“The workshops will help professionals gain new skills and knowledge that they can take back to their campuses,” said Kalivoda, also an adjunct assistant professor in the College of Education’s department of counseling and human development services.  “Technology has been an effective tool in assisting many students with disabilities and professionals are challenged to stay current and knowledgeable about advances in technology.”

    Advances in hardware and software have given students with disabilities more opportunities for equal access in education.  Adaptive technology ranges from ergonomic furniture and peripherals for technology, to software packages for students with learning disabilities, visual, hearing and mobility impairments.

    There will be no charge for participating in either of the one-day workshops, said Martha Wisbey, coordinator of the grant and adjunct instructor in the College Student Affairs program in the department of counseling and human development services. Wisbey is also an academic advisor in the Franklin College of Arts & Sciences.

    The first workshop will be held in spring 2003 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education here on the UGA campus. The second will be held in late summer 2003 at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. About 50 disability service providers from colleges and universities throughout the Southeast are expected to attend each workshop.

    “Participants in the workshops will receive a software product called Inspiration which facilitates the writing process for students. It can be used as an effective study tool as well,” said Wisbey.  “Based on the visual learning technique known as concept mapping, the software helps clarify thinking, deepen understanding, increase retention and develop organizational skills.”

    The grant was awarded by the Southeast Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center (DBTAC) – one of 10 such regional centers created by the Americans with Disabilities Act and has been funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research since 1991.

    The DBTAC has a regional center in Atlanta at the Georgia Tech Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access and works with professionals in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

 For more information on the workshops contact Martha Wisbey at 706/542-8719 or at mwisbey@uga.edu.
 For more information on Disability Services at UGA, visit http://www.dissvcs.uga.edu/

Thursday, November 21, 2002
WRITER: Michael Childs, 706/542-5889, mchilds@coe.uga.edu
CONTACT: Martha Wisbey, 706/542-8719, mwisbey@uga.edu