RERC II Institute on Disabilities Temple University

1. RERC IIInstitute on DisabilitiesTemple University Partner: Diane Nelson Bryen www.aac-rerc.com

2. Overview Questions • What we said we would do? • What we are doing? • What we are changing and why? • Where are we now? • What else do we want to do and why? • What will be the impact to the field?

3. What We Said We Would Do • R1-C: Specialized AAC Vocabulary • D6: ACOLUG • T3: ACETS Online Through E-Coaching • Technology & Policy Watch

4. R1-C: Specialized AAC Vocabulary • Develop Adult -valued vocabulary sets for 6 contexts: • College life • Managing personal assistance • Dating,intimacy, and sexuality • Parenting • Social networking • Victimization and the criminal justice system

5. R1-C: Specialized AAC Vocabulary • Temple University Team • Diane Nelson Bryen • Rosangela Boyd (replacing Allison Carey) • Kevin Cohen • Lindsey Blundey (graduate student)

6. R1-C: Specialized AAC Vocabulary • Advisory panel • Beverly Frantz (Victim Assistance Counselor) • Fiona Givens (AAC user and attorney) • Barbara Collier (AAC professional) • Panels of AAC users and experts in context areas • Collaborations with partners • Sarah & Dissemination Team • Technical partners • Mayer-Johnson • Dynavox (pending)

7. R1-C: Specialized AAC Vocabulary • What are we doing? • Where are we now? • IRB approved (compliance with NIDRR) • Refined protocol/procedures • Developed website and model for vocabulary prototypes. See employment vocabulary http://aacvocabulary.com/ • Established 3 listservs (AAC users, nondisabled peers, experts) • Begun first vocabulary development process: College Life

8. R1-C: Specialized AAC Vocabulary • Initial Observations/Impact/Questions? • 6 new vocabulary sets - adult, socially valued roles • Impact on device manufacturers? • Impact on parent? Teachers? Clinicians? • Already requests for additional vocabulary sets (e.g., patient/physician communication) • Added an expert panel for each of the adult contexts and started recruiting them

9. R1-C: Specialized AAC Vocabulary • Dissemination • Article by Johanna Swartz for Alternatively Speaking.

10. R1-C: Specialized AAC Vocabulary • Questions ?? • Suggestions ??

11. D6: ACOLUG • Maintain and support the international listserv - ACOLUG • Improve communication between the AAC user community and the RERC - both provide information to the AAC community about the activities of the RERC and solicit input from the AAC community to the activities of the RERC.

12. D6: ACOLUG • Temple University Team • Diane Nelson Bryen • Kevin Cohen • Tracy Rackensberger • Collaboration with partners • Dissemination team • Feedback and input from all partners

13. D6: ACOLUG • What are we doing? • Where are we now? • Listserv active (24 hours, 7 days each week) • Membership - 450 • Nationwide, international (e.g., Canada, UK, Australia, SA) • AAC users,family members,SLPs, teachers, students, manufacturers, policy makers and advocates • RERC/ACOLUG Liaison hired, trained, and working • First project posting and feedback completed • Bi-monthly postings scheduled with follow-up feedback to partners

14. D6: ACOLUG • Initial findings and observations • Subscribers - 450 • Postings - Since November, 2003 - more than 2500 postings • Average different topics/month - 24 topics • Most frequent topics • Independent living and PAS, autism & AAC, AAC, conferences, finding a good AAC/AT professional, “help,” medical/dental issues & AAC, school and college, employment, cell phones, people 1st language, device-specific, teaching AAC, and LATELY - the RERC. • RERC postings • Technology Transfer

15. D6: ACOLUG • Feedback from Technology & Policy Watch • Technology Priorities? • Better screen for devices/better display in different lightings • Better interconnectivity with computers and other devices • More natural voices • Longer lasting batteries • Devices that are more rugged and weather proof • Better cell phone integration • Policy priorities? • People need to see effective use of AAC devices while they are learning • Better and standardized provision of supports and services • Society acceptance issues • AAC as a foreign language in college/high school (As with ASL)?

16. D6: ACOLUG • Dissemination • One presentation at an international conference in South Africa - 250 people. • Paper accepted for ISAAC 2004 • One article planned for publication

17. D6: ACOLUG • Questions? • Suggestions?

18. T3: ACETS Online • Provide two 9-month training programs with 10 AAC users throughout the US who have literacy and communication skills and who area committed to finding employment. • Based on ACETS Online (RERC I), refine and utilize Person-centered Employment Planning and Online information technologies (I.e., websites, email, Listserv, instant messaging) to improve employment-related skills (technical and job searching skills, social networking skills, and employment experiences.

19. T3: ACETS Online • Temple Team • Diane Nelson Bryen • Kevin Cohen • 1/2 time graduate extern • Collaborators • Small Business Development Center • Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

20. T3: ACETS Online • What are we doing? • Where are we now? • IRB approved (compliance with NIDRR) • Finished the ACETS curricula (being formatted for print and electronic publication • Finished draft #3 of outcomes article • Postponing start of ACETS Online II until 2004-05

21. T3: ACETS Online • Initial findings/observations • ACETS Online goals attained, YET limited employment outcomes • Employment skills improved • Social Networks remained relatively limited • Limited improvement in employment-related experiences • Limited time spent on employment-related activities (less than 2-3 hours per week). • Changing expectations for ACETS training • Still hold promise for ACETS Online & e-coaching

22. T3: ACETS Online • Dissemination • Curriculum Guide completed; being formatted for publication • Article on ACETS Online in progress • Presentations - 2 at (inter)national conferences (CSUN & South Africa); 1 presentation accepted for ISAAC 2004

23. T3: ACETS Online • Questions? • Suggestions?

24. Technology & Policy Watch • Focus on Web Access and Cell phones • Policy Issues • Cell phones and AAC devices • Web accessibility

25. Technology & Policy Watch • Temple Team • Diane Nelson Bryen • RERC Partners • Frank DeRuyter, Kevin Caves, David Buekelman, Howard Shane • Advisory & Collaboration • FCC Commissioner, Kathleen Abernathy • Mark Friedman & WC3 • WebAim, Inc.

26. Technology & Policy Watch • What are we doing? • Where are we now? • Monitoring cell phone development and universal design • Continuing to work with FCC - ensure access features in cell phones and usability of cell phone service • Disseminating information about cell phones to AAC users • Providing input to WC3 on accessibility of the WWW • Developed a white paper and repair tool in collaboration with WebAim for Web Access and AAC. • Monitoring statewide policy for AAC access for people with mental retardation. Developed a model “Bulletin” for communication access for people who are nonspeaking who are served by the PA Office of Mental Retardation • Surveying all licensed SLPs in Pennsylvania about their current practice, knowledge, and skills in AAC with people with SCN.

27. Technology & Policy Watch • Dissemination • Publications • 2 articles in cell phones (ISAAC Bulletin and AT) • 2 articles either in press or in progress on cell phone use by people with significant communication disabilities (e.g., AAC) • Article and repair tool on AAC and the use of the WWW (will appear on RERC web site) • Statewide Bulletin on Communication Access being reviewed by the Office of Mental Retardation

28. Technology & Policy Watch • Questions? • Suggestions?

29. Formative Review Imperatives • Consumer Involvement • 1 paid staff member • 10 to 20 AAC users paid as consultants • ACOLUG membership of AAC users and family members • Diversity • 33% of research team • Student Training • 2 graduate students involved in research • 20 additional graduate students involved in training • 75 engineer students received awareness training

30. Formative Review Imperatives • Presentations • 2 presentations (CSUN, Temple University Engineering) • Publications • AS issue with Sarah & Michael • ACETS Training Curriculum • Cell Phone & AAC article in press AT and ISAAC Bulletin • Web Access and AAC to be posted on Website • Two manuscript in progress • ACETS online • Cell phone use and people with ID

31. Formative Review ImperativesTechnical Imperatives • Engineering - • Collaboration with Engineering Department for senior design projects • Presentations on Universal Design to all junior and senior year students in engineering • Federal Communications Commission • Impact on Cell phone companies • Products / Tech transfer • Vocabulary symbol sets with Mayer-Johnson • ACETS curriculum • WC3 standards

32. Dissemination • Questions for Dissemination Team and for postings on ACOLUG: • What adult-valued vocabulary sets are needed in addition to the one’s being considered? • What topics of conversation are most difficult for you to engage in due to vocabulary constraints? • What else might the RERC do to encourage manufacturers to include adult-oriented vocabulary in their communication devices? • What are the greatest barriers to using the web?

33. Housekeeping Budget In-Kind/Leveraged* $90,000 $16,876 Personnel 53,824 7,876 Student RA 12,862 4,000 Equipment 0 5,000 Supplies 480 Travel & Reg. 1,550 Participant Payments/PAS 2,500 Indirect 26% *$150,000 is additional leveraged resources

34. www.aac-rerc.com This work is funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Department of Education, under grant number H133E030018. The opinions contained in this presentation are those of the grantee and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Education.