Assistive technology - Google News - Thursday, November 8, 2018 at 4:39 PM
Assistive Technology Fair showcases equipment for those with disabilities
An Assistive Technology Fair was held at Penn State DuBois on Thursday, hosted
jointly by the campus Occupational Therapy Club and the Pennsylvania Department
of Labor and Industry's Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR).
The event featured a dozen vendors from around the area who offer specialized
equipment to assist people with special needs in completing tasks around their
home, in the classroom, or at work.
The fair was open to the public, and featured live demonstrations of devices,
as well as opportunities to learn how to properly evaluate assistive technology
needs. Representatives from local providers, as well as OVR, were also on hand
to provide consultation and information.
Featured equipment included wheelchairs and lifts, specialized keyboards and
other computer equipment, household upgrades, such as accessible bathroom
fittings, and more.
Organizers hope members of the public who have needs for such information and
devices could benefit from a one-stop environment where they could gather
information.
LuAnn Demi, senior instructor in the Penn State DuBois Occupational Therapy
Assistant (OTA) program, said, “The intention is for people to get a better
understanding of the technology available to help people who have limitations
or disabilities. There’s no way our students or the community could see all of
this if we didn’t pull it all together in one place. And this shows that you
can have physical limitations, but there’s probably equipment out there that
can help you do whatever you want to do.”
Demi’s point was well illustrated by Brenda Bennett who represented her
company, Transportation Solution, at the event. Her work focuses on customizing
cars for people who need specialized equipment to drive.
“We have modified vehicles that can accommodate people with almost any
challenge,” Bennett said. “Brain injury, stroke, amputees, we can equip
vehicles to be driven by people facing all those and more. A lot of people
assume that because they have a disability, they just won’t be able to drive,
and that’s not true.”
Demi added that her students are required to attend the Assistive Technology
Fair, to get a first-hand look at items they’ll likely use in their future
careers in Occupational Therapy. She said, "There's only so much we can present
to students in terms of equipment when we're in the classroom. There's so much
high-tech equipment here. These are things that we otherwise may only be able
to show them in a book. Here, they can be hands-on with it. To have this
opportunity for the students to see these things is great."
https://news.psu.edu/story/547011/2018/11/08/academics/assistive-technology-fair-showcases-equipment-those-disabilities
David Goldfield
Assistive Technology Specialist
Feel free to visit my Web site
WWW.DavidGoldfield.info<http://WWW.DavidGoldfield.info>
