Did you know that May is Older Americans Month?  If you know someone facing challenges due to aging, consider assistive technology.  Maybe they could use a grab bar for the tub, or some adaptive cooking utensils.  We’ve gathered up a list of items from MaxiAids to give you an idea of what might be helpful to a person who is aging.

Low Vision Calender

Low Vision Calender from MaxiAids

Low Vision Calender from MaxiAids

“What is today’s date?”  This calender is perfect for being able to know the date just by glancing at it.  Its large numbers are easy to read and you can hang it on the wall or prop it up on your desk.

Jitterbug J Cell Phone

Jitterbug J from MaxiAids

Jitterbug J from MaxiAids

The more cell phones they come out with, the more complicated they are to use!  This Jitterbug cell phone is stripped of all the fancy extras that an older person might not care about anyway.  Every choice can be made by pressing the Yes or No buttons, the text on the screen is large print, and the speaker has reduced background noise for better sound quality.

Single Super Grip Handle

Single Super Grip by MaxiAids

Single Super Grip by MaxiAids

This piece of assistive technology can help you get in and out of the tub easily, without fear of slipping.  Its sturdy suction cup will attach to a smooth surface by pressing it down and flipping the switch.  Get a grip!

Voice Recording Key Finder

Voice Recording Key Finder by MaxiAids

Voice Recording Key Finder by MaxiAids

You will never lose your keys again with this great device.  All you have to do is whistle and this key chain will beep to help you find it.  You can also record short reminders about where you parked, or driving directions.

Tomato/Onion Slicing Guide

Tomato/Onion Slicer by MaxiAids

Tomato/Onion Slicer by MaxiAids

Slicing up veggies can be tricky if you don’t want to cut your fingers.  This guide will hold your food in place and prevent injury while it helps you make consistent slices.

These are just a few examples offered by MaxiAids.  Didn’t see anything that suits you?  Check out their website and browse the many types of assistive technology devices available!

Click here to learn about the history of Older Americans Month.

Hands at 87 Years

Hands at 87 Years

There are an estimated 80 million Baby Boomers in the United States, and more than 8,000 people are turning the age of 60 each day. Aging can cause physiological changes, including vision and hearing loss and decreased mobility.

The INDATA Project at Easter Seals Crossroads is hosting a year-long series of free statewide “Demo Days” showcasing assistive technology devices for a wide variety of disabilities. The next “Demo Day” will feature devices that assist people as they age and will take place Thursday, June 3, at Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center, 3701 Bellemeade Ave., in Evansville.

To register for your free half-hour appointment during “Demo Day,” contact Carol Girt at 1-888-466-1314. Please register by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 2. If you are interested in learning about assistive technology devices for other disabilities, please contact Carol Girt.

A variety of devices will be demonstrated, with a particular emphasis on aging, including: phones, handheld magnifiers, handheld CCTVs, pill splitters, smart shoppers, card holders and TV ears.

The “Demo Day” gives those individuals who make an appointment the opportunity to experience an abbreviated one-on-one device demonstration, during which they learn how assistive technology can increase independence through a hands-on session with the many low-tech and high-tech assistive technology devices available.

In some cases, the assistive technology provided can ultimately determine whether someone is able to work outside of their home or attend a public school. In addition, that technology can be used to help better the interaction and communication between individuals and their families or friends.

Image of an Eye

Image of an Eye

WHAT: Indianapolis Vision Awareness Day

WHEN: Tuesday, June 8, 2010 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

WHERE: Easter Seals Crossroads (5th Floor), 4740 Kingsway Drive, Indianapolis, IN

Low Vision Awareness – Discover the benefits of video magnifiers, computer screen magnification software, technology that reads books, bills and mail aloud, and more!

Blindness Awareness – Learn about technology solutions for the blind: JAWS screen-reading software, the PAC Mate accessible Pocket PC, Braille displays, scanning and reading – and more!

Register for this free training by:

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.

Franklin Dictionary and Thesaurus

Franklin Dictionary and Thesaurus

Imagine the benefits of an electronic dictionary that corrects your spelling and talks to you.  You can type in a word you heard used in conversation, even if you don’t know how to spell it, and this device will use its phonetic spell corrector to show the right way to spell the word and give you its definition.  Or say that you come across a word in a book that you don’t know how to pronounce.  Type it in, learn the definition and hear it pronounced.

I’m talking about the Franklin Dictionary and Thesaurus.  This piece of assistive technology contains over 83,000 definitions and 41,000 thesaurus entries with 496,000 synonyms, games to help you build word skills, and more.  Let’s test out this assistive technology tool.

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Shelf loaded with books

Shelf loaded with books

Teachers- is your classroom accessible to all of your students?  Parents- does your child struggle to read standard print?  Now is the time to speak with your curriculum committee about acquiring textbooks in formats that everyone can read.

You may recall an earlier post we wrote about accessible formats for digital media, which also had a follow-up post.  Both posts are great resources for people who have difficulty reading standard print, whether they have vision loss, dyslexia, or a learning disability.  We would now like to focus on accessible classroom textbooks, and what kind of assistive technology you can use to read them.

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