A time of transition

Wondering about what's going on with the Library at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community? We are definitely in a time of transition! Here are a few examples:

• The librarian for the past 11 years, Christina Wray, has accepted a new position in sunny Florida--congratulations again, Christina!
• Sharon Soto, who has been the Library Branch Coordinator for the last 20 years, will continue to manage the day-to-day functions of the library
• Due to an internal reorganization at the Institute, the library has dropped its "center" designation and is now simply referred to as "The Library at the IIDC" rather than CeDIR
• Library services will continue throughout the state and through Indiana University's Interlibrary Loan department
• Our website, email address, and blog name have changed

Please update our contact information:

The Library at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community

1905 N. Range Road

Bloomington, IN 47408

812-855-9396

800-437-7924

libiidc@indiana.edu

https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/library

libiidc.blogspot.com

A fond farewell

It is with sadness that today we say goodbye to our librarian, Christina Wray. Christina has been our Librarian for almost eleven years now, but the call of the warmer weather has proven to be too strong to overcome. She has accepted a position at the University of Central Florida in Orlando where adventure and plenty of sailing days await her and her family.

Good luck to you, Christina. We will miss you!

Incidence of Autism in Indiana

Dr. Cathy Pratt, BCBA-D, director of the Indiana Resource Center for Autism at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, has updated an article discussing the incidence of autism of Indiana. In the article, she explains where the figures come from and why they are presented that way. She also highlights the cost of caring for a child on the spectrum.

To read the entire article, please visit:
https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/incidence-of-autism-spectrum-disorders-in-indiana

TimeSlips Creative Storytelling

TimeSlips is a nonprofit organization headed by Anne Basting, a theater artist and educator in Milwaukee, who has a passion for helping older folks with cognitive impairment. TimeSlips "offers online and in-person training programs and has helped long-term care facilities and caregivers around the world..." The project has been developed into a formal therapy with the idea that stories can be a substitute for the memories that have been lost due to the participants' cognitive impairments.

For more information about this project, a MacArthur Fellows Program, please visit:
https://www.macfound.org/fellows/956/

Google Lime Scholarship Program

What is Google Lime, you ask? It's a scholarship program for undergrads, graduates, and PhD students with disabilities who are passionate about computer science. Google will award scholarships and provide networking retreats as a way of supporting the work of Lime Connect.

To learn more about this scholarship and how to apply, please visit:
http://www.limeconnect.com/opportunities/page/google-lime-scholarship-program

Voting and people with disabilities

"The number of eligible voters with disabilities is growing faster than the number of eligible voters without disabilities," claims an article on FiveThirtyEight.com. The article offers statistics on the numbers of people with disabilities who are eligible to vote as well as describes some of the barriers they find when trying to get out to vote.

You can read the entire article at:

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/one-in-six-eligible-voters-has-a-disability/

For a voting guide to resources that you can use to see if you are registered, how to register, what your rights are as a voter in Indiana, what poll workers are told about accessibility and more, please visit:

http://guides.libraries.indiana.edu/vote

2016 Paralympic Games open today

Today marks the first day of the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio. The games will run until September 18th. Athletes from more than 170 countries will be participating in events from archery to cycling to wheelchair basketball and tennis and more!

For all the news about the Games, the participants, and the medal count, please visit:
https://www.paralympic.org/rio-2016

Tactile tools help students with vision impairments

In an article from Makezine.com, folks at the D’Arcy Lab in the Chemistry Department at Washington University in St. Louis are working with 3D printers to help students with vision impairments. A partnership between the Missouri School for the Blind has resulted in the creation of didactic tools to increase the students' ability to measure objects and understand spatial orientation.

To read the entire article, please visit:
http://makezine.com/2016/08/17/3d-printed-spatial-reasoning-tools-visually-impaired/

Paralympics begin in September

The 2016 Olympic games are just about over, and the Paralympics are set to start on September 7th. According to the Paralympics website, "Around 4,350 athletes from more than 160 countries will travel to Rio to compete in 528 medal events in 22 different sports." The website has information on the athletes that are set to compete as well as the adapted sports and rules.

Check it out at:
https://www.paralympic.org/

Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education

The Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education (CDHHE) works to promote positive outcomes for all deaf and hard of hearing children through information, services, and education. It provides direct services and facilitation of services to children birth through school exit. The CDHHE is available to provide support, resources, and professional development that are specific to Deaf and Hard of Hearing children, adhere to all federal, state, and local laws, follow current evidence-based best practice, and align with national and statewide trends at no cost in the following areas: accommodations, assessment, assistive technology devices, audiology, auditory skill development, direct communication opportunities with peers and adults, eligibility for Deaf and Hard of Hearing services according to state law, equal access in the educational setting, language development, Least Restrictive Environment, provision of educational services and related services, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

For more information, please visit the CDHHE website at http://cdhhe.isdh.in.gov

Designing assistive technology

In an article from makezine.com, Brian Goral, the CEO and co-founder of Furenexo, offers his insight on creating technology to use with people with disabilities. His company is manufacturing a device called SoundSense, a small device that people with hearing loss can wear to recognize loud sounds and alerts. In the article, Goral discusses why he decided to make devices for people with disabilities and how to go about learning about their needs.

Read the article at:
http://makezine.com/2016/07/27/why-we-decided-to-make-devices-for-people-with-disabilities/

Could Alzheimer's detection be just a sniff away?

According to an article on NPR Shots, two studies are looking into using your nose to detect Alzheimer's. The studies asked patients who were 60 or older to try to identify foods, smoke, etc. just from their scent. The goal is to create an inexpensive test for doctors to use to help with early detection of this form of dementia.

To read more about it, please visit:
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/07/26/487391863/a-sniff-test-for-alzheimers-checks-for-the-ability-to-identify-odors

Blindness Prevention in Diabetics

Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness in American adults according to an article from the Indiana University Newsroom. IU researchers have created a virtual tissue model of diabetes in the eye which can hopefully be used to develop new treatments for the disease.

To read the entire article, please visit:
http://news.indiana.edu/releases/iu/2016/07/diabetic-retinopathy-study.shtml

Need some help with college?

The Disability Care Center is currently offering two scholarships: The Disabled Student Scholarship and The Special Education Scholarship. All applicants who apply for one of the scholarship programs must be full-time students in pursuit of a college degree. The scholarships can help further the education of American college students who either have a disability or are seeking a degree in special education.

For more information, please visit:
http://usascholarships.com/disability-care-center-scholarships/

Feedback sought on state plan

The Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities (GCPD) has drafted its 2017-2021 State Plan and is accepting comments from people with disabilities, their families, caregivers, advocates, stakeholders, and the public on its five-year state plan goals and objectives.

The Council is required to create a five-year strategic state plan to address the availability of services, supports, and other assistance for individuals with disabilities and their families in the state. The plan also includes objectives for enhancing people's lives through training, community education, and support. The state plan provides the basic framework for how Council funds will be used and what activities the Council will be involved in.

Your feedback is critical as the Council finalizes its priority areas and focus objectives in order to implement the 2017-2021 State Plan. The council will accept comments on the proposed goals and objectives through July 25, 2016, at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.

To read the State Plan and learn how you can submit feedback, please visit: http://www.in.gov/gpcpd/2537.htm

Designing websites for people with dementia

With an estimated 46.8 million (and rising) people worldwide living with dementia, it is important to think of designing websites that are accessible to them.

"Although many people living with dementia use the internet to access information or communicate with peers, friends or family, actually navigating these digital spaces can become increasingly problematic," according to an article at smashingmagazine.com. The article offers information on colors, fonts, layout and more.

To read the entire article, please visit:
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2016/05/designing-a-dementia-friendly-website/

Utility funding for families

Looking for some help with catching up on heating bills from last winter or with cooling bills for the coming summer? The Arc of Indiana has a program that may help. Called the Utility Support Program, it offers assistance to families that qualify with utility costs, including payment for utility bills, funding to reactivate or prevent disconnection of services, deposit assistance to begin services, and funding to cover back utility debt.

To see if your family is eligible, please visit:
http://www.arcind.org/our-programs/the-arc-of-indiana-utility-support-program/

Library Hours Next Week

Next week, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday, CeDIR will have different hours all week. We will be closed all day on Monday, May 30^th, and will be open in the mornings only (8:00 a.m. to noon) from May 31^st through June 3^rd.

Beginning on June 6^th, we will return to our regular hours: 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 4:00.

Video game could help diagnose dementia

According to an article found on CNN Health, a video game could help diagnose dementia. A team of scientists want "at least 100,000 people to play the game by the end of 2016 to provide the ideal range of data needed to provide this missing information. Data will be anonymous and only available to researchers at UCL."

To learn more about this game and the science behind it, please visit:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/04/health/dementia-game-sea-hero-quest/index.html

Google Chrome's Accessibility Features

Looking for a way to make Chrome more accessible? Richard Byrne at Free Technology for Teachers has created a quick video tutorial on making the browser more accessible in under two minutes.

Take a look at:
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2016/04/how-to-add-accessibility-options-to.html