More Details
There are many experts and resources throughout Australia. This does not provide the definitive list, however sources of information include:
. Specialist Services in Technology for People with Disabilities
. Disability Support Organisations
. Advocacy Groups
. Rehabilitation, Disability and Technology Specialists
. Suppliers
. Consumers
. Media and Data Bases
ORGANISATIONS, PEOPLE AND PLACES:
SPECIALIST SERVICES IN TECHNOLOGY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN NSW
Providing assessment and demonstration, education, information and display of available equipment.
. Computer Assistive Technology Services
. TASC
. Royal Blind Society
. Australian Communication Exchange
DISABILITY SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS
. The Independent Living Centre of NSW provides display and information on commercially available equipment
. Technical Aid to the Disabled provides assistance in custom made equipment
. Specialist Disability Services, for example, Special Paraquad,
Northcott, Spastic Centres / Societies, Societies for the Blind,
The Deaf Society and other organisations for the deaf.
ADVOCACY GROUPS
. Australian Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Association (ARATA): advancing technology for people with disabilities
. ACROD Technology Committees: lobbying to ensure that people with disabilities have affordable and equitable access to appropriate technology
REHABILITATION, DISABILITY AND TECHNOLOGY SPECIALISTS
. Rehabilitation engineers, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, physiotherapists, educators, users of technology, technical support officers.
. NSW: Biomedical Engineering, North Sydney Area Health Service
Rehabilitation Engineering Department, Prince Henry Hospital
SUPPLIERS
Many mainstream suppliers of technology such as computers and software will know little if anything about adaptive technology such as switches, alternate keyboards and special needs software. There are suppliers throughout Australia specialising in adaptive technology. They may be a valuable source of information. Some are listed below.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Regency Park Centre
NEW SOUTH WALES
Technability
T.E.A.C.H.
Pulse Data
Ability Technology
VICTORIA
Technical Solutions
Zygo Australia
QUEENSLAND
Spectronics
MEDIA AND DATABASES
Catalogues and brochures, newsletters, trade magazines, disability journals and magazines, professional journals, databases, bulletin boards and internet, trade shows and displays. These are all valid and informative sources. Some examples include:
LINK, ARATA News; MACLINK; Closing the Gap; Ability Newsletter; On Line; Technotalk; Acorn; Communique (Microsoft); Apple News; What's New in Computing; AGOSCI National Newsletter (Australian Group on Severe Communication Impairment).
A variety of information sources are available via computer some of which may be purchased on disk. The databases include Australian and international packages, for example databases of The Independent Living Centres, VOCA Select, Computer Access Selector, The Computer Assistive Technology Services
database, Abledata, Co-Net, and Macintosh Access Passport.
It is extremely valuable to use the Internet for gathering information. Most suppliers and disability organisations will have a web site with links to related sites.
This information has been prepared by the COMPUTERS ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY SERVICE (Div. of Northcott).