All About Abilities Expo

Written by LaCandice McCray, CFILC

On April 9-11 I attended Abilities Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center representing the AT Network along with Mazuri Colley and AT Advocates from the Los Angeles area. We distributed information about the AT Network, the AT Exchange and information about two local Independent Living Centers (CALIF and WCIL).

I was surprised by the number of people who were familiar with the AT Network. Some consumers and vendors visited the table to congratulate us on the work we do. In addition, several consumers were thankful for the information they received.

In addition to the consumer interactions, there were some interesting vendors in attendance. Our AT Network booth was located in the AT Pavilion, which was a new addition to the expo. This section included AT vendors, organizations, and AT demonstrations. This section really expands the focus of the Abilities Expo.

Our booth was situated next to RJ Cooper, who is well known in Southern California. His video game controllers were popular among young expo attendees.

Also in the pavilion was Mulholland Positioning systems. They provide postural support seating, standing and walking systems for children and adults with Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, and other types of motor development disabilities. I was able to witness several children try their walkers, and some expressed so much happiness when doing so. Mulholland also provides walking systems for adults.

Time Timer was also located in the AT Pavilion. Created by a mother whose daughter was curious about the function of time, these timers provide a way to see time as a measurement and understand its duration. The timers can be set by the second, minute or the hour. Educators have used Time Timers to teach the concept of time, encourage students to use time wisely, track the duration of activities and monitor standardized tests.

Overall, Abilities Expo was an opportunity to connect with consumers, collaborate with AT Advocates and learn about various AT products and services. If you would like to share your experiences from Abilities Expo, please join the AT Network for a Brown Bag discussion on April 22 from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. You can email me: lacandice@cfilc.org for access information.

What did you think of Abilities Expo’s new location? If you had a chance to attend, what did you think about the new AT Pavilion? Please tell us by writing a comment below.

Smooth Talkers: voice engines and text-to-speech software

I think a great many of you will agree with me when I say that voices are very important; they can give impressions of intelligence where it is not due, and give impression of stupidity where it is undeserved. When applied to the field of assistive technology, the above statement is even more salient. A good voice engine can make a B grade software look like a state of the art marvel. Where as a bad voice engine (like Microsoft Sam) can make a state of the art software look like something out of 1978 Battlestar Gallectica returning to haunt us.

Here is a news flash: most of companies producing text-to-speech software do not develop their own voice engine, that is because most voice engines are developed along the line of Microsoft SAPI 4 and SAPI 5, and it does not take more than 10 companies producing voice engines to saturate the market.

Thanks to my little obsession about making my over glorified Pentium 4 into a obedient wife with sexy voice telling me how much she worships me, read my books to me before I retire to bed, and proofread my writings;I am proud to announce that I have invested time and real money to test just about every voice engine on the market so my readers can just take my words for it.

Ivona Voice Engine http://www.ivona.com/helpVoice.php
Clarity: 5/5
Punctuation 3/5
Pronounciation 4/5
Compatibility 4.5/5
Overall 4.5/5.


AT&T Voice Engines http://www.naturalreaders.com/sample.htm
Clarity: 3/5
Punctuation 3.5/5
Pronounciation 3/5
Compatibility 4.5/5
Overall 3/5.

Realspek Voice Engine from Nuance . http://www.nextup.com/
Clarity: 3/5
Punctuation 4/5
Pronounciation 35/5
Compatibility 4.5/5
Overall 3.5/5.


Neospeech Voice engine http://www.naturalreaders.com/sample.htm
Clarity: 3/5
Punctuation 4/5
Pronounciation 3.5/5
Compatibility 4.5/5
Overall 3.5/5.

Acapella Voice engine. http://www.naturalreaders.com/sample.htm
Clarity: 3/5
Punctuation 4/5
Pronounciation 4/5
Compatibility 2/5
Overall 3.5/5.

Cepstral Voice Engine. http://www.nextup.com/
Clarity: 2.5/5
Punctuation 4/5
Pronounciation 2.5/5
Compatibility 4/5
Overall 3/5.

Acapella has the best quality second only to Ivona Voice Engine, but they tend to be software specific and will not work cross platform the way Ivona, Neospeech, and AT&T would.

What are your experiences with voice engines? Any pet peeves? Favorites? Questions? If so, post your thoughts in the comments section below.

Written by Luke Hsieh, Assistive Technology Advocate, Community Access Center, Riverside

The above article represents the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the AT Network or its staff, although we must admit that we do enjoy Luke's writing style.

So, what is the ATACP?

What is the ATACP?

Whether you are new to the field of AT or consider yourself a veteran there is always something new to learn in the world of assistive technology. One way that you can continue to challenge yourself is by obtaining more education about the subject. You can do this by attending trainings, collaborating with peers and good old fashioned learning by doing.

The Center on Disabilities at the California State University at Northridge offers the Assistive Technology Applications Certificate Program. This program has been in existence for over ten years and boasts over 2,500 graduates. Those who complete the program will receive a certificate in Assistive Technology Applications with 10 CEUs from California State University, Northridge's College of Extended Learning and the Center on Disabilities.

The certificate gained through the ATACP should not be confused with a certification, which requires a different process and preparation requirements. Check out http://resna.org/certifications/becoming-certified-atp-sms-ret for more information on AT certifications.

The ATACP is an opportunity to expand your knowledge base about the world of AT and meet other professionals in the field. Trainings are offered throughout the year in a convenient distance learning model that involves online and in-person training. Being a part of this program is yet another opportunity to meet other professionals, ask questions and offer solutions to others.

LaCandice and I are currently going through the program and just completed the in-person portion at the recent CSUN conference in San Diego. Taking this course has been my first experience with taking an online course, and it has been very interesting. I appreciated being able to learn each section at my own pace, but I am also very grateful for the in-person interaction we were able to take part in. Next up for both of us is a project focusing on any aspect of the AT field we choose, which could be anything from developing an innovative workshop on some new or unexplored AT or helping an individual obtain the right AT device. Whatever we decide to work on, the AT Network will benefit from all that we’ve learned throughout the program.

Learn more about the ATACP at the Cal State Northridge Center for Disabilities website:

http://www.csun.edu/cod/training/index.php

Have any of you gone through the ATACP? What other opportunities for professional networking or learning are you aware of? If you have participated in any programs, what did you get out of being involved?

Written by Mazuri Colley, Information & Assistance Advocate