WVATS Quarterly Newsletter
Spring 2004

Please note that phone numbers, addresses, websites and e-mail addresses were accurate at time of publication. This information may not be current.

Articles:   [WVATS]   [Resources]   [Tools]   [State]   [National]   [DBTAC]   [AgrAbility]  

Celebrating PATHS to Real Choice: A Success

Over 150 people attended the one-day Celebrating PATHS to Real Choice Conference in Charleston on February 24. It provided adults, their families and service providers with practical information and contacts they could use immediately about issues faced every day such as housing, employment and community inclusion.

WVATS, Real Choice, and PATHS, Inc. plan to work in cooperation with our partner agencies to organize regional mini conferences focusing on transition and are already planning another Celebrating PATHS to Real Choice for February of 2005.

Hubert Anderson, Jr. Award

Robert Lyons Craig

Robert Lyons Craig was named the Hubert Anderson, Jr. Award winner for 2004 by the WVATS Advisory Board. The award is given to honor an individual who has provided exemplary service and advocacy on behalf of West Virginians with disabilities.

Mr. Craig was involved in many disability-related activities in West Virginia. He was a founding member of the West Virginia Family Support Council, Family Voices of West Virginia, and the West Virginia Assistive Technology System (WVATS). In 1996, Mr. Craig was honored by Governor Gaston Caperton for outstanding service on behalf of individuals with disabilities and was presented with the Governor's Service Award.

Mr. Craig who passed away in December of 2003 served on the WVATS Advisory Board for many years and was elected chair during 2001 and 2002 and vice chair in 2003.

ADAPT NEWS: MR/DD Waiver

By Ken Ervin

As we help people to move from nursing homes, one of the programs we use is the Title XIX or, Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities Waiver (MR/DD). We have come to realize that people are not given the opportunity to fully exercise their fair hearing rights.

Upon receipt of a request for fair hearing, the WV Department of Health and Human Resources has 10 days to contact the individual by phone or in writing to indicate receipt of the fair hearing request. The department has 45 days from the date of the fair hearing request to schedule and conduct a fair hearing.

Here are some fair hearing tips to make sure your fair hearing is really fair.

  1. Always choose a face-to-face meeting with a hearing officer at your local DHHR office.
  2. Have witnesses who can testify to your need and eligibility.
  3. Acquire legal representation 800-950-5250.
  4. West Virginia Advocates can pay for expert witnesses to testify about issues of importance to your case (i.e., psychologists,doctors, etc.)
  5. Have full and complete records before entering the hearing.
  6. The Department bases its eligibility almost exclusively on the Adaptive Behavior Scale (ABS). Make sure it can be demonstrated you have needs in three of its seven areas, such as, mobility, self-care, learning, social and financial.
  7. Work with your witnesses to develop their testimony so that you get the information you need.
  8. Utilize a friend, family, and direct care staff; they know you best.
  9. The current system is based on deficits. You must highlight what you cannot do.
  10. Obtain full complaint social history, which describes all the areas examined during the review process. It is essential to find a good social worker and develop a relationship with them.

**Remember you do not have to have an MR diagnosis to apply for an MR/DD waiver. If you need help getting ready for your fair hearing, please contact ADAPT WV at 877-860-1995.

Benefits CheckUp

By Rowena Sizemore

The Center for Aging and Healthcare in WV, Inc. (CAH) in collaboration with FaithLink (a program of the Volunteer Action Center) and MOVRC Senior Community Service Employment Program will soon launch The SEARCH Project: Screening Elders to Access Referrals, Care, and Healthcare Benefits.

There are hundreds of programs that provide benefits for seniors. BenefitsCheckUp is a confidential and free service to help the senior community identify these benefits. Anyone can use BenefitsCheckUp and it is free no matter how many times you use it.

You can learn about possible benefits in four ways:

The Center for Aging and Healthcare in WV, Inc. began the SEARCH project in Wood County in February 2004 with Jackson, Ritchie, Tyler, Pleasants and Wirt following over the next two months. Rowena Sizemore or Deanna Lewis can be contacted at CAH for further information at 304-422-2853 or 800-865-2242. Assistance will be available 8:30 - 4:30 Monday through Friday. Volunteers will be recruited and trained to help assist elders with the Benefits CheckUp screenings. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Sandy Tharp, Volunteer WV Program Coordinator at 304-424-3457 Ext. 104 or by e-mail at volunteerwv@juno.com

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Is Your Home, Office or School Accessible?

by Kara Zirkle

Most people do not think twice about being able to walk into a building or a room, take a seat, get what they need done, and then leave without any difficulties. The convenience of mobility is often more appreciated by those who may need building modifications for accessibility. What is meant by the term "accessibility?" The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.

Barriers to employment, transportation, public accommodations, public services, and telecommunications have imposed staggering economic and social costs on American society and have undermined our well-intentioned efforts to educate, rehabilitate, and employ individuals with disabilities. By breaking down these barriers, the ADA will enable society to benefit from the skills and talents of individuals with disabilities, will allow us all to gain from their increased purchasing power and ability to use it, and will lead to fuller, more productive lives for all Americans.

Have you ever visited a building but could not find an elevator so you just took the stairs? What if you were not able to take the stairs? This is just a small example of the many things people see and notice if they are the ones affected by the situation. Depending upon the type of facilities, there are different requirements to meet. Is the facility you work in accessible? How do you find out? For more information please call the Toll Free ADA Information Line. You can call to obtain answers to general and technical questions about the ADA and to order technical assistance materials: 800-514-0301 (voice)   800-514-0383 (TDD).

WVATS Board Elects Officers

WVATS Advisory Board members met on January 20, 2004 at the Embassy Suites in Charleston to discuss future plans for WVATS and elect new officers for 2004. Elected as officers were Ron Jalbert as chair, Kevin Smith as vice chair, and Kathy Beck as secretary.

Ron, a member of Parkersburg TechLink, is retired from General Electric and has been involved with WVATS for over ten years. He also served as chair of the WVATS Board last year.

Kevin Smith, also from Parkersburg, is a long-term WVATS Board member who has previously served as secretary and is a member of the West Virginia Statewide Independent Living Council.

Kathy Beck is the Director of the Consumer Sciences Division of the West Virginia Insurance Commission. She has served as a member of the WVATS Board for over five years.

New Board Member

In addition, the WVATS Board welcomed Todd Rundle of the West Virginia Advocates (WVA) as a new board member. Todd discussed the services provided by WVA and gave examples of some issues and problems he currently faces.

WVA provides information, referral and technical assistance on legal, civil and service rights to people with disabilities and their families, friends, advocates, guardians and representatives, service and support providers, and the public. WVA provides direct advocacy, including negotiation, mediation, investigation and legal representation in individual or class actions, to selected eligible people whose problems meet WVA priorities and case selection criteria. WVA also provides education and training for individuals, groups, private and public organizations, elected and appointed officials, and other policymakers regarding the legal, civil and service rights of people with disabilities. For more information about WVA visit www.wvadvocates.org or call 800-950-5250.

If you have questions or comments about the WVATS Advisory Board, please call Ron Jalbert at 304-485-7068 or e-mail him at rjalber@attglobal.net

Habitat for Humanity goes Universal

Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit Christian Ministry dedicated to building homes with deserving families in need. Habitat is the 15th largest home builder in the United States and has built over 150,000 houses worldwide. There are over 80 Habitat-affiliated countries across six continents and over 1,500 affiliates in the United States. What do all these statistics add up to? Lots of houses for lots of families!

Volunteer labor is utilized to help make homes affordable. Families perform sweat equity hours in which they actually help build their homes which take the place of large down payments. Habitat affiliates are thus able to sell their homes for about half the cost of a standard home and at a no profit, no interest, 20-30 year mortgage.

Although most Habitat home-owners were labeled not worthy of credit by commercial lenders, the foreclosure rate on Habitat homes in the U.S. is less than 2%. Most Habitat homeowners not only live in their homes for the entire loan period, but continue to live in them for the remainder of their lives. Therefore, it has become important to build the homes to suit the family's needs not only in the present, but as their needs change in the future as well. This has been one major reason Habitat has adopted Universal Design as a standard practice in their homes.

The average size Habitat home is about 1100 SF, but can vary depending on family size and needs. In a home this size, space efficiency is crucial. This has become an increasing challenge as the needs for some families have changed, and accessibility has become a concern. The use of walkers and wheelchairs can make the standard Habitat floor plan inefficient and quite unusable. Thus Habitat has evolved to include Universal Design as a part of each of its homes.

WVATS Gives Assistance

To become up to date on Universal Design standards, members of the Habitat construction team met with representatives from the WV Assistive Technology System team. The team learned that perhaps the most obvious and perhaps easiest change they could implement was to increase door sizes from 2'-6" to 3'-0" into bedrooms, bathrooms, and all living areas. This allowed ease of access whether walking freely or with the aid of crutches, walkers, and wheelchairs.

A more challenging upgrade was increasing the size of the hallways and bathroom areas to allow for ease of access and turning radiuses for wheelchairs. By rearranging interior walls the team was able to create shorter, yet wider hallways and more open areas without changing the overall exterior dimensions of the home, thus staying within the Habitat standard guidelines.

Adjusting the height of electrical outlets and light switches was an addition many homeowners didn't even notice. Exterior porches, decks, and stoops were widened and laid out to accommodate the switch from steps to a ramp if needed in the future. All these features were incorporated into Habitat's standard plan.

For families with immediate needs other accommodations can be made such as installing accessible shower stalls, open bottom sinks, and lowering the elevation of bath and kitchen cabinetry. Creating a slab drive so cars can pull right up to the ramped entranceway can also be incorporated. Thus, families who could not have lived comfortably in a Habitat home are now being accommodated to better fit their accessibility needs.

By going Universal, Habitat is able to provide a home that will remain functional throughout the entire life of the family and can be adapted to meet any accessibility needs they may have in the future. Universal Design is helping our families to lead both happier and healthier lives.

Article provided by Monongalia County Habitat for Humanity.

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The Resource Section

Literacy Training On-Line

Boston's WGBH-TV, in collaboration with Ohio State University, has developed three free online literacy units to improve the reading, writing and comprehension skills of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Teachers and counselors may access the instructional units online at no charge.

The project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education and based on the award-winning PBS series "Between the Lions," is called Cornerstones. The Cornerstones web site includes downloadable video clips of storytellers translating popular kid's stories in American Sign Language, Signing Exact English and Cued Speech, plus games, lesson guides and more. For more information visit http://pbskids.org/lions/cornerstones/

ICDR

The Federal Government's Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR) has created a new web site to help ensure that federal research efforts meet the needs of Americans who have disabilities. Individuals may offer their ideas about access to technology, education, employment, community life, health care, and other issues at www.icdr.us

Overview of Aging and Accessible Technology

How Accessible Technology Can Help Aging Workers Retain High Productivity

If you're part of the baby boom generation, there are probably days when you find yourself wondering what's gone wrong with your personal computer.

Suddenly, text on the screen is harder to read, e-mail alerts and other sounds are harder to hear, and the keyboard seems to have taken on a life of its own-making all sorts of mistakes.

If you're over age 40, there's a good chance your computer isn't the problem. Instead, you may be entering the "awkward age of computing" when age-related changes in vision, hearing, and dexterity require most of us to make a few adjustments to our PCs.

For more information visit www.microsoft.com/enable/aging

211 for Social Services

Everyone knows to call 911 in case emergency and that the police, fire or ambulance service will answer the call. However, if someone is in need of food, shelter or child care, 911 is not the number to dial.

Within the next six months, West Virginians in need of social services will have another option: dial 211. 211 will be a free statewide information and referral service. Live operators will help individuals locate non-emergency aid. The operator will tell callers which organizations and agencies in their local areas provide food, shelter, health care, job training, child care and other social services. The service will be free from any landline phone. To learn more about 211, please call 1-800-841-8436.

Low Vision Council

The Low Vision Council (LVC) is an international group of manufacturers, practitioners, educators, agencies and associations working together to raise awareness of low vision rehabilitation among eye care providers, as well as consumers with visual impairments and their caregivers. For more information visit www.lowvisioncouncil.org
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Powerful Tools

Boom Arm Starbase Workstation

Boom Arm Starbase Workstation

The Boom Arm Starbase Workstation is a floor stand for a laptop or LCD flatscreen monitor. The Workstation enables an individual to access a computer from almost any chair, couch or bed. A boom arm with a platform is attached to a weighted five-point floor stand. The boom arm can support up to 15 pounds and is 24 inches long.

The platform and boom arm can be adjusted for angle, distance and centering. The height of the base can be adjusted from 26 to 31 inches (up to 38 inches with optional extension). The base can be fitted with casters or stationary feet.

Accessories can be purchased separately (e.g., cup holder, mouse platform, extra mounts, etc.) and other workstation setups are avail-able. The Boom Arm Starbase Workstation costs $290. Call Mack Bailey Enterprises at 800-810-7890 or visit www.easychairworkstation.com

Predictor Pro

Predictor Pro word predictor

Premier Assistive Technology announces the integration of its new Predictor Pro technology, comprehensive word prediction software, into its existing product line including Scan and Read Pro and Talking Word Processor. These products can create, read and edit virtually any standard word processor file formats, including all versions of MS Word and Word Perfect Files saved as Rich Text Format PLUS HTML and Standard Text formats.

The Talking Word Processor with Predictor Pro sells for $89.95. Scan and Read with Predictor Pro sells for $149.95. You can purchase these online at www.readingmadeeasy.com or call 815-722-5961.

Dancing Dots

Dancing Dots Braille Music Technology, L.P., was founded in 1992 to develop and adapt music technology for individuals who are blind.

In 1997 Dancing Dots released its first product, the GOODFEEL(r) Braille Music Translator. Bill McCann, Dancing Dots' president and founder, sees GOODFEEL(r) as the first in a series of high-tech tools to harness the power of the personal computer for creative people with disabilities.

McCann himself is a musician who is blind and a programmer who has successfully competed for federal and state contracts to advance this work. In addition to selling GOODFEEL(r), the company is an authorized distributor for a wide range of assistive technology and music products.

For more information on Dancing Dots call 610-783-6692 or visit www.dancingdots.com

Olympia portable video magnifier

Portable Video Magnifier

Telesensory has a new portable magnification system that allows people with visual impairments to read, write and live more independently.

Called the Olympia, this lightweight hand-held device magnifies reading materials up to 26 times. The Olympia features a title screen for comfortable viewing. Users can view information in three modes: full color, negative mode with white letters on black background for high contrast and positive mode with black letters on white background for maximum clarity.

The Olympia can be connected to a TV/monitor for greater magnification. The carrying case, battery pack and optional car adapter provide additional portability. Please contact Joyce Britt at the Seeing Hand 304-232-4810 for additional information.

Appeared in Volume 5, Summer 2003 of The Seeing Hand Advisor.

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State News

TDD/TTY's Part of WV Interstate System

All interstate rest stops and welcome centers under West Virginia Department of Highways control now have telecommunications devices for the deaf/teletypewriters (TDD/TTYs) by judicial order of the WV Human Rights Commission.

In December 2002, West Virginia Advocates, representing a complainant, filed a complaint with the WV Human Rights Commission alleging that the failure of the Department of Highways to install and maintain TDD/TTYs at interstate rest stops and welcome centers "constituted discrimination on the basis of her disability, deafness, in violation of the West Virginia Human Rights Act."

After a series of meetings, hearings, and mediation sessions held through-out the year, a settlement was reached. On October 20, 2003, Robert Wilson, Administrative Law Judge, and Ivin B. Lee, Executive Director of the WV Human Rights Commission, signed the closing order for the agreement.

"Our client believes that she and other people who are hearing impaired, received what they are entitled to with this settlement," said Tim Murphy, Legal Director of WV Advocates. "If there should be a breach of this settlement, the client can seek remedies and sanctions provided by law. But I don't foresee that being necessary."

Olmstead Coordinator

Tina Maher is the Olmstead Coordinator in the Office of the Ombudsman for Behavioral Health, Department of Health and Human Resources. Her primary role is to advocate for people of any age who have disabilities and are covered under the U.S. Supreme Court's Olmstead decision. For information and or assistance, call 304-558-1827.

Family Support

Family Support can help anyone with a developmental disability who lives in a family setting (that includes someone living with a friend, parent, or sibling, but not living independently or in a group home). If you or your family member need respite services, home modifications, a wheelchair ramp, help with paying utilities or almost anything else that is necessary to keep a family together, call the WV Family Support Program at 304-558-0627.

Verizon Expands Special Support to Customers with Disabilities in West Virginia

Verizon has expanded its eastern Center for Customers with Disabilities to support customers in Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

Eight specially trained service representatives are available at the center from 8:30 to 5:00 Monday through Friday, educating customers on ways Verizon's products and services can make communicating easier for people with disabilities. Representatives will recommend solutions that involve basic and optional telephone services, directory assistance exemptions, discounts for customers who use text telephones, and phone bills in large print or Braille.

Representatives also have expertise in a full range of adaptive equipment, including amplified telephones and TTYs. Customers can call the center toll free at 800-974-6006. More information about Verizon's portfolio of products and services for customers with disabilities is available at www.verizon.com/disabilities

National News

Textbook Access

The U.S. Department of Education awarded $199,911 to the National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum, part of the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) in Boston, to develop a voluntary national file format for the electronic transmission of instructional materials.

The initiative will develop technical standards for accessible instructional materials, a timeline for implementation, and a process for assessing the success of the standards. For more information contact the National File Format Initiative at 781-245-2212 or visit www.cast.org/ncac/index.cfm?i=3138

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WV DBTAC News

Equal Access: Computer Labs

As increasing numbers of people with disabilities pursue educational opportunities that require computer use, accessibility of computing facilities becomes even more critical. The key is simply equal access. Everyone who needs to use your computer lab should be able to do so comfortably.

To make your lab accessible, employ principles of universal design. Universal design means that rather than design your facility for the average user, you design it for people with a broad range of abilities.

As you plan services in your computing facility, consider all of your potential users, including those with disabilities. Make sure visitors can:

  1. Get to the facility and maneuver within it.
  2. Access materials and electronic resources.
  3. Make use of equipment and software.

Also make sure that staff members are trained to support people with disabilities and have a plan in place to respond to specific requests in a timely manner. With these key issues in mind, you can make your computer lab accessible to everyone.

The following general access questions can help guide you in making your facility universally designed and accessible.

Building Access

Lab Staff

Physical Space and Printed Materials

Computers and Software

So what are the First Steps?

Although a lab cannot be expected to have specialized equipment for every type of disability on hand, staff should make equipment available that they anticipate will be used and/or is available at relatively low cost.

Provide:

Second Steps

Once a lab is established or has greater requirements, consider adding:

In addition, develop a procedure to assure a quick response to requests for adaptive technology that you do not currently have available.

For more information about accessible computer labs, call Nancy Reese at 800-841-8436 or e-mail her at nreese@hsc.wvu.edu

Material derived from DO-IT of the University of Washington.

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West Virginia Agrability

Do you belong to an organization whose members might want to know more about West Virginia AgrAbility? Please call to arrange an AgrAbility presentation. We would like to share information with your organization about the AgrAbility Project and how it helps farmers and their families.

1-800-841-8436 or assist@sunnyelkins.com

Weed with Less Strain

by Astrid Newenhouse, Bob Meyer, Marcia Miquelon and Larry Chapman

University of Wisconsin Healthy Farmers Healthy Profits Project, Dec. 2001; Second Edition

Many of the hoes commonly used for weeding can strain your back, neck, shoulders, and arms because they force you to adopt a stooped position. Consider a long handled diamond hoe instead of what you currently use. With a long handled diamond hoe you stand up straight while you work and keep your wrists in a more neutral position. The hoe's unique design can also help you save time and effort.

How does it work?

Stirrup, collinear and long handled diamond hoe

The long handled diamond hoe has a 2" x 8" diamond-shaped blade, sharpened on all four edges. The handle is 6' long and ends in a modified "T" shape. While standing upright, you push the hoe with your hand loosely gripping the "T", and pull it back again in a push-pull motion similar to running a household vacuum. With your other hand along the handle, you can gently guide the hoe.

Hoes are designed either for weeding (to slice weeds at or just below ground level) or for chopping (to cut up weeds and cultivate or disturb the soil surface). Blades on chopping hoes, such as a rectangular onion hoe, are set at a sharp angle to the ground and are designed to move more soil than weeding hoes. The long handled diamond hoe is a weeding hoe, as are the stirrup hoe (also called the action, oscillating, swivel, scuffle, or hula hoe), the circle hoe, and Eliot Coleman's collinear hoe.

Diamond hoe benefits:

Less fatigue and discomfort. To prevent fatigue and soreness, it helps to use a weeding hoe instead of a chopping hoe because you skim it along the ground or slightly beneath the surface instead of repeatedly lifting the hoe and moving a lot of soil. Using a hoe with a regular length handle (typically 54-57 inches) forces you to bend to reach the ground, which strains your back, shoulders, arms, and neck. With the long handled diamond hoe and the collinear hoe, the handle length and blade position work together to let you hoe with your back straight. In our trials, we took repeated measurements of spine angle from an hour of work. On average, when using the long-handled diamond hoe the worker had 8 degrees of forward lean from vertical, as compared to 15 degrees of forward lean using the stirrup hoe.

With the diamond hoe, you also have less neck strain because you face forward as you work instead of sideways, compared to using the collinear and stirrup hoes. The long handled diamond hoe moves less soil than the stirrup hoe and requires less effort. Holding the slightly angled "T" handle on the end of the long handled diamond hoe puts your wrist in line with your arm in a neutral position that isn't bent or twisted. This helps prevent wrist strain.

Requires less effort. Your body exerts more power with less effort when you push against something than when you pull, therefore pushing a hoe to cut off weeds is more efficient than pulling it. With the long handled diamond hoe, you can do both. It also takes a lot less effort to slice weeds with a sharp edge than a dull one.

The long handled diamond hoe is made of forged steel and is razor sharp. Compared to a stamped blade of mild steel, it starts out sharper and stays sharper. To keep it sharp, use a mill file or bench grinder and file across the width of the blade with each downward stroke. Maintain the manufacturer's bevel.

Lets you change positions. Many people who use the long handled diamond hoe switch it from hand to hand to give each arm a rest. You can also use your leg muscles to help move the hoe through the soil. Some people alternate hoeing in front of them with reaching to hoe each adjoining row, saving themselves steps. Each time you change your work position, you alleviate muscle stress and prevent pain.

Fast and precise. The hoe you choose depends on personal preference, soil type and moisture level, weed height, and crop growth. With four cutting edges and two sharp points, you can quickly remove weeds very close to your crop. After an initial trial session to get used to the long handle, upright posture, precise cutting edges and "far away" blade, you can weed more quickly with this hoe than with others. In our field trials, removing small (2-4 inch) weeds from between salsify rows was 21% faster with a long handled diamond hoe than with a stirrup hoe.

Affordable. The long handled diamond hoe costs $35-$40. While initially more costly than many other hoes, it can pay for itself by saving time and preventing injury and soreness.

How can I get one?

The long handled diamond hoe we describe here was originally designed for tulip farmers, and is made by De Van Koek, a Dutch company. It is available from farm and garden supply dealers such as:

Glacier Valley Enterprises
S2907 County Hwy A
Baraboo, WI 53913
1-800-236-6670

Ag Resource Inc.
35268 State Hwy 34
Detroit Lakes, MN 56501
1-800-288-6650
These references are provided as a convenience for our readers. They are not an endorsement by West Virginia University.

Deluxe Boot & Shoe Brush with Scraper

Are you always tracking unwanted dirt, sand, snow, and slush into your home because it is just too hard to scrape off your boots? Keep your boots clean with Duluth Trading Company's Deluxe Boot and Shoe Brush with built in scraper. The boot and shoe scraper has two 11"L x 6"W V-shaped contour brushes to clean your footwear with over 100 square inches of plastic bristles.

Plus, with the tip of your shoe, you can flip the brushes to expose the steel scraper bar to remove accumulations from the sole and instep - all without the need for bending. One foot secures the unit while the other is being cleaned; or, you can secure the unit through the anchor holes provided. The Deluxe Boot and Shoe Brush is made in USA by Sparta Brush(r) and retails for $42.99.

For more information, call 1-877-382-2345 or visit www.duluthtrading.com on the web.

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WVATS Newsletter

Editors: Marie Smith and Jamie Hayhurst jhayhurst@hsc.wvu.edu

Center for Excellence in Disabilities at West Virginia University Publications

Editorial Committee: Jeanne Grimm, Monica Andis, Laura Werner, Jeff Werner, Lori Risk

Design and Layout: Kim Palumbo

All printed materials produced by WVATS are available in Braille, electronic format, cassette tape and large print.

This publication was supported by funds from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), U.S. Department of Education, grant number H224a20011. The lead agency is the West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services. Contents of the newsletter are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the U.S. Department of Education or the Center for Excellence in Disabilities.

Web site address: www.cedwvu.org/programs/wvats/

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