Newsflash: New Products!

Assistive Technology Products, AT Basics, AT Loan Library, Easter Seals Crossroads, INDATA No Responses »
Feb 022012

Every Monday, the entire INDATA teams gets together to talk about new products, services and ideas we hear about and discover over the previous week. One such meeting yielded such awesome products that we couldn’t wait to share them with you. The following is a list of items you should know about that help make many activities easier, from working on your iPad on the go or taking notes in class, these products will make the cumbersome more efficient and the mundane ever so cool.

Arc Touch Mouse ($59.95)

So much more than just a nice looking device, this mouse’s design can be used just about anywhere. From hard wood to carpet, its reliable wireless freedom let’s you retain wireless control of your computer up to 30 feet away. The mouse comes out of the box flat like a sheet of paper. To get started, curve the mouse upwards and smoothly glide your finger up or down the scroll pad to scan through documents or move up and down the page. To turn the mouse off, flatten the mouse and slip it into your pocket or desk drawer as easily as your mobile.

IRISnotes (Price Varies depending on edition)

This device takes the art of writing to a new level. With IRISnotes, you can capture handwritten notes and drawings, as well as edit, save and export them. The writing can be instantly converted into editable text in a variety of languages. Simply write your notes, upload them via your computer’s USB port and start editing using the provided software suite or your favorite software. This pen is ideal for students jotting down notes in class and going back to review them later on their computer.

Celluon Magic Cube ($170-$180)

While the idea of a laser keyboard may sound too futuristic to be true, this little device is indeed reality. The Cube is a compact, ultra-portable full-sized virtual computer keyboard that can be used in sync with your laptop, tablet, smartphone. The Cube is also compatible with Android and any device with Bluetooth HD support. The laser projection keyboard is ideal for those who have difficulty reaching and using a standard immobile keyboard. The adaptability of the keyboard is beneficial as well because the size of the keys can be adjusted with the positioning of the cube.

Stay tuned for more product information! Feel free to let us know of anything you have found helpful and think we should know about!

Posted by Anne at 10:05 am Tagged with: , , , ,

Squishy sounds...the Skoog

Accessibility Services, Assistive Technology Products, Easter Seals Crossroads, INDATA, News, Uncategorized No Responses »
Feb 012012

Courtesy of Skoogmusic.com

It’s squishy, it’s square and it’s smashable…any idea what it could be? Try the next great musical instrument for children with any combination of cognitive, physical or behavioral difficulties , the Skoog. Ideal for therapy, fun and creativity the Skoog makes playing and experimenting with music accessible for all.

Between 2003 and 2005, The Tapestry Partnership, out of Scotland, wanted to make something that would change the way children with profound physical and learning challenges engaged in learning. In collaboration with NESTA and The University of Edinburgh, Skoog was born. This new invention had three main objectives:

1. to use a universal interface that could sense fine or limited movements of the body, to make the instrument available to people with a wide range of abilities and disabilities
2. to promote a way of understanding and interpreting the musical meaning and expressivity of movement
3. to encourage a way of communicating this meaning and expressivity to a new, flexible and beautiful source of musical sound, offering the opportunity for learning, progression and profound creativity

By early 2008, the project had created a prototype instrument and by 2010 Skoogmusic was off the ground. It’s a bit magical in the sense that it can morph into virtually any instrument desired. From the flute to the electric guitar, anything is possible and can be played by any part of the body, making it great for children of all ages and abilities.

Shaped like a cube, with multicolored spheres on each side, the Skoog is robust and durable, and can respond to the hardest of hits and the softest of taps. In order to use it, simply plug the Skoog into the computer via the USB port and start to jam. The creators of the Skoog have even developed a software program that allows users to play with background music and along with well known songs. No need to be a professional musician with the Skoog, just be ready for a good time.

If you are interested in purchasing a Skoog, be sure to visit the site to view a location near you!

Posted by Anne at 10:04 am Tagged with: , , , , ,

Monday Tech Tip: Kindle Accessibility Part 2

Accessibility Reviews, Assistive Technology Products, AT Basics, Easter Seals Crossroads, INDATA, Uncategorized, Wade Wingler 2 Responses »
Jan 302012

To view Closed Captioning, click on the “CC” in the lower right corner of the video.

Having trouble viewing the video? Click here!

Click here to visit our archived videos

Posted by Anne at 10:04 am Tagged with: , , , , ,

Friday Podcast: Super Bowl 2012 Indianapolis and Accessibility for People with Disability

Accessibility Services, Assistive Technology Products, Easter Seals Crossroads, INDATA, INDATA Podcasts, News, Wade Wingler No Responses »
Jan 272012

Information from the INDATA Project is now available via podcast! Every Friday, the INDATA Project will release two podcasts featuring new assistive technology projects. The podcasts are available for viewing on the INDATA Project website and on iTunes. The “Assistive Technology Update” is a fast-paced weekly update for AT professionals and enthusiasts. The “Accessibility Minute” is designed for all listeners to provide assistive technology tips and tricks.

ATU035 – Super Bowl 2012 Indianapolis and Accessibility for People with Disabilities, Apple iBooks 2 (Digital Text Books)

AM035 – Accessible Parking and Hash Marked Parking Spots

Posted by Anne at 10:03 am Tagged with: , , , , ,

Helpful apps for iPhone

Accessibility Services, Assistive Technology Products, AT Basics, Easter Seals Crossroads, INDATA, iTunes, Mac, Uncategorized No Responses »
Jan 262012

There are literally hundreds of thousands of apps for the iPhone and other IOS devices. With so many options to choose from it can be difficult to pick which really do their job. The game gets trickier when you are a person living with a disability. The following list is a compilation of apps that are useful from areas like deaf and hard of hearing to cognitive issues to food allergies.

iComm-Free (iPhone)

Designed by a father with a disabled daughter, this app is ideal for both young children who can’t yet speak and children with disabilities. The child can choose what they need by looking at a set of images, for example if a child is hungry they can choose a banana.

Parking Mobility-Free (iPhone)

This app makes finding disabled parking places so much easier! By using the iPhones GPS capabilities, the app can clue you into the closest available spot. The more you use it and and update it, the more it helps others because you can mark accessible parking sports that are not currently on the map. You can also report violations of disabled parking abusers.

Sign Smith ASL Essential-$.99 (iPhone)

There are multiple versions of this app, the $.99 version offers over 100 signs for ASL words that you can use to learn sign language. Each word is accompanied by an animated person showing how to complete the sign movement. The Lite version is free and offers 20 words and the Ultimate version offers 1200 words for $4.99.

Deaftel

This app, while still in the early stages translates a hearing person’s voice into text during a phone call. Deaftel users can read and respond to the message with their keyboard. An animated figure informs users informs the recipient has picked up the phone and ended the call. Stay tuned, this app is sure to evolve with time!

Tap Tap- $2.99 (iPhone, iPod touch and iPad)

The app is designed to produce alerts when loud noises are made around the phone. The phone will begin to vibrate and flash alerts if there has been a loud noise or someone speaks in your direction. This app could be useful because it would help a user identify a knock at the door, an alarm sounding or that they are being addressed.

SoundAMP Lite-Free (iPhone, iTouch)

This little app does big things. Voted a top five medical app in 2010, it turns your iPhone into a listening device. It’s discrete and easy to use, simply plug in your buds to hear your friend, a lecture or your favorite radio station.

Food Additives 2-$3.99 (iPhone)

For some, consuming certain additives can be extremely hazardous and since so many foods these days have additives, it’s critical to know what is safe to eat. The app features a database of 450+ food additives and foods that contain them which is entirely self contained, which means no internet connection is needed to use it.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Reference-$.99 (iPhone)

When the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990 it gave all Americans the same rights, regardless of disabilities. The law, although helpful, is complex. If you’re frequently in positions where you need to cite the law or want to have a handy way to reference it, this app will help. It’s formatted into sections, just like the real bill, and includes several FAQs.

To view even more helpful apps make sure to check out atla.org and silvercross.com.

Posted by Anne at 10:04 am Tagged with: , , , , ,

Farming after the war: for some, it will never be the same

Accessibility Services, Assistive Technology Products, AT Basics, Easter Seals Crossroads, INDATA, Organizations, Wade Wingler No Responses »
Jan 242012

Courtesy of agrability.org

A recent White House report indicated that while only 17% of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, rural residents account for 44% of the military. These rural veterans and military officers are returning to their ranches, farms and rural communities with disabilities such as post traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) and brain injuries at high rates.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and currently serving 24 states nationwide, AgrAbility seeks to eliminate (or minimize) obstacles that inhibit success in production agriculture or agriculture related occupations. However, soldiers today are facing more obstacles after returning home because of the injuries they sustained abroad. Farming, as hard as it was before, is now even more difficult to do for veterans coming home.

Organizations, like AgrAbility, are working to raise public awareness about returning our soldiers back to some semblance of normal life after returning home with a disability. Whether it be a traumatic brain injury, cognitive difficulties or for example, Indiana AgrAbility, on which our very own Wade Wingler is an advisory council member, is partnering with the Department of Veterans Affairs office in Indianapolis to develop a workshop for veterans, VA workers and other professionals on opportunities in agriculture and the benefits of horticulture therapy for returning veterans. Steve Swain, the rurual rehabilitation specialist with Breaking New Ground/Indiana AgrAbility, said he has worked with several military veterans with disabilities and offered to share the following story of one such opportunity:

“One of those veterans was disabled during a parachute accident when his spinal cord exploded causing paralysis. Mr. Swain was asked to assist the veteran in determining possible employment options. In a meeting at his home, options were discussed which included raising produce on his property, a woodworking business, a hands-on engineering design business, and gunsmithing. The discussion also included what he liked to do; what he didn’t like to do; the support he had among family and friends; what resources were available both financial and in-kind; what potential assistive technology was available for him in each endeavor. Mr. Swain later followed up with the veteran and found that he had gone thru a number of difficulties but had come thru them and started a woodworking business which operated out of his home. With the determination shown, this veteran will continue to make progress and operate a successful business which will allow him to support his family.”

In order to successfully transition a veteran back into a civilian life, AgrAbility has created a toolkit of sorts, called Agricultural Tools, Equipment, and Buildings for Farmers and Ranchers with Physical Disabilities or, for short, The Toolbox, filled with information and resources that is now available online. Users can “explore” and “search” the online toolbox to discover supplier information, photos and video clips for certain products.

Posted by Anne at 10:03 am Tagged with: , , , ,
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