Kern Assistive Technology Center
The Kern Assistive Technology Center along with Kern Regional Center and a grant from the Verizon Foundation has sponsored trainings in Ridgecrest and Taft targeted at gaining Assistive technology knowledge related to literacy in the classroom for providers of services for the disabled in these small outlying communities of Kern County.
The training in Taft was held on January 23, 2003 and garnered 19 participants from various agencies located in Taft such as Taft College, Taft ARC and Taft City Schools. The training in Ridgecrest was held on January 27, 2003 and drew 21 participants from various agencies in Ridgecrest that help the disabled including the Ridgecrest Regional Center, High Desert Pathways, Sierra Sands Unified School District, AASD, and D.A.R.T.
The participants learned about ways to enhance a persons access to skills such as reading, writing and grammar. This is especially important for persons with limited mobility and or speech. Exciting new software has been developed that allows people, who may never have been able to read, write or speak the freedom to express themselves. Participants received four different titles of software that was distributed free of charge to those in attendance. This software was taken back to their respective sites and shared with clients who possibly for the first time were able to communicate in a better way.
Crystal Partlow a teacher at Roosevelt school in Taft is utilizing the software in her classroom with her students. Many participants agree that with the use of this software they have found that their clients are very excited and benefiting from the accessibility this software has provided them. Some are even learning to spell. The general consensus from clients utilizing this technology is that it has been a great experience and one that they are able to grow with. Since the training, according to Pat Billings from Community Support Options Pathways, many non-verbal clients have really benefited. A couple of clients are learning how to spell. Basic sight words have improved. The programs are very concrete and this has been so encouraging and helpful to the clients at the Pathways agency. At D.A.R.T., the clients are really enjoying the enhanced access that they have for communication now. The staff are trying to create new ways to implement the programs throughout the day. Since being exposed to this kind of software some clients have now expressed an interest in obtaining their G.E.D., something that before now may have seemed impossible.
