and fun! She states, "For five days I watched these orange-clad men and women place the needs of special children ahead of their own needs. I watched them engage with the children, play with them, hug them, sing to them, swim with them, eat with them, calm and soothe them, and keep them safe from dangers. I watched them do all of these things with unfailing enthusiasm, endless cheerful energy, and obvious love for children not their own. One of whom was my own son."

To learn more about Autism on the Seas and their services, please click here.

Redesigned Website for the SC Assistive Technology Program

IT'S HERE!!

Announcing the launch of our

newly redesigned website

We've redesigned our website with you in mind.

The South Carolina Assistive Technology Program
is proud to launch our newly redesigned website at the same URL, scatp.med.sc.edu/.

The primary objectives of our site development effort were focused on aesthetics, simplifying content, improving accessibility and increasing visibility of our programs. The new design also allows for streamlined menus, clear navigation, and a responsive layout for all platforms. Explore the site to learn more about our full spectrum of services! Special thanks to ADCO, University of South Carolina IT Team, and SCATP staff participating in the redesign process.

Please visit our website today!

Thursday, January 04, 2018

Donate Your Old Electronics!

Donate your old electronics to people in need!

We have been contacted by several individuals over the past few months in need of iPads and communication devices. Some of the individuals who are in need have ALS, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, and muscular dystrophy.

If you have a used iPad or communication device, please consider donating it to us to help individuals in our communities. Donations allow SCATP to provide iPads to individuals who would otherwise be unable to afford them, which in turn helps these individuals to keep their jobs, succeed in school, and improve their overall quality of life.

If you have questions or want to donate, please email Alli.Upchurch@uscmed.sc.edu , or call 803-935-5273.

See you at the AT Expo on March 6, 2018!