I locked my keys in the car - Feel Good Fridays

I am neurotic about making sure I don't lock my keys in the car. This neuroses comes from the fact that I greatly dislike not being able to pick up and go when I want to.

Well, I locked my keys in my car last week. It happened in the most ridiculous way. I was putting my rolling cart into my car after an appointment, and had my keys in my hand. Inadvertently, I hit the key fab thinking I pressed the unlock button. I tossed my keys onto the drivers seat, finished putting the cart in the car and closed the door. That is when I heard the beep which means that all the doors are locked. Of course I tested them, just to be sure.

I CAN NOT believe I was that dumb.

Thankfully, I was still in my consumer's driveway. So I walked back up to the house to ask to Google the number for AAA. I did, I called, and they said they were running on a 60 MINUTE delay. Great. So I thanked the consumer and told them I was going to wait out by the car.

A few minutes later, the consumer emerges from the garage with a wedge, a rubber mallet and a wire hanger in hand. He said he has bailed out his friends and wife several times and he would be happy to try and open my doors, rather than make me wait for AAA.

I am hesitant, but grateful, so I tell him to go ahead. In about 5 minutes my car doors are opened and I am calling AAA to cancel the call.

I told him I really, really appreciated his help. He told me that I am helping him and so he is just returning the favor. He said "I can't do what you do, and you can't do what I can do. It all comes around in the end".

Words to live by.

Enjoy and Happy Friday!

Are you prepared??

It is hurricane season. NJ are going to have our first guest if we want her to visit or not. It is still too early to tell if Irene will do. She may drive by and head directly up the coast staying off in the ocean, she may decide to just sit and wait or if she will pick a location in NJ to visit and move up the coast slowing down. The one thing we are positive about is she is a typical female she over packed for her vacation and never goes to a party alone. Irene is 120-mph powerhouse with tropical storm winds 230 miles from its center. She is bringing high winds, rain and her friend the new moon tides with her.

We in NJ haven’t experienced a hurricane in about 20 years. We all are a little rusty on what to do in case of a hurricane. There are a few things we need to do to prepare our homes.

If you or your family member is disabled, please register with the office of emergency management for the state and your home town. You can dial *211 and register over the phone or you can go to https://www13.state.nj.us/SpecialNeeds/ (make sure your pop up block is disabled for this page).

New Jersey Resources

The New Jersey office of Emergency management also prepared with American Red Cross a check list. http://www.state.nj.us/njoem/preparedness_disabarc_appendix_b.html

You want to know your emergency evacuation routes: http://www.state.nj.us/njoem/plan/evacuation-routes.html

National Resources

http://www.redcross.org/ has a youtube video you can watch to prepare.

Are you ready? http://www.fema.gov/

Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities and Other Vulnerable Populations http://inclusivepreparedness.org/

http://www.disabilitypreparedness.gov/ which was established by Executive Order in 2004, is responsible for implementing policies to address the safety and security needs of people with disabilities in emergency situations. The Council is headed by the Director of Homeland Secretary and is comprised of representatives from other Federal departments, including the Department of Labor (DOL).

Family plan…. What is your families emergency plan. Do you have a place that you will meet?

Around your home

Make sure any loose items around your yard is stored away. Planters, chairs, tables, lawn decorations and so on.

If you have a grill, take off the propane tank and store it in a safe location. In tidal waters you don’t want propane tanks floating around. Plus if power is lost, you can use the propane to cook with.

Protect your windows. You want to board up your windows. You don’t need a neighbors garbage can going through your window. If you can’t board up your windows, at minimum tape the windows in a starburst pattern Big X – line through the centers. This will keep the glass from bursting into the room.

Keep a blue plastic tarp handy. It can be used to cover windows if they break or be used to keep you dry incase you have to evacuate

Know when it is time to LEAVE. There is no shame is getting out in time. Don’t wait until the boats are there to rescue you. If you know the tides are coming don’t play the wait and see game.

Papers and documentation

Make sure you have your documents. Such as property deed, pension, insurance and citizenship paper.

Make sure you have copies in a safe place. For instances, I scan all my documents and I put them on a USB and I also back them up to the internet.

You want to make sure you have a picture identification.

List of all medications.

List of all medical conditions.

List of emergency contacts.

Credit Cards

MONEY… try to carry some cash with you. Make sure you have a safe place to keep your money. Don’t let anyone see where your safe place is.

Assistive Devices

Don’t leave without your communication device. Make sure it is covered in plastic. If it is small make sure you purchase a waterproof dry bag. http://www.waterproofpaper.com/dry-bag.shtml If your device falls in the water in this type of bag, it is safe.

Powerchair…. Make sure you pack your charger. But be aware that if the power goes out, you may not be able to charge. Have a back up plan. Some EOM offices will allow you to drop off your manual chair 2 days prior to the storm. Check before you just show up.

Back up your devices…. On a USB drive. They are light weight and portable.

Pets

If you have a service animal, make sure you have the animals documents so the shelters will allow you in.

If you have pets shelters will NOT allow them in. Make plans for your animals. Ask a friend to take them, check with the hotels to see if they allow them but don’t expect the shelters to take them.

Make sure you have enough food for your service animal or pet for a month. You may be home the next day but you may not be. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Please take a moment to look at the websites that I have listed. The list I have provided is not a complete list.

Be safe and enjoy the time you have with your family.

Employment Alert: AT Specialist

Employment Alert for:

Assistive Technology Specialist

Specializing in AT for People Who are Blind or Visually Impaired

needed to serve Southern New Jersey

Join Advancing Opportunities' statewide mobile assistive technology services program and work with children and adults with all types of disabilities.

Duties include:

✓ Travel to schools, workplaces and homes to provide on-site assessments and technical assistance

✓ Provide workshops to advance awareness and knowledge in your area of specialization

We Offer:

✓ On-the-job training

✓ Professional development opportunities

✓ Generous benefits package for full-time employees

Position: Full- or Part-time

Southern Region: most services in Burlington and Camden counties

Available: Immediately

For more information about Advancing Opportunities’ Assistive Technology Services Department visit:

www.assistivetechnologycenter.org

Send resume and salary requirements to:

Fred Tchang

Advancing Opportunities

1005 Whitehead Road Extension, Suite 1

Ewing, New Jersey 08638

fax: 609-882-4054

telephone: 888-322-1918 ext. 588

email: ftchang@advopps.org

Advancing Opportunities is dedicated to advancing the independence of children and adults with all types of disabilities.

Advancing Opportunities offers resources and support for employment, education, housing, recreation, advocacy and assistive technology.

APP Attack! Back to School!

Today's APP Attack focuses on apps for all the teachers out there! With the summer winding down - sorry :( - it is time to get back to school.

This post from Tech & Learning highlights a wide range of iPad apps to help you make life easier for yourself.

Back to School Apps for Teachers

Do you have an app you can't live without? Leave a comment below and share your experiences.



Do you want to learn more about APPS?

Then sign up for our APP Attack workshop on October 5th at our Ewing NJ office.

We are limiting the registration to the first 20 people, so sign up today!

For more info, click HERE.

Tell Them We Sent You And Save!

Advancing Opportunities’ Assistive Technology Services team is pleased to be taking part in AugComm New Jersey: a Forum on Augmentative and Alternative Communications for Parents and Professionals. They will be providing hands-on demonstrations of AAC devices.

The forum will be held on Monday, September 26, 2011 from 5:30 to 8:45 p.m. at The Holiday Inn Somerset-Bridgewater, 195 Davidson Avenue, Somerset.

Organizer Eric Jager is the parent of a child with autism. He notes there is a lot of buzz about the increased availability of augmentative and alternative communications (AAC) applications. There are also many questions. How do we really know which tools and methods will be most beneficial to our own students and children? How are expensive AAC devices funded in New Jersey and are low-tech solutions worth the investment?

If you have questions about finding just the right AAC device, meet with Advancing Opportunities' Assistive Technology Team for a hands-on demonstration and learn what’s possible with the latest devices and software, including the iPad and the myriad of AAC apps. Our certified AT professionals can show you the subtle nuances between similar devices and can provide valuable insight on what might work for you, your child or student. 

AugComm New Jersey will bring together parents, teachers and case managers and offer a process-oriented overview of the steps necessary to create a person-first strategy for the use of AAC tools.

Presenters include:

• Dan Baker, Ph.D., Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities
• Amy Dell, Ph.D., The College of New Jersey
• Curtis Edmonds, Disability Rights New Jersey
• Anne Holmes, MS, CCC, BCBA, Eden Family of Services

They will cover:

• Effectively integrating AAC into classroom routines and activities
• AAC Strategies to reduce behavior concerns and enhance quality of life
• Evaluating high-tech and low-tech AAC tools based on an individual's needs
• -Selecting vocabulary goals to support appropriate and meaningful communication
• Parent/professional collaboration to enhance a child's communication ability at home, in school and in the community
• Funding of AAC devices

The event offers the chance to mix and mingle with other teachers, SLPs and parents with an interest in AAC. Get your technical questions answered by representatives from exhibitors including Saltillo and Prentke Romich and local organizations including NJCART .

The event is produced by SpeakerSelect. Register today and use discount code ATC for 20% savings.
Visit organizer Eric Jager’s webpage http://autismparents.wordpress.com/.

Fostering Independence - Feel Good Fridays

I greatly value my independence. I am aware of my abilities as well as my limitations, but I want to do whatever I can for myself.

I believe that many of the students with special needs that we serve are never taught the value of independence and they don't have an accurate understanding of what they can do for themselves. This was evident to me this week.

I was working with a student who just completed her second year of community college, and she was having technical problems with her computer. I was working with her on learning two assistive software programs, but obviously if the computer is not working properly, the training can't go on.

She wrote me an email telling me about the problems she was having. I suggested that she contact tech support, and I gave her the phone number and the reference number to her case. She wrote back and told me that she was busy today but she would have her mom call. Right, a student who is transitioning into a 4 year school to finish her bachelor degree is going to have her mom call tech support. To be blunt, this really tweaked me. This student is very capable of picking up the phone, explaining what is wrong and finding out what options are available to her under her warranty.

I wrote her back and told her, in gentle terms, that she should be the one to call tech support, not her mother.

I wasn't sure what would happen, but it ends up that she took my suggestion and wrote me an email to give me an update on the status of the machine. I wrote her an email that I was happy she had contacted tech support and that she should be proud of herself for doing that.

I will be seeing her next week, so we will see what happens with the machine, but that really isn't the point. The point is that she was able to do something she either didn't think she could or didn't want to, but was able to step up to the task with a little prodding.

I think this is vitally important to teach our students skills that foster independence. Our goal should be, that at some point, the don't need us. That they are able to use the tools that we have given them or taught them to accomplish tasks. And that they are able to do what they can for themselves, and ask for help when they really need it.

Happy Friday!

TLC Spotlight - Big Keys Keyboard

Big Keys Keyboard

• BigKeys keyboards are simplified computer keyboards.
• BigKeys LX has 60 extra-large keys and retains all the functions of a standard keyboard.
• All keys are easy to see: 1-inch square!
• Familiar QWERTY alpha key layout. ABC layout is also available. Note that key order (ABC or QWERTY) can be switched on all BigKeys keyboards!
• Easy-to-read key labels: large black printing on bright-white, bright-yellow, or multi-color keys -OR- bright-white letters on black keys! 

 
Contains all essential characters: 97 character keyset. Compatible with all major software packages.
No special software required! Just plug into your PC in place of the regular keyboard..
No run-on! Each key press generates only 1 character, no matter how long the key is held down.

If you need a keyguard - No worries.. we have them..
BigKeys Keyguards are made of clear, rigid, break-resistant plastic.  The keyguard attaches easily to your BigKeys keyboard and helps to stabilize fingers on the right key while minimizing errors. Allows the user to rest hands over the keys.

What do you think? Do you want to TRY IT before you BUY IT? Then join our Technology Lending Center. Click here to join today!