The AT Messenger?bringing technology to you Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative (DATI) - Volume 17, No. 2 - Spring/Summer 2009 ### International Travel via Planes, Trains, Automobiles, and Wheelchairs Bill Young, Travel Agent Debra Young, MEd., OTR/L, ATP, Occupational Therapist Traveling for people who use a mobility device?specifically a wheelchair or scooter?takes planning, coordination, patience, and flexibility. But, we are here to tell you that it can be done and enjoyed immensely! Our dream to travel came true because we had the knowledge of how to navigate various systems and physical challenges, at least in part, due to our professional backgrounds?travel agent and occupational therapist. Our combined work totals nearly 25 years. Bill has been a travel agent for over 10 years in the leisure and corporate travel industry. He has sold the world but currently specializes in travel to the Caribbean and Mexico. Debra is a self-employed Occupational Therapist with over 14 years experience, currently providing contractual Occupational Therapy and Assistive Technology services to Delaware schools and community programs. She is a RESNA certified Assistive Technology Professional and specializes in Assistive Technology and Home Modifications/Accessibility consulting. Readers may contact her by e-mail at dyot@comcast.net. Our shared goal in this article is to reveal the ways we made travel a reality for ourselves and others. We hope you find the following information helpful! Air travel Purchasing your airline ticket is the time to try to secure bulkhead seating, which is typically reserved for elderly and/or disabled passengers for ease of boarding and exiting the plane. This is the first row of seats, just behind first class, and has increased leg room for ease of transfers. Bulkhead seating will not be available to persons with disabilities if it is an emergency exit row because persons seated in the emergency exit row must be able to assist other passengers in case of an emergency. There are various considerations when planning a flight for a passenger who uses a wheelchair?such passengers are typically required to board the plane first and exit last. In order to accomplish this, an aisle chair?a chair that is slim enough to fit down the aisle of an airplane to transport disabled passengers to their seats?is needed. Discuss the need for boarding assistance with the ticketing agent upon your arrival at the airport. The ticketing agent is responsible for having an aisle chair at your designated departure gate. Not surprisingly, it is a good idea to arrive at your gate well in advance of your scheduled departure time in order to confirm arrangements?the status of the aisle chair, checking your personal wheelchair, and arranging for assistance to board the plane. Arriving at the gate late and/or the absence of the aisle chair can result in having to board the plane last, which is a difficult task once everyone else is seated. It is also important to consider arrangements for connecting flights. Ask the gate agent to call ahead to the next airport to make sure that an aisle chair will be ready and waiting for your use. It is not uncommon for the passenger with a disability to have an aisle seat. This seems counterintuitive, as passengers with disabilities board first, which requires other passengers sharing the row to step over the passenger to access the inner seats. Consider asking for a window seat. Some airlines have an on-board aisle chair available for a passenger with a disability to gain access to the restroom. (This is not consistent across airlines.) Using the aisle chair in flight can be a challenging and voyeuristic experience. As we all know, the size of an airplane bathroom, combined with the looming curiosity of surrounding passengers, can make for a spectacle. The type of aircraft and the size of the airport will determine how a passenger using a wheelchair will exit the plane. Once the other passengers have deplaned, the flight attendant will bring the aisle chair to assist with the exit. The plane may be exited down the gateway, which is the preferred and easiest way, or the person may be carried down a flight of steps in the aisle chair by a few strong men. Once off the plane and back into a wheelchair, it is customary for the airline to escort the passenger with a disability through security and customs. The escort will navigate airport shortcuts, then it?s time to find your luggage. On our trip through the South Pacific, we were made aware of a helpful tip?always ask for a priority luggage tag for each piece of checked luggage. This alerts the luggage handlers to put your luggage on the conveyor belt first, which helps your airport escort to locate your luggage with little delay and decreases the chance of lost luggage. Train, ferries, and gondolas, oh my! Trains and ferries have been some of the most accessible forms of ?public? transportation we have experienced in our travels. You may not have access to all areas of the train or ferry, including the bathroom, but you will be able to board. A ferry challenge we encountered was tidal in nature, which significantly changed the accessibility of the boat. As a result, entering and exiting the ferry can became an adventure. One ?perk? we found in our travels is that fares have been discounted for passengers with disabilities and their companions. How does a traveler using a wheelchair get to the top of a mountain? By gondola, of course. A gondola can be challenging due to the size of the cars and, especially, because the cars never stop. However, the systems may have different speeds. A person using a mobility device needs to be able to transfer quickly to make this a realistic adventure. Quite an experience, but well worth the views! Then, of course, there are cars and buses. If you want to come and go at your own pace, look into renting a modified vehicle. This requires some research and planning. Make sure you ask the company exactly what they offer by way of adapted vehicles and what paperwork is necessary for rental, and don?t be surprised if the adaptive driving equipment isn?t set up in the way you are accustomed. Taking a public bus is another great option. It is more cost effective than car rental but requires more planning. Not all buses are accessible, which may mean that you will have to wait for an accessible bus?a bus with a ramp and space to fit a wheelchair as well as seating for the elderly/disabled. Depending on where you get on or off the bus will determine the incline of the ramp, which changes the true accessibility to enter and exit the bus independently. Furthermore, rides can be fast and bumpy. Be prepared! Wheelchair brakes may not be enough to keep a wheelchair from sliding around. A common thread during our international travel was that tie-downs were often nonexistent in public transportation. Make sure you have something or someone to hold onto, if needed. The bottom line When traveling with a disability, you need to do some extra planning and research to make sure your trip has the accommodations you need for a happy and safe journey. Ask questions to truly get an idea of what ?accessible? means, as this can vary immensely. Putting extra time into the planning process will help to ensure that your transportation needs will not negatively impact your activities. Most of all, before you decide you can?t travel due to your disability, look into it. The possibilities might surprise you! ### Homegrown in Delaware Article by Diane Kukich Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson What happens when a toddler or preschooler who is immobile due to physical disabilities suddenly gains mobility through the use of a robot-assisted power chair? Will other children and adults treat him differently now that he is mobile? Will he become more assertive? More vocal? More interactive? Thanks to the unique research environment provided by the University of Delaware?s Early Learning Center (ELC), Cole Galloway and Christina Ragonesi hope to soon have solid data to help answer that question. Galloway is an associate professor in UD?s Department of Physical Therapy, and Ragonesi is a graduate student working on a Ph.D. through UD?s multidisciplinary Biomechanics and Movement Science (BIOMS) program. She will soon begin work on a doctor of physical therapy degree as well. For the past several years, Galloway has been collaborating with Sunil Agrawal, professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and his graduate student, Xi Chen, on research funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health aimed at providing early power mobility to young children with special needs. The team is developing a miniature power chair, armed with a robotic brain and affectionately known as ?UD2,? that keeps kids safe and empowers them to explore the world while also providing valuable data to the researchers. Under Galloway?s direction, Ragonesi has been training three-year-old Will in the operation of a power chair. To date, his use of the chair has been limited to open spaces, like the ELC gym, that are large enough to accommodate a standard pediatric power chair. In the classroom, Will is still confined to sitting and watching while the flurry of preschool activity goes on around him. Now, because UD2 is small enough to fit in the classroom, Will is being given the opportunity to share more deeply in the experiences of a typical preschooler through all-day immersion with his peers and teachers. ?We want him to be involved in all of the daily activities of his preschool peers,? Galloway says, ?like chasing, sharing, hiding, and even a bit of misbehaving. He needs to learn how to use UD2 so that he is involved in the dynamic, active physical and social interactions that preschoolers are so interested in. It?s kind of analogous to an undergraduate learning Spanish by being dropped off in Spain.? To test the effect of the power chair, Ragonesi is measuring Will?s speech, social interactions, and participation in activities both before and after he uses UD2 in the classroom. Galloway believes that this model of ?mobility immersion,? in which a child uses a power mobility device in class throughout the day, is the first of its kind. ?What?s critical here,? Galloway says, ?is early mobility immersion. When a child has unlimited access to mobility for long periods of time each day across all the settings of daily life, we believe that the mobility device has a better chance of becoming ?embodied,? or viewed by the child as an integral part of himself. Without embodiment, the device is just a tool that gets the child from one place to another but may not significantly change the quality or quantity of his interactions.? ?Just because a child can drive doesn?t mean he can use his mobility in a functional way,? Galloway continues. ?Will?s past experience has constrained him and taught him a kind of learned helplessness.? In the classroom, Will typically moves from one activity to another only when a teacher physically picks him up and moves him. UD2 enables him to independently decide when, where, and with whom he wants to go. Galloway and Ragonesi are especially interested in seeing how long it takes Will, who has driven a power chair for many months in the ELC halls and on the playground, to independently use UD2 for mobility and socialization within a new context?the bustling metropolis that is a preschool classroom. So far, this new context has resulted in interesting insight into the differences between mobility and socialization. ?The first time he used UD2 in the classroom,? Ragonesi says, ?he drove to a station to play with blocks and stayed there for 45 minutes. Then he drove to another activity and stayed there for 45 minutes. This is quite different from typically developing children, who rarely spend that length of time at any one activity. Children like Will, who have been immobile in a classroom setting for a relatively long period time, simply get used to the pattern of socialization that accompanies immobility. But his classmates better watch out, because Will won?t be like this for too long. We are extremely lucky to be present as he learns to use his mobility for socialization.? Galloway is grateful for the environment provided by the ELC, which is not only enabling him and Ragonesi to carry out the study but actually welcoming their work and all of its potential implications. He credits the ELC administration, teachers, therapists, and Will?s family for their commitment to breaking new ground. ?The ELC has provided great support for this project,? says Steven Stanhope, who served as interim dean of UD?s College of Health Sciences from January to July 2009. ?This project is not only helping Will as an individual but also establishing a model for how mobility can be provided in the preschool classroom for all kids with physical disabilities. And it?s a great example of the many cross-college collaborations in rehabilitation sciences at UD.? The results of the research team?s work to date have shown that very young children, even those with cognitive disabilities, can learn to drive and that the mobility conferred by robot-assisted devices has a positive impact on their development. And Galloway is confident that the current project will provide further evidence of the benefits of early mobility. His biggest concern is how to provide that mobility in the future to all of the children who could benefit from it. ?We don?t have a commercial source of robot-assisted power chairs,? he says, ?and there?s nothing worse than offering this resource to a child during a research project and knowing that we can?t sustain it with a commercially available device. Waiting is not an option. By the time kids are typically fitted for power chairs, they?re at least three years old, if not much older. By then, they?ve lost out on several years? worth of critical learning opportunities.? David Weir, director of UD?s Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships, is working to address Galloway?s concerns. ?The research program that Cole and his colleagues have undertaken is an important component of the campus-wide initiative to build a world-class rehabilitation capability,? he says. According to Weir, a study has been initiated to determine the economic potential for devices of this type, including identifying commercial enterprises engaged in the rehabilitation marketplace. A workable prototype unit with initial cost estimate is ready for first-level patient testing, and discussions have begun with potential business partners for advanced testing and eventual commercialization of the robot. This article originally appeared in the University of Delaware daily electronic newsletter, the UDaily, on August 3, 2009. It can be found, in its entirety, at http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2010/aug/mobility080309.html. ### The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and What it Means for Delawareans with Disabilities Daniel Atkins Legal Advocacy Director Disabilities Law Program On February 17, 2009, amid great anticipation, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. After extensive negotiations in the House and Senate, the final Act included $787 billion in tax cuts and spending aimed at creating or saving jobs, helping our most vulnerable citizens, and improving our infrastructure and renewable energy industry. While many, if not all, of the provisions may positively impact people with disabilities, this article will highlight the provisions of the Act that most directly benefit Delawareans with disabilities. Except where otherwise noted, all dollar amounts represent the amount being spent nationally, which will then be divided among the states. Provisions Targeted Specifically to Benefit People with Disabilities * Recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (children and adults) and Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) (adults only) will receive one-time payments of $250, except for recipients receiving Medicaid in facilities. You must have been eligible for SSI or SSDI in November 2008, December 2008, or January 2009 to receive the payment. * States will receive money to provide vocational rehabilitation and training to people with disabilities ($500 million for adults, $1.2 billion for youth services). * Centers for Independent Living will receive $200 million nationally to support initiatives aimed at moving people with disabilities into communities. * The Social Security Administration (SSA) will receive $500 million for the specific purpose of reducing backlogs and delays in the claims and appeals process, and another $500 million to update SSA?s computer center. * $12 billion will go to the states to enhance the federal government?s share of funding of special education and early intervention for young children under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). * $87 billion?a temporary increase in Medicaid matching funds?will enable states to enhance or maintain programs in the face of growing deficits. States will receive different amounts, with high unemployment states (not Delaware) receiving disproportionately more. * Low-income individuals will receive assistance with paying Medicare Part B premiums (which cover doctor and outpatient care). Recipients of SSDI receive Medicare. Provisions That Should Significantly Benefit Many People with Disabilities * Businesses that hire disadvantaged workers?unemployed veterans and disconnected youth?will receive tax credits. * The Transitional Medical Assistance program will be extended in order to provide temporary health coverage to families who become ineligible for Medicaid because of increased earnings. * Veterans Affairs hospitals will receive significant infusions of capital. * Community health centers will receive significant amounts of money. * One billion dollars will support medical research to help prevent disease and specifically to fight cancer, Alzheimer?s and heart disease. Immunization programs are also included in this funding. * The unemployed will have the potential for extended health care coverage under COBRA because of a 65% subsidy of their premiums. * $19 billion is designated for computerizing health records. Provisions That Will Help Some People with Disabilities * Increases to federally funded programs? Unemployment Benefits, Food Stamp, welfare, WIC, Senior Nutrition, Food Banks, and School Lunch. * Tax credits for first-time home buyers (up to $8,000), tax deductions for buyers of new cars in 2009, and an increase in the Child Tax Credit and earned income tax credit. * Aid to states for employing more police officers will help people with disabilities since statistics show that people with disabilities are disproportionately victims of crime. * More money to home ownership opportunity programs, homeless assistance programs, low-income housing, affordable housing, as well as public and subsidized housing programs will help people with disabilities. $100 million is being put towards lead paint removal in low-income housing. $5 billion to help weatherize low-income households and thus reduce energy costs. * Students with disabilities will benefit from expansion of the Pell Grant program which provides college loans, and the allowance of computer-related expenses to be exempt under college savings plans in 2009 and 2010. While economists and political pundits debate whether the stimulus package is prudent and effective, a broad range of people with disabilities are likely to benefit from tax credits, increases to entitlement programs, increased job opportunities, improved educational services, enhanced housing assistance, and direct cash payments. ### Services for Aging Delawareans Carol E. Barnett, Planner II DE Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities Becky Laster, Care Coordinator Delaware Aging Network The following information is presented by two prominent Delaware agencies serving aging Delawareans?the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD) and the Delaware Aging Network (DAN). These programs provide an extensive range of supports and services statewide to assist aging Delawareans and their caregivers. In addition, DSAAPD offers programs and services to adult Delawareans with physical disabilities. The programs and services provided by the DSAAPD are funded by the Division through the Older Americans Act, the Social Services Block Grant, the Medicaid Waivers?Acquired Brain Injury, Elderly and Physically Disabled, as well as Assisted Living?and appropriations by the State of Delaware. Many, though not all, of the 30 programs offered through DSAAPD have three common eligibility requirements?Delaware residency as well as financial and medical limitations. Some of the programs require recipients to be over the age of 18 years, whereas others stipulate that consumers be over 60 years of age. Please contact DSAAPD at 1-800-223-9074 to learn more about the programs they offer. It will also be necessary to sign up for services and have eligibility determined. DSAAPD supports day programs, in-home services, residential services, and many other supports to safe and independent community living. For example, day programs housed at community centers offer activities, meals, and various types of personal and medical assistance. In-home services include attendant care, housekeeping, delivered meals, and personal care. Residential services include adult foster care, respite services, and assisted living. Also available are programs that address caregiver needs, employment, and money management. Visit www.dhss.delaware.gov/dsaapd/services.html for a complete list of programs, as well as a description of services offered within each. You are also welcome to call DSAAPD for more information. There are two DSAAPD programs likely to be of particular interest to AT Messenger readers. The Assistive Devices program provides a wide range of equipment to allow adult Delawareans with disabilities to increase their independence. These items may be for use in the kitchen or bathroom, or they may be for mobility or communication purposes. Simply put, this program dictates that the benefits to the person with a disability ?must directly promote independent action or communication.? DSAAPD?s Home Modification program pays for changes to the permanent residence of adult Delawareans with a long-term disability. One example of such a modification is the installation of a wheelchair ramp. DAN was established in 2005 through funding from the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF) and began as a collaboration of about 20 agencies. Today, the consortium consists of over 50 agencies across Delaware committed to improving the quality of services older adults receive in the state. AstraZeneca and the United Way have teamed up to continue and expand the work of the Delaware Aging Network (DAN). Some of these agencies serve a specific county, whereas others offer statewide services. DAN continues to create coordinated services for seniors and advocates for statewide policy changes that benefit the aging population. With new funding for 2009, DAN care management services, which have been so successful in New Castle and Kent Counties, are now available in Sussex County. DAN helps older adults continue to live in their own homes as they age and their need for support increases. DAN care managers work directly with seniors through many of the local senior centers. Care managers provide information about housing, health care, Medicare, Medicaid, in-home services, transportation, and other community resources. Referrals are made to agencies to meet the personalized needs of each individual. Care managers are eager to provide you with the information you need. With the original funding from DCF, DAN also assisted with the start-up of The Sussex Mobility Consortium, which continues to meet the specific transportation needs of both older and physically challenged adults in Sussex County. If you need assistance, call DAN in your county or visit one of the senior centers listed on their website at www.delawareagingnetwork.org. The lead agency in New Castle County is the Jewish Family Services of Delaware. You may contact Becky Laster at 302-478-9411, Ext. 127, or go to www.jfsdelaware.org. In Kent County, contact Cheryl Gallagher at the Modern Maturity Center?the lead agency?by calling 302-734-1200, Ext. 173, or you can go to their website (www.modern-maturity.org). Ken Bock at CHEER (Sussex County Senior Services) is the one to contact in Sussex County. He can be reached at 302-854-9500, or visit www.scss.org. DSAAPD and DAN are ready, willing, and able to assist in the care and service of seniors throughout Delaware. Check out their programs and contact them for assistance. ### The AT Bargain Basement Marvin Williams AT Specialist DATI New Castle County ATRC Greetings, True Believers, and welcome to another action-packed edition of the AT Bargain Basement. I?d like to thank all of my return guests for finding their way back to the basement for more bargains. If this is your first time, welcome! As usual, before we can begin our festive frolic through the fields of AT bargains, we have to go over the rules for our first-time guests. I search for AT bargains and present them here for your consumption. I also bring you the bargains our fellow Basement fans send me. So what?s an AT bargain? Well, it?s any piece of AT that costs $100 or less. Now, you may have to order some bargains online or over the telephone, and those will usually have a shipping charge. I try to report that expense as well, but make sure you check how much the shipping charges will be before placing your order. And, of course, if you ever have any questions about any of the bargains I show you, please feel free to contact me at the New Castle County Assistive Technology Resource Center (ATRC). So without further adieu, let?s get to the bargains! Our first bargain is the Arcoa EZ Assist Reacher. It is a nice 26? reacher with suction cups on the end. While this model does not fold, it is still a nice, sturdy unit. Besides not folding, the only other draw-back is that it does not lock. If that?s something that you need, this is not the reacher for you. I found it on the Walgreens website (www.walgreens.com) for $12.99 with free shipping. It?s considered a web exclusive, so you can only get it through their online store. You can also check your local Happy Harry?s (they?re now owned by Walgreens), Rite-Aid, or CVS store to see what they have in stock. It is important to realize that a store?s stock often differs greatly from their website. Our next bargain is the Invacare I-Fit Shower Chair with Back, which can be found online at www.riteaidonlinestore.com. Please note that I did not find any shipping information for this item. It is a nice shower chair for the price at $49.99 in that it has a back rest and is designed to fit inside of a bathtub, all of which is an unusual find for the price. This chair is constructed of sealed plastic that?s easily cleaned and disinfected, and it has a 400 pound weight capacity. If you can?t get it at your local store, you can order it online or call their toll-free number 1-800-RITE-AID (1-800-748-3243) to order it. Rite-Aid?s web site rides again. Our third bargain is another shower chair, and it?s got the extra part for transfers built right into it. It?s the Invacare Transfer Bench. Now, while this unit does not fit entirely into the bath tub, it?s not supposed to. It sits half in and half out of the tub so that you can sit on the bench outside of the tub then slide into the tub on the seat. Transfer benches can sometimes be a problem for people with shower doors or curtains. Since the seat straddles the tub, it will prevent a shower door from closing and it could cause a shower curtain to hang away from the tub enough that water may spill onto the floor outside of the tub. This can lead to a wet and slippery mess as well as a safety hazard. So beware of this possibility and make sure you are prepared. Like the I-Fit Chair, this unit provides the support of a back rest, is sealed plastic for easy cleaning and disinfecting, and has a 400 pound weight capacity. It sells for $79.99. If you?re going to try to get it from your local Rite-Aid store, make sure you check whether it is a product they keep in stock. The next bargain is something a little different. It is the Music Link by Sensorcom, and is an induction headphone for hearing aid wearers. Huh?! Here?s how they work. You plug them into the headphone jack on your iPod, CD player, radio, or whatever you want to listen to that has a headphone jack. You then place the smooth little plastic hooks over the backs of your ears and switch your hearing aid to telecoil or telephone mode, and bingo! Instant stereo sound! Now, keep in mind that this will not work with hearing aids that do not have a telecoil or telephone mode. Check with your audiologist to find out whether your hearing aids are equipped for this technology. This product is also supposed to work for people with cochlear implants. From what I?ve been told by people who have borrowed the unit we have available in our ATRC, it delivers very good quality sound. The unit costs about $49 (with free shipping) from Tec-Ear (www.tecear.com or call 248-867-2759?long distance). Sensorcom also makes an induction headset for cell phones called the T-Link that I?ve also been told works great, and it can be found at TecEar for $49 (free shipping). If you?re not sure that either of these devices will work for you, call your local DATI ATRC to see about borrowing one through our equipment loan program. As usual, it?s free to borrow equipment from us. My final bargain for this edition of the AT Bargain Basement is the Timex Weekly Medication Manager. It?s one of the most popular medication management systems that I am asked about. The unit features a four-compartment pill box for each day and has a clock with alarms for each of the four times you might need to take medicine. You can set the alarms to beep, flash, or say ?Time to take your pill.? Do note that the alarms are not very loud, so if you?re counting on needing to hear the alarm, this is not the pill box reminder for you. Two key features make this unit popular. First, it has an alarm shut-off button that allows you to keep a log of exactly when you take your medication. The reminder unit is removable from the rest of the device, so you can take it in to the doctor?s office and they can see when you are taking your pills. The detachable reminder unit is the other feature people like about this device. You can remove it along with a pill box, slide them together, and lock them in place. That way, you can take your pills and your reminder with you when you?re on the go. The Weekly Medication Manager costs $29.99 plus shipping from Sears. I?m not sure if you can have it special ordered from their stores, but you can certainly get it from their website (www.sears.com) or by calling them at 1-800-697-3277. And thus, another heart-racing edition of The AT Bargain Basement comes to an end. As usual, you are always welcome to share your bargains with me via e-mail, telephone, or US Post. I?ll be sure to post them here and give you all of the due credit and glory! So until next time, this is goodbye from The Basement and remember, just because it?s inexpensive doesn?t mean it?s cheap! ### The Hearing World by Ronald Gainsford The Hearing world Just does not know To the depths of despair Non hearing people do go Imagine watching a TV show And there is no sound Then our frustration you will know Imagine seeing people talking With their voices turned off And yes not a sound Even if they coughed The hearing world Does not understand The frustrations that This aging man Does encounter each day As he goes through life To communicate With other?s and also his wife The lives of loved ones Also is changed When they do not understand When things for you are not the same Technology is harder Cell phones don?t work The sound on TV must be turned up And their ears it does hurt An alarm clock that shakes the house Does not shake you Even at it?s loudest It does not move you A restaurant table Or at a meeting Their sounds Are hard to understand Because so many people are found The hearing world Will not find out Until their hearing Yes does go south Ronald Gainsford has been a consumer of DATI services for the past six months due to his hearing loss. You can find more of Ron?s poetry and learn a little about him by visiting www.thestarlitecafe.com and typing in his name in the search field. ### Topics of Interest in the First State DELAWARE lifespan respite care network LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE New Online Resource to Aid 160,000 Caregivers Who Need a "Break" www.delrespite.org This new website will enable the nearly 160,000 Delawareans providing unpaid care for a relative, friend or loved one with the resources to find quality respite care. Respite care is the temporary relief or "break" provided for caregivers and families who are caring for those with disabilities, chronic or terminal illnesses or the elderly. Elwyn Delaware Art Exhibit and Auction Thursday, October 8, 2009 5:30 ? 8:00 pm Blue Ball Barn Route 202, Wilmington, DE Artist with a cognitive, physical, or mental disability are welcome to submit up to five images?drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media?through August 28, 2009. For more information please call 302-657-5592. ### To Contact DATI?s Central Site office or the ATRC closest to you, call 1-800-870-DATI (3284) Press #1 for English or #2 for Spanish, then press #3 for the Central Site office #4 for the New Castle County ATRC #5 for the Kent County ATRC #6 for the Sussex County ATRC TDD callers: Do not press #1 or #2 and your call will be answered on a TDD line at the Central Site office. ### DATI Equipment Loan Policy DATI has a wide variety of equipment at the Assistive Technology Resource Centers (ATRCs) for the primary purpose of demonstration and short-term loan. The policy for equipment loans is as follows: The standard loan period is two weeks, defined as the day borrowed (e.g., Monday the 10th) to the same day two weeks later (e.g., Monday the 24th). Loans may be extended provided there are no names on the waiting list and/or that an extension will not interfere with an existing reservation. The maximum loan period is four weeks. A maximum of four devices may be borrowed during any single loan period. However, combinations of devices may be treated as a single device if the components are interdependent?either operationally or because one component is required for the borrower to use another. Equipment loans across state lines are not permitted. Equipment must also remain in Delaware throughout the loan period. ### Please Keep Us Posted! Has your address changed? Are you receiving duplicates? Would you prefer to receive the newsletter via email? If your mailing or email address is incorrect, please type or print your correct information on the form below and forward it to DATI along with your current mailing label or the first page of your electronic newsletter. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, visit www.dati.org/news/unsubscribe.html or contact our central office. Do you know a friend or family member who would be interested in receiving the newsletter? Please provide him/her with the subscription form below. ### DATI RESOURCE CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE? 800-870-DATI (3284) dati@asel.udel.edu New Castle County ATRC Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children 203 Administration & Research Bldg. 1600 Rockland Road Wilmington, DE 19803 302-651-6790 302-651-6794 (TDD) 302-651-6793 (fax) Kent County ATRC Easter Seals Kent County Center 100 Enterprise Place, Suite One Dover, DE 19904-8200 302-739-6885 302-739-6886 (TDD) 302-739-6887 (fax) Sussex County ATRC 20123 Office Circle Georgetown, DE 19947 302-856-7946 302-856-6714 (voice or TDD) 302-856-6990 (fax) ### The AT Messenger is published quarterly by the Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative (DATI). Dissemination of this newsletter to other people, association newsletters, and electronic mailing lists is encouraged. Information contained in this publication may be reprinted without permission, although attribution to the author and DATI is required. Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative Center for Applied Science & Engineering University of Delaware Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children P.O. Box 269 Wilmington, DE 19899-0269 Phone: 800-870-DATI (3284) or 302-651-6790 TDD: 302-651-6794; fax: 302-651-6793 Email: dati@asel.udel.edu Web address: www.dati.org DATI is funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) of the U.S. Department of Education, Grant #H224A050008 to the University of Delaware. This publication does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of RSA/ED, and no official endorsement of the materials should be inferred. The University of Delaware is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, age, national origin, marital status or disability in conformity with applicable laws. ###