FEATURE:

Tools for Life

Seventy-three-year-old Heinz-Guenther Pink searched since youth for his parents, who hid him after he was born in Pomerania because of his Asian looks (now mostly in Poland, the region was at the time in Germany under Hitler’s dictatorship). They fled to another country when Pink was just a week old, leaving him in the care of a stranger without a note or a name.

Clarity Amplified Telephones, $30-$100 Clarity amplified telephones are at least four times louder than standard telephones and provide additional features such as extra loud ringers, bright visual ring indicators and large backlit dial pad buttons. Clarity, (800) 426-3738, www.clarityproducts.com.

Raised in a foster family, Pink went on to enjoy a successful career as a math and computer professor, song composer and published author, and eventually settled in Hawaii. For years, however, he made frequent trips to his hometown of Gdansk and hired detectives, hoping to learn something about his parents. Even when he lost most of his vision and hearing five years ago, the Punchbowl resident continued his quest, which was made possible with the kokua of Assistive Technology Resource Centers of Hawaii (ATRC), a nonprofit organization that provides free programs and services to educate and empower people with disabilities through the use of state-of-the-art technology.

Amigo Portable Magnifier, $1,695 This slim, light video magnifier operates with a replaceable, rechargeable battery and allows you to magnify images anywhere. Optimal viewing is achieved with a 6.5-inch tilting screen. Enhanced Vision, (888) 811-3161, www.enhancedvision.com.

For example, through the AT Depot, individuals statewide can try out the latest assistive equipment for up to six weeks to help them decide whether or not they should purchase it. Devices available through this popular loan program run the gamut, including aids for reading, hearing, transportation and communication.

Pink used the AT Depot to get acquainted with ZoomText, a software program that reads words aloud through voice synthesizers and enlarges computer text, pictures and graphics. Thanks to ZoomText, he’s able to look for clues about his parents on the Internet. “I learned how to use the program before going home and doing it on my own,” Pink says. “I can correspond with people from all over the world via e-mail and ZoomText.”

How ATRC Can Help You…How You Can Help ATRC Founded 14 years ago, Assistive Technology Resource Centers of Hawaii is funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration. Contact the organization for more information about how it can help you or someone you know. Address: 414 Kuwili Street, Suite 104, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817. Phone: 532-7110 on Oahu or toll free (800) 645-3007 on the neighbor islands. E-mail: atrc-info@atrc.org. Web site: www.atrc.org. In turn, you can help ATRC continue its work by making a tax-deductible donation via personal check, money order, cash or credit card; providing office supplies, printing, postage, newspaper subscriptions, equipment repairs and special event prizes; or donating computers, printers and scanners that can be redistributed to people who need them. You also can help by volunteering at ATRC’s special events, demonstrations and outreach activities.

According to Barbara Fischlowitz-Leong, executive director of ATRC, technology plays a vital role in everyone’s life. “Without technology, people become dependent on others and cannot experience life for themselves,” she says. “Through the AT Depot, people with disabilities can test a product, learn more about it from knowledgeable vendors and determine if it meets their needs before purchasing it.”

Upon completion of the trial period, ATRC’s staff recommends various vendors to the clients since they do not endorse any one product or company. These vendors vary, depending on the product. Although the majority of the equipment comes from Mainland distributors, ATRC also works with local companies. Island Skill Gathering (ISG) in Kapahulu is one of them; its president, Wally Soares, is grateful for the partnership he has with ATRC.

Captioned Telephone (CapTel), $495-$590 Ideal for people with hearing loss, this works like any other telephone with one important addition: It displays every word the caller says throughout the conversation. You can listen to the caller and read what’s being said in a bright display window. Ultratec, (800) 233-9130, www.ultratec.com/captel.

“It’s definitely a good thing that we are working together because we are both able to provide better services to people with disabilities,” Soares says. “I’m happy that ISG is on ATRC’s list of referrals.”
Customers also learn about products, services and vendors through the Kupuna Guide and Tools to Use, free publications that are available by calling ATRC’s office (see sidebar on page 21).

“Our main goal is to teach clients about their options and worry about funding afterward,” says ATRC’s training director, Kevin Forde-Nihipali. “We will find a way for them to get the devices they need.”

PockeTalker, $165-$209 PockeTalker amplifies sounds closest to the listener while reducing background noise. It features a lightweight, ergonomic design (including fingertip adjustable volume control) for portability and ease of use. Williams Sound, (800) 843-3544, www.williamssound.com.

Offering interest rates that are 1.5% below the current rate, ATRC’s Hawaii Assistive Technology (HAT) Loan Program assists clients who would not otherwise be able to pay for equipment that may cost up to several thousand dollars. Since it was launched in 1994, over 100 people have obtained HAT loans.

ATRC’s J-Track program helps people with disabilities receive employment-based training in areas such as word processing and e-mail management to enhance their career skills. Kaimuki resident Maureen Sheedy, who has been blind since birth, acquired the necessary skills to become a receptionist through this program. “I didn’t know anything about computers before, but now I can’t live without them,” says the 57-year-old Sheedy.

SARA™ scanning and reading appliance, $2,795 Perfect for those who are blind or have low vision, SARA scans text in books, mail, newspapers, magazines and more, then reads it aloud in a variety of voices and languages. Freedom Scientific, (800) 444-4443, www.LowVisionSolutions.com.

How can an individual who is blind work on a computer? JAWS (Job Access With Speech), a software program, uses a voice simulator to read text that appears on the monitor. It also enlarges small text for people who have difficulty seeing it on the screen.

Environmental Control Unit, $250-$5,000 ECUs enable you to operate your TV, VCR, DVD player, telephone, lights, bed controls and more using a simple switch- or voice-activated device. Tash, (800) 463-5685, www.tashinc.com.

JAWS enabled Sheedy to complete various tasks while volunteering for ATRC, including checking for new assistive technology products on the Internet. She continues to hone her computer skills during ATRC’s open laboratory, which is accessible to the public from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Go-Go Elite Traveller Three-Wheel Scooter, $1,535 The Go-Go Elite Traveller’s compact size allows it to negotiate narrow hallways and tight spaces while also providing stable outdoor performance. Its auto-latching lock-up mechanism permits simple frame separation with one hand, and it disassembles into five lightweight pieces for convenient transport. Pride Mobility Products Corporation, (800) 800-8586, www.pridemobility.com.

After Sheedy completed office administration classes at Honolulu Community College in the summer of 2005, she started volunteering at Hawaii Services on Deafness. She also volunteers as a secretary for the Hawaii Association of the Blind and the Hawaii Blind Vendors Association, both of which offer programs serving people who are blind.

BigKeys LX, $159-$167 One-inch-square keys on a standard-sized computer keyboard enable those with impaired vision to do word processing, spreadsheets and Internet searches. Greystone Digital, (800) 249-5397, www.bigkeys.com.

At the Tools for Life Hawaii Expo held at the Hawaii Convention Center last June, Sheedy led demonstrations of JAWS for people interested in using it. ATRC sponsors the two-day Expo (which focuses on assistive technology, products and services for those with disabilities) every other year; the next one is set for June 2008. It draws over 3,000 attendees who mingle with people from all across the country who specialize in meeting their needs through technology.

Personal Emergency Response System, monthly fees vary, depending on the model selected Personal emergency response systems are designed to alert caretakers and loved ones in case the wearer falls, is injured or is experiencing another emergency. A one-time installation and enrollment fee also may apply. Health Watch, (800) 226-8100, www.health-watch.com.

“She is a continuing inspiring story,” says Forde-Nihipali, referring to Sheedy’s accomplishments. “I tell people about her all the time, which is what drives others to set their own goals and work hard to achieve them.”

Toyota Sienna Accessible Van, $56,000-$66,000 To accommodate up to two wheelchairs, the second row of seats in the Toyota Sienna accessible van is removed, offering increased standing room of either 58¼ or 59¼ inches depending on the ramp selected. Both the driver’s and passenger’s seats in the front can be removed, allowing a person in a wheelchair to sit in either of those positions. Optional hand controls for braking and acceleration can be installed. Servco, 564-1100, www.servco.com.

Indeed, ATRC’s efforts, including Tools for Life, are proving how miracles can happen with the help of technology. “Tools for Life spotlights the strides being made in assistive technology,” says Fischlowitz-Leong. “It demonstrates how AT can enhance every aspect of life for people with disabilities. In the work environment, it levels the playing field. At home, it turns what once was the drudgery of daily living into joy.”

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