There's lots of good stuff in this website!Have you visited this very interesting and helpful website? AbleData provides objective information about assistive technology products and rehabilitation equipment. It's a great resource for anyone working with individuals with disabilities. It can help to provide you with the most current assistive technology trends and application information. AbleData is a database of assistive technology in which products are classified by each product's intended function or any special features it possesses. The products are classified in 20 areas listed below. Clicking on a topic will link you to a list of the major categories within that topic. You can then see the list of specific product types in that category. Just point and click. To search for a certain word or phrase, type it in the "Search" box at the top of the page or click on the "Advanced Search" link to the right of that box.
ABLEDATA's mission is to provide objective information on assistive products. They do not sell assistive products. Products
The Products Page
The Products page is the most important part of this site. Users can search for assistive technology resources that can help students based on a particular need. This site provides 20 broad categories like daily living, walking, communication, or mobility. After selecting a major category, sub categories appear with various assistive technology options. The options are links to learn more information about the assistive technology. For example, if you have a student who is having difficulty moving around the room. You can select mobility as the main category and then see a variety of options like carts, manual wheel chairs, scooters, powered wheel chairs, sport wheel chairs, and accessories. When you select a link, there will be a brief synopsis of the assistive technology device, the approximate cost, and vendors for the specific product. This information can then be used to make suggestions to the IEP team, administrators, or even the parents.Products to aid in activities of daily living.
Major Categories: Bathing, Carrying, Child Care, Clothing, Dispenser Aids, Dressing, Drinking, Feeding, Grooming/Hygiene, Handle Padding, Health Care, Holding, Reaching, Time, Smoking, Toileting, Transfer.
Major Categories: Bathing, Carrying, Child Care, Clothing, Dispenser Aids, Dressing, Drinking, Feeding, Grooming/Hygiene, Handle Padding, Health Care, Holding, Reaching, Time, Smoking, Toileting, Transfer.
Products for people with visual disabilities.
Major Categories: Computers, Educational Aids, Health Care, Information Storage, Kitchen Aids, Labeling, Magnification, Office Equipment, Orientation and Mobility, Reading, Recreation, Sensors, Telephones, Time, Tools, Travel, Typing, Writing (Braille).
Products to help people with disabilities related to speech, writing and other methods of communication.
Major Categories: Alternative and Augmentative Communication, Headwands, Mouthsticks, Signal Systems, Telephones, Typing, Writing.
Major Categories: Software, Hardware, Computer Accessories.
Products that provide people with disabilities with the ability to start, stop or adjust electric or electronic devices.
Major Categories: Environmental Controls, Control Switches.
Products for people with hearing disabilities.
Major Categories: Amplification, Driving, Hearing Aids, Recreational Electronics, Sign Language, Signal Switches, Speech Training, Telephones, Time.
Products to provide people with disabilities with access to educational materials and instruction in school and in other learning environments.
Major Categories: Classroom, Instructional Materials.
Products that make the built environment more accessible.
Major Categories: Indoor Environment, Furniture, Outdoor Environment, Vertical Accessibility, Houses, Specialities, Lighting, Signs.
Major Categories: Food Preparation, Housekeeping General, Cleaning, Ironing, Laundry, Shopping.
Braces and other products to support or supplement joints or limbs.
Major categories: Head and Neck, Lower Extremity, Torso, Upper Extremity.
Major categories: Head and Neck, Lower Extremity, Torso, Upper Extremity.
Products for amputees.
Major categories: Lower Extremity, Upper Extremity.
Major Categories: Crafts, Electronics, Gardening, Music, Photography, Sewing, Sports, Toys.
Major Categories: Alarm and Security Systems, Child Proof Devices, Electric Cords, Lights, Locks.
Major Categories: Seating Systems, Cushions, Therapeutic Seats.
Major Categories: Ambulation Training, Biofeedback, Evaluation, Exercise, Fine and Gross Motor Skills, Perceptual Motor, Positioning, Pressure/Massage Modality Equipment, Respiratory Aids, Rolls, Sensory Integration, Stimulators, Therapy Furnishings, Thermal/Water Modality Equipment, Traction.
Products to enable people with disabilities to drive or ride in cars, vans, trucks and buses.
Major Categories: Mass Transit Vehicles and Facilities, Vehicles, Vehicle Accessories.
Major Categories: Canes, Crutches, Standing, Walkers.
Major Categories: Wheelchairs (Manual, Sport, and Powered), Wheelchair Alternatives (Scooters), Wheelchair Accessories, Carts, Transporters, Stretchers.
Products to aid people with disabilities at work.
Major Categories: Agricultural Equipment, Office Equipment, Tools, Vocational Assessment, Vocational Training, Work Stations.
The Resources page includes information such as information centers, conferences and companies that can help users to learn more about assistive technology. This information can provide teachers with a wealth of resources for various disabilities, services, technology, professional development, and other resources.
The library contains three sections: publications, literature and news.
The Publications page includes fact sheets and consumer guides about the various products that they provide information for on their products page. This page also contains links with recent articles written from the National Institute for Rehabilitation Engineering.
The Literature Page includes a search box and list to find recent articles, books, and publications about assistive technology. I found this information very useful to learn more about the current trends of assistive technology.
The News You Can Use page is very similar to a blog about assistive technology. Posts are made every few weeks including links to various resources, surveys, conferences, or other hot topics about disabilities and assistive technology.
My AbleData Account
You can create a free account with AbleData and then be able to save information about devices that you would like to look back at in the future or share with others.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you find this post helpful.
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