General Sessions

For more information about our general sessions, please view the summary of each panel discussion.

• Welcome
• Opening Remarks
• Paths to Innovation
• Innovation in Practice: The Stories of Entrepreneurs and Researchers Developing New Products
• The AT Field at a Tipping Point: Findings from NCTI’s Dialogue Forums
• Technology, Disability, and Education Policy: U.S. Senate Perspectives

Welcome

Tracy Gray, Director, National Center for Technology Innovation

The theme of this year’s meeting is Creating Solutions through Collaboration. The assistance and learning technologies industry is at a tipping point, a time of great change and converging opportunities. We plan to explore many of these opportunities with you during the course of the conference. Attendance is once again up this year, from 85 attendees in 2003, to 125 participants last year, to 165 guests and presenters now in 2005.

Opening Remarks

Lou Danielson, Director, Research to Practice Division, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education

OSEP continues to find ways for its programs to make demonstrable impacts with relatively modest amounts of money. Conference participants should consider how that can be achieved. OSEP is assessing how best to connect to the Institute for Education Sciences, the new home of OSEP’s research program and study evaluation program. Initiatives like Stepping Stones will be on an accelerated schedule next year and new regulations will be out shortly for IDEA.

Paths to Innovation

Promoting awareness of the benefits of assistive technology (AT) for students is a common practice among professional and stakeholders in the field of AT. But how do we promote awareness of the benefits of joining the field to new professionals and nurture the next generation of innovators and researchers?

Larry Goldberg (Moderator), Director, National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM), WGBH

The dividing lines among researcher, distributor, or vendor blur although all have different roles. How do we collaborate across the lines? How can we advance the field?

David Williamson Shaffer, Professor, Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin

Epistemic games like Zoo Tycoon can support innovative thinking and other educational results. These games are based on understanding how people deal with uncertainty, make decisions, and engage in a kind of thinking that reshapes action while we are acting. In these ways, epistemic games are similar to practicums, where trainees perform in their professional fields, get feedback on performance, and adjust their behaviors and strategies. We can use technologies to simulate those educational, skill-building, judgment-building experiences.

Corinna Lathan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, AnthroTronix

Lathan founded AnthroTronix in 1999 as a research and development company, starting work with a rehabilitation hospital for children. Her background was in aerospace engineering and neuroscience, which led her to tech transfer and biomedical engineering—and finally, with Anthro Tronix, an AT business application.

Michael Behrmann, Professor and Director, Helen A. Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities, George Mason University

Ideas move through the four stages of the “edge of innovation.” They may start as Over the Edge, evolve to the Cutting Edge, then become useful Bleeding Edge applications—only, finally, to end up as Dull Edge systems. Some ideas have a hard time moving from one stage to another. Some ideas have multiple applications; others have unintended design consequences.

Discussion Topics

• Venture capital is attracted to evolutionary, not revolutionary, ideas. Government and angel investment, while slower, can be desirable because you retain IP ownership.
• Some government funding supports ideas and products that are no longer cutting edge but on the way to dull—because what they fund must move immediately to wide application.
• A small difference in design enables you to make a huge difference in your market, so that you can easily reach the secondary audience and make substantial profit.

Innovation in Practice: The Stories of Entrepreneurs and Researchers Developing New Products

The NCTI case studies and profiles come alive through an interactive discussion with innovators and collaborators previously featured in these two popular web series.

Eric Morrison (Moderator), Faculty, Pima Community College and author of NCTI Innovator Profiles

A story: Laura is blind and wants to dance. She came to Pima Community College and there became a dancer and choreographer thanks to AT. The people on this panel work through challenges in the market and users to get innovations to market.

Sara Basson, Director, Accessibility Services Program Manager of IBM Research and Executive Advisor, Liberated Learning Consortium

IBM has a long history of creating AT. The current partnership with St. Mary’s University to create an automated captioning system is sustained by mission-driven participants and has long-term and short-term benefits for all participants.

Steven Landau, Research Director, Touch Graphics

For a small company trying to penetrate markets, collaboration is a live or die proposition. TouchGraphics identifies and contacts experts. Universities are becoming more receptive to the idea of partnering with business, especially through SBIR grants.

When Touch Graphics collaborates with for-profit companies, the issue of who owns the IP arises. With Universal Design, one product reaches all users—and in this way, the tiny market of blind users shares cost with other markets which are larger.

Tom Large, President and Chief Executive Officer, Designer Appliances, Inc.

Good technology means you don’t know it’s there. For every good idea you see there’s a thousand you don’t see as well. Entrepreneur—a word we use too much—should be defined as: people who do things you think are exceptional, people who take something that isn’t very much and make it into something more.

Annuska Perkins, Accessible Technology Group Product Planner and User Interface Designer, Microsoft

Testing products for usability provides insight into other people’s perspectives and experiences. All should supplement their strengths with those of others to reach common goals—and give people a voice in decisions before the rubber meets the road.

Discussion Topics

• The ultimate destination for cost-effective AT is the general market. Business will partner with researchers if products move out of the niche market.
• IP can be a barrier to collaboration.
• Some needs for change are consumer-based and some are vendor-based.
• For-profits need to think broadly about disability. More researchers and private vendors need to think about the needs of wounded veterans.

The AT Field at a Tipping Point: Findings from NCTI’s Dialogue Forums

The NCTI Dialogue Forums revealed the convergence of opportunities available to promote the potential of AT as a powerful part of an achievement solution for all students. Panelists who participated in the Dialogues discuss the key findings and recommendations from the NCTI report, Moving Toward Solutions: Assistive and Learning Technology for All Students.

Dave Edyburn (Moderator), Associate Professor, Department of Exceptional Education, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The report’s key findings are places where we can make a difference at this “tipping point:”

1. Building Leadership Capacity for Implementation;
2. Identifying and Leveraging Existing Networks and Resources;
3. Addressing the Pace of Innovation Versus Implementation;
4. Balancing Universal Design and Assistive Technology; and
5. Developing a Research Agenda to Inform Policy and Practice.

The entire report will be released at ATIA in January, and will be on the NCTI.

Lynne Anderson-Inman, Director, Center for Advanced Technology in Education (CATE) and Center for Electronic Studying, College of Education, University of Oregon

The report asks, “What will it take for AT to be considered a critical component of education to help students reach their potential?” Perhaps the companion question is “How will we know when AT is helping more students to learn and achieve their potential?” Indicators are likely to be that small changes suddenly start to have a major impact, sometimes unforeseen; when the technologies traditionally identified as AT are embedded in the tools that all people use every day, such as cell phones.

Diana Carl, Director, Special Education Services, Region 4 Education Service Center

AT can be the tipping point for students to access the curriculum. IDEA and NCLB are both barriers and change agents: under these pieces of legislation, practitioners must “consider” AT, but what does that loose term really describe? States need to develop technology standards and certification.

Bob Regan, Director, Project Management, Macromedia

Are we at a tipping point or on the edge of the cliff? The future is unsure, although transformations are on the way. Growth of technology and mastery of technology is outpacing our thinking about it. Don’t think of AT as a product but as a service, an effort to build and enhance incremental products. The field needs to think in a more collaborative way.

Discussion Topics

• The pace of change in the marketplace is different from that in research.
• With the changes in user interfaces and improved basic levels of AT, small companies may license their inventions and move on to new innovations.
• To enable small companies to make their essential contributions, the system needs to accommodate collaboration.
• Researchers should never be researching “a product,” but features within a product.
• Rocks holding back the AT solution are teacher training programs and teaching to standardized tests.

Technology, Disability, and Education Policy: U.S. Senate Perspectives

Panelists explore funding, research, and practice implications of recent legislation such as IDEA 2004, No Child Left Behind, two percent waiver ruling, the Assistive Technology Act amendments, and the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS).

Daniel Blair (Moderator), Senior Director for Public Policy, Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)

Jessica Brodey, attorney and public policy advocate, working on disability and technology, a member of the ATIA Policy Council

Download Jessica Brodey’s PowerPoint Presentation

Describes issues for advocates, including:

• Integration of technology in the classroom;
• The impact of NIMAS on publishers and purchasers of textbooks;
• New IDEA regulations regarding assessments and Part D grants;
• Awareness and training; and
• The opening of the new area of concern around emergency planning and preparedness for persons with disabilities.

Chuck Hitchcock, Chief Officer of Policy and Technology, Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)

Presents a review of NIMAS process and legal provisions. In order for NIMAS standards to have a strong and early impact for students, collaboration is essential.

Download Chuck Hitchcock’s PowerPoint Presentation

Discussion Topics

• Implementation, information, training, awareness, and working with state standards.
• NIMAS and technical assistance for the implementation of NIMAS, especially educating vendors about formats.
• How do we reach the rest of the students? What will happen when they transition out? Should we be favoring incremental change in product development rather than building new products from the ground up?
• International issues include trade and issues around globalization.
• Medicare and Medicaid: what funds supports product purchase?
• Universal design should create bridges between AT and all technology.
• Advocacy tools for the Hill and the White House: demonstrating product and stories, being an expert resource.
• NIMAS, the legislation and market forces.
• The de-emphasis of technology at federal and state level.

Breakout Sessions

The conference hosted four breakout sessions on Thursday, November 17. Below are summaries of each session with links to detailed notes, speakers’ bio’s, and presentations where available.

• Getting Technology Out of the Lab and into Commercial Markets
• Better Assessment of Student Outcomes through Technology
• Implications of Universal Design for Learning and Innovation
• Making Technology Support the Transition from School to Adulthood

Getting Technology Out of the Lab and into Commercial Markets

Getting an idea to market as a viable product is becoming more complicated. Researchers and Tech Transfer Officers point out the signposts and resources that encourage success for new entrepreneurs and collaborative partners.

• Martha Connolly, Director, Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS), University of Maryland

  MIPS facilitates lab-to-market tech transfer by opening direct company access to faculty experts at all University of Maryland institutions, and meets a public need in the eyes of the state government. Examples of recent MIPS projects.

  Download Martha Connolly’s PowerPoint Presentation

• Nicholas Zelver, Tech Transfer Officer, Montana State University

  Describes tech transfer at MSU and at TechLink, funded by Department of Defense, which connects companies nationwide with U.S. government research laboratories for licensing, transfer, development, and commercialization of new technologies. Describes challenges from the researcher side and the market side, and ways to research market partners. Describes Hearing Pill project.

  Download Nicholas Zelver’s PowerPoint Presentation

• William Chard, Director of Marketing, National Technology Transfer Center (NTTC)

  Describes the TT process at NTTC. Explains why so few patents go to market. Lists the elements of successful TT. Discussion with nuts and bolts questions.

  
  

  Download William Chard’s PowerPoint Presentation

Better Assessment of Student Outcomes through Technology

Standardized tests are a reality. How can accessible technologies advance the experience for students with special needs in accuracy and outcomes?

• Gerald Tindal (Moderator), Professor and Director, Behavioral Research and Teaching (BRT), College of Education, University of Oregon

  Download Gerald Tindal’s PowerPoint Presentation

• Preston Lewis, Research Consultant, Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky

  Kentucky’s statewide assessment system—CATS—is currently being piloted and evaluated. A detailed report on design issues and administration and implementation issues.

  
  

  Download Preston Lewis’s PowerPoint Presentation

• Michael Russell, Associate Professor, Lynch School of Education and Director, Technology and Assessment Study Collaborative (inTASC), Boston College

  Describes options, choices, and initial progress in understanding likely outcomes of designing computer-based assessment tools.

  
  

  Download Michael Russell’s PowerPoint Presentation

• Martha Thurlow, Director, National Center for Educational Outcomes

  State policy complicates efforts to use computer-based assessments. Some lack technical capacity, some lack training, while in others larger policy issues conflict with comprehensive implementation.

  Download Martha Thurlow’s PowerPoint Presentation

Implications of Universal Design for Learning and Innovation

Universal Design (UD) is an educational framework that increases accessibility of learning for all students. The learning goals are the same for all, but the means by which these objectives are achieved recognize the different styles and capabilities of students. Most of the attention given to UD has been in the “reading arts” area. More recently, increasing attention is being paid to the area of STEM education (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). This session will feature a discussion on how technology affects UD, research on the development of digital text for mathematics, and the value of incorporating the principles of UD into STEM education.

• Jim Clovis (Moderator), President, InnOvis Associates, Inc.

  We need a bridge between the field of special education and the field of techology.

• David Rose, Founding Director and Chief Scientist of Cognition and Learning, Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)

  Through Universal Design, we can build books that have multiple ways of supporting the students. A book that has the right amount of support may be configured like a good computer game, to meet the needs of different kinds of learners.

• Dave Schleppenbach, Chief Executive Officer, gh, LLC

  NIMAS is fundamentally a file format designed as a storage system. Synchronized multimedia synchronize the different modes of a presentation. A book can use devices like synchronized speech, sentence highlighting, and other features, clues for reading. A book can also provide clues in math to increase access to math and science.

Making Technology Support the Transition from School to Adulthood

How can innovative technology bridge the many gaps that loom for families and students with disabilities as they transition from secondary schools to adult lives? Experts in the field of special education technology will discuss and demonstrate how emerging technologies that are now more portable and unobtrusive can benefit students moving to postsecondary, independent living, and employment settings.

• Sean Smith (Moderator), Associate Professor, Department of Special Education, University of Kansas
• Richard Lueking, President, TransCen, Inc. http://www.transcen.org/index.html

  Download Richard Lueking’s PowerPoint Presentation

• Dinah Cohen, Director, Department of Defense (DoD) Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) http://www.tricare.osd.mil/cap/

  Download Dinah Cohen’s PowerPoint Presentation

• Ron Hu, President and Chief Technology Officer, Afforda Speech, http://www.affordaspeech.com/

  Download Ron Hu’s PowerPoint Presentation

• Sheryl Burgstahler, Director, DO-IT and Accessible Technology Services, University of Washington, http://www.washington.edu/doit/
  

  
  

  
  

  Download Sheryl Burgstahler’s PowerPoint Presentation

Discussion: AT can support work experiences, which also depend on other human factors and practices. AT may not travel with the individual from the school to the post-school environment. School personnel tend to adopt traditional/safe practices and those in industry are more willing to take risks and explore unconventional technology solutions. Many students enter the university without the technology skills they need; in many settings AT is segregated from general education technology, raising issues of access, equity, and full integration.