The youthAbility
Tech Access Program complements youthAbility,
a recruitment and outreach program to involve youth with disabilities
in volunteer service. The youthAbility Tech Access Program
provided assistive technology to national and community service
agencies, thereby allowing them to adapt their programs to
make them more inclusive to youth with disabilities. The youthAbility
Tech Access Program awarded mini-grants to national and community
service agencies for the acquisition of a new piece of assistive
technology. The device, in turn, remains with the national
or community service agency and allows that agency to continually
recruit youth with disabilities to fill positions within their
organization.
Assistive technology is any item, piece of equipment, or
product system that is also used to increase, maintain or
improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
This definition includes something as simple as a ramp, which
when installed near entryways, provides access to individuals
who may otherwise have been unable to enter. At the same
time, assistive technology expands to encompass items of
a high technological nature. For example, a touch sensitive
computer monitor would help in cases where an individual
has difficulty utilizing a standard keyboard or mouse.
The youthAbility
Tech Access Program was made possible through the generous
support of NEC Foundation of America. Established
in 1991 and endowed at $10 million by NEC Corporation and
its United States subsidiaries, the foundation supports programs
with national reach and impact in the areas of 1) science
and technology education, principally at the secondary level,
and/or 2) efforts to apply technology to assist people with
disabilities. For further information on NEC Foundation
of America, please visit their Website at www.necfoundation.org.
Please click here for a copy of the youthAbility Tech Access
Program Assistive Technology Mini-Grant Application.
(Note: To view/print this application, you must have Adobe
Acrobat installed on your computer. To download a free copy,
click
here.) |
