Current/Recent Projects

Historical Projects

 

Current/Recent Projects:

 

The 2009 NCTI Technology Innovators Conference
 http://tinyurl.com/ncti-2009

Supporting the development of a showcase of innovative learning and assistive technology products. The event was free and open to the public. Visitors to the Tech Expo to networked with other professionals and learned more about emerging and exciting technologies and research designed to improve learning outcomes for students with special needs. Tour recorded web presentations of the exhibits by clicking on the “recorded presentation” links below. Note that presentations are best viewed using IE. This project is similar to last year's project. See: http://tinyurl.com/ncti-2008

 

 

Lead the Way 614-351-9730Lead the Way III
 http://lead-the-way.org/  Project partner: Central Ohio Workforce Investment Corporation

Lead The Way provides curriculum instruction and hands-on experience that increases students’ access and participation in education and the local workforce. Students are prepared to meet the needs of the local labor market. We incorporate design features that are based upon research into what youth with disabilities can do to prepare for themselves for a successful future. All of the activities and events fit into the following four design features:

 

 

 

The Ohio State University Nisonger Center.OSU Nisonger Center Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities / Steppingstones of Technology Innovation Phase II
 http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/grantaward/detail.cfm?grant_fy_id=H327A090058_2009

Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities Competition Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children with Disabilities Title Access Tomorrow: Using E-Mentoring and Assistive Technologies to Increase Academic and Transition Outcomes ProjectDirector

 

 

 

Central Ohio Workforce Investment Corporation Camp-IT Project
 http://www.ideal-group.org/camp-it/

This project involves teaching high school youth, interested in going into Information Technology (IT) careers about the global nature of the IT industry and the business benefits of accessible IT design.

 

 

 

CWDODeveloped a website for Canadian's with Disabilities - Ontario
http://www.cwdo.org

Citizens With Disabilities - Ontario (CWDO) actively promotes the rights, freedoms and responsibilities of persons with disabilities through community development, social action, and member support and referral.  Our primary activity is public education and awareness about the social and physical barriers that prevent the full inclusion of persons with disabilities in Ontario.

 

 

 

Kids using computers in school.Portable Assistive Technology (AT) Software SmartDrive® Project
http://www.at4us.org/

Mission of this project: To get assistive technology software into the hands everyone who wants or needs it.

 How we are meeting our mission: We are meeting our mission by reconfiguring and enhancing high-quality, open source assistive technology (AT) applications, and repackaging otherwise free AT applications, so that they can execute and run directly from high-speed flash drives.  This enables its users to run AT software on practically any PC they wish or need to use.

 

 

The Canadian Foundation for Animal-Assisted Support Services Customized Service Animal News Feed:
 http://www.ideal-group.org/aass/

These news feeds are updated, automatically, every hour.

 

 

 

 

Lead the Way 614-351-9730Lead the Way II
 http://lead-the-way.org/  Project partner: Central Ohio Workforce Investment Corporation

Lead The Way provides curriculum instruction and hands-on experience that increases students’ access and participation in education and the local workforce. Students are prepared to meet the needs of the local labor market. We incorporate design features that are based upon research into what youth with disabilities can do to prepare for themselves for a successful future. All of the activities and events fit into the following four design features:

 

 

PowerPoint and Jaws Logos side-by-side.Unique PowerPoint Course for Jaws Users

Conducting the first of its kind PowerPoint Course focused on teaching PowerPoint to Jaws users (blind).  The uniqueness of this course is not the topic of or the students... its that the teachers are located in Thunder Bay Ontario, Canada and the students are spread throughout Ohio. A fully accessible, online conferencing and distance learning infrastructure is being use to conduct the course live, via the Internet.

 

 

 

AndroidApps4Android
http://apps4android.org/products.htm

The members of IDEAL Group’s “Apps 4 Android” development team are dedicated to developing and providing mobile device users with disabilities, free/low-cost, high-quality, applications that enhance their quality-of-life, independence, educatability and employability. Our mission is to "Break the notion that high-quality, portable/mobile, assistive technology software has to be expensive." Since January 4, 2009... we have released four applications.  111,000 people, from six countries have, thus far, downloaded our applications. The applications we have developed thus far are:

  1. Speaking Pad V1.2.0: http://apps4android.org/speaking_pad.htm

  2. iAugComm V1.0.0: http://apps4android.org/iaugcomm.htm

  3. SMSpeaker V1.0: http://apps4android.org/smspeaker.htm

  4. Talking Caller ID V1.0.0: http://apps4android.org/Talking_Caller_ID.htm

There are many more cell phone based assistive technology apps to come!  We've only just begun!

 

 

Sue Center
http://www.suecenter.org

Partnering to enhance the functionality of an incredibly advanced, free, communication environment designed specifically for people who cannot use a keyboard or mouse. Sue Center enables its users to do things such as control consumer electronic devices, televisions, surf the web, control their environment, send e-mail and text messages, play games (even Sudoku!), play CDs and much, much more.

 

 

Mobility International USAMobility International USA
 http://www.miusa.org/exchange/WILD2008/index_html?searchterm=wild+2008

Provided participants in MIUSA's 4th International Women's Institute on Leadership and Disability (WILD) with portable, open source, assistive technology flash drives.

 

 

 

Educational Futures - Powered by TechnologyThe 2009 NCTI Technology Innovators Conference

http://tinyurl.com/ncti-2009

Supported the development of a showcase of innovative learning and assistive technology products. The event was free and open to the public. Visitors to the Tech Expo to networked with other professionals and learned more about emerging and exciting technologies and research designed to improve learning outcomes for students with special needs. Tour recorded web presentations of the exhibits by clicking on the “recorded presentation” links below. Note that presentations are best viewed using IE. This project is similar to last year's project. See: http://tinyurl.com/ncti-2008

 

 

LinkedinLinkedin
http://linked-in.us/

Created and manage assistive technology-focused LinkedIn Groups in support of bringing assistive technology professional together in support of enhance the the quality-of-life, education, independence and employability of people with disabilities through the use of technology.

K12 Assistive Technology Professionals Rehabilitation Technology Professionals Assistive Technology Professionals Disability Student Services Professionals Section 508 Accessibility Professionals Speech, Language, Hearing Professionals AT SmartDrive Alliance

Assistive Technology Professionals - Current Members: 500+
This Linkedin group was created for the purpose of enabling Assistive Technology Professionals from around the world to network with each other, share experiences and support each other's efforts to enhance the quality-of-life, independence, educatability and employability of people with disabilities. Join this Linkedin Group: http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/97729

Section 508 Accessibility Professionals - Current Members: 500+
This Linkedin group was created for the purpose of enabling Section 508 Accessibility Professionals to network with each other, share experiences and support each other's efforts to enhance the the quality-of-life and independence of people with disabilities accessing government resources. Join this Linkedin Group: http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/761737

K12 Assistive Technology Professionals - Current Members: 250+
This Linkedin group was created for the purpose of enabling K-12 Assistive Technology Professionals from around the world to network with each other, share experiences and support each other's efforts to enhance the quality-of-life, educatability and independence of K-12 students with disabilities. Join this Linkedin Group: http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/678837

Disability Student Services Professionals - Current Members: 200+
This Linkedin group was created for the purpose of enabling University/College-based Disability Student Services Professionals from around the world to network with each other, share experiences and support each other's efforts to enhance the the quality-of-life, educatability, independence and employability of university/college students with disabilities. Join this Linkedin Group: http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/98469

Rehabilitation Technology Professionals - Current Members: 100+
This Linkedin group was created for the purpose of enabling Rehabilitation Technology Professionals from around the world to network with each other, share experiences and support each other's efforts to enhance the quality-of-life, independence, educatability and employability of people with disabilities involved in rehabilitation programs. Join this Linkedin Group: http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/678847

Speech, Language and Hearing Professionals - Current Members: 50+
This Linkedin group was created for the purpose of enabling audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists to network with each other, share experiences and support each other's efforts to enhance the the quality-of-life of people with speech, language and hearing-related disabilities. Join this Linkedin Group: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1775611

Math Accessibility Professionals - Current Members: 50+
This Linkedin group was created for the purpose of enabling professionals, responsible for making mathematics accessible to individuals with disabilities, to network with each other, share experiences and support each other's efforts. Join this Linkedin Group: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2122947

 

 

Camstreams: Easy StreamingAccess for All
 http://sj131264.camstreams.com/

IDEAL Group Video Camstream Webcasts: Our free video webcasts focus on reviewing technologies designed to enhance the quality-of-life, independence and employability of students with disabilities.

 

 

One Laptop per ChildIDEAL Group, Inc. One Accessible Laptop Per Child Project
http://1ltpc.org/

One billion $100 laptops for students in developing countries: $100 billion. Not providing students with disabilities $100 laptops because they are not accessible: $0. Free assistive technology on flash drives that provide students with disabilities access to $100 laptops: Priceless!

 

 

Groveport Madison School District Portable Assistive Technology Project
 http://accessibilityportal.org/gms/

Provide students attending Groveport Madison School District Schools with a unique suite of Assistive Technology Software integrated into SmartDrives

 

 

 

 

 

International Telecommunications UnionImplemented a Fully-Accessible Online Conferencing and Collaboration Infrastructure in support of ITU's Joint Coordination Activity on Accessibility and Human Factors (JCA-AHF)
http://www.onlineconferencingsystems.com/itu/

The purpose of the JCA-AHF may be summarized as awareness, advice, assistance, collaboration, coordination and networking. It is about grasping opportunities to improve access to the information society by people with varied capability of handling information and the controls for its presentation. Furthermore the JCA-AHF is about improving usability for all people, in the broadest sense.

 

 

Assistive Technology News
http://www.ideal-group.org/autism/

We are significantly expanding the live content hosted by Assistive Technology News.  Here is an example of their new Autism information resource. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Starting Wright
 http://www.onlineconferencingsystems.com/wsu/

An Interactive Web Broadcast Program to Provide Family-based Early Preparation for College Transition and Career Success
 

 

 

CCClose Caption Generation Systems Beta
 http://www.accessibilityportal.org/close_caption_generation_systems.htm

Speech and keyboard-based caption generation system Beta.

 

 

 

 

Disabled Veterans (DVET) Program
 http://www.ideal-group.org/dvet/

We are providing the online conferencing infrastructure supporting the TecAccess LLC DVET program.  The program is designed to ensure that veterans receive the support, job training, and recognition they have earned through service and sacrifice. 

 

 

 

 

 

accessibilityportal.orgAn IDEAL Group, Inc. Experimental Website
http://www.accessibilityportal.org/

Advanced, client-to-client end-user captioning systems and other advanced technology (being experiments with!)

 

 

 

AT4Schools.org
 http://www.at4schools.org/

This project focuses on developing and providing Low Cost, High-Quality, Portable Assistive Technology Software Solutions to students wishing to use them in Schools, Universities and Libraries

 

 

 

Columbus Public SchoolsColumbus Public Schools MP3 Player-Based Portable Assistive Technology Project

Provide students attending Columbus City Schools with a unique suite of Assistive Technology Software integrated into an MP3 players!

 

 

InftyReaderInftyReader Project
 http://inftyreader.org/

We are pleased to announce that our subsidiary company, InftyReader Group, Inc., has become the US added-value reseller of what we consider to be the best suite of math accessibility tools available anywhere in the world! 

 

 

Online courses: IDEAL Group develops and delivers online courses focused on the global business benefits of accessible E&IT design and enhancing the core-competencies of industry professionals  

 

 

 

 

The Ohio State University Nisonger Center.OSU Nisonger E-Mentoring
http://ideal-group.org/e-mentoring/

The E-Mentoring Program is a contemporary and innovative program that matches students with disabilities with mentors who have college and/or career experience. 

 

 

 

 

Photo of Alexamder Graham Bell.Alexander Graham Bell School
 http://ideal-group.org/ag_bell/infrastructure.htm

Implementing an advanced telecommunication infrastructure for students who participate in the Columbus City School's Hearing Impaired Program (CHIP).

 

 

 

GoogleAdvanced Google Accessibility
http://ideal-group.org/google/

This is a project that showcases Web-2.0 applications that have been access/speech-enabled using AxsJAX!

 

 

 

ATAccess Tomorrow
 http://ideal-group.org/initiatives/access-tomorrow/ Project partner: Ohio State University Nisonger Center

Access Tomorrow is a project that employs an innovative model in which open source assistive technologies (AT) are being modified to execute and run off of portable SmartDrives. The portable SmartDrives are integrated into a fully-accessible online learning environment which provides students with disabilities access to a self-directed on-line transition preparation course.  This course uses the personally relevant context of transitioning from high school to college/employment, with emphasis on online exploration of student’s strengths, needs, skills, and career interests.  In addition the course offers opportunities for students to learn basic Information Technology (IT) skills that are integrated into Language Arts academic standards. The above process is being used to improve the academic and transition outcomes of high school students with disabilities.

 

 

Junior AchievementJunior Achievement Program for High School Students with Disabilities
 http://www.ja.org/programs/programs_high_coprgrm.shtml Project partner: Lead-the-Way, Columbus, Ohio

The Lead-the-Way/IDEAL Group JA Company Program provides basic economic education for high school students. By organizing and operating an actual business enterprise, students not only learn how businesses function, they also learn about the structure of the U.S. free enterprise system and the benefits it provides. JA Company Program helps young people appreciate and better understand the role of business in our society.

 

 

CWD-OCWDO Online Conference Center
http://ideal-group.org/cwdo/  Project partner: Citizens with Disabilities Ontario, Ontario, Canada

A fully accessible online conference center with advanced features.

 

 

 

 

Advanced math formulaeAdvanced Math Accessibility Project (A-MAP)
http://ideal-group.org/math/ Project partner: Ohio State University Department of Mathematics

The Advanced Transcoding and Reading Project (ATRP) is pioneering advanced and easy ways to render mathematics and physics books and printed documents into fully accessible formats through advanced transcoding processes.  Imagine scanning the image to the left and automatically having it read to you by a text-to-speech synthesizer in correct math syntax.  This functionality does not exist in our schools and colleges today... and we are doing it!

 

 

Ohio State School for the BlindOhio State School for the Blind (OSSB)
 http://ideal-group.org/ossb/

Working in partnership with OSSB staff to accommodate the portable technology needs of students attending participating in an eight-week program designed to foster independent living and employment.  This program provided paid internship opportunities for each student.  This project was funded by The Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission's Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI).

 

 

Ohio High School High TechOhio High School High Tech
 http://ohsht.org Project partner: Ohio Governor's Council on People with Disabilities

Ohio High School/High Tech is an enrichment program for high school students with disabilities. It is designed to develop career opportunities and provide activities that will spark an interest in high technology fields, and to encourage students to pursue higher education. High School/High Tech programs have been established in numerous sites across the state and country.

The Ohio High School/High Tech Program, as an intervention, represents a response to a number of factors occurring simultaneously in the U.S.:

  • The booming global and technology-driven economy

  • Employer skill expectations for the 21st Century

  • The changing demographics of the workforce

  • Employment statistics for people with disabilities—an overlooked talent pool

  • National Standards movement in education and other school reform efforts

  • School-to-Careers initiatives

 

 

Lead the Way 614-351-9730Lead the Way I
 http://lead-the-way.org/  Project partner: Central Ohio Workforce Investment Corporation

Lead The Way provides curriculum instruction and hands-on experience that increases students’ access and participation in education and the local workforce. Students are prepared to meet the needs of the local labor market. We incorporate design features that are based upon research into what youth with disabilities can do to prepare for themselves for a successful future. All of the activities and events fit into the following four design features:

  • Basic Literacy/Information & Computer Technology: The focus is on services and activities requiring support such as tutoring to improve basic skills, homework help to increase academic performance, assistive technology to address accommodation needs, career assessments, and computer skills training & certification. 

  • Transition Activities: This feature examines the connecting activities necessary to assist participants' transition to their next phase in life - one that will hopefully provide for economic self-sufficiency. Activities will include information on Social Security Benefits, transportation, accessing medical care/services, banking services, and housing.

  • Work Readiness Skills: Work-based experiences include a range of activities that build up to on-the-job experiences. These include training opportunities, site visits, job shadowing, internships, entrepreneurial ventures, and paid employment. Such experiences are an essential component to promoting informed choice in post-secondary options and careers.

    Leadership & Self-advocacy: These youth development and leadership activities will help young people become self-sufficient and productive members of society. This design feature includes providing supportive adults, opportunities for developing independent decision-making skills, encouraging service learning, and promoting the development of self-determination and self-advocacy skills.

 

 

The EnvisionIT ProgramEnvisionIT
 http://nisonger.osu.edu/Transition/EnvisionIT.htm

Project partner: Ohio State University
 EnvisionIT is a curriculum for high school students that teaches information technology (IT) skills while helping students apply these skills to their own career research and development of their own Transition Plan.  Every week, students complete structured activities that help them identify their learning styles, skills, and the occupations best matching their individual strengths. By the end of the course, each student will:  

  • Develop solid information technology skills

  • Complete activities relevant to their career choice

  • Create a Transition Plan outlining their move from high school into college or employment.

 

 

Accessibility Assistant
 http://accessibility.gtri.gatech.edu/assistant/assistant_home.php

Project partner: Georgia Institute of Technology

The Accessibility Assistant is an information resource that supports the design and procurement of accessible products and services. Information content is organized into three categories: Accessibility Information, Products, and Roles. Users may visit the Accessibility Information portion of the site to obtain information about accessibility legislation and information about the functional capabilities of people with disabilities, and to access a library of technical reports and other documents pertaining to accessible design. Users visiting the Products portion of the site can obtain detailed information about specific categories of products and services. By visiting the Roles section, users can gain a better understanding of the knowledge needed to successfully perform a particular role or job function related to accessible design or procurement.

 

 

STAT-USA

STAT-USA Companion to International Marketing: Highlighting Accessibly-Designed Information and Communications Technology

http://home.stat-usa.gov/pub.nsf/vwNoteIDLookup/NT00008B06/$File/Companion_Final_TL.pdf

Project partners: IDEAL Group, Inc. and The McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University

The STAT-USA Companion to International Business: Highlighting Accessibly-Designed Information and Communications Technology is the second publication released by STAT-USA providing instruction on how to use federal information resources in market research and analysis. Using an effective combination of theory and practical applications, this publication presents the basic principles of international marketing and walks readers through how to use the available data to make informed business decisions. In keeping with the principal objective of the inaugural 2001 publication, the purpose of this publication is to better support international marketing, and thereby our Nation’s economic competitiveness, through training and education.

This edition improves upon the first in two important ways. First, it encourages companies involved in the burgeoning assistive technology arena. U.S. companies have provided a leading role in developing assistive technologies; yet, additional support is needed to ensure successful international business transactions in this important and rapidly growing niche market. Secondly, this publication includes expanded instructional materials for the academic community. The experiential exercises in the original Companion proved especially popular among educators for use in undergraduate international marketing curriculum. Responding to their feedback, this edition includes updated exercises and instructions, as well as guidance for those not already familiar with the information and databases maintained on STAT-USA/Internet and USA Trade Online.

 

 

disability symbolsOne Stop for Free Assistive Technology
 http://onlineconferencingsystems.com/at.htm

Commercial Assistive Technology contributes, significantly, to enhancing the quality-of-life, independence and employability of millions of people with disabilities. Unfortunately, many individuals, social organizations, schools and government agencies can not afford to purchase it. Further more, there are many additional situations that preclude people with disabilities from accessing, using... or continuing to use commercial AT. For example, when K-12 schools purchase AT for use by their students... the schools own the AT.  Often this situation precludes students with disabilities from being able to take the school's AT home with them to complete homework assignments... or to their local libraries to help them study and surf the web with their friends.

When students graduate from high school they no longer have access to the AT that contributed to their success and independence as part of their K-12 education. The ability for high school students with disabilities to transition from high school to college, or into work environments, can also be negatively impacted.

Free Assistive Technologies can help to mitigate these problems. It is this end that we dedicate and maintain this website.

 

 

Online Conferencing Systems . Developing accessible infrsatructures... bit by bit.Accessible Online Conferencing Systems

This project provides accessible, 508 compliant, online conferencing solutions to many organizations on an international basis.  Here is a copy of our Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT):
http://onlineconferencingsystems.com/vpat/

 

 

Historical Projects:

World Bank
http://www.ideal-group.org/World_Bank/

The objective was to "encourage, promote and support the development and implementation of accessibly designed information and communications technology (ICT), from within in developing countries, that meet the needs of as many people as reasonable, technically possible and economically feasible."

 

Disability and Information Technologies Research Alliance
http://www.dis-it.ca/retpubserv/partners.php

Partner in the Canadian DisIT Alliance Retail and Public Services Project;
 http://www.dis-it.ca/orgdescriptions.php

 

Information Technology Technical Assistance and Training Center (ITTATC)
 http://www.ittatc.org/

Managed the industry outreach program for the Federally funded Information Technology Technical Assistance and Training Center (ITTATC)

 

National Council on Disability: Industry Whitepaper
 http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2004/inclusion_whitepaper.htm

Authored "Design for Inclusion: Industry White Paper;"

 

Task Force on Technology and Disability
 http://www.ntftd.org/report/tableofcontents.htm

Co-authored National Task Force on Technology and Disability report entitled, "Within Our Reach;"

 

National Council on Disability: Creating a New Marketplace
 http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2004/online_newmarketplace.htm

Co-authored National Council on Disability report entitled, "Design for Inclusion: Creating a New Marketplace;"

 

Bush Inauguration Publications

Integrated technology into Bush's Inauguration Program and Guidebook. We took technology, then being used by the Israeli military, modified it, and came up with a method that enables a person who is blind to scan 77 pages of text... with only one pass of a scanner, with 100% accuracy. It was unbelievable!

 

Bush-Cheney eNaugural.com Ball Webcast:
http://www.ideal-group.org/initiatives/eNaugural_Ball_Broadcast.htm

 

Accessible webcast of President Bush's New Freedom Initiative press conference:

 

Project Freedom

Pioneered the use of interactive video technology for sign-language communications over the Internet.

What follows are links to a video of their first pilot test. They engaged a group of students from Horace Mann Montesory School for the Deaf to use ASL to communicate with each other at a distance! Note: The video contains historical footage of Alexander Graham Bell.

Although a competitor, Sprint used our system for their pilot test in Texas: 

GA-SK Newsletter article about the Texas pilot:

Reid Huntt (Chairman of the FCC at the time) and Steve Jacobs demonstrating our video system to FCC Commissioners. 

 

Smithsonian Institution:

Designed, developing and installing accessible prototype kiosks for the Smithsonian Institution's American History Museum

 

Clinton's Digital Divide Tour

Contracted to help organize and participate in this event

 

Digital Talking Book: Vice President Gore

 

Internet Resource Center: 53rd Presidential Inauguration

 

Clinton's 53rd Presidential Inauguration

 

International Leadership Forum for Women with Disabilities conference
 http://www.ideal-group.org/initiatives/ilf_photos.htm

 

Department of Labor's One-Stop Office of the Future Technology Project
http://workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/dmstree/tein/tein97/tein_10-97a2.pdf

 

U.S. Access Board's Electronic and Information Technology Access Advisory Committee Report that was used to develop the Access Board’s Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards (co-authored)
http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/commrept/eitaacrpt.htm

 

Accessible Documentation Reference Tool
 http://www.onlineconferencingsystems.com/accessible_documentation_ocusource_20050528/index.htm

 

"Accessible IT Design" business case resource center for states within the U.S.
 http://ideal-group.org/state_data/

 

Market Forces Driving Accessibly-Designed E&IT
 http://www.onlineconferencingsystems.com/market_forces_preview_ocusource_20050528/index.htm

 

Webcast discussing alternative approaches to accessibility assessments

Telecommunications Access Advisory Committee Final Report that was used, by the Access Board, to develop their Telecommunications Act Accessibility Guidelines (co-authored)
http://www.access-board.gov/telecomm/commrept/taacrpt.htm

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