NCASB Fall 2013 Conference Technology Training: A Team Approach Amy Salmon, MS.ed. Hadley School for the Blind November 14, 2013

Overview Is technology training overwhelming your agency? From basic keyboarding and word processing to social media and mobile solutions, your consumers technology needs vary greatly. Integrating outside resources to provide technology training can help you solve this problem, resulting in more meaningful employment outcomes for your consumers.

Objectives Today we will review how to take a team approach to technology training … Identify the different technology training partners available – residential/state/local and online/distance education providers. Define the 4-step technology process. Determine when and how to use outside resources for technology training. Demonstrate how LinkedIn can be used as an accessible tool for your staff and consumers.

The Technology Crisis What are the top 3 issues facing you and your agency related to technology?

The Technology Crisis Increased demand Decreased funding Limited resources

Building Your Team You have many options for partners to build your technology team: Residential/on site technology training partners. Online/distance education technology training partners.

Residential/On Site Training National, state and local resources. Fee-based services and training. National Examples: NFB Training Centers in Louisiana, Colorado and Minnesota Carroll Tech (Carroll Center for the Blind) World Services for the Blind Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind

Residential/On Site Training State Examples: Envision (Kansas) Blind Industries and Services of Maryland Cleveland Sight Center Braille Institute of America

Online/Distance Education Resources Fee-based and free services and training. Hadley School for the Blind AFB eLearning Carroll Tech (Carroll Center for the Blind) Assistive Technology Industry Association Webinars Freedom Scientific e-Learning Access Technology Institute University of Northern Colorado, School of Special Education University of Wisconsin – Stout

Building Your Technology Team Building a technology team using outside partners can help you solve your technology crisis. Lets look at how you can incorporate outside partners into the technology process as part of your team.

The Technology Process 1.Identification 2.Evaluation/Needs Assessment 3.Procurement 4.Training

Step 1: Identification Part of building a strong technology team is making sure key players have the right skills to do their job effectively. Blindness service professionals first need to identify that technology is required for the consumer. Ensuring you and your staff have the necessary training to accurately identify consumers for technology is a critical first step. Webinars and training to provide this background are available from a number of online/distance education partners.

Step 1: Identification Hadleys Developing Your Technology Toolkit course AFBs e-learning opportunities: Assistive Technologies for Older Persons with Visual Impairment: Providing Services Low Vision Technology Series Webinar 1: Overview of Low Vision Technology

Step 2: Evaluation/Needs Assessment Once a consumer is identified as requiring technology, the next step is to conduct a technology evaluation that: Evaluates the consumers current skills. Defines hardware and software needs. Makes training recommendations.

Step 2: Evaluation/Needs Assessment What is the waiting period for a technology evaluation at your agency? Adding state/local technology partners to your technology team can help: Reduce waiting periods. Improve effectiveness of technology evaluations.

Step 3: Procurement Based on the technology evaluation, the next step is to purchase and set up the technology. Ensuring your local access technology vendor is a team player on your technology team is key. Remember, YOU are THEIR customer. Ask the vendor to help with: Installation, set-up and configuration of technology. Provide initial training on the technology.

Step 4: Training The most time-consuming part of the process is training the consumer on the technology. Adding outside partners to your technology team to provide timely, targeted training is a winning solution.

Team Training Strategy Consider combining training options. Local, on-site training for the basics with online/distance education for more advanced features. Joan started at Hadley taking the Keyboarding course to learn how to touch type. While taking her Hadley course from home, she also was taking a course at a local access training agency to learn how to use JAWS and the Windows operating system.

Conclusion Building your technology team using outside technology training partners can help you in overcoming the technology crisis. Today, you learned: About the different technology training partners available – residential/on site and online/distance education programs. How to integrate outside technology training partners in delivering the training you need, how you need it, with measurable results.

LinkedIn Now, lets take a quick look at how LinkedIn can help you, your staff and consumers achieve successful employment outcomes …

Contact us Amy Salmon (847) The Hadley School for the Blind 700 Elm Street Winnetka, IL (847) Toll Free: