Tagged with 'Disabilities'

Access Angle: Supporting Parents of Children and Youth with Disabilities

By: Gabriel Ryan, School Health Blog Writer and Contributor

Parents and guardians of children and young adults with disabilities taking an active role in the special education process and as a member of the Individual Education Program (IEP) is extremely important! Learning about how their child’s disability affects their participation in school and in the community helps parents to be more informed decision makers for their child.

For many families of children with disabilities, finding information, when they need it, related to services and supports can be overwhelming and sometimes difficult.

In this Access Angle segment, I want to spotlight a fantastic resource for parents and families of children with disabilities. Across the nation, parent organizations are available to support families of children with disabilities as well as young adults with disabilities. These parent organizations may operate differently from one another and from state to state. However, there is one consistent purpose, and that is to support and assist parents with resources, information, and training to be the most informed they can be as they effectively participate in their child’s education and development.

According to the Center for Parent Information & Resources website, there are nearly 100 Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) in the US and Territories. You can find the PTI in your state by using their Find Your Parent Center page at https://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center.

In California, there are six PTIs, these centers serve parents of children ages birth to 26 years old. In addition to the PTIs, California also has over 40 Family Resource Centers (FRCs) which are funded to serve ages birth to 3, and 32 Family Empowerment Centers (FECs) funded to serve ages 3 to 22.

I have personal experience with these centers in California as my family has accessed them for supports and services over many years. My mom, Robin, served as a Resource Specialist at one of the FRCs in Sacramento. She worked there for many years before moving on to a California Department of Education state training and technical assistance project, which supports and provides assistance to the FECs and aspects of Family Engagement. The last couple of years have been exciting for California in relation to the Family Empowerment Centers. FECs were originally enacted through legislation in 2001, and by 2006, there were 14 centers serving 27 of California’s 58 counties. There was not enough funding to have a center in all FEC regions of the state. Sixteen years later, additional funding was allocated to expand the establishment of the FECs to the rest of the state. In the last couple of years, 18 new FECs have received funding, which brings the total to 32 centers serving all regions of the state! Learn more about the FECs at the Seeds of Partnership webpage related to Family Empowerment Centers. If you are in California, I encourage you to reach out to a center if you are looking for this type of resource and support. They are mostly staffed by parents of children with disabilities, so they have first-hand experience!

Learn more about the type of supports and services offered in your state by accessing the parent centers. They are a great place to start when seeking resources and support for you, as a family, or families you serve. If you are an educator or a support provider, reach out to explore what collaborative partnerships can be made. I am excited to spread the word about these agencies and the wonderful work they do each day!

Let us know: Did you find this article interesting? Would you like to read more of these types of articles? Do you have a topic you would like to see highlighted? Contact me through email Gabe Ryan gryan@schoolhealth.com. I’d love to know how you’ve used information from the School Health Access Angle segments.

Gabriel Ryan, School Health Blog Writer and Contributor

Voice Recognition Technology: Words = Action

Voice or speaker recognition is the ability of a device or program to receive and interpret dictation or to understand and carry out spoken commands. Voice recognition enables people to interact with technology by speaking. Being able to interact with technology by using just your voice can save time, increase productivity, and enables access to content and experiences that may not have previously been a possibility. Over the past several decades, voice recognition technology has evolved from a machine comprehending a handful of digits to technology that is now integrated into many products which people use to control devices and input text throughout their daily routines.

The History of Voice Recognition:

1950s

• The Audrey System, developed by Bell Laboratories in 1952, was the first machine that could understand the human voice. This system only recognized numbers 0-9.

1960s

• The IBM Shoebox was a machine similar to the Audrey but could understand six words such as plus, minus, false, total, subtotal, and off. This was a math machine.

1970s

• IBM Automatic Call Identification enabled engineers anywhere in the US to talk and receive “spoken” answers from a 5000-word vocabulary.

• Harpy System, developed by Carnegie Mellon University was a system that could understand full sentences with a vocabulary of over 1,011 words.

1980s

• The Hidden Markov Method, named after the Russian mathematician Andrei Markov. This method uses probabilities to determine patterns of speech.

• Worlds of Wonder, Inc. created the first interactive talking doll named “Julie”.

1990s

• Dragon Systems released Dragon Dictate, the first speech-to-text dictation software. Dragon NaturallySpeaking was the first commercial recognition program that could understand natural speech up to 100 words per minute.

•  BellSouth’s VAL was the very first voice portal, an interactive system that could respond to questions over the phone.

2000s

• Software and hardware technology that included voice recognition continued to improve and expand more into consumer goods.

2010s

• Siri introduced a virtual assistant as an application which could dictate what was being said and give an interactive response.

• Apple acquired Siri, added new features, and integrated this digital assistant into its products. Siri uses natural language processing to understand speech and perform actions.

• Four major digital assistants dominate voice recognition and software technologies:

◆ Google Assistant on Android devices and Google services like Google home

◆  Amazon Alexa used on Android, Apple, and Lenovo laptops

◆  Bixby is Samsung’s assistant on phones and tablets

◆ Siri on all Apple products such as phones, computers, iPads etc.

Voice recognition technology functionality, accuracy, and availability continues to improve each year. Many more developers and manufacturers have integrated the virtual or voice assistants into their wide range of products and services. These types of products are of interest and used by people with and without disabilities.

“For most of us, technology makes things easier. For a person with a disability, it makes things possible.”

- Judy Heumann, American Disability Rights Activist and Former Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs

For people with disabilities, such as those with limited upper limb mobility and/or limited or no vision, this technology has been life changing. In my daily routine I’ve incorporated several devices and services that have a voice recognition feature. Listed below are my favorite devices and services with a voice recognition feature.

Gabe’s Favorite Devices/Services with Voice Recognition

Apple Virtual Assistant -Siri

Siri can assist with making calls, sending texts, reading messages, dictation, setting alarms and reminders, accessing the internet and applications, and so much more. I use Siri for all these activities on an iPad, iPhone and iWatch, hands free, every day. In fact, I use voice-to-text and Siri to create the Access Angle content.

Amazon Voice Service -Alexa

This voice service can be used for so many tasks just by naturally speaking. Many people use the voice service through a smart speaker, the most common being an Echo. This can be used for asking to listen to music, making calls, add calendar events, asking virtually anything and the speaker will offer an answer. Alexa has the ability to interface with smart home devices such as lights, cameras, door locks, window shades, fans and too many other devices to name. This is also something I use for daily tasks and communication.

 • TIP: For people who rely on caregivers for assistance with activities of daily living, learning to use voice assistants such as Siri and Alexa may be a great addition to a help and safety plan, or in case of an emergency.

Simple Human Voice and Motion Sensor Trash Can

This trash can is voice activated. By saying “open can” the lid opens automatically. The 25-inch height and slim profile are easy for me to reach. My preference is to have a trash can with a lid, however using my hands or a foot pedal to lift a lid and throw something away isn’t a combination of tasks I could do easily. Motion sensors are great but waving in the right place then being ready to throw away the item can require some timing. I want to clean up, put trash where it goes and go about my day. With this trash can, I am easily able to do just that.

Glideaway Odessa Adjustable Base Bed

This adjustable bed base includes the option to connect with the Amazon Alexa to control the functions of the base with voice commands. While laying down, I’m not able to independently change positions. However, with this bed base I can move into different positions such as raising and lowering the head and foot of the bed using voice commands.

Philips Hue Personal Wireless Lighting Smart LED Bulb

This lightbulb uses a standard base and can be used hands free with your voice in most fixtures with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. It offers the ability to choose from millions of shades of color. I use this lighting regularly. The option to use voice to turn on, off, dim, or change color a light is amazing. I am able to place the lamp where it gives the most light, instead of limiting its placement to where I can reach it. 

Voice Activated TV Remote

Many Tv remotes can now be operated with minimal physical interaction. For some models a push of 1 button and you can speak the name of the program or channel you are interested in watching and the Tv will go right to that selection.

Twinkly Smart Decoration Lights

These decorative lights can be controlled through voice commands when synced with a smart home device like an Alexa or Google. Once set up it works by saying “turn on Twinkly” along with other voice commands for changing the color and brightness. This item is creative, decorative, and fun. I loved using my voice to control these lights on the Christmas tree to light up the room and change colors and brightness each day through the holiday season.

There are many exciting advancements with voice recognition, but it does have some challenges and is not perfect. Sometimes commands are not accurately heard or interpreted by the device, which causes one to repeat or reword a command several times. Wi-Fi connected devices are sometimes negatively affected by internet outages and automated software updates. However, these are minor drawbacks to the overall benefits of using these tools.

The future of voice recognition is predicted to continue to gain more traction and become more embedded in how we work and live. Brian Roemmele, Founder & Editor-in-chief of Multiplex Magazine offers the following insight, “The last 60 years of computing, humans were adapting to the computer. The next 60 years, the computer will adapt to us. It will be our voices that will lead the way; it will be a revolution and it will change everything.”

Gabriel Ryan, School Health Blog Writer and Contributor

Celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Every October, the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, along with state and local organizations, recognize National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). The purpose of NDEAM is to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities. This is the 76th Anniversary of NDEAM and this year's theme is "America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion". To bring national awareness, the White House has issued a proclamation on their website related to this National Disability Employment Awareness Month, 2021. The history of NDEAM dates back to 1945.

• 1945: Congress designated the first week in October to recognize the skills and contributions of people with physical disabilities.
• 1962: The language was broadened to include all disabilities.
• 1988: Congress expanded the week to a month and renamed it National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)

All are invited to join the U.S Secretary of Labor, Marty Walsh, and Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy, Taryn Williams and others across the nation on October 20th, 2021, at the National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) Virtual Celebration. This is an opportunity to learn more and hear from leaders and change makers supporting the continued efforts.

There are a wealth of materials available for employers and educators to promote National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Beyond the awareness month, there are several informative resources on websites such as Accessibility.com, where accessibility in the workplace and accessibility in education are highlighted. Another useful resource is the ADA National Network. Their purpose is to provide information, guidance, and training on how to implement the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). They serve businesses, employers, state and local governments, disability organizations and individuals with disabilities whose rights are protected under the ADA.

In celebration of varied contributions of workers with disabilities, through an inclusive lens, I’d like to highlight some fantastic examples I encourage you to read more about.

Mozzeria

Founded in 2011, Mozzeria cooks up authentic wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas and offers an experience in Deaf culture while working to increase career placement opportunities for Deaf people. Mozzeria is proud to be a place where employees can demonstrate their talent and feel a shared sense of belonging.

Ada’s Café

Ada's Cafe is a non-profit corporation dedicated to hiring, training and empowering employees with disabilities. Where Good Food and Community Meet. Ada's also conducts collaborative research on improving workplaces for people with disabilities. 

Vertical Harvest

Provides inclusive employment for underserved populations in the vertical farms programs. These employees grow food for the local communities in vertical greenhouses located in urban environments. Watch their award-winning independent documentary Hearts of Glass.

Collettey’s

A national cookie business founded by Collette Divitto, who was born with Down Syndrome. Collettey’s has a mission to create jobs for people with disabilities, change public perception of how capable this population is, and they work with law makers in Washington D.C. on policies to support employees with disabilities.

Josh Blue

An entertainment icon, Josh has a huge presence on social media with over one million views on his YouTube clips and almost one million followers on Facebook. He is a comic who has Cerebral Palsy and is my personal favorite. His comedy and wit are enjoyed by people with and without disabilities.

Microsoft-Supported Employment Program

Their mission is to partner with vendors and local employment agencies to make a substantial difference in the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Workers receive wages and benefits from their vendor employers, plus the social benefits of working alongside colleagues of all abilities.

"There was a whole group of people out there that could do the job as well or better, that we were unjustly leaving behind," says Randy Lewis, a former SVP at Walgreens. “I think we have demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt that people with disabilities can do the job. Try it, if it doesn’t work what did you really loose? It will take a lot more people doing it, but if we can move the world that millionth of an inch...it makes it all worthwhile.”  Learn more about Randy Lewis and Walgreens approach to including workers with disabilities through this brief video, Employers Rarely Hire People With Disabilities. Here's Why They Should.

My personal example of a creative employment opportunity is with the School Health Corporation. Eight years ago, they offered me an interview for a blog writer position. They were interested in bringing in my perspective and experience as a person with a disability who is familiar with accessibility, assistive technology, and inclusion in everyday situations. Over time my role in the company has expanded to also include co-presenting at conferences, representing at exhibitor events, participating in department and companywide meetings, and serving as a thought partner on various projects and products. I’m proud to promote the resources and products our company offers and hand out my business cards wherever I go.

Often employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities are hard to find or don’t yet exist. When an individual comes along with skills and talents to share, and a business is willing to create a role or adjust the environment to support that person’s contribution, both individuals and companies thrive.

“We will all profit from a more diverse, inclusive society, understanding, accommodating, even celebrating our differences, while pulling together for the common good.”~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg