Oklahoma ABLE Tech Quarterly Newsletter

Assistive Technology
Small Changes...Big Differences

2018 SoonerStart 4th Quarter Recognition Winner

Comanche County Wins Again!

The Comanche County SoonerStart team is showing consistency in demo-ing AT and reporting and they’re cashing in on our quarterly competition! They won $500 in the 3rd quarter and, again, now in the 4th quarter. They’re likely to win more $$$ with an annual win!! Other teams! Give Comanche some competition – we know you’re doing demos... remember to report them!

Congratulations, Comanche County!

Spotlight on Success

Roshawn has motor and vision disabilities and his foster mom, a SoonerStart provider, was determined to design and build a seat that would support him. The cushioned seat helps him with his side to side balance, building muscle strength, and also gives him opportunities to work on using his vision as he reaches for toys.

AT Support Team Training Begins in September

ABLE Tech is taking AT Support Team Training to Owasso and Lawton during the 2018-19 school-year. The lineup includes a three-workshop series which will be held at Tulsa Tech-Owasso Campus in the fall, and repeated in Lawton next spring at a location to be determined.

AT trainings are free for Oklahoma educators and related service providers. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be offered for OTs, PTs, and SLPs.

ABLE Tech also has the following online resources to learn about AT for students with disabilities:

Webinars and Videos: ABLE Tech has a vast collection of instructional videos, AT device feature videos, and archived webinars. Live webinars are presented throughout the school-year and then archived for on-demand viewing. See these webinars and videos on ABLE Tech’s YouTube Channel.
Online Curriculum: Learn about AT devices and services whenever you want! This guided-study course mirrors our in-person workshops and is designed for educators to access at their convenience. ABLE Tech’s Online AT Curriculum is available 24/7.

To learn more visit https://www.okabletech.org/.

TechAccessOK Draws Attentive Audience

TechAccessOK, Oklahoma’s premier conference that focuses on accessibility in technology and the web, drew an actively attentive audience from all around the state. The conference was held at the historic Skirvin Hilton Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City on June 28th and 29th.

Rob Carr, ABLE Tech’s Information and Communications Technology Accessibility (ICAT) Coordinator, scheduled national accessibility expert Bevi Chagnon for an all-day, hands-on workshop on Thursday to “show and tell” the procedures for making and fixing PDFs for accessibility. On Friday, the program moved to a conference format and five sessions focused on accessibility in multimedia and captioning, the new WCAG 2.1 guidelines, writing effective alternative text for images, building a university-wide accessibility program and using plain language in web content. Planning for TechAccessOK 2019 will begin soon!

Financial Loans for Assistive Technology

Oklahoma Assistive Technology Foundation logo and Oklahoma ABLE Tech logo (combined)Oklahoma ABLE Tech, in partnership with Oklahoma

Assistive Technology Foundation and BancFirst of Stillwater, has been providing financial loans to purchase assistive technology (AT) since 2001. These loans have been primarily managed through our banking partner, BancFirst of Stillwater.

Beginning July 1, 2018, we will process all non-collateralized loans directly from our office. We believe this will ultimately make our program more sustainable, and still benefit the consumer in purchasing needed AT.

We will be reaching out to our customer’s service providers in the next few months to provide new marketing materials, information fact sheets, and a streamlined application.

You can access the application HERE. Instructions on where and how to submit an application are included in the application packet, but if you have any questions or concerns about the process, you can contact us directly at 405-744-9863 or 800-257-1705.

If you would like marketing materials to place in your office, please feel free to request those and we will supply you with them.

New Adaptive Baby Care Equipment

ABLE Tech’s Adaptive Baby Care Equipment for Parents with Disabilities (ABC Program) can help parents with disabilities complete baby care tasks easier and more safely.

For a parent in a wheelchair, bathing a baby can be challenging as they may have a wheelchair accessible shower instead of a bathtub. The ABC Program has recently added a CharliChair Baby Shower Chair to the inventory of equipment available for parents with disabilities. The CharliChair has straps to secure the baby safely during bath time and allows the parent to bathe the baby from his/her wheelchair. This item can be borrowed from ABLE Tech by parents with disabilities or by therapists working with parents with disabilities. Its use can also be demonstrated in our Stillwater office. Call 405-744-9748 or 800-257-1705 for more information!

OKDMERP Quarterly Update

This last quarter, OKDMERP received 224 donations for a savings of $63,182 and gave away 223 pieces of DME for a savings of $85,746. The donated pieces of DME included:

CPAP Machines - Can prevent or reverse serious consequences of obstructive sleep apnea.
Hospital Beds - Great for patients who need the functionality of a hospital bed without the need to remain in the hospital.
Manual Wheelchairs - Many active people prefer to use a manual wheelchair.
Walkers - Provide a great amount of stability to help prevent loss of balance and/or falls.
Blood Pressure Monitors - Assist individuals in managing their health.
Nebulizers - Delivers liquid or aerosol medications that help individuals breathe via a mask or mouthpiece.
Knee Walkers - An alternative to crutches for individuals recovering from knee, foot, ankle, or lower leg injuries.
Rollators - Easier to use than walkers because they are pushed like a cart rather than having to be lifted.
Shower chairs - Allows individuals with physical limitations to shower properly.

If you or someone you know has gently used medical equipment not being used, please consider donating it to the Oklahoma Durable Medical Equipment Reuse Program at 405-523-4810 or 833-431-9706. All donors receive a tax receipt and the knowledge their donation is going to someone in Oklahoma in need.

Search Our Online Inventory @ https://testing.myatprogram.org/home

Oklahoma Equipment Exchange

The Oklahoma Equipment Exchange (OEE) is a FREE program to help Oklahomans with disabilities acquire affordable equipment. To donate, sell, or locate equipment, visit our website or call us at 800.257.1705 (v/tty).

In Oklahoma City, you may call the Oklahoma Durable Medical Equipment Reuse Program (OKDMERP) at 405.523.4810 for FREE durable medical equipment such as canes, scooters, and hospital beds. Donations are always welcome!

Available Items

SEE THE AT AVAILABLE FROM OTHERS @ http://oee.okstate.edu

Partner Success Story

Daron using microlite switch to move his wheelchair.Daron came to The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital (TCCRH) unable to control any aspect of his environment.

By use of his microlite switch he was able to turn on his wheelchair and navigate through the different modes. With the use of his microlite switch, along with the Blue2 Bluetooth Adapter, he was able to control the Fire Stick TV app on an iPad which gave him control over his TV.

This technology provided him some independence in his everyday life! Daron and his family were extremely thankful for the ABLE Tech program and TCCRH for the assistive technology that he found beneficial.

ABLE Tech New Employee

Lyssa Prince joined ABLE Tech May 1st as an Information and Communication Technology Accessibility Coordinator. She will be working with groups across Oklahoma to ensure that their websites and digital media are accessible and usable for all. You might see her providing training on how to make PDF and Word documents accessible or on how to meet Oklahoma’s accessibility guidelines for websites.

Oklahoma AT Center Locations

Oklahoma ABLE Tech and its partners operate device demonstration and device loan programs to increase access to AT. Inventory is available and searchable online, and individuals may borrow devices for up to six weeks at no cost. Please go to: https://testing.myatprogram.org/home

Oklahoma ABLE Tech
Hearing Loss Assocation of Oklahoma City
NewView Oklahoma
Oklahoma State University Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
The Children's Center Rehabilitation Hospital
Moore Autism Center
Alzheimer’s Association of OKC

Assistive Technology
Device Feature

Mojo Electronic Monocular

MoJo is a battery-operated, full-color portable electronic monocular that gives you the ability to view and magnify objects in the near distance as well as close up. With its large field of view, use it for reading price tags, menus, mail, newspapers, street signs and viewing the beauty of nature.

Free DVD Giveaway

“Meet Natalea - Home Fire Sprinkler Retrofit”. This DVD explains the advantages of having a home fire sprinkler system particularly for individuals with disabilities. The DVD features the planning, construction and testing process of retrofitting a home. Order a single or multiple DVDs. Produced to promote home fire sprinklers with IFSTA at OSU. Contact ABLE Tech at: abletech@okstate.edu to order. Include mailing address and number of DVDs requested.

Oklahoma ABLE Tech

OSU Department of Wellness
Todd Misener, Chief Wellness Officer OSU Department of Wellness

1514 W. Hall of Fame | Stillwater, OK 74078
Ph: 405.744.9748 or 800.257.1705 (V/TTY)
Fax: 405.744.2487 | abletech@okstate.edu

Website: www.okabletech.org

Oklahoma ABLE Tech Staff
Linda Jaco, Associate Director for Sponsored Programs
Dina Anderson, Occupational Therapist Specialist Kimberly Berry, AT Teacher
Kimberly Berry, AT Teacher
Rob Carr, Accessibility Coordinator
Lisa Croston, Sponsored Programs Coordinator
Shannon Esmeyer, SERC Administrative Assistant
Shelley Gladden, Loan Coordinator
Milissa Gofourth, Program Manager
Lynda Halley, Marketing Coordinator
Tammie Honeyman, Sponsored Programs
Kelli McDoulett, OKDMERP/ORC Grant Coordinator
Maegan Mobus, Marketing Assistant
Jo Anne Pool Blades, SERC Program Manager
Allyson Robinson, SLP, AT Specialist
Shelby Sanders, AT Specialist
Brian Sargent, OKDMERP Site Coordinator
Diana Sargent, Senior Administration Support Specialist
Katie Woodward, OKDMERP Program Manager
Sandra Wright-Hackler, CCC/SLP

Oklahoma ABLE Tech Calendar Events and Training

AUG 1 - Ponca City Lion’s Club - Financial Loans presentation

AUG 1 - Annual State Conference of the Oklahoma chapter of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, Oklahoma City

AUG 7 - Ponca City Community Resource Fair

SEP 13 - AT Support Team Training Workshop, Owasso Tech Center

OCT 4 - Oklahoma AIRS Annual Conference, OKC

OCT 11 - AT Support Team Training Workshop, Owasso Tech Center

Connect with us

Connect with us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/okabletech
Connect with us on YouTube at at www.youtube.com/OklahomaABLETech
Connect with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/okabletech
Connect with us on Pinterest at at www.pinterest.com/okabletech

This publication is available in alternative formats; please call 800.257.1705 (V/TTY) for more information. The Oklahoma State University Department of Wellness is the lead agency for Oklahoma ABLE Tech. ABLE Tech is funded through the Administration for Community Living of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and maintains coordination and collaboration efforts with partners throughout the state of Oklahoma.

2018 Summer Newsletter