Fall 2006

In this issue ...

New Location

Monthly Demos Offered

Library Dedication

Cell Phones are AT

TEC Joins Microsoft Program

Staff News

Activities for Fall and Winter Enjoyment

Take a Look at Our Inventory

Telecommunications Equipment on Display

New Inventory

Overdue Policy

How Can We Help?

Calendar of Events

TEC at New Location

As of December 1st, TEC will be at its new location.  The new address is 30-34 Summer Street, Bangor, Maine 04401.  The phone number is (207) 992-9270 and the fax is 992-9273.  TEC’s email and website address will remain the same. The building is wheelchair accessible with ample parking and is located near the Downtown area of Bangor.  Call or email TEC staff for further information.

Please keep your calendar clear as TEC will be having an open house on January 10th from 3:00 - 7:00 pm.  Be looking for details later.  Everyone is welcome!

TEC Offers Monthly Product Demos

Assistive technology covers such a wide range of equipment and devices and it can be very difficult to keep up with the technology of the times.  TEC wants to help make this task a little easier and fun for you.  It is one thing to read about assistive technology and another to see the products demonstrated in the context of practical application with functional tasks of everyday life.

We are beginning our monthly demonstrations with Freedom Scientific products to aid individuals with low vision or blindness.  (See our Calendar of Events for details)

Future demonstrations will include augmentative and alternative communication systems, technologies that aid manipulation and control of the environment, mobility and positioning technologies, computer based technologies such as accessible hardware and adaptive software, aids for the deaf and people who have hearing impairments, and so much more.

We invite you to join us each month for a new product demonstration as they are posted on our website at www.tecmaine.org.   They will be FREE and open to the public.  Our goal is to offer new and exciting information to assist you in the acquisition of assistive technology.

Dedication of Sen. Collins Library

A dedication ceremony was conducted at the Technical Exploration Center in Bangor on April 11th honoring Sen. Susan Collins for her work in helping to provide TEC with a $100,000 federal grant this year. A plaque now hangs on the front office wall, dedicating our lending library to Collins in recognition for all her support.

This grant has helped us in maintaining and increasing inventory for our members. We have increased our staff which allows TEC to be open 5 days a week. We are now able to increase the amount of our services, including evaluations, presentations, workshops, health fairs, and outreaches.

Our library is now known as the “Susan M. Collins Assistive Technology Library”. We thank Sen. Susan Collins for her hard work, support and dedication to helping Maine citizens!

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Cell Phones Are Assistive Technology

We all know how convenient a cell phone can be during our daily lives.  We are able to make calls on the go for work, pleasure, or even call for help.  Have you ever taken a moment to learn about all the options your cell phone has?  Believe it or not, a cell phone can be a wonderful piece of assistive technology.

• Leave voice memos in case you want to remember where you parked at the shopping center, or use voice memo as a reminder of what you need at the store.

• Use the calendar for appointments.  An alarm can be set for each event you mark on the calendar to remind you.

• Use the notepad to make notes as reminders, etc.

• Use alarm clock to wake up or as a reminder.  Most alarm clocks on your cell phone allow you to use a “Quick Alarm” where you can set an alarm for 10min, 30min, 1hour, or 3 hours later.  This may be helpful as a reminder to move onto your next task or activity.

• Use the voice command prompt to call an individual instead of scrolling through address book. The voice command prompt can be useful for someone with vision loss.  Some phones have the option of speaker phone or an ear piece to make your calls hands free.

• Use the calculator or Ez Tip Calculator when at a restaurant.

• Make sure you adjust the volume and type of ring, font size, and contrast of colors to the setting that best works for you.

• A person who may be hearing impaired can adjust the ring to “vibrate.”  Some phones have the option to light up when you are receiving a call.  If your phone has the option of TTY, please read the manual. 

• Use text messaging to send short messages without having to call.

• If your phone has a camera, you can use the camera to remember where you parked and/or the license plate of the vehicle next to you if you come out of the store and find the person did a “hit and run” to your vehicle.

A cell phone is a great item for assistive technology.  Read your manual to discover the many useful features that your cell phone has built right in.  You’ll be surprised!

More information on voice recognition, screen readers, and screen magnifiers for cell phones and PDAs.

TEC assists Microsoft in MARC Program

The Technical Exploration Center is proud to announce we have been designated one of 46 Microsoft Accessibility Resource Centers (MARC) nationwide.

What this means for you is that TEC can be your resource to showcase the numerous accessible technology options available on today’s computers. Our staff will be able to provide accessibility training to business employees, or accessibility consultation to businesses looking to create an accessibility strategy.

TEC is equipped with video demonstrations and accessibility tutorials that show how to make computing easier, more convenient, and more comfortable. Our professional staff is on hand to answer questions and help visitors learn how to adjust their personal computers. Free Microsoft Accessibility Resource CD sets are also available so visitors can take the information home with them.

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Staff News

We are pleased to announce Colleen Adams has successfully passed the RESNA credentialing exam and is now an ATP.

Congratulations Colleen Adams COTA/L, ATP

We are also pleased to announce some exciting news about one of our staff. Erica Burns, an occupational therapy student from Husson College, is currently on her third year working for TEC. She will be leaving us for her 6-month OT fieldwork in Phoenix, AZ beginning December 2006. Although we are happy for this opportunity for Erica, we will surely miss her. We are glad for the time Erica has worked here and we wish her the best!

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Take a Look at Our Inventory

The long awaited inventory database has begun to take shape on the TEC website. Please take a moment to browse through the inventory section of this site. What you will find are descriptions of some of the equipment we have for loan.

Our hope is that this added feature enhances the search for assistive technology needs. We will continually add to the database throughout the spring and summer until our inventory has been displayed.

If you should have any questions regarding specifics on any equipment, we encourage you to contact TEC staff for personal assistance. We hope you enjoy the convenience of “window shopping” from a distance.

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Telecommunications Equipment on Display

Is using the telephone a problem for you?

The Technical Exploration Center is pleased to welcome the Maine Center on Deafness (MCD) to our facility in a collaborative effort to inform the public of their telecommunication equipment lending and cost-sharing programs. MCD offers specialized equipment to telephone customers with disabilities in Maine.

Equipment such as amplified telephones, TTY’s, voice-activated speaker phones, and telephone signalers are among the items being displayed at TEC. This long-term display will allow people from the mid-Maine area and North to access the equipment without traveling to Portland.

Staff from MCD is more than willing to arrange presentations to include overviews of the features of the equipment, education on the Maine Relay Service, and more detailed information about their equipment program. Please call TEC to express your interest in arranging one of these presentations.

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New Items in Our Inventory:

Come see the exciting expansion of our inventory!

Each year TEC explores the world of technology for new and exciting devices to enhance the lives of people in our community. This year we focused on recreation, household items, gross motor equipment and activities, computer accessibility and sensory items.

We have a new Power Link III from AbleNet with an accompanying Air Link Cordless Switch. You can view this and other AbleNet products at ablenetinc.com

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Activities for Fall and Winter Enjoyment!

Now that another beautiful summer is behind us, it’s time to look ahead to our lovely Fall and Winter seasons. There’s nothing more enjoyable than taking a walk to peep at the autumn leaves.

Indoor recreation equipment:

We have a large assortment of indoor items; A weighted bowling set, card shufflers, computer software and a switch operated Digital Camera for fabulous fall colors! Come visit us and see.

Books and Videos:

We have a large selection of books, AT videos and cassettes in our catalog room for your enjoyment.

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Overdue Policy

The Technical Exploration Center would like to thank you for visiting and utilizing our lending library for assistive technology. We hope that our services have been of value to you and that you continue to explore AT options with us. Due to the increased circulation of our inventory, we find it necessary to implement a new policy regarding overdue materials. There is now a daily overdue fines for items not returned by the assigned due date. The fine will be based upon the value of the item and borrowing privileges may be suspended if the item(s) are not returned. The late fees are posted in the check out area of the lending library.

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How Can We Help?

Check out all the ways we can work with you

Equipment Loan: TEC houses more than 2000 pieces of assistive technology. Communication, computer software and hardware, items for hygiene, mealtime, telephones, TV control.

Evaluations: Unsure what types of assistive technology you need to be more successful at school or work? Need help keeping or increasing your independence at home? Speak with us about an evaluation.

Consultations: Need help working with the assistive technology you have? Our staff can help you or the people who work with you to create a plan to use the assistive technology equipment.

Inservices: We love to talk about our services, the inventory, creative uses for the equipment you have and many other topics. We are available for 1-hour inservices as well as full day. Call for more information.

Training: TEC staff is beginning to offer 1:1 training on computer software such as word prediction or voice input technology.

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Calendar of Events

Please go to the complete Calendar of Events for registration information

DONATIONS ACCEPTED:

If you have equipment you are no longer using, we would like to help someone else benefit from it. Equipment can be placed with the condition it would be returned if needed in the future. This works well for school systems, day programs and other service providers.

We regret we do not have room for a large amount of durable medical equipment; however we would be happy to direct you to agencies which need or lend this equipment.

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