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October 13
All right, everyone under the age of 40, go run around the block or something. This column is not for you.
It is for people like me, inching toward 50, who are, let us say, not technology-averse, but do not embrace it with the unquestioning love that our children do.
For them, no gadget is unnecessary, no add-on excessive, no upgrade superfluous. Now, I know this is not just a generational divide. Some people of any age — we all know a few — buy every new gizmo, the more bells and whistles and buttons, the better.
And some people in their 20s and 30s are not enamored with the high-tech side of life.
But for those of us who remember getting off the couch to change the channel, technology is not necessarily as innate a part of our lives as it is for those chronologically behind us.
I’m sure many of you have played the game with your children, seeing what most shocks them: “We had to watch movies in theaters!” “Phones were attached to the wall!” “We only had an AM-FM radio in the car!” And my personal favorite, “I typed my college senior thesis on an electric typewriter, and used Wite-Out for mistakes!”
O.K., enough dawdling on memory lane. The point is that technology does not always come naturally. And everything seems to be getting more diminutive and more complex just as I am getting older and slower.
“There are folks who are feeling that things are getting too complicated,” said Jim Barry, a spokesman for the Consumer Electronics Association. “The good news is that you have a lot of choices. The bad news is that you have a lot of choices.”
This, of course, is not only true with electronics. Go to any supermarket and try to sift through the different cereals or juices or teas, and choice often seems more like a burden than an opportunity. It is in technology, however, where the biggest advances are being made and where it is easiest to feel as if I am slipping further and further behind.
But, on the brighter side, I am trailing the baby boom bubble. And as their (and my) eyesight falters, their fingers become less dexterous and their minds less adaptable, the trend toward ever smaller gadgets with ever more features suddenly does not seem so appealing.
Consider the ubiquitous cellphone. Two models of phones, Jitterbug by GreatCall Inc. and Coupe by Verizon, offer the most basic services available. One version of the Samsung Jitterbug, for example, has only three buttons: one you can program to call one number, say a friend, work or home; another to call a live operator; and a third to call 911. The other Jitterbug is more like a regular phone, but both have dial tones and larger keypads.
Each Jitterbug costs $147, with minutes extra. There is no contract required.
Although the Jitterbug is being marketed primarily to older people (hearing aid compatible), with no cameras, games or confusing icons, I can certainly see the appeal. My children, however, laughed when they heard about the phone.
“What’s the point with no games?” my older son asked.
Consumer Reports, in fact, called the Jitterbug a cellphone “for the technology weary.”
The Coupe ($40 with a two-year calling plan) is aimed at a similar market. It has a few more features than the Jitterbug. Both phones have received mixed reviews from users.
Microsoft and Apple have certainly noticed this growing market. Last year, Microsoft began selling the SeniorPC (Memo: may want to think about a name change). Hewlett-Packard’s computers, available as desktops or laptops, come with mental acuity games, prescription software (that provides reminders when to take medication at the correct dosage and when to reorder, as well as medical history), financial software and the option of a keyboard with larger buttons.
They can also be used with a simplified desktop screen that hides options, for those who need just a few functions, said Rob Sinclair, director for accessibility at Microsoft.
“A lot of technology was originally developed for people with severe disabilities,” Mr. Sinclair said. “But these solutions are proving valuable to a much broader range of people.”
Many of these features, known as “ease of access settings,” are automatically available with Windows Vista, like screen readers that audibly describe what is on the screen, screen magnifiers, colors and fonts for easy reading and speech recognition, which allows you to direct the computer with your voice.
We have Windows XP, the earlier version of the operating system, and it is easy to click into the accessibility options, which do not include speech recognition, through the control panel. But it has a wheelchair icon, which has been eliminated in the later version.
“We now talk about ‘ease of access’ to a computer rather than ‘accessibility,’ ” Mr. Sinclair said. “The subtle change in language reflects a significant change in our approach.”
For all the Mac users out there, I would like to tell you about similar options, but unfortunately an Apple spokesman said no one was available at his company to talk about them. He did direct me to JupiterResearch, though. Michael Gartenberg, vice president and research director of JupiterResearch, said a hallmark of Apple design was its accessibility.
Although as the years march on, I may get more and more chained to my computer, I assume I will still leave the house once in a while. Right now, we don’t have a Global Positioning System device, but I know that there are plenty of people who swear by them. And companies have also realized the advantage of simplifying them — offering “glance-ability,” as Elizabeth Sherman, a spokeswoman for Cobra, put it.
Cobra’s NAV One 5000, introduced in January, comes with a five-inch screen — about an inch larger than a regular portable G.P.S. device — and larger text.
Basic gets you from Point A to Point B, and allows you to look up points of interest in the area, while advanced gives more options.
The TomTom One XL G.P.S. models also offer larger screens, 4.3 inches, along with bigger fonts and fewer buttons to go through screen options.
A special adapter offers weather and traffic updates. The more advanced XLS offers text to speech, meaning anything appearing on the screen will be spoken as well.
But if you want to attach your iPod or Bluetooth device or find all the gas stations in a 30-mile radius, and the ones with the cheapest fuel prices, you’ll have to buy their higher-end systems.
My father, who at 83 is no technophobe and has a better computer system than we do, says it is not age that makes him reluctant to try new or improved gadgets, but the inability to get fast, efficient responses to queries.
A recent e-mail problem, he told me, took about four hours to clear up — the first two hours on the phone to someone who fouled things up even more, and the next two hours with another “technician” to straighten it out.
“And that’s not the exception,” he said. “I’ve spent as much as 10 continuous hours, including holds, to work out a problem.”
Maybe, as we all get older, more cranky and even less willing to spend precious hours with unsupportive “support,” companies will realize that we do not need yet another feature on our cellphone or high-definition television, but rather a helpful and knowledgeable human at the other end of the phone when things inevitably go wrong.
Talk about futuristic.
For more information on the SeniorPC, visit www.EnableMart.com/SeniorPC.
Aricle courtesy of ALINA TUGEND, The New York Times. 
REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp. todaycommitted to contribute its UI Automation specification to theAccessibility Interoperability Alliance (AIA), a new engineering workinggroup dedicated to making it easier for developers to create software,hardware and Web-based products that are accessible to people withdisabilities. The UI Automation specification describes Microsoft's latestaccessibility framework technology, and will help developers includeadvanced accessibility functionality into implementations designed for useon any operating system. To view the full article, click here! January 21 Microsoft is heading a group of technology companies that will collaborate on creating IT products for the disabled.
Microsoft is looking to make it easier for disabled people to use technology. The software vendor is chartering an initiative called the Accessibility Interoperability Alliance. Announced Dec. 10, the AIA is an engineering collaboration between assistive technology vendors, IT companies and key nongovernmental organizations. The group's goal is to enable developers to more easily create accessible software, hardware and Web-based products that will reduce barriers to information and communication technologies for people with disabilities, Microsoft officials said. The AIA members also will collaborate on engineering projects to increase interoperability between existing technologies, deliver new technologies and work to create better developer guidelines, tools and technologies, and lower development costs, Microsoft said. The group initially will focus on four areas: Consistent keyboard access; interoperability of accessibility APIs; user interface automation extensions; and accessible rich Internet application suite mapping through user interface automation, AIA officials said. In addition to Microsoft, founding members of AIA include software and solutions companies such as Adobe, BayFirst Solutions and Novell, hardware companies such as Hewlett-Packard, and assistive technology companies such as Claro Software, Dolphin Computer Access, GW Micro, HiSoftware, Madentec, Texthelp Systems and QualiLife. "Today, developers must work across divergent platforms, application environments and hardware models to create accessible technology for customers with disabilities," Rob Sinclair, director of the Accessibility Business Unit at Microsoft, said in a statement. "The AIA is an opportunity for the entire industry to come together to reduce the cost and complexity of accessibility, increase customer satisfaction, foster inclusive innovation and reinforce a sustainable ecosystem of accessible technology products." This article retrieved from eWeek. For a copy of the full article, click here. January 18
 Christmas came early for an Oahu family struggling to make ends meet and hoping their autistic boy would one day talk. "Leslie," not her real name, wished for an expensive device called a GoTalk that might help her 6-year-old son speak.
EnableMart heard her wish.
To read the entire article on the family and Community Clearinghouse's Adopt-A-Family Program, click here!
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December 13  Easter Seals Crossroads Assistive Technology Center is Indiana’s most well-established and largest provider of AT services. Founded in 1979, this CARF-accredited program provides computer access and job accommodation to approximately 500 individuals each year, with combined AT services reaching over 1,000 people each year.
All professional AT staff members are highly credentialed and certified. Provided services include assessment, recommendation, installation, training, and 24/7 technical support. In addition to its AT equipment loan program housed on-site at Easter Seals Crossroads, the Assistive Technology Center utilizes a mobile classroom to bring hands-on AT services directly to the consumer. Last year the Assistive Technology Center was designated an official Microsoft Accessibility Resource Center (MARC), the first of its kind in Indiana.
One of the hallmark advantages of the Easter Seals Crossroads AT program is its Assistive Tech Team, a group that meets regularly to “brainstorm” best methods for individual consumer’s needs. “Tech Team” members include Rehab Technologists and Trainers, Physical and Occupational Therapists, Speech Pathologists, Physicians, Nurses, case managers and vocational specialists.
Mid-2007 heralded the expansion of the Indianapolis-based Easter Seals Crossroads Assistive Technology Center to eight additional regional offices throughout Indiana: South Bend, Terre Haute, Merrillville, Ft. Wayne, Bloomington, Richmond, Evansville, and New Albany. This program growth allows for far greater computer access and more convenient job accommodation services for the citizens of Indiana.
For more information about Easter Seals Crossroads, visit them online at http://www.eastersealscrossroads.org/.  The EnableMart November E-Newsletter archive is now available. Click here to download the PDF or e-mail Newsletter@EnableMart.com to subscribe.
We look forward to seeing you each month! November 12
 The Redwood Rehabilitation Center works from the mission to guide children and adults with multiple and severe disabilities to achieve independence and reach their highest potential throughout their lives by providing enriching educational, therapeutic, and vocational services. Recently, in further accomplishing this mission, Redwood turned to EnableMart to help them acquire a wide variety of assistive technology products for their clients. From software learning programs such as Read and Write Gold to mobility products like the HeadMouse Extreme, Redwood purchased a broad range of items to accommodate a broad selection of individual client needs.
Redwood has a strong history of providing assistive technology (AT) products and services within their Assistive Technology Resource Center (ATRC) and through the various programs services offered. The Redwood ATRC, founded in 1998, is a member of the Kentucky Assistive Technology Services (KATS) Network and serves as a community resource for the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati area. According to Barbara Howard, Executive Director at Redwood, “there has been an amazing growth in the use of specialized technology to increase independence and promote learning for children and adults with disabilities.”
 Qualified staff members, including Speech Language Pathologists, AT Practitioners, Rehabilitation Engineers, Physical Therapists, and Occupational Therapists, offer a wide range of AT services through Redwood. In addition, staff members endorse demonstration, experimentation, and short-term trial use of the technology. Consumers, family members, professionals, etc. may visit the center, as well as, borrow various technologies at a nominal fee. Evaluations, training, and consultations are offered in the areas of AAC, computer access, adapted play materials, access to learning opportunities, environmental control, ergonomic design, and more.
For additional information on the Redwood Rehabilitation Center, click here. For more information on how EnableMart can provide similar products and services for your organization, please email Becky@EnableMart.com.
The Redwood Assistive Technology Resource Center is an agency partner of the United Way of Greater Cincinnati.
November 05  The EnableMart October E-Newsletter is now archived. CLICK HERE to view the October edition. In conjunction with some great product deals offered to kick off the Fall season, we're spreading the word about October as National Disability Employment Month. If you are not currently signed up to receive the EnableMart E-Newsletter each month, please visit us online here or email Sales@EnableMart.com.
October 02
While the EnableMart team is dedicated to spending time promoting assistive technology and raising awareness about disabilities and disability rights, we also enjoy trying our hand at a few other things that we think can make a difference. Apart from our ever competitive Fall Softball League games, we also like to step into volunteer work to remain actively involved in our community. Next up to bat: Race for the Cure, sponsored by the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
On September 23rd, the EnableMart team will spend our Sunday morning setting-up for The Race, after which, several of us will head off to run in support of the cause. If you're in the Portland area, come find us to cheer us on, or better yet, sign up and run with us! Otherwise, you can join us in the mission to find a cure by visiting Oregon and SW Washington's Race for the Cure homepage to make a monetary donation on behalf of EnableMart or for someone you know who has been through breast cancer. For additional information, feel free to email EnableMart's own Community Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator, Kelsey Wack at Kelsey@EnableMart.com.  The EnableMart September E-Newsletter archive is now available. CLICK HERE to view this month's edition. In conjunction with our featured Product of the Month, we're offering a great back to school special on ClaroRead learning software, information on our new Fall/Winter catalog, as well as noteworthy community news.
If you are not currently signed up to receive the EnableMart E-Newsletter each month, please visit us online here or email Sales@EnableMart.com. September 17 EnableMart Education Sales rep Gabriel Swatzell recently interviewed Dr. Laureen Mayfield, to discuss her thoughts on the Edmark Reading program and its success in schools across the nation.
Why did you choose Edmark?
I chose the Edmark Reading Program as a tool for the classroom and as the subject of my dissertation research because of the fantastic success I had with my students over a 21-year period. I have taught in state institutions for the mentally handicapped in both Mississippi and Louisiana, as well as in public schools in Louisiana, and have seen non-reading students with classifications such as Learning Disabled, Mentally Disabled, Emotionally Disturbed, Other Health Impaired, and Speech Impaired-Language become successful readers using the Edmark program. I have used it with students in kindergarten all the way up to teenagers in institutions who had never been taught to read. I have also used it with non-special education students in private tutoring situations. Wherever I taught, the first thing I requested was a copy of the Edmark Reading Program.
Why do you think that sight word recognition techniques like the ones presented in Edmark is the best way to educate at-risk students?
A sight-word approach is definitely not necessary for all students; the majority of our public school students are successful with a phonics-based and/or whole language approach to reading. When we talk about students who are at-risk for reading failure, however, we are working with students who have not been successful with the traditional approach, whether phonics or whole language. I believe that many of these at-risk students cannot hear the different sounds in a phonetic approach; research has shown that many children cannot differentiate between different musical tones, a fact which supports my theory. Other at-risk students must have instruction broken down into small, discrete steps, making success in a whole-language approach dubious. My experience has been that these groups of students flourish with Edmark’s sight-word approach.
How would you measure your success rate with the Edmark Reading Program?
I can only think of a handful of students in 21 years who were not able to progress to ending 2nd grade or beginning 3rd grade level in reading using this program. The most dramatic success story that comes to mind happened in my last year of teaching special education in a public elementary school. A 5th grade student, classified as Learning Disabled, transferred from an inner-city California school. When I began working with him in October, he could read about 10-15 sight words and was constantly being sent to the principal for fights with other students. I used Edmark with him in a one-on-one situation for 30 minutes a day. Once he completed Levels I and II, I used a sight-word strategy I have developed, which is a natural extension of Edmark’s approach, to instruct him in the 5th grade basal reader. By March of that year, the child was passing 5th grade reading tests in the regular classroom setting given only the accommodation of extended time—and he was seldom in the principal’s office.
What do you think the most effective part of the program is?
I believe the program is effective because of its sound theoretical roots - the concepts of Direct Instruction and Mastery Learning. Students are taught one word at a time, and once taught, that word is immediately put into context in sentences and stories, and is then reviewed constantly throughout the program. While critics may think that a child will never learn to read learning just one word at a time, the opposite is true. Most at-risk and learning disabled students can complete both levels of Edmark, thus mastering 350 words, given 15-20 minutes of daily instruction, in one school year.
The program uses an “errorless discrimination” method that allows the student to learn without making errors; students are first asked to find a word where the other possible choices are non-words (lines, letters). The program enables the at-risk student to experience success every step of the way. This is critical for children who have experienced failure, and may perceive themselves as failures. Edmark lets all students be successful and appropriately receive constant verbal praise and reinforcement from those teaching them.
Would you suggest that schools implement the Edmark Reading Program?
Without reservation! I believe every special education teacher should have it available for at-risk readers. Beyond that, I think it is an excellent intervention to be used by school systems addressing Response to Intervention. The reauthorization of IDEA allows districts to use 15% of their special education funding for early intervening services; for the first time, special education dollars can now be used to help keep children out of special education. In my district, paraprofessionals have been hired for each elementary school and trained in Edmark. Teachers in the elementary schools refer their at-risk K-3 readers to the program. These students receive 15 minutes of instruction in the Edmark Reading Program every day. We are still collecting data on the decrease in special education referrals in our district, but qualitative data from regular class teachers and parents have already shown the success of this program. Our goal is to provide effective interventions that will keep students out of special education, and so far, Edmark is helping us do this!
Dr. Mayfield is currently the Director of Special Education for the Bienville Parish School Board in Arcadia, Louisiana. Her dissertation on Edmark was published in 2000 and received the Herbert Handley Dissertation Award given by the Mid-South Educational Research Association.
For more information on the Edmark Reading Program, visit us online here.
August 01 As of July 1, EnableMart has officially lauched our fifth generation website with many improved, convenient features that make shopping with us that much better!
- Register with us while shopping online. By creating an account, you can now login to check order status, order history, receive important AT related news, and much more!
- Try our improved search options that help your find what you are looking for with ease and accuracy.
- Take advantage of the new customization options. Select a specific model, color, version, related item, or accessory right from the product homepage, making your purchase process quicker.
- Make educated decisions when purchasing your AT with EnableMart's improved product descriptions, handy comparison charts, and audio and video demonstrations of various items.
But don't just take our word for it. Visit us online at www.EnableMart.com to see what's new and how shopping has been made easier for you!
See you there!
The EnableMart Team April 19 In the coming weeks, EnableMart is set to launch our fifth generation website. Though the look and feel of the new EnableMart.com will be virtually the same, you'll be impressed by the new features that make shopping with us even easier. Now, customers can view items related to the product they are most interested in, check the status of their orders online, and even look up their purchase history, just to name a few! Keep an eye out for the changes to come and make sure to contact us with any input! We look forward to seeing you at www.EnableMart.com! December 21 The EnableMart Team is made up of an eclectic group of young, innovative individuals. Each of us brings valuable knowledge and unique talents to the table. Meet our team!
Dennis Moulton - Dennis is the President and Co-Founder of EnableMart. His degree in Marketing Management and professional experience with Microsoft allows him to share his knack for knowing what the customer wants and promotes a drive for growth.
Nick Tostenrude - Nick is the CEO and Co-Founder of EnableMart. His Engineering background shows through his interest in the technology EnableMart provides. Nick's general responsibilities include overseeing the EnableMart team and managing day to day tasks to ensure overall organizational success.
Gabe Trif - As the VP of Operations at EnableMart, Gabe is responsible for working with suppliers, managing products, and developing our website. Gabe, who also has a background in Engineering, began working at EnableMart shortly after its inception.
Cristian Dumitru - Mr. Dumitru is one of EnableMart's first employees. He began as a local Sales Representative and worked closely with customers in Oregon and Washington. Since then, his territory has grown and he now oversees Government Sales west of the Mississippi.
Sara Derkacht - Sara is EnableMart's Customer Service and Marketing Manager. She has a backgound in Communication and Business and has been working with EnableMart for three years. You can always find her on the phone with customers or at conferences nationwide promoting EnableMart and our products.
Becky Hoffman - Becky has recently retired her position as Library Sales Representative to move onto Corporate and Non-Profit Sales at EnableMart. Her primary responsibilities include managing marketing and promotions plans for these departments.
Kelsey Wack - Miss Wack is EnableMart's Customer Service Sales Representative. Her background in business helps her in her daily tasks of communicating with customers and fulfilling needs and requests. Kelsey also works in Community Involvement by managing many of EnableMart's activities and contributions outside the office.
Carol Davis - Carol has recently joined the EnableMart team working in Order Fulfillment and Vendor Relations. On a daily basis, Carol processes orders and communicates with suppliers to ensure the maximum level of efficiency in providing our customers with products.
Nathan Schwab - Nathan is EnableMart's Technical Support and deals in Product Installation and Training. His past experience and love of technology keeps EnableMart abreast on new products and services available to consumers.
Angie Grohn - Angie is EnableMart's accountant. She handles our accounts payable and accounts receivable and manages payment optimization.
Danny Babbitts - Mr. Babbitt's is Cristian's counterpart in Government Sales. He manages all marketing and sales East of the Mississippi.
Kathleen Greenhaw - Miss Greenhaw has been with EnableMart for several months as our Web Content Manager, consistently maintaining and updating www.EnableMart.com to enhance customer shopping experiences.
Debra Jarcho - Debra has recently been hired as EnableMart's Education Sales Representative West of the Mississippi. Her previous experience within local school districts has given her a great foundation for assisting clients in AT assessment and procurement.
Gabriel Swatzell - Gabriel is also new to the EnableMart team, taking on the job of Education East Sales Representative. Gabriel's previous work experience brought him to India where he taught for a period of time, and then back to the United States to begin work in the educational sales arena with us! December 12 If there were a simpler means of accomplishing an everyday task, wouldn't you take advantage of it? Everyday products are not always made with every person in mind. This is why EnableMart advocates accessibility. The products we provide make things easier for everyone. Whether you could stand to hear someone on the phone a little better or would like your computer to read what is on the screen so you don't have to, EnableMart helps you find solutions that make life simple.
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