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Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative

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Volume 11, Issue 2: Spring 2003

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What's Inside...the Spring 2003 issue

President Bush's FY04 Budget Eliminates AT Act
To the shock of AT advocates nationwide, the President’s FY04 budget, released last month, eliminates all funding for state technology projects. This unexpected move effectively shuts down the state programs a full year before the legislative authorization for the program ends.

Picture of a classroomClassroom Acoustics Impact Learners and Educators Alike
We have known for many years that children with hearing impairments often struggle in a noisy classroom environment. Mounting evidence, however, suggests that the acoustic environment in the classroom can affect the well-being of all students—as well as that of their teachers.

Frequently-Asked Questions About Classroom Acoustics
1. What causes high noise levels and other acoustical problems in classrooms? 2. Who is at risk for learning problems due to poor classroom acoustics? 3. What are the effects of noise on hearing in the classroom? 4. What are other effects of poor classroom acoustics? 5. What will it cost to improve classroom acoustics? 6. What can be done to increase awareness about the problems associated with classroom acoustics? 7. What can teachers and schools do to improve acoustical conditions in their classrooms?

Auditory Access to the Curriculum: One Family’s Experience
Most of us don’t give acoustics much thought in the course of our daily lives. Sure, we appreciate the fine listening qualities of a first rate music hall or we cringe in the din of a noisy gym, but generally we get by.

Colonial District Pioneers Widespread Auditory Enhancments
Many Colonial School District teachers no longer need to ask their students “Can you hear me now?” thanks to an IDEA and Technology Grant through the Delaware Department of Education. The grant made possible the purchase of $63,000 of sound field amplification equipment.

Resources on Classroom Acoustics
American National Standard Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools.

Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
In 1931, Congress authorized the Library of Congress to initiate the service that would become the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS).

If You Can’t Hear Me Now: Telephone Equipment and Services for Those with Acquired Hearing Loss
Picture of Portable VCO PhoneImagine that you are losing, or have lost, your hearing. Up to this point, you were able to use a telephone to communicate without any special equipment. Now, however, you cannot hear well enough to carry on a telephone conversation. If you want to, or more importantly, if you need to use the phone, what do you do? Read on and you will learn what tools and services are available to help you communicate.

Funding for Hearing Aids
There are approximately 28 million people in the United States who have a hearing loss that results in communication problems. This statistic represents approximately 10% of the population, which in Delaware means more than 80,000 people.

Lions Clubs of Delaware Assist in Funding AT
The Lions Club is a service club organization recognized worldwide for their efforts to improve the quality of life of individuals with visual and/or hearing impairments. Lions Clubs participate in service projects that are conducted on a local, statewide, nationwide and worldwide basis.

Self Help for Hard of Hearing People Opens New Office
Self Help for Hard of Hearing People of Delaware, Inc. (SHHH) is a non-profit organization, affiliated with SHHH National in Bethesda, Maryland and is the largest organization in the United States for deaf, and hard of hearing children and adults.

New Product Info Victor Trekker & AudiSee

Equal Access to the World Wide Web
The internet has the potential to provide people with disabilities access to an array of commercial activity that was virtually unfathomable when the ADA was drafted. The internet offers people with mobility, visual, or other impairments access to businesses, education, and information from their own homes and offices.