[Athen] some things adaptive technology experts need to know

[Sue Morgado]

The ATACP training is great for starters. For more info please visit: 
http://www.csun.edu/codtraining/. I was in a similar position here at 
Wheaton and this training helped me very much. I attended the 
training in DC in 1998 and it was money well spent. Good luck!


At 09:07 AM 6/28/2006, you wrote:

>This is still a relatively "new" field, Adaptive Technology.  My bachelor's

>is in Management and Communications, with minors in English and Secondary

>Ed.  How's that for non-conformity?

>

>However, I'm a geek at heart and was the de-facto geeky person with the

>answers everyone needed about software.  That got me through the 80's as a

>secretary and administrative type person.  Then I got into academics, and am

>now working for the IT department at my campus (for the last six years).

>

>I am not disabled, but have plenty of friends who are, and was blessed with

>two children with special needs.  My oldest has ADD and seizure disorder, my

>second child as a processing disorder.  When I was interviewed for this job,

>which was really rather a new position on this campus and we were creating

>new paths in the wilderness, the interviewers asked me how I would get

>answers to accommodation questions.  I said I had a blind friend in Virginia

>I could call on whenever I wanted, and that I would do my research.  I guess

>I was convincing enough, and I got the job.  I have very much enjoyed what I

>am doing, and have tried to keep us on the cutting edge of adaptive

>technology accommodations as well as being a pioneer in the production of

>audio text for our students, before there were standards or tried-and-true

>ways to do it.

>

>I do recommend getting a subscription to Closing the Gap magazine.  The

>yearly Resource Guide they produce is like my bible.  Their conference is

>also supposed to be good, although I've never been.  I try to always go to

>Accessing Higher Ground conference in Boulder every November, it is

>primarily for Adaptive Technologists and I get a lot out of the conference

>(and make good networking connections as well).

>

>Like some others, my job is not JUST adaptive technology.  Because I work

>for the IT department, I also have other duties that have nothing to do with

>disability services.  Ideally, I should be spending only 1/3 of my time

>doing adaptive technology, per my job description.  In reality, it is about

>80%.  I also run a general-use computer lab that houses some specialized

>equipment for SWD's, and I also have direct responsibility for maintaining,

>forecasting, and troubleshooting 1/4th of the campus computerized

>classrooms.  So I keep busy.

>

>If I had to sum up, I'd say get plenty of technical experience, especially

>software.  If you have an ability to learn these quickly, and an ability to

>use help files, this is the easy part of this job.  Coming up with

>accommodations can be a bit dicier, but there are lots of resources out

>there to use, including networking on lists and etc.  And never forget that

>high-tech is not always the way to go...sometimes the simple solution is

>best.  We had a visually impaired student here who no amount of technology

>was getting him through his algebra classes.  Finally, we hired a visual

>describer and gave her a sharpie marker and a big pad of huge-square graph

>paper, and she got that guy through class.  He actually finished with a high

>B.  Low-tech was the solution there, and is for some other things too.

>

>Susan Kelmer

>Coordinator

>Information ACCESS Lab

>St. Louis Community College at Meramec

>314/984-7951

>

>_______________________________________________

>Athen mailing list

>Athen at athenpro.org

>http://athenpro.org/mailman/listinfo/athen_athenpro.org


Sue
***********************************************************
Susan A. Morgado
Director of Technology Support
Assistive Technology Specialist
Library and Information Services
Wheaton College
Norton, MA 02766
508.286.3754
http://www.wheatoncollege.edu/IT_S/support/
http://www/staff/suemorgado.html
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