SWAAAC Resources

Other Assistive Technology Resources (as pulled from the SWAAAC website):

ABLEDATA - a searchable database of information about AT devices at NARIC, the National Rehabilitation Information Center.

ATA - Alliance for Technology Access (ATA) is a network of community-based Resource Centers along with developers, vendors and associates dedicated to providing information and support services to children and adults with disabilities. Their goal is to increase their use of standard, assistive, and information technologies. Check the site "Resources" section for useful materials.

ATIA - Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA)is dedicated to serve as the collective voice of the AT industry so that the best products and services are delivered to people with disabilities. Their site includes info about an annual AT conference in Orlando, a journal called
Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits, and links to AT in the news.

Assistive Technology Outcomes - a website at the University of Toronto focused on measuring the success of AT services.

Apple Computer Universal Access - a site with resources for modifying the use of Apple computers by students with disabilities.

AssistiveTech - information on AT devices and services created by Georgia Tech Center for AT and Environmental Access (CATEA) and supported by NIDRR, the National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

ATRC @ The University of Toronto - a website with excellent resources on a variety of computer access issues. The site contains resources, tutorials, etc.on the topic of AT

Blissymbolics Communication International - is a communication system originally developed by Charles K. Bliss for the purpose of international communication and later applied to the communication of children with physical disabilities.

Bloorview MacMillan Center/Toronto - a Canadian academic health organization associated with the University of Toronto that is dedicated to developing and researching AT and other services for children and youth with disabties.

CAMA - the Communication Aid Manufacturers Association (CAMA) is a non-profit organization of the world's leading manufacturers of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) software and hardware products. Their site includes links to the funding resources of manufacturers as well as Medicare and Medicaid.

CAST - a non-profit organization that uses technology to expand opportunities for all people, including those with disabilities and advocates a concept called "Universal Learning Design.". The site offers information on teaching and learning and policy and practices.

Closing the Gap, Inc - an information source working exclusively in the field of microcomputers and persons with disabilities in education and rehabilitation.. Their site includes information about their annual conferences in October in Minneapolis, an excellent resource directory, ongoing forums and archived information and articles from their bi-monthly publication.

Colorado Talking Book Library - A free service to Coloradans of all ages who are unable to read standard print material due to visual, physical or learning disabilities whether permanent or temporary. CTBL provides recorded, Braille and large-print books and magazines as well as a small collection of descriptive videos. The Library loans 4 track tapes players at no cost. Eligibility required.

Center for an Accessible Society - a communications clearing house providing journalists and others with quotable sources on national disability policy and independent living issues.

Center on Information Technology Accommodation - Section 508 requires that Federal agencies' electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities. The Center for Information Technology Accommodation (CITA) created this website to assist in educating about and implementing Section 508.

Center for Universal Design - a national resource on Universal Design at the University of North Carolina. Site resources include: explanations of the concept of UD, guides to wheelchair ramp design, constructing inclusive child care facilities, stock home plans, and more.

Center for Literacy and Disability Studies - a center at the University of North Carolina that is focused on addressing the literacy learning needs of students with disabilities of all ages.

CSUN Conference - the University of California Northridge has an excellent annual AT conference. The site includes information about their Center on Disabilities, their ongoing certification and training courses, and description of the resources offered to their university students with disabilities.

DO-IT - a national project located at the University of Washington focused on career preparation and college success for teens with disabilities who are interested in technology.

ERIC - the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education, produces the world’s premier database of journal and non-journal education literature. The website allows searching the ERIC bibliographic database of more than 1.1 million citations going back to 1966. More than 107,000 full-text non-journal documents (issued 1993-2004), previously available through fee-based services only, are now available for free.

Federal Resource Center for Special Education - Special and General Education Links. The site contains links to the US regional resource centers for special education and the implementation of IDEA.

Gallaudet University - a national resource center for deaf and hard of hearing children located at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. Site contains a product index, resources for classroom instruction and transition, cochlear implants, etc

Job Accommodation Network (JAN) - a national project for making work & workplaces accessible to persons with a wide range of disability. The site will be useful for those planning work sampling and vocational educational experiences for students with disabilities. Also accessible by phone at (800) 526-7234.

Lekotek Play Centers - a national non-profit organization that supports accessible play through toy lending libraries and compu-play centers. Site has useful resources on adapted toys and play for early childhood.

LD Resources - Richard Wanderman's collected resources & software for adapting reading, writing and math for students with learning disability. The site contains excellent resources and discussion areas.

Matching Person & Technology - the institute created by Dr. Marcia Scherer, which includes her tool (MPT) for creating match between consumer and AT devices, studies to validate its use, and links to her books and presentations.

Michigan State University Artificial Language Laboratory - the Artificial Language Laboratory (ALL) is an interdisciplinary research and teaching center established within the Department of Audiology and Speech Sciences at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.

Microsoft Accessibility Group - the Accessibility Group makes computers easier to use for people with special accessibility needs. The site has excellent explanations for how to use the built in accessiblity options in their operating systems, links to their guide for selecting products by type of impairment and videos and case studies useful in learning about AT.

National Center for Accessible Media - a national project located at WGBH in Boston that is focused on making the WWW, CD's, DTV and other electronic media accessible to everyone.

NCIP - the National Center to Improve Practice in Special Education through Technology, Media and Materials was originally developed under a grant from the US Dept of Education. Site resources includes: resources on using technology in special ed, videos of kids using AT, spotlights on using various types of AT such as word prediction, voice recognition, etc.

Project EASI - Equal Access to Software and Information is a national project located at the University of Rochester focused on computer access at the post- secondary level.

RESNA - the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America is an international organzation of professionals dedicated to the development, testing, and use of AT. A credentialing organization for practitioners, suppliers and engineers. One of the special interest groups within RESNA is SIG-11: on Computer Applications, which contains links to many useful resources.

NIDRR - National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research, the primary Federal funder of many AT projects, studies, and training programs.
Project Gutenberg - a volunteer-run Internet project that has produced over 15,000 free electronic texts or e-books. eBooks are older literary works that are in the public domain in the United States and may be freely downloaded and read, and redistributed for non-commercial use. See the online book catalog.

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic - a national organization that provides recorded textbooks on tape and CD format for students with visual impairments, physical disabilities and learning disabilities. Eligibility required along with a registration fee and annual fee.

State Tech Act Projects - a listing based of the federally funded Assistive Technology projects in each state. This info is useful when locating AT resources for student who is moving to another state.

The Trace Research & Development Center - The Center is a part of the College of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Their current projects include access to voting machines, automatic tellers, access to the WWW, and other form of electronic business communication and telecommunications media.


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