April 2013 Highlights
PROJECT WIDE NEWS
Announcements
Final
Countdown!
RESNA Catalyst Project’s AT & Employment Summit and Two
Project Director Meetings in Bethesda, Maryland May 6-9, 2013
A
webpage is now available for the 2013 AT Act Entities Directors
Meeting & AT for Employment Summit on the RESNA Catalyst Project
Website at www.resnaprojects.org/statewide/conference/directors2013.html.
Look for this webpage to become increasingly
populated with meeting information such as speaker bios, power point
presentations, CEU information, and a participant list. See you
in Bethesda soon!
New
RESNA Catalyst Project Publication: “Small
Investments, Big Returns”
"Small
Investments, Big Returns", is a new publication that looks at
how vocational rehabilitation agencies
partner with Alternative Financing Programs.
The
programs from Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Arkansas are highlighted.
Download a copy today on the RESNA Catalyst Project Website at
http://www.resnaprojects.org/documents/AFPprintDocInfo.php?ID=592.
New
Blog available on AT for Employer Web
Portal
http://atconnects.com/resources/at-for-employers/blog.
The Assistive Technology for Employers and Businesses Web Portal has
added an AT for Employers Blog.
The Blog is set up for you to submit
web postings that are relevant to AT and getting people with
disability employed.
In addition, this Blog can be used to submit
original articles pertaining to the subject.
To post on the AT for
Employers Blog, submit your posts to pgalonsky@rensa.org.
Special thanks to Jay Gay, Director
of IPAT, for
submitting a post about an online Veterans Employment
Toolkit aimed at helping facilitate success for Veterans with
disability in the workplace.
ATIA
& RESNA Catalyst Project May Webinars
ATIA
has an exciting lineup of webinars for May! Just enter the RESNA
Catalyst Project Code: CATPR13 for complimentary access to Live
Broadcast and Archived Recording webinars. For more details on the
ATIA
webinars for AT Act Programs
under the RESNA Catalyst Project, visit:
http://www.atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=4350.
Do
you have a looming deadline for completion of CEU requirements ATIA
has a solution. Every webinar includes complimentary CEUs!
CEUs
for RESNA Catalyst Project Webinars
The
RESNA Catalyst Project offers CEUs for most live and archived webinar
sessions. The RESNA Catalyst Project is an approved authorized
provider for CEU credits by the International
Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).
You can receive 0.1 CEUs for a sixty to ninety minute webinar.
There
is a $16 fee to receive credits for each webinar.
To learn more
about CEUs or to apply for CEUs from an archived webinar, contact
Paul Galonsky, pgalonsky@resna.org.
Upcoming
Events
Save
the Date! August
21, 2013, 3:00-4:30p.m. Eastern: Accessibility
of Web Information: Implications for how the Public and Private
Sector Conducts Business
The
RESNA Catalyst Project, Southwest ADA Center, and ADA National
Network will present a webinar on the accessibility of Web
information.
Look for more information on how to register for this
webinar soon.
Recent
Events
Two
RESNA Catalyst Project Sponsored Webinars
Webinar
One: Negotiating Access to Assistive Technology after High School:
Planning Strategies & Civil Rights- April
23, 2013
You can
view the recording of this webinar at
www.adaconferences.org/RESNA/Archives.
Webinar
Two: Security Screening and Traveling with Assistive Technology-
April 25, 2013
You
can view the recording of this webinar at
http://www.resnaprojects.org/statewide/webedarchive.html.
AT
for Employment Work Group Call, Thursday, April 18, 2013
The
AT for Employment Work Group call provided opportunities for
participants to get briefed on national updates related to AT for
Employment, as well as opportunities to share what is happening in
each program. Listen
to an archive of this call at the RESNA Catalyst Project’s AT
for Employment Work Group Webpage at
http://www.resnaprojects.org/crossprograms/employment/workgroup.html.
Next Work Group call: Thursday,
June 27, 2013, 3:00-4:00p.m. Eastern Time
STATEWIDE
AT PROGRAMS
Upcoming
Events
Save
the Date: Statewide
AT Program New Directors Webinar/Call- May 23, 2013, 3-4:00p.m.
Eastern
The
New Directors call takes place every other month. Under
the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (AT Act), as amended, statewide
AT programs must establish and maintain advisory councils to help
plan, implement, and evaluate activities. This upcoming
webinar/call will feature information on advisory councils, found in
the second module of the New Director’s Curriculum
(http://www.resnaprojects.org/statewide/newdirectors/mod2advcouncils.html).
This call will also allow time for new directors to discuss issues
they are currently facing.
All
new and veteran statewide AT directors are welcome to
participate! Reserve
your Webinar Seat Now at:
https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/751958623.
PAAT
PROGRAMS
Announcements
Jim
Sheldon to Co-Present at AFP Directors Meeting On May 7th,
Prior to Employment Summit, Bethesda, Maryland
The
RESNA Catalyst
Project’s Employment Summit will take place in Bethesda on May
8th
and 9th.
Prior to the Summit, the Alternative Financing Program Directors
will meet for a one day conference on the 7th.
Jim Sheldon
of the National AT Advocacy Project will join Susan Tachau, Director
of the Pennsylvania AFP for a session covering current legal issues
facing alternative financing programs.
The session will be built
around questions posed by others in the AFP network.
AT-Related
Training Offered at the National Disability Rights Network
Conference, June 3-6, 2013, San Antonio, Texas
-
For more information
or to register for conference, see
http://www.ndrn.org/en/events/events-calendar/icalrepeat.detail/2013/06/03/22/-/ndrn-2013-annual-meeting-june-3-june-6.html
(referenced on page as NDRN Annual Meeting)
-
Preparation of a
Medicaid Assistive Technology Case: From Fair Hearing to State Court
Judicial Review
(Monday,
6/3/13 Institute)
Presenters:
Diana
M. Straube & James R. Sheldon, National AT Advocacy Project;
Marge Gustas, NY PAAT Project; and Jennifer Giesen, Minnesota P&A;
Project (the presentations will be built around a case where funding
is sought for an FES cycling machine)
- A
Simulated Interview and Simulated Case Review
(Wednesday,
June 5, 2013, 3:30 to 5:00) – using AT-related case scenario
Presenters:
Diana M.
Straube and James R. Sheldon, National AT Advocacy Project; Marge
Gustas, NY PAAT Project; Edward Myers, Arizona Center for Disability
Law; and Ron Hager, NDRN
-
Using AT to
Promote Independent Living:
Brainstorming on How to Fund It
(Thursday,
June 6, 1:30 to 3:00)
Presenters:
Diana M.
Straube and James R. Sheldon, National AT Advocacy Project; Edward
Myers, Arizona Center for Disability Law
-
Handouts will be
available for those who cannot attend.
Now
Available through our AT Resource Library (contact Diana Straube for
copies, dstraube@nls.org)
-
Medicare hearing
decision awarding funding for a standing wheelchair.
(Funding of
standing wheelchairs continues to be a focus of project.)
-
Bibliography of
journal articles and related materials to support medical benefits
of FES cycling.
-
Briefs in the
Koenning
v. Janek Medicaid
standing wheelchair case pending in US Court of Appeals, Fifth
Circuit.
Also available at
www.nls.org/Disability/NationalAssistiveTechnologyProject/WhatsNew
New
or Updated Publications
Work,
Assistive Technology, and State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies --
The VR Agency’s Obligation to Fund AT to Support Employment
Preparation,
by Ron Hager of the National Disability Rights Network,
is
now available on our website:
http://www.nls.org/files/Disability%20Law%20Hotlines/National%20AT%20Advocacy/VRFundingofAT2013.pdf.
This 44-page publication fully updates and replaces a similar
publication done by Ron Hager in 1999 when he worked with
Neighborhood Legal Service (Ron continues to work with us through the
National Disability Rights Network with a focus on AT-related special
education and vocational rehabilitation issues).
This is part of our
Funding of AT manual series (see
www.nls.org/Disability/NationalAssistiveTechnologyProject/FundingofATManualSeries).
ALTERNATIVE
FINANCING AND TELEWORK LOAN PROGRAMS
Announcements
Thank
you Programs for Submitting FY12 Data
This
data set is now being reviewed for accuracy and any possible errors,
and a compilation will be available soon.
Teleconference
Series Schedule for 2013
You’ve
spoken – and we’ve listened!
Based on your needs
assessment and feedback you’ve given us at the Catalyst
Project, we have created a draft teleconference schedule for 2013.
Subject to change:
June
18th
2pm – Preparing for RSA Review
July
16th
2pm – Collaborating with other AT Act Programs
August
21st
2pm – Needs Assessment for 2014
Upcoming
Events
Multiple
Approaches to Serving Client Needs – May 21st
2:00p.m. Eastern
Program representatives will be speaking on their successes in
providing wrap-around resources to clients and applicants to AFPs and
other loan programs.
Examples will be included to highlight the
benefit of multiple funding streams to minimize hardship to those
coming to us for assistance.
To join this call please call
1-800-351-6810 with pass code 80573760#.
Recent
Events
Financial
Literacy Part I - March 19th
This
teleconference introduced loan program directors and staff to
financial literacy as an option for loan programs.
Kathy Gilman from
Washington spoke about how financial literacy training has been
successfully incorporated into AFP and other loan programs, and how
this can strengthen the integrity and portfolio of a program.
This
call was recorded and archived on the RESNA Catalyst website at
http://www.resnaprojects.org/documents/AFPprintDocInfo.php?ID=589.
Data
Work Group Call – March 12th
12:00p.m. Eastern
The
Data Work Group held its monthly meeting to discuss and develop
recommendations for changes to the MIS 662.
To join this Work Group
please contact Jason Luciano at jluciano@resna.org.
OTHER
RESOURCES
Assistive
Technology Survey for Orthopedically Impaired Students
Felix
Diaz, a retired US Army veteran and a teacher serving as the Testing
Coordinator at Miami Jackson Senior High School in Miami Florida, is
presently engaged in a dissertation as part of the requirements for
his PhD in Computing in Education from Nova Southeastern University
in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Felix is requesting assistance in completing
a short survey on the use of assistive technology to aid
orthopedically impaired (OI) students’ writing and note-taking
in the inclusive high school classroom. The intent is to determine
the pervasiveness of the use of speech recognition software to aid OI
students in U.S. high schools. The survey can be completed in five
minutes or less. Please access the survey at
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8KPLLW8.
For questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact Felix at
mjfdiaz@bellsouth.net
or at 305-634-2621, extension 2151.
AT
Radio & Podcasts in Indiana
INDATA
has launched an internet
radio station.
AssistiveTechnologyRadio.com
broadcasts 24/7 and includes a wide variety of AT programs.
Programs include INDATA’s two podcasts as well as various AT
training sessions.
To view
and listen to the growing list of episodes, visit:
http://www.eastersealstech.com/on-air/.
INDATA
will include audio content from other AT projects.
To
submit radio content or to learn more about INDATA's AT radio and
podcasts contact Wade Wingler at wwingler@eastersealscrossroads.org.