It's National Brain Injury Awareness Month!

Brain Injury Association of South Carolina Creating a better future through brain injury - Prevention, Research, Education, and Advocacy! Help us celebrate by joining (or renewing with) the Brain Injury Association of South Carolina! Brain Injury Survivor - $25 Family Member - $25 Professionals - $50 $5 minimum for individuals with brain injury/families with financial hardship NOTE: To learn more about the Brain Injury Association and to find an application, click on the title above.

Training Opportunity: Beyond Requesting: I Have More to Say

We still have a few openings!

Beyond Requesting: I Have More to Say

Tuesday, April 5, 2011
9:00am – 3:30pm
Presented by Holly Schneider, MA, CCC-SLP
Collaborate Training Center
Midlands Center
8301 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC 29203
ASHA CEUs: Yes: this course is offered for .5 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level, Professional Area)
Cost: FREE
Register for this course and get more information at the DynaVox training website.Where do you start when you introduce Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) to someone? If you are like most people, you start with requesting a fun or motivating activity such as “I want a book” or “I want music” or “I want a cookie.” Why? Because it is easy to show the purpose of communication when the result is as obvious as reading a book, turning on music, or eating a cookie. Plus, we hope the requested items or activities will help individuals to be excited about communication!
But, what happens next? What happens when we run out of things for individuals to request? What happens when they seem “bored” by requesting? What could they say after they make a request? What happens when the situation doesn’t allow for requesting? In this session, we will help you develop specific strategies to go beyond requesting… into the world of asking questions, making comments, protesting, expressing opinions, and other communicative functions. We will use lecture, discussion, video examples, and small-group activities to explore the power of various communicative functions, vocabulary selection, teaching strategies, and specific ways to facilitate communication beyond requesting. We will address communication beyond requesting for individuals of various ages, disabilities, and communication levels. You will leave with a collection of practical ideas developed both by the presenter and by your fellow attendees.
NOTE: For more information on this course, click on the title above.

SC Adult Sibling Leadership Network Newsletter

NOTE: To view the newsletter in full size, please click on the image above.

Making the Business Case for AT Reuse

Join us for a Webinar focused on:

Making the Business Case for AT Reuse

Tuesday, March 29nd, 2011
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM EST

Presenters: Joy Kniskern – Pass It On Center,
Trish Redmon - Pass It On Center Consulting Editor/Educator,
Sara Sack - Consultant to the Pass It On Center/Kansas AT Program,
Barclay Shepard – Virginia AT Program,
Sonja Schaible – FREE Foundation

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

The reutilization of assistive technology is a practice grounded in sound business principles that can be quantified and explained in ways that are persuasive to those who provide funding, whether government, corporate or philanthropic entities. Stating the business case for the reuse program should be the foundation of the sustainability plan. This webinar explores the some of the types of data needed to reach specific target audiences and resources for locating the data. It shows you how to use existing standards and measurements to make the case for reuse. The webinar also explains how to use financial information to calculate the return on investment for program services. And, using actual examples from the field, it provides a road map for using all of that information to write a business case for AT Reuse.

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

Worst Case housing Needs of People with Disabilities

Disabled World (Mar. 25, 2011) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today issued a report summarizing efforts to the measure the extent of "worst case housing needs" among very low-income renter households with disabilities.

HUD’s 2009 Worst Case Housing Needs of People with Disabilities finds that approximately 1 million households that included nonelderly people with disabilities had worst case needs.

“Worst case housing needs” are defined as very low-income renters (incomes below half the median in their area) who do not receive government housing assistance and who either paid more than half their monthly incomes for rent, lived in severely substandard conditions, or both.

“This is the first time we’ve been able to use a direct measure to estimate the number of these households rather than relying on proxies,” said Dr. Raphael Bostic, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research. “Better data will help inform us on how best to house and serve this vulnerable population. Persons with disabilities are confronted with a number of obstacles to finding decent rental housing, including discrimination and the general lack of accessible housing they can afford.”

Last month, HUD issued its latest in a long-running series of reports on the extent of worst case housing needs. Based on data from HUD’s American Housing Survey (AHS) conducted between May and September of 2009, the full report found a stark increase in the overall number of worst case housing needs between 2007 and 2009. This study is a supplement to that report and presents national estimates and information on the critical housing problems that confront low-income renting families that include people with disabilities.

In 2009, the AHS included for the first time, direct questions on disability, presenting a unique opportunity to improve the estimates of the number of households that include people with disabilities who experience worst case needs. Until 2008, HUD identified households that include people with disabilities by using a proxy measure of several reported income sources that are typically associated with disabilities. Although the proxy measure improved significantly over the years as a result of better AHS data and methods, it has acknowledged limitations, such as undercounting people with disabilities, in some cases, and flagging people who do not report disabilities, in other cases.

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

The South Carolina Assistive Technology Exchange

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.

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

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!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FOR SALE

#475 Britax Traveller Plus Car Seat for sale in excellent condition with pictures. Located in Summerville.

FOR DONATION

#476 NIMBO Small Pediatric Walker for donation in excellent condition. Located in Columbia.

#478 Wombat Pediatric R82 Positioning Chair, excellent condition with attachments. Columbia but delivery can be arranged.

#479 Zippie TS Pediatric Wheelchair, in excellent condition. Located in Columbia but delivery can be arranged.

ITEMS NEEDED

#473 Reclining Chair needed in Bluffton.

#474 Van with a lift needed in Bluffton.

The National Parkinson Foundation

Breaking News About Sinemet and Sinemet CR Shortage

The National Parkinson Foundation has released information about the
Sinemet and Sinemet CR Shortage. Please go to the following link to
read information about this important issue

http://tinyurl.com/4m399xd
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Mark Your Calendars - We have just found out that on May 20th - 10th
Annual Parkinson's Disease Seminar in Augusta GA

The MCGHealth Neuroscience Center Movement Disorders Program, a
recognized Center of Excellence by the National Parkinson Foundation,
invites everyone with Parkinsons Disease, their family and friends to
the 10th Annual Parkinson Disease Seminar.

Location: Doubletree Hotel Augusta - 2651 Perimeter Parkway - Augusta,
GA 30909

Cost: FREE

The seminar is open to patients, families and everyone interested in
learning more about Parkinsons Disease.

Register early for this FREE seminar by calling Amanda Stefanakos,
Outreach Coordinator for the Movement Disorders Program, at 706-721-4895
or email astefanakos@mcg.edu

Please do not contact Dottie Gantt for more information - thanks

Those who have attended this seminar in the past have said that this is
one of the best Parkinson's seminars. Well worth the trip to Augusta.
Some of the attendees stayed at the Double Tree Hotel - a special rate
was provided to seminar attendees.

As we find out more information we will be posting it on our 2011
Calendar on our web site.

NOTE: Click on the title above to go to the link.

Accessible University 2.0

Accessible University (AU) is a fictional university home page designed to demonstrate a variety of common web design problems that result in visitors with disabilities being unable to access content or features. AU was originally developed by AccessIT and is maintained by AccessComputing, both projects based out of the University of Washington. Use the AU site to

1. Demonstrate common web accessibility principles at trainings, presentations, and workshops on accessible web design.
2. Learn common web accessibility problems and solutions in an easy-to-understand way.

Index of Accessible University Pages

1. View the inaccessible home page - This page demonstrates common web accessibility issues using the fictitious AU home page. See how many web accessibility problems you can identify. NOTE: Since the purpose of this page is to demonstrate inaccessible web design, certain features are inherently inaccessible to some groups of users.
2. Review the page's accessibility problems - A list of web accessibility problems with the fictitious university’s home page. Compare this list with the items you identified on your own in step one.
3. View an accessible home page - This is a modified version of the Accessible University home page, with all the accessibility problems fixed.

NOTE: Click on the title above to go to the web page.

Patient's Own Bone Marrow Stem Cells May Provide Treatment for Brain Injuries

ScienceDaily (Mar. 11, 2011) — Stem cells derived from a patient's own bone marrow were safely used in pediatric patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to results of a Phase I clinical trial at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The results were published in this month's issue of Neurosurgery, the journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons."Our data demonstrate that the acute harvest of bone marrow and infusion of bone marrow mononuclear cells to acutely treat severe TBI in children is safe," said Charles S. Cox, Jr., M.D., the study's lead author and professor of pediatric neurosurgery at the UTHealth Medical School. The clinical trial, which included 10 children aged 5 to 14 with severe TBI, was done in partnership with Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, where Cox is director of the pediatric trauma program.All the children were treated within 48 hours of their injury with their own stem cells, which were collected from their bone marrow, processed and returned to them intravenously. UTHealth's Department of Neurology is also currently testing the same bone marrow stem cell procedure in adults with acute stroke. In a separate trial, Cox is testing the safety of using a patient's own cord blood stem cells for traumatic brain injury in children.

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

Special Olympics in Charleston

This Is what happened when me and my team went to Charleston.

On Friday I got up put my stuff in the car and then me and my brother went to get Terra and Charles Austin. Two people from the bowling team. Then we went to Charleston. We got to the hotel before registration. We got settled in our hotel rooms. Then me and my team went to dinner. Then the athletes had to line up. Then me and my team had the opening ceremonies. Then later the coaches had a meeting. After that was over we were free to do what ever me and my team wanted to do. Terra and I went to the bar to drink sodas for a couple of hours. On Saturday me and my team went bowling. But me and my team had to miss Olympic town. Because it was later in the afternoon. It’s usually in the morning but not this time. Then after that me and my team went out to eat. Then it was time for the dance. I had a great time at the dance. Then me and my team went back to our hotel room. I watched my portable DVD player for awhile. Then me and Terra went to bed. On Sunday me,Terra and Charles Austin got our stuff packed and put it in the car. Then me and my team went to Ihop for breakfast. Then we went home.

P.S. I am now secretary of People on the Go.

Beyond Requesting: I Have More to Say

Date: Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Time: 9:00am – 3:30pm
Presenter: Holly Schneider, MA, CCC-SLP
Location:
Collaborative Training Center
Midlands Center
8301 Farrow Road
Columbia, SC 29203
ASHA CEUs: Yes
Cost: FREE

Description: Where do you start when you introduce Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) to someone? If you are like most people, you start with requesting a fun or motivating activity such as “I want a book” or “I want music” or “I want a cookie.” Why? Because it is easy to show the purpose of communication when the result is as obvious as reading a book, turning on music, or eating a cookie. Plus, we hope the requested items or activities will help individuals to be excited about communication!

But, what happens next? What happens when we run out of things to have individuals request? What happens when they seem “bored” by requesting? What happens after they request? What happens when the situation doesn’t allow for requesting? Maybe these situations sound familiar…

Susan has easily been choosing between going outside and listening to music for a month but now she won’t select either of the symbols. Unfortunately, you don’t know of any other items or activities that are motivating for her. Maybe AAC just doesn’t work for Susan.

Robert likes to say “I want a book” with his communication device but his mother noticed that he doesn’t say anything else when she reads the book… unlike his younger brother who asks “What’s that” or says “Let me turn the page.”

NOTE: Click on the title above to go to the SCATP web site.

Dare To Do More In Your Chair

WIND - Wheeling In New Directions

We believe that a spinal cord injury shouldn't hold you back from the things you want most in life. And we'll show you how!

Join the South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Association at Wheeling In New Directions, a day-long discovery of life-after-spinal-cord-injury.

Save the Date!
Saturday, October 15
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saluda Shoals Park
5605 Bush River Road
Columbia, SC

More information will be coming soon!

Contact us at scscia@att.net or toll-free at 1-866-445-5509

The Autism Support Group Meeting

The Autism Support Group for Darlington County is on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Media Center at Carolina Elementary School, 719 West Carolina Ave., Hartsville, SC 29550. Childcare and light refreshments will be provided. The guest speaker will be Mr. Craig Stoxen, President and C.E.O. of the South Carolina Autism Society out of Columbia, South Carolina.

For more information, contact Coretta Bailey at 843-307-3386 or Wendy Stokes at 843-307-4179.

South Carolina Assistive Technology Expo 2011

South Carolina Assistive Technology Expo 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
9 am – 4 pm
Columbia Conference Center
169 Laurelhurst Avenue
Columbia, SC 29210
(803) 772-9811

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
NO PRE-REGISTRATION NECESSARY

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

NOTE: Click on the title above to go to the SCATP web site.

Columbia Parkinson's Support Group

March 20th 2011 Meeting Reminder
We are looking forward to seeing you this coming Sunday on

Date - March 20th, 2011 Time - 3:00 p.m. until 4:00 P.M. - with time available after our meetings for socialization among guests and support group members
Cost - Free / Donations Are Much Appreciated
Where - Lexington Medical - Park 1 Auditorium
2720 Sunset Boulevard, West Columbia, SC 29169
Topic: Challenging behavior of patients and what caregivers can do to help/manage the behavior.

Note from Dottie - After I heard Jan's presentation at a symposium, I thought that it
would be an "excellent" presentation for our support group (for both PD caregivers
and PD patients). I came away from her presentation with several Aha! moments about
my own caregiver behavior that I could improve when being a care partner with my husband
CW (PD patient) -and- when caring for my father (age 89).

Speaker: Jan Merling, MA - Education Coordinator

Contact: Office for the Study of Aging (OSA)
(Part of the USC Arnold School of Public Health)
Office Number: 111G
Building: 730 Devine Street
Phone: (803) 318-1601
Fax: (803) 777-0246
Email: jmerling@sc.edu

Thank you for your support of the Parkinson's community.

Brain Injury Dialogues: A Documentary

Brain Injury Dialogues will be airing on over 80 PBS stations across the US in honor of Brain Injury Awareness Month 2011. We have all current PBS station and air date information on our website's homepage.

A lot has been happening quickly, so we're encouraging everyone to help promote Brain Injury Dialogues on PBS in their area. We can't promote our documentary in every location it's being aired and we're asking you and anyone else you know that wants to help better educate the general public about brain injury, to help out.

The responses so far have been very strong. Many from folks that see the need of greater public awareness about this hidden disability in our midst. Of course we also want to reach the millions of Americans that are brain injury survivors to offer whatever help and support we've been able to assemble in our documentary.

NOTE: To learn more about the Brain Injury Dialogues, click on the title.

Youth Leadership Forum

July 13-15, 2011 Newberry College
The only cost is transportation to and from Newberry college.
Applications for the 2011 SC Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) are now being accepted! The deadline for submitting completed applications is May 2, 2011. Approximately 30 delegates will be selected.
YLF is a leadership development program for high school students with disabilities between the ages of 17 and 21 who want to increase their leadership skills while making new friends and trying new experiences. It features team-building activities, group discussions, guest speakers, a ropes course, and most of all, fun!
SC Assistive Technology staff members will be there to provide assistive technology supports. On your application, please note what assistive technology accommodations (magnifier, wheelchair, text-to-speech software, fm system, etc.) you currently use and will need during the forum.
NOTE: To learn more about the Youth Leadership Forum and to get an application, click on the title above.

The South Carolina Assitive Technology Exchange

The goal of the South Carolina Assistive Technology Exchange hosted by the South Carolina Assitive Technology Program (SCATP) is to put AT equipment that is not currently being used into the hands of someone who can benefit from it.

The South Carolina Assistive Technology Exchange is primarily for South Carolinians, although we do accept entries from neighboring states. The program is designed to facilitate equipment exchange between individuals and is not for the use of vendors or distributors.

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

Making the Web More Accessible to People With Disabilities and Special Needs

ScienceDaily (Feb. 25, 2011) — In posting information to the Internet, one of the main aims is for that information to reach as many people as possible. That usually means achieving a prominent position in the search engine results pages, providing legible and attractive enough information that potential readers are wont to read it and to ensure that it meets the demands of users with disabilities. Researchers in Hungary suggest that only if all these criteria are fulfilled does a website become truly accessible.Writing in the International Journal of Knowledge and Web Intelligence, the team, based at the University of Szeged, suggests how theoretical and practical dimensions of screen structure, data structure and metadata can be analysed and used to promote universal accessibility.
Medical informatics expert Erzsébet Forczek, explains that access to the Internet, and more specifically the world wide web, has become essential for all members of society. Physical access is a prerequisite but the availability, retrieval and processing of information on the web must be supported by information technology.

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