Webinar - AT for Sports and Recreation rescheduled for September!

Please join the Washington Assistive Technology Act Program (WATAP) and the Washington Access Fund for a free webinar on AT for Sports and Recreation on Thursday, September 26th from 11:00am to 12:30pm.

Seattle Adaptive Sports provides sports and recreation for youth and adults with physical disabilities throughout Western Washington. Learn about opportunities available for team and individual sports for individuals with disabilities in your neighborhood, Washington and across the country including where or how to get equipment; earn a college sports scholarships and become an elite Paralympian.

Seattle Adaptive Sports Logo

Visit this link to register for this free webinar: https://catalyst.uw.edu/webq/survey/gabyd/199981, or call 800 214-8731. Once you have registered, we will provide you with a link to attend the webinar and call-in information. This webinar will be captioned.

Assistive Technology and Low Vision Open House

Assistive Technology for Low Vision

When: Tuesday October 8, 2013 from 11 am – 7 pm

Where: Department of Services for the Blind (DSB)

3411 South Alaska St

Seattle WA 98118

(free parking available on site)

Ever wondered what kind of technology is available for a person who is blind or has low vision? Well here’s your chance to find out! The Dept. of Services for the Blind is opening its doors to their Seattle Assistive Technology and Low Vision labs to provide you with a hands-on experience. Come try out a wide range of tools, devices and technology to see what’s out there. Staff will be on site to answer your questions so you can get the most out of your experience. Representatives from the WA Assistive Technology Act Program (http://watap.org/) and WA Access Fund (http://www.washingtonaccessfund.org/) will also be present to provide information about their services.

Please RSVP to: Nancy Eckert (206) 906-5512 or nancy.eckert@dsb.wa.gov

*refreshments will be served

Webinar - AT for Sports and Recreation

Please join the Washington Assistive Technology Act Program (WATAP) and the Washington Access Fund for a free webinar on AT for Sports and Recreation on Thursday, August 22nd from noon to 1:30pm.

Seattle Adaptive Sports provides sports and recreation for youth and adults with physical disabilities throughout Western Washington. Learn about opportunities available for team and individual sports for individuals with disabilities in your neighborhood, Washington and across the country including where or how to get equipment; earn a college sports scholarships and become an elite Paralympian.

Seattle Adaptive Sports Logo

Visit this link to register for this free webinar: https://catalyst.uw.edu/webq/survey/gabyd/199981, or call 800 214-8731. Once you have registered, we will provide you with a link to attend the webinar and call-in information. This webinar will be captioned.

Job Accommodation Request Survey

Individuals aged 55 or older and in need of job accommodations are being sought for a study by researchers at the Florida State University.

You are invited to share your perceptions of factors related to accommodation requests by answering a few questions about yourself, your organization (if applicable), and your abilities and emotions in the process. This survey will take about 20-30 minutes.

The first 100 participants completing the survey will have a 1-in-4 chance of winning a $25 gift certificate; the rest of the respondents completing the survey will have a 1-in-4 chance of winning a $10 gift certificate. Moreover, you will be assisting service providers and employers to learn more about how to improve the job accommodation process for older workers, considering the fast trend in the aging workforce. The survey can be accessed through the following link: https://fsu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_eCZp9L0mXe40N0h

If you have any questions about the research study or need an alternative survey format, please contact Dr. Shengli Dong by e-mail at workplace_accommodation@fsu.edu.

Seeking AT users with visual impairment

Interested in participating in an activity to help test the accessibility of a financial website?

JPMorgan Chase will be conducting an accessibility study to test the design of our website and how well it serves you. The session will take about 90 minutes and we will give you a gift of $150 cash for your participation and can also arrange transportation to and from our facility.

To participate in the study, we ask that you meet the following requirements:

• Be using some kind of assistive technology related to visual impairment
• Have experience using financial websites (Online Banking) a few times a month
• Be over 18 years of age 

If you are available and would like to be part of this activity, please call at (206) 500-2709 or reply via e-mail to brian.espinosa@jpmchase.com with subject line “Financial website study”.

Please provide:

• Your name
• Age
• Email address
• Indicate the financial website that you have experience with
• Phone number
• Assistive Technology
1. The type of assistive technology that you use and if it is compatible with other systems or not
2. Are you comfortable coming to our facility for the study and setting up your assistive technology using your own computer? 

We will contact you within the next few days if you are an appropriate match.

Webinar - Financing Assistive Technology

Please join the Washington Access Fund in welcoming Mike Smith, an Attorney from Disability Rights Washington for a free webinar on financing assistive technology on Wednesday, June 26th at 12:00pm-1:00pm.

Ask almost any person with a disability who uses assistive technology, and they are likely to tell you that these are their most important assets. They also are likely to tell you that there are times when they have been unable to pay for such assets – either because they are on limited incomes or the devices they need are just “too expensive” or both.

Although it is often assumed that assistive technologies for people with disabilities are paid for by public and private health insurance and/or various government programs, that is simply not the case. Join this webinar to learn about alternative financing options and ways to pay for assistive technology!

Register now for this free webinar that will be taking place on Wednesday, June 26th at 12:00pm by emailing: leann@washingtonaccessfund.org, or by calling: (206) 328-5116. Once you have registered, we will provide you with a link to attend the webinar and call-in information.

Disability Rights Washington Logo

Adaptive Cycling for All this Summer

At WATAP, we get the importance of having access to assistive device and the opportunity to try them out. So if you're looking to rent adaptive sporting equipment or want an opportunity to learn about adaptive sports there are resources here in our outdoorsy State for you. As many know, the Outdoors for All Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1979 as the Ski for All Foundation. Today, over 2,000 children and adults with disabilities exercise their abilities while skiing, cycling, hiking, kayaking and more through the organization's programs. Their goal is to transform lives through outdoor recreation and the following story illustrates how they're succeeding.

"My daughter has been battling brain cancer for over 2 years and has not been on a bike since. She continually watches from the side line, as her brother and the neighbor kids ride their bikes, wanting to join them so badly. When we heard of Outdoors for All we were so excited to give her some of her childhood back. She was just thrilled to get on your bike and ride. It was as huge a moment for her as her Make-a-wish!! ”

Outdoors for All is committed to providing more opportunities for individuals with disabilities and their families so that they may get outdoors and recreate together. This summer, they'll be expanding the drop-in adaptive cycle rental program. Beginning June 28^th, individuals with disabilities and their families may come to the Magnuson Park office in Seattle on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 am – 5 pm to enjoy the fun of adaptive cycling! Staff and volunteers will be available to help individuals with disabilities explore a variety of adaptive cycles and find the best match. Magnuson Park has miles of trails to enjoy and the park is just across the street from the Burke-Gilman Trail if you’re interested in a longer ride on a protected bike path.