Public and private sector employers and consumers now have access to the most comprehensive worldwide list of assistive technology (AT) manufacturers ever published.
The book, Assistive Technologies: Creating a Universe of Opportunities for People with Disabilities, lists more than 525 AT manufacturers in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and Asia. Employers looking for information on products benefiting employees who are speech impaired, blind, visually impaired, deaf, hearing impaired, physically challenged, cognitively challenged and mobility challenged will discover it in the book.
Employers will find information on voice recognition systems, text- to-speech products, Braille products, keyboards, low-vision products, hearing products, environmental control products, mobility products, and other products to increase independence and employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
“With millions of aging employees with disabilities requiring assistive technology to maintain their productivity and efficiency, and millions of working age people with disabilities unemployed, this book provides employers and consumers a one-stop shopping source in the field of assistive technology products,” says Howard McClintic, executive director, CTC Foundation. Washington, DC.
“Access to these products enables people with disabilities to become productive workers while simultaneously expanding a talented pool of industrious workers,” says John M. Williams, the author of the book and an award-winning writer.
Additional contents include summaries of federal legislation passed on disability areas since the 1960s and recent United States Supreme Court decisions on the Americans with Disabilities Act. Other sections include: 12 columns on assistive technology products by John M. Williams, an overview of assistive technology today, articles written by Microsoft, IBM, Kurzweil Educational Systems, Deque and Oracle on their corporate philosophies in assistive technology areas, and a chapter on United Nations’ activities in the assistive technology field and definitions of AT terms. For employers interested in knowing ways a variety of these products are used in work environments, the 12 columns tell them.
The book is published online, in print and on CD. The Web data will be updated monthly and will be available through a protective password. The printed contents will be updated several times annually. The site is accessible to people with disabilities. Deque, one of the country’s foremost authorities on building accessible Web sites, made the site accessible. A sample of the online version can be seen at www.atn-ctcf.org.
“It has been our pleasure to ensure that people with disabilities can have access to the online version of the book,” says Preety Kumar, CTO, Deque Corp., (www.deque.com) Reston, Virginia. The price is $99 for the online version, and $79 in any one of the two remaining formats mentioned above. Members of United Spinal Association, however, can obtain their copies for just $69. To order, contact CTC Foundation at 202-312-2913 and you can order by credit card or check, and be sure to mention that you are a member of United Spinal.
Assistive Technologies: Creating a Universe of Opportunities for People with Disabilities is published jointly by Assistive Technology News and the CTC Foundation (Concurrent Technologies Corporation’s Foundation, www.ctcfoundation.org). Founded by John Williams, Assistive Technology News offers a variety of print and online editorial services on assistive technology products and services. Mr. Williams has written about disability issues and assistive technology products for 25 years. He is an award-winning columnist.
The CTC Foundation (www.ctcfoundation.org) was established five years ago with the primary goal of mainstreaming niche technologies. The Foundation works to have AT more widely used in local communities where there are a community of persons with disabilities, with foundation and/or corporate support. Contact Howard McClintic at (202) 312-2913 or mcclinth@ctcgsc.org for information.
