Saturday, December 07, 2013

The Keys to Housing - Searching For The Right Place to Live




The Keys to Housing is a free training for individuals with disabilities.

Join us as on Wednesday, December 11th
from 2PM-4PM

Able South Carolina
136 Stonemark Lane; Suite 100
Columbia, South Carolina 29210

To attend the training and request accommodations, please contact us at:
Voice: (803) 779-5121
TTY: (803) 779-0949
Email: dtempio@able-sc.org

Accommodation requests must be made a week in advance of the training.


To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link


Wednesday, December 04, 2013

Columbia Parkinsons Support Group



NOTE: In the November Newsletter the wrong date for the December 2013 meeting was announced. The next meeting is on December 15th 2013. Same time, same place and you're invited! Live entertainment and free food.

Bring Guests: Please don't forget, we always welcome any guests to come with you. the more your family, friends, neighbors, business associates or anyone who has an interest in Parkinson's disease can learn about Parkinson's disease, the more support they can provide. We always students from our universities and colleges too!

To contact us: Please call us between the hours of 10:00am and 8:00pm on 803-604-0061/803-781-6193

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link


Monday, December 02, 2013

Spotlight on Some New Additions to the CDR!

Choosing Education Goals– Teacher’s Manual and Student Lessons
“The lessons and materials in each package provide students school and community-based experiences to help them identify their interests, skills, and limits. The lesson sequence is flexible to fit into the school's existing curriculum and schedule. A student video entitled, Choosing Goals to Plan Your Life, introduces the concepts by showing high school students using the choosing goal process across the three transition areas.”

Choosing Personal Goals– Teacher’s Manual
"The lessons and materials in each package provide students school and community-based experiences to help them identify their interests, skills, and limits. The lesson sequence is flexible to fit into the school's existing curriculum and schedule. A student video entitled, Choosing Goals to Plan Your Life, introduces the concepts by showing high school students using the choosing goal process across the three transition areas"



Take Action: Making Goals Happen, Grades 6-12
“Educators use the Take Action lessons to teach students the crucial skills for attaining their goals. The lesson package consists of a student video, Take Action, teacher lessons plans, and student worksheets. Students learn to break their long-term goals into short-term goals that can be accomplished in a short time period. Lessons teach students to plan how they will attain their goal by deciding: a standard for goal performance. a means to get feedback among other goals"

Transitions to High School:DVD and Instructional material for students with learning differences
"In an unscripted interview format, five high school students with specific learning disabilities and/or attention deficit disorder speak about their school and transition experiences. Juxtaposed with their comments two years earlier, the students outline the steps to a successful transition from elementary or middle school to high school.”


Health, safety, and Nutrition for the Young Child
"Research-based information has been used to make practical suggestions. for promoting the well-being of young children in this best-selling book on the subject. Health, Safety & Nutrition for the Young Child emphasizes the critical relationship that exists among these three areas and the important role teachers and parents play in helping children establish healthy lifestyles.”

Steps to Self-Determination - Helping Adolescents Learn to Achieve their Goals
"Steps to Self-Determination is focused on helping students gain knowledge and skills that will allow them to increase their ability to achieve their goals in a variety of environments. This Instructor’s Guide for the Steps to Self-Determination curriculum includes an introductory section and lesson plans”
To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link

Friday, November 29, 2013

Autism in Children Affects Not Only Social Abilities, But Also a Broad Range of Motor and Sensory Skills


 
A group of investigators from San Diego State University's Brain Development Imaging Laboratory are shedding a new light on the effects of autism on the brain.
   
The team has identified that connectivity between the thalamus, a deep brain structure crucial for sensory and motor functions, and the cerebral cortex, the brain's outer layer, is impaired in children with autism spectrum disorders.

The thalamus is a crucial brain structure for many functions, such as vision, hearing, movement control and attention. In the children with autism, the pathways connecting the cerebral cortex and thalamus were found to be affected, indicating that these two parts of the brain do not communicate well with each other. "This impaired connectivity suggests that autism is not simply a disorder of social and communicative abilities, but also affects a broad range of sensory and motor systems," Müller said.

To read the report in full go to http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130625141216.htm
Free access to the article can be found at http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/136/6/1942.full

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link

Thursday, November 28, 2013

SC Assistive Technology Expo 2014


http://www.sc.edu/scatp/expo/expo14.html

          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.

When: Wednesday, March 26, 2014, 9am-4pm
Where: Brookland Banquet and Conference Centre, 1066 Sunset boulevard, West Columbia, SC, 29169

To learn more, please click on the above title.
To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link




 

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Autism Affects Different Parts of The Brain in Men and Women


 
Autism affects different parts of the brain in females with autism than males with autism, a new study reveals.

Scientists at the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge used magnetic resonance imaging to examine whether autism affects the brain of males and females in a similar or different way. They found that the anatomy of the brain of someone with autism substantially depends on whether an individual is male or female, with brain areas that were atypical in adult females with autism being similar to areas that differ between typically developing males and females. This was not seen in men with autism.

"The findings suggest that we should not blindly assume that everything found in males with autism applies to females. This is an important example of the diversity within the 'spectrum' ...Autism as a whole is complex and vastly diverse, or heterogeneous, and this new study indicates that there are ways to subgroup the autism spectrum, such as whether an individual is male or female."

Free access to the article can be found at http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/136/9/2799.full

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Gene Linked to Common Intellectual Disability

University of Adelaide researchers have taken a step forward in unravelling the causes of a commonly inherited intellectual disability, finding that a genetic mutation leads to a reduction in certain proteins in the brain.
    
ARX is among the top four types of intellectual disability linked to the X-chromosome in males. So far, 115 families, including many large Australian families, have been discovered to carry an ARX  mutation that gives rise to intellectual disability.
"There is considerable variation in the disability across families, and within families with a single mutation. Symptoms among males always include intellectual disability, as well as a range of movement disorders of the hand, and in some cases severe seizures," says Associate Professor Cheryl Shoubridge, Head of Molecular Neurogenetics with the University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute.

"The discovery of this genetic link is an important step forward but there is still much work to be done. We're now looking further at the mechanism of the reduction in ARX protein and what that means for the brain at a functional level."

To read the article in full go to:
http://hmg.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2013/10/22/hmg.ddt503

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

Friday, November 22, 2013

NEWS! Two New Tutorials Available

School of Medicine Library faculty, Roz McConnaughy and Steve Wilson, received a $5,783 outreach follow-up award from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine Southeastern/Atlantic Region for their Creating the InfoAble Portal project with the Columbia office of Family Connection, a support network for families who have children with special needs. With this award, six Family Connection offices will be interconnected with a videoconferencing system to improve access to technology for training sessions and support group meetings. In addition to developing tutorials for the InfoAble Portal and CDR Library, individuals from each of the Family Connection offices will receive in-person training in the use of these information resources and services.

As part of the “Creating the InfoAble Portal” Follow-Up Award, two new tutorials have recently been made available for the InfoAble Portal and the Center for Disability Resources Library.

To learn more, please click on the above title.

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

 
Last year, Family Connection South Carolina were able to provide 2,393 parent to parent matches. That is one-to-one support around a particular child's diagnosis or parent's greatest concern. For some of the families they were able to a national search for them if it was a rare of unusual diagnosis or circumstance. Of the families that were provided with support, 1,135 received a home visit to provide intensive 1:1 on asthma or on beginning a journey with an infant or toddler with developmental delays.
 
All this support is able to be provided thanks to the kind and generous donations of friends and family of Family Connection South Carolina. Family Connection South Carolina would like for you to continue to make a difference in the lives of SC children with special healthcare needs or disabilities by considering to make a donation this year.



To learn more, please click on the above title.
To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

SSB BART Group Webinars


Don't Miss the Last Webinars of 2013!
All SSB webinars are free to attend and closed captioning is provided 


Adobe InDesign Accessibility Basics      
Thursday, November 21st - 2:00-2:45 p.m. EST     Register Now!
Creating accessible PDF documents in compliance with laws and standards such as WCAG and Section 508 not only allows your content to be available to the widest possible audience, but also plays a key role in optimizing documents for successful indexing by internet search engines. Utilizing accessibility features in Adobe InDesign documents will save content authors significant time and effort when converting to PDF. This overview webinar will look at:
  • Methods to implement accessibility into InDesign documents
  • The process of converting InDesign documents to Acrobat PDF
  • Recognizing and repairing additional accessibility issues after conversion 

2014 Accessibility Trends
Tuesday, December 3rd - 2:00-2:45 p.m. EST     Register Now!
Don't miss this comprehensive look at key trends and developments expected for ICT Accessibility in 2014. SSB BART Group CEO Tim Springer will share projections in three key areas:
  • Legal U.S. domestic market developments under the ADA, Section 508, CVAA and other requirements, as well as international legal progress
  • Technology Key development paradigms and platform updates
  • Users Demographic changes and improvements in assistive technology

Document Accessibility for Federal Government 
Wednesday, December 11th - 2:00-2:45 p.m. EST     Register Now!
This webinar, tailored for Federal Government, will provide a comprehensive overview of the key drivers for providing accessible electronic communications and documents for users with disabilities. Experts from SSB and Actuate will cover:
  • Current legal requirements for the Federal Government imposed by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
  • Common challenges facing government agencies required to provide customer communications in accessible formats
  • Practical solutions for low-volume document creation and remediation
  • Actuate's server-based software solution for high-volume communication document creation
To learn more, please click on the above title.
To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.


Friday, November 15, 2013

"AMPLIFY! LIFE" - Grab Life by the Phone


"AMPLIFY! LIFE" - Grab Life by the Phone


Date: Tuesday, November 19th, 2013
Time: 9:00am – 11:00am
Location:
Assistive Technology Resource Center, 
Midlands Center, 
8301 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC

Presenter:
Jordyn Funderburk, Equipment and Outreach Specialist 
South Carolina Equipment Distribution Program (SCEDP)

Description: 
SCEDP is a state supported, non-income based program administered by the SC Office of Regulatory Staff.

SCEDP is aware of the daily challenges facing individuals who are hearing or speech impaired.  Telecommunications equipment distributed by SCEDP is carefully chosen to cover various needs and is distributed at no cost to qualifying South Carolinians.  Qualifying disabilities are:  hard-of-hearing, deaf, deaf-blind, blind/low vision with hearing loss, or speech impaired.   

Participants will:

Learn the procedure to apply for telecommunications equipment available through SCEDP.
Have the opportunity to have hands-on use of the various pieces of telecommunications equipment distributed by SCEDP.
Learn about hearing loss and how it affects everyone involved in that individual’s life.
Emphasis is placed on helping individuals become more independent through use of this free, state supported program.  SCEDP classes are presented on PowerPoint to facilitate a stress-free learning environment for attendees who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. 

ASL interpreters are available upon request. 

Attendance is limited to 15.
Cost:  There is no fee to register for this class, but pre-registration is required. 

To register for this workshop:

Complete the Amplify Life! Grab Life by the Phone online registration form.
For questions, call Will McCain at (803) 935-5004 or Lydia Durham at (803) 935-5263 or 800-915-4522.

To learn more, please click on the above title.
To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Universal Design for Learning Workshop




There are still spaces available in both the morning and the afternoon sessions of the Universal Design for Learning workshop offered on November 20th in Columbia.  

UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING
Date: Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Time:  9:00am – 11:00am OR 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Location:
SC Assistive Technology Resource Center
Poplar Building, Midlands Center
8301 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC

Description: This is an introduction to the concepts of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Participants will be given examples on how to incorporate UDL into their teaching practices and additional resources for further exploration. This session will help meet the diverse needs of your students and develop an awareness of how to reduce barriers to curriculum.

Cost: Free, but pre-registration is required.

To register for this workshop:


SC Assistive Technology Advisory Webinars




Date: Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Time: 3:00 pm
Location: Webinar (further information will be sent following registration)
Presenter: Freedom Scientific
Description:
Join us as Freedom Scientific gives an overview of creating accessible documents for JAWS or MAGic users. We will briefly look at how including headings for navigation in Word, as well as other things, can help JAWS users navigate more efficiently in documents. Do you know how to create column and row headers for Word tables that will read automatically for JAWS users? Can you create column and row headers in Excel that read automatically for JAWS users? You don't even have to own JAWS or MAGic to create accessible headers for Word tables or Excel ranges. JAWS takes advantage of the bookmark feature in Word and the define names feature in Excel to accomplish this. We will also discuss do's and don'ts for creating accessible PowerPoint presentations. On the Web, screen reader and screen magnification users can use headings, ARIA 
To register for this workshop:

Legal Considerations for Web and Information Technology Accessibility

Date: Thursday December 5, 2013
Time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Location: Webinar (logon information will be sent)
Speakers:
Robin Wheeler, Attorney,  Access to Justice
Janet Jendron, SC ATAC Web Accessibility Committee Chair
Description:
Understanding the myths and realities of US law is important when it comes to web accessibility.

This webinar will cover
  • People and devices affected by poorly designed web sites
  • Broad concepts on how to make your site both accessible and usable
  • State and Federal requirements for accessibility.
  • Suits/complaints brought against agencies and companies
We'll also cover the following laws:
  • Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
  • Americans with Disabilities Act - ADA
  • Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act - IDEA
  • Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act
To register for this workshop:


To learn more, please click on the above title.
To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

WW: Universal Design for Learning


WW: Universal Design for Learning


Date: Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Time:  9:00am – 11:00am OR 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Location:
SC Assistive Technology Resource Center
Poplar Building, Midlands Center
8301 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC

Presenter:
Kathleen Heiss, M.Ed, ATP
SC Dept of Education Assistive Technology Specialist          

Description: This is an introduction to the concepts of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Participants will be given examples on how to incorporate UDL into their teaching practices and additional resources for further exploration. This session will help meet the diverse needs of your students and develop an awareness of how to reduce barriers to curriculum.

This workshop has a maximum of 15 participants.
This training is in the Assistive Technology Resource Center, so no food or drink please.

Cost: Free, but pre-registration is required.

To register for this workshop:
Complete the Universal Design for Learning online registration form.  Choose morning or afternoon.
For questions, call Will McCain at (803) 935-5004 or Lydia Durham at (803) 935-5263 or 800-915-4522.

To learn more, please click on the above title.
To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

2013 TASH Conference


2013 TASH Conference

For more than 37 years, the TASH Conference has impacted the disability field by connecting attendees to innovative information and resources, facilitating connections between stakeholders in the disability movement, and helping attendees reignite their passion for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of community life.
The TASH Conference is attended by professors and researchers, public policy workers, special and general educators, school administrators, self-advocates, family members, adult service providers, students, and a variety of other professionals and advocates. Each year, the TASH Conference is the one place where stakeholders from every aspect of the disability community come together to learn, share and grow in our collective effort to advance inclusion and human rights for people with significant disabilities.

To learn more, please click on the above title.
To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Association Newsletter

http://www.scspinalcord.org/
 
 
The South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Association Newsletter is here!


To view the newsletter, click here.
If you would prefer to receive a hard copy, please email 
info@scspinalcord.org.



To learn more, please click on the above title.
To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.


 

Greenville County School District Surplus Action - Pediatric Equipment

Greenville Co. School District Surplus Auction
 
ABSOLUTE NO RESERVE AUCTION!
 
When: Wednesday November 20th, 2013
Time: 11 a.m. (preview 10 a.m. auction day only)
Where: School District Warehouse. 2 Space Dr., Taylors, SC, 29687
 
Restaurant Equipment, Food Service Items, Auto Repair Equipment, Shop Equipment, Special Education Items, Musical Instruments & Misc. Supplies
 

 
 
 
 
To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.
 

EASI Webinars on Functional Contrasted to Technical Accessibility



 

EASI Free Webinar The Low Hanging Fruit of Web Accessibility

Nov 18 11 Pacific noon Mountain 1 Centraland 2 PM Eastern (all standard time!)
Presenter: Terrill Thompson
Technology accessibility specialist Terrill Thompson will share a few simple steps that anyone can take to improve the accessibility and usability of their websites and electronic documents.
Register for this Webinar on Nov. 18 with Terrill Thompson

EASI Webinar: Practical Web Accessibility

Nov 14 11 Pacific noon Mountain 1 Central and 2 PM Eastern (all standard time!)
Presenter: Jared Smith
It's easy to get caught up in the technical aspects of web accessibility and overlook practical principles and techniques that often have a bigger impact on the end user experience. This webinar will help everyone take a step back and view accessibility with a new perspective that focuses on the user experience and practicality, while using guidelines, tools, and techniques to help us achieve high levels of accessibility.
Use this link to register for the Nov. 14 Webinar with Jared Smith

EASI Webinar: Even Easier Captions with YouTube

Mon. Dec. 2 at 11 Pacific, noon Mountain, 1 Central and 2 PM Eastern (standard!)
Presenter: Ken Petri
With continually improving speech recognition and new tools to assist the captioning process, YouTube has become (if it wasn't already) the DIY captioner's best friend. This one-hour, free webinar will review and demonstrate recent improvements to YouTube's built-in captioning tools. The webinar also will go over how to use YouTube as a core component for captioning material delivered outside of YouTube. In addition, accessibility of the YouTube player itself will be discussed, along with mention of tools content producers can leverage to enhance video accessibility for everyone.
Register for the December 2 Webinar on YouTube


To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.
 

Friday, November 08, 2013

Choosing the Best Assistive Technology for Your Child and Your Budget


Assistive Technology Seminar for Literacy Skills:
Choosing the Best Assistive Technology Solutions
for Your Child and Your Budget

When: Friday, November 22, 2013
Time: RSVP for the time that suits your schedule.
12 – 1:30 PM or 3:30 – 5 PM
Cost: Free 
Registration: Tracey Ely tectracey@gmail.com or 803-252-5051
Meeting Location: AT Resource Center located in the Poplar Building on Midlands Center Campus
Use your GPS or Mapquest to find 8301 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC. You will see a small sign that says “Midlands Center.”
Upon arriving at Midlands Center Campus, follow these directions to the SC Assistive Technology Resource Center:
- Turn at the entrance to Midlands Center onto Azalea Avenue
- Pass Crape Myrtle Drive on the left and MC Evergreen Drive on the right
- Turn left onto MC Poplar Drive and park
- Go in the entrance of the Developmental Pediatric Clinic
- The AT Resource Center is across the hall from the waiting room - Room A 128
If you don’t use GPS or MapQuest, you will find detailed driving directions to the SC AT Resource Center at our website:http://www.sc.edu/scatp/directions.htm.

To learn more, please click on the above title.
To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

Assistive Technology Online Network





Assistive Technology Network has just had an article published in the AT Journal about the Assistive Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) and the Web Testers Program.  The online issue is dedicated to “Web Accessibility Growing Pains.”

Below is a list of the articles in this issue; many of them might be of interest:

To learn more, please click on the above title.
To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

Thursday, November 07, 2013

"AMPLIFY! LIFE" - Grab Life by the Phone


"AMPLIFY! LIFE" - Grab Life by the Phone


Date: Tuesday, November 19th, 2013
Time: 9:00am – 11:00am
Location:Assistive Technology Resource Center,
Midlands Center,
8301 Farrow Road, Columbia, SC
Presenter:Jordyn Funderburk, Equipment and Outreach Specialist
South Carolina Equipment Distribution Program (SCEDP)
Description: 
SCEDP is a state supported, non-income based program administered by the SC Office of Regulatory Staff.
SCEDP is aware of the daily challenges facing individuals who are hearing or speech impaired.  Telecommunications equipment distributed by SCEDP is carefully chosen to cover various needs and is distributed at no cost to qualifying South Carolinians.  Qualifying disabilities are:  hard-of-hearing, deaf, deaf-blind, blind/low vision with hearing loss, or speech impaired.   
Participants will:
  • Learn the procedure to apply for telecommunications equipment available through SCEDP.
  • Have the opportunity to have hands-on use of the various pieces of telecommunications equipment distributed by SCEDP.
  • Learn about hearing loss and how it affects everyone involved in that individual’s life.
Emphasis is placed on helping individuals become more independent through use of this free, state supported program.  SCEDP classes are presented on PowerPoint to facilitate a stress-free learning environment for attendees who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. 
ASL interpreters are available upon request. 
Attendance is limited to 15.
Cost:  There is no fee to register for this class, but pre-registration is required. 
To register for this workshop:
To learn more, please click on the above title.
To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.