TECHNOLOGY
This page has information on adaptive and assistive equipment and accessible technology for people with disabilities, including:
News
A Swiveling Proxy That Will Even Wear a Tutu, By Robbie Brown, New York Times, June 07, 2013
Regal to let deaf moviegoers see what they've been missing, By Richard Verrier, Los Angeles Times, May 07, 2013
Wheeling Beyond Limits: Add-ons For Your Chair, By Bob Vogel, New Mobility Magazine, May 2013
Accessible Information & Communications Technology and Social Media: Why They Matter, By Guest Blogger Mario Damiani, Policy Advisor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), U.S. Department of Labor, Disability Blog, March 25, 2013
Harkin introduces legislation to expand captioning and improve access to movies, From the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP Committee), March 13, 2013
Assistive Technology Promotes Independence for People in Nursing Facilities, By Guest Blogger Chava Kintisch, Staff Attorney and Assistive Technology Project Director, Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania, Disability Blog, March 13, 2013
TapTapSee Camera App for Visually Impaired, By Thomas C. Weiss, Disabled World, March 09, 2013
NPR Labs Lays Groundwork for Alerts for Deaf, By Leslie Stimson, Radio World, January 25, 2013
No buttons, no problem: Here’s how touchscreens work when you can’t see, By Geoff Duncan, Digital Trends, January 24, 2013
Deaf woman's eBay complaint highlights dispute over Web access for disabled, By Doug Gross, CNN, Jaunuary 10, 2013
Amputee scales 103 floors with mind-controlled 'bionic leg', By Greg Botelho, CNN, November 05, 2012
Don’t Leave Us Out!, By Guest Blogger Lauren E. Storck, Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director, Collaboration for Communication Access via Captioning (CCAC), Disability Blog, June 13, 2012
Apple Lineup To Become More Disability Friendly, By Shaun Heasley, Disability Scoop, June 12, 2012
Closed-Captions on the Web: An Unfinished Battle, By Josh Bejamin, AAPD Power Grid Blog, June 05, 2012
Clamp-On Power; Easier Pushing, By Mark E. Smith, New Mobility Magazine, June 2012
New Technologies in the Works to Detect Brain Injuries, By Lena Groeger, ProPublica, January 05, 2012
Advocacy Organizations and Informational Resources
The AbilityHub website will direct you to adaptive equipment and alternative methods available for accessing computers.
The mission of the Able Project is to provide a network where people with disabilities and their loved ones can effortlessly research, compare, locate and obtain mobility and assistive products, thereby helping them to lead more independent lives.
ABLEDATA provides objective information about assistive technology products and rehabilitation equipment available from domestic and international sources.
The Accessible Technology Coalition (ATC) is a project of the Center for Accessible Technology (CforAT) that provides information, training, and support to solve complex AT issues for the disability community
The disABILITY Information and Resources website offers hundreds of links to information on all kinds of assistive technology and much more.
Disability.gov is the federal government's one-stop Web site for information of interest to people with disabilities, their families, employers, service providers and many others. The Technology Section offers a wide range of information on accessibility, assistive and adaptive technology and laws and regulations related to technology.
EnableMart is the worldwide leader in assistive technology distribution. With customers in all 50 states and over 45 foreign countries, EnableMart provides over 3,000 assistive technology and assistive living devices from over 200 manufacturers. EnableMart's market leadership is the direct result of the goal to become an all inclusive source for assistive technology and assistive living devices.
The Family Center on Technology and Disability (FCTD) web site is a source full of assistive/instructional technology resources of interest to families of children with disabilities. The website offers access to monthly newsletters, online discussions moderated by nationally recognized experts, a database of FCTD members which is comprised of more than 3,500 disability organizations, a resource review database with hundreds of reviews of AT resources and more.
Freedom Scientific is the world’s leader in assistive and adaptive technology for individuals who are blind, or have low vision or learning disabilities. Their products include screen reading software for the blind, magnification software for those with low-vision, and other products for accessible scanning and reading, as well as braille displays, notetakers, and the world’s leading accessible PDA for the blind.
American Printing House for the Blind (APH) is the world's largest nonprofit organization creating educational, workplace, and independent living products and services for people who are visually impaired. APH manufactures textbooks and other educational publications for students who are visually impaired. APH also provides publications useful to adults, such as cookbooks and dictionaries. In addition, APH creates recorded books on a contract basis.
Guide to the Best Apps for People Living with Paralysis - The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation has compiled a list of apps for SmartPhones that benefit people living with paralysis of any kind. The list is constructed from a wide range of apps and includes those that were specifically created for wheelchair users as well as apps that might just improve the quality of life for anyone including people living with paralysis.
Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid (ITEM) Coalition - The ITEM Coalition is devoted to raising awareness and building support for policies that will enhance access to assistive devices, technologies and related services for people with disabilities and chronic conditions.
Infogrip, Inc. specializes in providing people with assistive technology, ergonomic products and training for a healthier and more productive way to interact with computers. The Infogrip website offers a wide variety of assistive technology devices and ergonomic products.
The Kansas Assistive Technology Co-operative (KATCO) provides Kansans with disabilities and their families access to financial resources for acquiring assistive technology. Families on fixed incomes, or who have credit problems related to disabilities, may qualify for loans. KATCO offers assistance with a combination of education, savings and low interest borrowing.
The National Public Website on Assistive Technology was created by Georgia Tech's Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA to provide access to information on Assistive technology (AT) devices and services as well as other community resources for people with disabilities and the general public.
Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) seeks to improve the potential of people with disabilities to achieve their goals through the use of technology. They serve that purpose by promoting research, development, education, advocacy and provision of technology; and by supporting the people engaged in these activities.
The Section508.gov - Opening Doors to IT web site is a comprehensive source of resources for understanding and implementing the requirements of Section 508 for both Federal employees and the public.
The Simon Technology Center (STC) is dedicated to making the benefits of technology more accessible to children and adults with disabilities. Through a collaborated effort involving parents, professionals, and consumers, the STC can provide numerous services for your family, as well as resources and informative answers to your questions.
USA TechGuide is a webguide to wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and assistive technology choices. You can read and submit wheelchair reviews, mobility scooter reviews, wheelchair cushion reviews, standing device reviews, and search The TechGuide for all types of assistive equipment.
The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies researches, evaluates and developes innovative wireless technologies and products that meet the needs and improve the quality of life and community participation of individuals with disabilities.
Publications
Home Use Devices: How to Prepare for and Handle Power Outages for Medical Devices that Require Electricity - As a home medical device user, it is important that your device works during a power outage and that you have a plan in place to ensure you know what to do. This completed booklet will help you have an established plan to obtain and organize your medical device information, take necessary actions so that you can continue to use your device, have the necessary supplies for the operation of your device, and know where to go or what to do during a power outage.
The Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act: Highlights of a New Landmark Communications Law - This law contains groundbreaking protections to enable people with disabilities to access broadband, digital and mobile innovations, including video programming on television and the Internet.
ABLEDATA Informed Consumer's Guide to Funding Assistive Technology - This guide discusses a broad range of potential sources of funding and funding information for assistive technology and provides lists of specific organizations and programs from which funding and funding information are available. The guide also discusses other sources of information on funding issues and organizations that assist people to find the funds that they need.