Physical and Health Disabilities (OI) Consortium Meeting
Judy Bytheway, Renee Dawson and Eva Parks
May 15, 2014
Topics discussed:
The group is considering teleconferencing, skyping, satellite meetings, webinars for increased participation
Judy is exploring more advanced web page access
On site meetings can be alternating districts hosting
PLUs can be provided with descriptions and agendas given to the State Dept. 3 weeks ahead of time, etc.
The same Consortium in California does a bi-annual conference with speakers
They pay dues (around $25/annually)
Tour – Tools for Life
June 2 – 5 = IDEAS and Tools for Life Conference
Lots of Resources and PLUs
Tools for Life has Webinars the last Wednesday of every month (see website) –
Sign up to have notices sent to your email
Tools for Life has a loaning library, which gives people a chance to try out solutions for AT, seating, positioning, etc.
Demonstrations given:
Laser keyboard – is a like regular keyboard (runs a little below $200 around $179 on Brookstone)
Good to use with mobile tablets, Iphone, laptop, whatever has Bluetooth capability
Google Glass (costs $1500) – Phone compatible device
Pair of glasses with a display in front of your eyes
Built in voice recognition
With the Command “OK Glass”:
It brings up a list of commands you can scroll through by tipping your head up and down
When you wink it will take a picture
Anything you can do on your phone you can do with Google Glass – make calls, texts, etc.
It also has a swipe pad on the side you can use if voice recognition is not identifying, or can use
If you have low vision in your right eye, this would not be a useful tool
AMAC is a membership program
For 8-12 individuals no fee, but if you need services there is a fee for services
Tools for Life does the AT evals for AMAC
You get a written comprehensive report (eval is $450 plus travel)
No fee for demonstration or loan for equipment, or calls to brainstorm (can also answer through Skype)
AMAC – has school memberships
Online systems, Apps for accessible textbooks (free 4 students)
And Wiki automated emails and can do support calls
Captioning Dept. – provides remote captioning mostly for college classrooms
Books over internet wherever the lecture is (have done in Guam!)
Students can use laptop, IPAD, phones and provide notes to the student
This dept. has captioned some videos and movies
Audio Descriptions – which describes actions in a movie for the Blind, and can read subtitles as well.
AMAC = postsecondary primarily – corporate and nonprofit
Serves colleges all over the US
Contacts disability services and the colleges as needed – paid and unpaid memberships, which include lots of access to technology
Individual services are available through Tools for Life
AMAC website= menu at right – frequently asked questions – WIKI – teachers can go through with students
All colleges in Georgia and many around the country are members (see list on website)
Paul – Access Text which is under the AMAC umbrella
Electronic access portals for most textbook publishers
Telepresence Robotics: Students can come to the site to try
– VGO $5,000 uses Cloud technology and can move around a room like a person, has a camera
– KUBI $499 – which is a tabletop robotic (can be used with Skype)
– Nano Robot – new and coming to TFL
Electronic Accessibility – uses optimal characteristic software – makes electronic files that are accessible
– Similar to what Bookshare and GIMC offer
Georgia OI Teachers 