Communication Tools For People With Disabilities

BROOKFIELD — The Danbury Area Computer Society, together with Datahr Rehabilitation Institute, will hold a special meeting focusing on new communication tools for people with disabilities. Open to the public, the meeting will be held at Datahr, 135 Old State Road in Brookfield, on Wednesday, May 9, at 7:30 pm.

David Goldberg, president of Health Sciences, a New Jersey-based provider of augmentative and alternative communication for the speech-impaired, will discuss the growing field of assistive technology for people with disabilities. His presentation will focus on public and private funding sources, application to specific types of disabilities, and a hands-on demonstration of applicable products including switches that allow users to input data by finger, toe, head, or eye movement; and keypads that differentiate between varying degrees, proximity, or duration of touch.

Shirley Fredlund, executive director of Voice for Joanie, will be a special guest. The New Milford non-profit foundation Voice for Joanie provides communication technology at no cost for victims of Lou Gerhig’s disease.

Datahr, based in Mt Kisco, N.Y., and Brookfield, has been providing rehabilitation services for individuals with neurological and developmental disabilities since 1953. Datahr is focused on integrating people with disabilities into the communities where they live, work, and recreate. Its programs and services are located throughout Westchester and Putnam counties in New York, and Fairfield and Litchfield counties in Connecticut.

The Danbury Area Computer Society is a 550-member user group representing Western Connecticut and the New York metropolitan area. DACS has received numerous national awards for its community services in providing free computers and for its support of Voice for Joanie.