This document provides information about a training workshop on assistive technology for employment support professionals. It includes an agenda that covers assistive technology consideration processes, computer access options, mobile technologies, and ergonomics. Case studies are presented to demonstrate how to apply an assistive technology consideration guide. The goal is for participants to learn how to match consumer needs with technology solutions to support employment.
One of the fields that can be successfully applied to usability testing is neuroscience, which can be used in conducting long-term analyses on what a website’s usability would pose. I will explain how the human brain is implicated in each process used in usability.
In this workshop you will discover:
• What is usability and why is necessary for a software project;
• How an usability audit will be influenced by cultural background?
• Which are the basic questions to put when you start an usability audit?
Programming agents without a programming languageAryan Rathore
Programming Agents without a Programming Language
Agents have the potential to actively participate in accomplishing tasks, rather than serving as passive tools as do today's applications.
However, people do not want generic agents--they want help with their jobs, their tasks, their goals.
Agents must be flexible enough to be tailored to each individual.
The most flexible way to tailor a software entity is to program it.
The problem is that programming is too difficult for most people today.
Enjoy this overview of the services available from the Assistive Technology Services department at Advancing Opportunities. For more info, visit www.assistivetechnologycenter.org
One of the fields that can be successfully applied to usability testing is neuroscience, which can be used in conducting long-term analyses on what a website’s usability would pose. I will explain how the human brain is implicated in each process used in usability.
In this workshop you will discover:
• What is usability and why is necessary for a software project;
• How an usability audit will be influenced by cultural background?
• Which are the basic questions to put when you start an usability audit?
Programming agents without a programming languageAryan Rathore
Programming Agents without a Programming Language
Agents have the potential to actively participate in accomplishing tasks, rather than serving as passive tools as do today's applications.
However, people do not want generic agents--they want help with their jobs, their tasks, their goals.
Agents must be flexible enough to be tailored to each individual.
The most flexible way to tailor a software entity is to program it.
The problem is that programming is too difficult for most people today.
Enjoy this overview of the services available from the Assistive Technology Services department at Advancing Opportunities. For more info, visit www.assistivetechnologycenter.org
Natural Language Processing: L01 introductionananth
This presentation introduces the course Natural Language Processing (NLP) by enumerating a number of applications, course positioning, challenges presented by Natural Language text and emerging approaches to topics like word representation.
Assistive Technology use and effectiveness in higher education and the workplaceE.A. Draffan
This was produced for the ClaroLearning Conference - two workshops on the use of various technologies to support learning and various tasks in the workplace - specifically for those with specific learning difficulties including dyslexia.
Assistive Technology for Students with Moderate to Severe ImpairmentsSpectronics
These are the slides from the full-day Preconference Workshop presented by Amanda Hartmann, Speech Pathologist, Spectronics, for Special Educators as a part of the SPED Conference in Singapore, November 2014. It covers information on a variety of Assistive Technology to support Early Learning, Communication, Literacy, Behaviour and Social Skills.
Product development teams have people who focus on user experience, with responsibility for creating designs, content, and interaction that meet user expectations and provide enjoyable experiences. User experience practitioners know that making people successful is the best way to achieve product success. Some product development teams also have accessibility specialists who focus on making sure people with disabilities have access to designs, content, and interaction, but accessibility is typically a separate activity, in the engineering or QA phase. What if we joined these activities, such that UX included responsibility for the user experience for people with disabilities? And what if, as user experience designers, we welcome accessibility as a creative challenge?
In this workshop we cover universal design principles and design thinking activities to identify problems and explore creative and innovative solutions that benefit all users. We cover:
• Principles of Universal Design
• Design Thinking methodologies as applied to accessibility
• Accessible user experience principles and guidelines for creating good experiences for people with disabilities
• How to integrate responsibility for accessibility into product teams
• How to integrate practices to support accessibility into the product development lifecycle
Presented at WebVisions Barcelona on July 2, 2015: http://www.webvisionsevent.com
Personas are an important part of any design activity. But what do you do after the post-it notes have settled? How do you make your personas actionable? This presentation describes how you can lead your team beyond personas using customer journey mapping and design workshops to arrive at specific, testable design hypotheses
This presentation introduces technology and the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of it. How assistive technology hardware and software improve people's lives and give them so much freedom, regardless of their abilities. Next, it focuses on the cognitive issues and why UX Designers and Developers need to empathetic and consider specific points as they design and create accessible designs, also known as Universal Design. It closes with tips for designing with empathy and emphasizing the "Empathy is the next differentiator!"
In 2015 I gave a one-day workshop to a group of Technology/Engineering students. How to develop empathy using these practical methods and how to apply empathy in developing technology solutions to people's problems. This workshop can be given to any technology students.
Epistemic Interaction - tuning interfaces to provide information for AI supportAlan Dix
Paper presented at SYNERGY workshop at AVI 2024, Genoa, Italy. 3rd June 2024
https://alandix.com/academic/papers/synergy2024-epistemic/
As machine learning integrates deeper into human-computer interactions, the concept of epistemic interaction emerges, aiming to refine these interactions to enhance system adaptability. This approach encourages minor, intentional adjustments in user behaviour to enrich the data available for system learning. This paper introduces epistemic interaction within the context of human-system communication, illustrating how deliberate interaction design can improve system understanding and adaptation. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate the potential of epistemic interaction to significantly advance human-computer interaction by leveraging intuitive human communication strategies to inform system design and functionality, offering a novel pathway for enriching user-system engagements.
Why You Should Replace Windows 11 with Nitrux Linux 3.5.0 for enhanced perfor...SOFTTECHHUB
The choice of an operating system plays a pivotal role in shaping our computing experience. For decades, Microsoft's Windows has dominated the market, offering a familiar and widely adopted platform for personal and professional use. However, as technological advancements continue to push the boundaries of innovation, alternative operating systems have emerged, challenging the status quo and offering users a fresh perspective on computing.
One such alternative that has garnered significant attention and acclaim is Nitrux Linux 3.5.0, a sleek, powerful, and user-friendly Linux distribution that promises to redefine the way we interact with our devices. With its focus on performance, security, and customization, Nitrux Linux presents a compelling case for those seeking to break free from the constraints of proprietary software and embrace the freedom and flexibility of open-source computing.
In his public lecture, Christian Timmerer provides insights into the fascinating history of video streaming, starting from its humble beginnings before YouTube to the groundbreaking technologies that now dominate platforms like Netflix and ORF ON. Timmerer also presents provocative contributions of his own that have significantly influenced the industry. He concludes by looking at future challenges and invites the audience to join in a discussion.
Dev Dives: Train smarter, not harder – active learning and UiPath LLMs for do...UiPathCommunity
💥 Speed, accuracy, and scaling – discover the superpowers of GenAI in action with UiPath Document Understanding and Communications Mining™:
See how to accelerate model training and optimize model performance with active learning
Learn about the latest enhancements to out-of-the-box document processing – with little to no training required
Get an exclusive demo of the new family of UiPath LLMs – GenAI models specialized for processing different types of documents and messages
This is a hands-on session specifically designed for automation developers and AI enthusiasts seeking to enhance their knowledge in leveraging the latest intelligent document processing capabilities offered by UiPath.
Speakers:
👨🏫 Andras Palfi, Senior Product Manager, UiPath
👩🏫 Lenka Dulovicova, Product Program Manager, UiPath
LF Energy Webinar: Electrical Grid Modelling and Simulation Through PowSyBl -...DanBrown980551
Do you want to learn how to model and simulate an electrical network from scratch in under an hour?
Then welcome to this PowSyBl workshop, hosted by Rte, the French Transmission System Operator (TSO)!
During the webinar, you will discover the PowSyBl ecosystem as well as handle and study an electrical network through an interactive Python notebook.
PowSyBl is an open source project hosted by LF Energy, which offers a comprehensive set of features for electrical grid modelling and simulation. Among other advanced features, PowSyBl provides:
- A fully editable and extendable library for grid component modelling;
- Visualization tools to display your network;
- Grid simulation tools, such as power flows, security analyses (with or without remedial actions) and sensitivity analyses;
The framework is mostly written in Java, with a Python binding so that Python developers can access PowSyBl functionalities as well.
What you will learn during the webinar:
- For beginners: discover PowSyBl's functionalities through a quick general presentation and the notebook, without needing any expert coding skills;
- For advanced developers: master the skills to efficiently apply PowSyBl functionalities to your real-world scenarios.
DevOps and Testing slides at DASA ConnectKari Kakkonen
My and Rik Marselis slides at 30.5.2024 DASA Connect conference. We discuss about what is testing, then what is agile testing and finally what is Testing in DevOps. Finally we had lovely workshop with the participants trying to find out different ways to think about quality and testing in different parts of the DevOps infinity loop.
Climate Impact of Software Testing at Nordic Testing DaysKari Kakkonen
My slides at Nordic Testing Days 6.6.2024
Climate impact / sustainability of software testing discussed on the talk. ICT and testing must carry their part of global responsibility to help with the climat warming. We can minimize the carbon footprint but we can also have a carbon handprint, a positive impact on the climate. Quality characteristics can be added with sustainability, and then measured continuously. Test environments can be used less, and in smaller scale and on demand. Test techniques can be used in optimizing or minimizing number of tests. Test automation can be used to speed up testing.
GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using Deplo...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
SAP Sapphire 2024 - ASUG301 building better apps with SAP Fiori.pdfPeter Spielvogel
Building better applications for business users with SAP Fiori.
• What is SAP Fiori and why it matters to you
• How a better user experience drives measurable business benefits
• How to get started with SAP Fiori today
• How SAP Fiori elements accelerates application development
• How SAP Build Code includes SAP Fiori tools and other generative artificial intelligence capabilities
• How SAP Fiori paves the way for using AI in SAP apps
Welcome to the first live UiPath Community Day Dubai! Join us for this unique occasion to meet our local and global UiPath Community and leaders. You will get a full view of the MEA region's automation landscape and the AI Powered automation technology capabilities of UiPath. Also, hosted by our local partners Marc Ellis, you will enjoy a half-day packed with industry insights and automation peers networking.
📕 Curious on our agenda? Wait no more!
10:00 Welcome note - UiPath Community in Dubai
Lovely Sinha, UiPath Community Chapter Leader, UiPath MVPx3, Hyper-automation Consultant, First Abu Dhabi Bank
10:20 A UiPath cross-region MEA overview
Ashraf El Zarka, VP and Managing Director MEA, UiPath
10:35: Customer Success Journey
Deepthi Deepak, Head of Intelligent Automation CoE, First Abu Dhabi Bank
11:15 The UiPath approach to GenAI with our three principles: improve accuracy, supercharge productivity, and automate more
Boris Krumrey, Global VP, Automation Innovation, UiPath
12:15 To discover how Marc Ellis leverages tech-driven solutions in recruitment and managed services.
Brendan Lingam, Director of Sales and Business Development, Marc Ellis
zkStudyClub - Reef: Fast Succinct Non-Interactive Zero-Knowledge Regex ProofsAlex Pruden
This paper presents Reef, a system for generating publicly verifiable succinct non-interactive zero-knowledge proofs that a committed document matches or does not match a regular expression. We describe applications such as proving the strength of passwords, the provenance of email despite redactions, the validity of oblivious DNS queries, and the existence of mutations in DNA. Reef supports the Perl Compatible Regular Expression syntax, including wildcards, alternation, ranges, capture groups, Kleene star, negations, and lookarounds. Reef introduces a new type of automata, Skipping Alternating Finite Automata (SAFA), that skips irrelevant parts of a document when producing proofs without undermining soundness, and instantiates SAFA with a lookup argument. Our experimental evaluation confirms that Reef can generate proofs for documents with 32M characters; the proofs are small and cheap to verify (under a second).
Paper: https://eprint.iacr.org/2023/1886
The Art of the Pitch: WordPress Relationships and SalesLaura Byrne
Clients don’t know what they don’t know. What web solutions are right for them? How does WordPress come into the picture? How do you make sure you understand scope and timeline? What do you do if sometime changes?
All these questions and more will be explored as we talk about matching clients’ needs with what your agency offers without pulling teeth or pulling your hair out. Practical tips, and strategies for successful relationship building that leads to closing the deal.
2. Who are we????
Advancing Opportunities
• 20 + Years
• Mobile assistive
technology services
• Serves individuals
with all disabilities
• Diversity of staff
• Technology Lending
Center
5. 5
Please …
• Introduce yourself
• Title and/or profession
• Location
• Why you are here
• Describe your dream
vacation!
6. 6
Training Schedule
• Start at 9:00 and end
around 3:00pm
• Our staff will be in the
room by 8:30 am
• We will have breaks
each day (am and pm)
• We will have an hour
lunch around 12 noon
• We use adult learning
principles
7. Outline – Day 1
• Assistive Technology Consideration
Process
• Job Accommodation Hierarchy
• Overview of Computer Access
• Overview of Supports for reading,
writing, organization
• Everyday Technology as AT
8. Outline – Day 2
• Mobile tech
• Overview of Job Accommodations (non
computer related)
• Overview of Ergonomics
• Assistive Technology Implementation
Process
• Project
9. Workshop Goals:
At the conclusion of today’s session:
1. Understand the consideration process.
2. Become familiar with job accommodations and computer
access.
3. Use resources to match consumer needs and technology
solutions. Become familiar with computer workstation
ergonomics and accessibility
4. Use resources to match consumer needs and technology
solutions.
5. Understand implementation of assistive technology to
ensure consumer success
10. 10
Ground Rules
•Say your name before you
speak
•Give everyone a chance to
speak/comment
•Sit next to someone you
don’t know next time (However,
keep side conversations short/quiet)
•Please turn off or silence cell
phones
11. Most of All….
• Have fun!
• Learn from the
many resources in
this room!
• Network!!
12. 12
Networking
No one can work in a vacuum and
provide quality Assistive Technology
services to consumers with disabilities.
It is important to realize the power of
this on-going process of building
professional and personal contacts.
22. Develop and Nurture Team Members
•Identify team members & responsibilities
•Recognize team dynamics
– Roles
– Responsibilities
– Collaboration
– Consensus Building
– Conflict Resolution
24. Employment First
• Definition
• Employment First in New Jersey
• Why Employment First is so Important
• Plans for Implementation
25. AT Consideration
• Group activity
– Review the case
study provided
– Complete the
Consideration Guide
– Choose spokesperson
to share results with
group
27. Case Study #1
Joey is a 21-year-old man diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy.
He is able to walk with crutches, but uses a scooter for
long distances as his gait is slow and unsteady. Joey is
visually impaired (not completely corrected with glass)
and is lacking in fine motor skills (he can type on a
computer and grasp objects, but cannot keep his grip
for a long period of time).
Despite his challenges, Joey is just slightly below average
intelligence and is driven to excel. He is currently
enrolled in a liberal arts program and is not completely
sure what he would like his career path will be.
28. Case Study #2
Peter is a 28-year old, extremely intelligent young man who has
experience in medical records review work. Although he has
no formal training he has worked as a consultant for a Law
Firm where he conducted examinations of patient data and
personal medical records with regards to settling billing
disputes and facilitating payment on health insurance
claims. Peter also has advanced knowledge and skills in
working with various computer software’s.
Peter is living with Asperger’s Syndrome which is a form of
Autism making it extremely difficult for him to socialize or
even interact other people. He also has a severe sleep
disorder, making it difficult for him to begin his duties prior
to 4pm.
29. Case Study #3
Jenny is a 50-year-old woman diagnosed at a young age with
muscle disorder, which makes it difficult for her to walk
(although she does so without adaptive equipment),
interferes with her ability to type (she can type slowly) and
impairs her ability to speak for long periods of time. Jenny is
extremely bright, has a B.A. in Restaurant & Hotel
Management (she has never worked in this area) and has
previous experience as an adjunct professor, a receptionist,
accounts payable and worked as a computer consultant.
Jenny left her last position as a research assistant to go back to
school to pursue an M.A. in Industrial / Organizational
Psychology. She is ready to re-enter the workforce, but
finding it difficult to get beyond the interviewing process,
possibly because of her obvious disability.
30.
31. Accommodation Hierarchy
Find alternative way to complete task
Use commercially available products
Design and fabricate custom devices
Use commercially available products in creative ways.
Combine technologies not typically used together.
Modify existing commercially available products.
59. Reading and Writing Assistance
Software
Various software titles can provide assistance
to people struggling with reading & writing
Features may include:
• Auditory support
• Word prediction
64. Why use “Everyday Technologies”
as Assistive Technology?
• Easy access- they are out there
• Easier to support- family, other
people know the basics
• More socially acceptable
74. iPod Touch as AT
• Set up Apple ID
• Review apps in pairs
• Download apps to
device
75.
76. For your Attention today!For your Attention today!
See you next week!See you next week!
Editor's Notes
Presenter: Make sure to have the main slide up on the screen when the participants come into the room. Spend some time welcoming each person and making them feel comfortable with this process.
Workbook info from slide
Presenter: Go over the outline for the day. Don’t worry about the times for each section – just focus on the topics.
Presenter: Go over the outline for the day. Don’t worry about the times for each section – just focus on the topics.
Presenter: Go over the workshop goals. At the conclusion of this first session, participants will: Understand the consideration process and the use of technology in the vocational rehabilitation process. Become familiar with a range of technology solutions available in the areas of job accommodations and computer access. Obtain a variety of resources that will facilitate the best match between consumer needs and possible technology solutions.
Use the microphone – we found this very useful for our participants, staff and consultants. This also inadvertently gives the person with the microphone “the floor.” Say your name before you speak – this helps us remember your name and a needed accommodation for persons with visual impairments. Give everyone a chance to speak – There is a ton of resources here in this class and just so much time. I know that we would all like to share, however, please try to limit your comments to maybe two a day in order to let others share their experience as well. In other words (let’s be blunt) “don’t hog the floor, please.” Sit next to someone you don’t know each day – This will help you get to know each other, network, share interests, etc. We ENCOURAGE you to make comments, however, please keep them short and quiet. Then you might want to continue your comments at break times, lunch or afterwards. Be supportive and positive – During this training, we will try to implement some of the techniques that should be used in team meetings and collaboration activities. We try to practice what we preach. A main point of good communication in a group is being supportive and positive – it is contagious!
Presenter: Remind the participants to have fun throughout the training. Also make sure to remind people that this is THEIR training – ask any question to make sure that this training is beneficial to you. Ask if there are any questions before starting the next section.
THESE ARE EXPERIENCED COUNSELORS– CAN GO QUICKLY THROUGH THE BASICS Presenter says: At the core of any assistive technology accommodation we are trying to match the individual to the technology. We need to start with the person and their needs – then move to the technology tools. Often, people want to start with the technology and make it fit the person. This “round peg in a square hole” approach will not work and will lead to more technology abandonment.
Workbook: Refer to Appendix 1 in back of workbook – “A Brief Introduction to the SETT Framework” Presenter says: The SETT framework was developed by Joy Zabala as a way for school based teams to focus their technology solutions for students with disabilities. The SETT is not an evaluation process but instead is a way to ensure that all the factors that lead to technology success are identified before a tool is put in place for a student. For our purposes, since we will be speaking about adults – we will change the “S” from “student” to “skills”. If we don’t start with the technology first, where do we start? S-E-T-T
Presenter says: This section of the SETT focuses on the PERSON. During this step, we gather information related to the persons skills and abilities. We are less concerned with what the person CAN’T do and instead are focused on what they CAN do. Each of the areas described on the slide help us have a better picture of the individual we will be working with. Each of these issues will affect how the person completes the functions of their job. Ex. illustrating importance of knowing Skills: (use your own) When someone had dis, use strengths to get around their weaknesses What are some examples that you have come across? ie., Learning disabilities – doesn’t mean person is a slow learner overall Poor visual perceptual skills (affects reading) but strong auditory comprehension Might note on the consideration form: 5 th grade reading level, but understands anything he is told or hears at a college level.
Presenter says: The environments is WHERE the person will be using the technology tools. Typically, since we are focused on employment the environment is the workplace. It is important to understand the issues related to the specific work environment the person will be in. Someone working in a law office will face very different issues as opposed to someone who works at Home Depot. However, there may be other environments that impact the person’s performance within the workplace. For example, the person may be experiencing some accessibility issues at home that affect their ability to work in the community. Also, the person may be completing job tasks in different environments throughout a work day. This all needs to be addressed to ensure the best match between person and technology. Ex. illustrating importance of knowing Environment: (use your own) Environment is not just the building or physical space… Part of environ– co-workers, and their use of the space If you come up with a sol. That doesn’t work for everyone, they might not use it. Worked with someone with a physical dis. who needed a specially adapted phone that had several accessories. Had to make it easy to remove so that the other person who used the space wouldn’t have it in the way- put it on it’s own little cart.
CHANGED THE CATEGORIES– NOT JUST COMPUTERS Presenter says: In this step, we focus on WHAT the person has to do in order to complete their job. We should be able to get this information directly from the essential job functions listed in the job description. Other times, we need to explore a little deeper to determine the exact tasks being completed. One way to determine this is to discuss the job functions with another employee that has a similar position within the company. The list on the slide shows different tasks for different kinds of jobs. Ex. illustrating importance of knowing Tasks: (use your own) To meet a goal, need to define it … Will get referrals that just say “AT eval” What are they having trouble doing? (HAVE KRISTEN INSERT EXAMPLE) Manufacturing- person with one arm working in glass lens manufact. Just because she has dis, doesn’t mean she needs any accommodation. When we went through tasks with the supervisor, she could do almost everything Only step difficult– holding the lens while cleaning it Looked for commercial cleaning machines In the end, made a fixture to hold the lenses
Presenter says: Finally, we get to the actual technology tools. By following the SETT framework, we make sure we have a complete understanding of the issues facing the consumer before we start to look at tools. An important thing to remember is that we are not focusing on the tool itself but the FEATURES of that tool. Technology changes – devices change. By focusing on the features of the tool, we make sure that the needs of the person are met. We will discuss actual technology tools throughout the remainder of the training series.
Workbook: Refer to Appendix 3 – “The Assistive Technology Team” Presenter says: As we move through this consideration process, let’s not forget about the team concept. We are not working in a vacuum. For each technology accommodation, there is a team in place to ensure success. Who are the members of our team? [AFTER THE GROUP DISCUSSION] It is important to remember that every team will be different, just like every consumer’s needs are different. Depending on the circumstances, the team may be very small (only two members) or very large. Also the team size may change throughout the accommodation, depending on the need being addressed. Remember that the team is dynamic and not static. Now that we identified the members of our team, let’s focus on the other issues that can surround the team. Roles and responsibilities for each team members should be identified to ensure that all the areas needed for success are being addressed. As part of any team, there will be times when people don’t agree. This is the part where it is important to practice the strategies of conflict resolution and consensus building to ensure successful collaboration. Presenter: Facilitate a short group discussion about the members of the team. Make sure to remind participants, if it does not come up in conversation, that the team is larger than the consumer and the counselor.
Definition – Facilitating competitive employment, within the community, to individuals with disabilities including, but not limited to: cognitive, physical, mental, those with TBI’s, behavioral and other non-specific disabilities Basic components of supportive employment include: - Pre-Placement activities- Include resume development, interviewing skills, job sampling and job development with the outcome of part-time or full-time employment earning at least minimum wage - Intensive Coaching – Training specific to the job-related skills, enabling the individual to perform the job as effectively as their non-disabled peers, with as little support as possible - Long Term Follow Along – On-going support by the Employment Support Professional to ensure continued employment success - Support to the consumer/employer/co-workers
Definition – Employment First creates the expectation that individuals with disabilities, like their non-disabled peers, will have to Opt Out of employment rather than Opt In – DDD. What this means is that it is presumed ALL individuals can and should work in their communities - We will assume all individuals can and will work, regardless of disability - If supports are required, they will be available to the individual - If the individual cannot work, they will be required to show documentation as to why they are unable to participate in supported employment Instead of expecting individuals will survive on their SS benefits, it is now expected their income from competitive employment will be their major source of income, while SS will supplement -Employment First in NJ – NJ Became the 14 th Employment First state with Governor Christie’s announcement on April 19, 2012 - Competitive employment is now the first and preferred outcome for people with any type of disability Why E.F. is so Important - The National Council of Disabilities found – an individuals desire to work and at what wage was influenced by expectations that were set for the individual in childhood – DDD - Many people, including employers, service providers, policymakers and the general public still feel individuals with disabilities are not capable of working within their community - People with disabilities want and deserve the opportunities to advance economically and become more productive members of society (National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities) - This new initiative is gaining momentum at the State and Federal Levels – David Hoff, APSE President (Association of People Supporting EmploymentFirst) and is being put into place all over the country Plans for Implementation – - The State Employment Leadership Network (SELN), DDD, Division of Mental Health, CBVI, DDS, DVR, Department of Education and State Employment and Training Commission (SETC) are working together with the governor to put a plan into place - At the DDD level, there is an overwhelming focus on employment and expansion of employment services and supports We, as Supported Employment Professionals, must embrace this new movement to support and advocate for supported employment for individuals with disabilities within the community ** Because of the Employment First Initiative, the job accommodations and the increased knowledge of Assistive Technology in Supported Employment is imperative
Workbook: Refer to Appendix 2 “AT Consideration Guide for Vocational Rehabilitation” Presenter says: Now let’s talk about the consideration process for assistive technology. Each group will be provided with a case study example. As a group, review the case study and work to complete the consideration form. Once you are finished, select a spokesperson to share your results with the group. You will have 10 minutes to complete this task. Presenter: Move through the group during the activity and provide guidance to the groups. Use the Cool Timer software to project the time remaining in this activity. Try to incorporate a quick 5 minute break into this activity. Tell the group they will have 20 minutes to take a break and complete this activity.
- Case Study Activity – - Split up into 3 groups, review the assigned case study and contemplate the consumers abilities and challenges. Identify realistic employment opportunities and job accommodations (both AT and non-AT specific), which would help the individual be successful in their career.
Joey is a 21-year-old man diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. He is able to walk with crutches, but uses a scooter for long distances as his gait is slow and unsteady. Joey is visually impaired (not completely corrected with glass) and is lacking in fine motor skills (he can type on a computer and grasp objects, but cannot keep his grip for a long period of time). Despite his challenges, Joey is just slightly below average intelligence and is driven to excel. He is currently enrolled in a liberal arts program and is not completely sure what he would like his career path will be.
Presenter: Make sure to take one minute to make sure that there are no questions before moving to the next section. No questions – enjoy the activity for next week. I am looking forward to talking with you in the discussion forum.
Presenter says: When we talk about job accommodations, we look at a hierarchy of accommodation solutions to meet the needs of each person. First, there is the option to find alternative ways to complete given tasks. This could include job restructuring, switching certain difficult tasks with another employee, etc. This option is typically inexpensive or free. Also, there is usually not any technology tools necessary to accommodate a person in this step. We will discuss the other areas of this accommodation hierarchy in the next slides.
Presenter says: Next we will talk about computer access. This includes simple accommodations to address access to the keyboard and mouse, as well as software solutions for learning disabilities.
Is this good for the consumers you serve?? Discussion – use the backchannel and then share with group
Explore the Accessibility Features built into your devices and share Explore the mouse and keyboard alts around the room and complete the form in your workbook
Presenter: Take a quick minute to complete this quiz. Don’t spend lots of time on this but it is a good opportunity to lighten the mood.
Features: Letter, Number & Function Keys Variable Key Size Programmable Click or Speech Feedback Scripts & Macros Defined Messages Set Screen Locators
Features: Shaped to fit Hands Membrane Surface Variable Key Size Programmable Mouse Control Click or Speech Feedback Scripts & Macros Defined Messages Set Screen Locators Programmable Mouse Control Click or Speech Feedback Scripts & Macros Defined Messages Set Screen Locators
Features: Shaped to fit Hands Membrane Surface Variable Key Size Programmable Mouse Control Click or Speech Feedback Scripts & Macros Defined Messages Set Screen Locators Programmable Mouse Control Click or Speech Feedback Scripts & Macros Defined Messages Set Screen Locators
Pix: Quill Mouse Ergonomic Mouse Wireless Mouse Features Size Programmable buttons Scroll function
Ergo Trackball Mac Trac BIGtrak Trackman TurboBall Mini Trackball Orbit Turbo Mouse Penny & Giles MicroSpeed SAM Joystick options Features Proportional Directional Switch
Head Mouse Hardware Head Master Head Mouse Boost Tracker Smart Nav Camera Mouse Eye Gaze Features: Number of Monitors Camera Type Letter, Number, Function & Mouse Keys Programmable Scripts & Macros Correction Handling Training Mode
Mind Control Features: Interface design head band electrodes implant Number of monitors Activation Foot Mouse Slipper Mouse - http://bilila.com/foot_mouse_slipper_mouse
More resources listed on WIKI
Determine possible switch sites. Consistent and reliable movements Voluntary control Hand, elbow, shoulder, head, chin, cheek, eyebrow, mouth, eyes, knees, feet…. Reflexive movements—should you use? Energy and effort?
More resources listed on WIKI Pix Top Left – GUS dwell cursor Top Right – Cross Scanner – RJ Cooper Bottom Right – Magic Cursor – Ablenet
More resources listed on WIKI
Presenter: Make sure to take one minute to make sure that there are no questions before moving to the next section. No questions – enjoy the activity for next week. I am looking forward to talking with you in the discussion forum.
Activity – Split into groups of 3 – take 60 seconds to come up with challenges which may require job accommodations. Think outside of the box. With the Employment First Initiative, we are going to see individuals with a wider and more severe range of disabilities Once the lists are complete – talk about the disabilities we might see more of and types of accommodations, which might be necessary. Talk about how our limited knowledge of AT will hold us and the consumer back.
Presenter says: Now that we have discussed the input into the computer, lets spend a couple minutes discussing some software tools that could assist people with either physical or learning disabilities.
Presenter says: For people that struggle with reading and writing, perhaps providing auditory support may help them. There are many tools available to enable the computer to read information back to the person to assist with comprehension. One example of this type of tool is a scan and read software tool such as Kurzweil 3000. This tool allows the person to scan in a page directly into the computer and have the computer read this information back. Presenter: Perform a quick demonstration of features of Kurzweil. Presenter says: As for word predication, this type of tool will assist with completion of words by providing a list of words that the computer “thinks” the person is trying to type. If the word is on the list, the person can simply click the word with the mouse or select a corresponding number and the computer types the remainder of the word. This type of tool can increase someone’s typing speed considerably. Presenter: If time permits, show a quick demonstration of word prediction, either Co:Writer or WordQ
Presenter says: A software solution that we are asked about all the time is using voice recognition software to enable a person to type into the computer with their voice. While on the surface people expect this to be a easy solution, it is actually one of the more difficult tools to use effectively. There is more to this tool than simply “Talking”. Instead, the person has to complete this entire cycle for each sentence they type. First the person must think about what they want to type. Then they must compose the sentence in their head. For someone people, they may not have the skills to construct a sentence in their head. Now, they speak the sentence into the computer. Once the sentence is in the computer they have to read what the computer wrote and check to make sure it is accurate. This step may become a hurdle for an individual that does not read. If that is the case, they may need auditory support like we discussed in the last slide. If the computer typed the wrong information, the person must now correct that information. This requires various voice commands and formatting skills. Now after all that, the person can finally move onto the next sentence and the whole process starts again. Presenter: If there is time, either give a quick demonstration of Dragon or have someone from the crowd use it. If you pick a volunteer, don’t do voice training, show how the program works right out of the box.
Review the case studies on the website and work in groups to determine an effective solution for the consumer.
Presenter: Make sure to take one minute to make sure that there are no questions before moving to the next section. No questions – enjoy the activity for next week. I am looking forward to talking with you in the discussion forum.
Kindle 2 - $ 359 – 6 inch diagonal screen, 1500 books, pdf docs (through conversion) Kindle dx - $ 489 – 9.7 diagonal screen, 3500 books, pdf reader Both have text to speech
Livescribe pen – about $125 Sound note app - $4.99 – performs the same functions as Echo on iPad