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Stephen W. Lowe, ABLEDATA, Macro International Inc., 11785 Beltsville Drive, Suite 300, Calverton, MD 20705 and Katherine Belknap, Applied Human Technology, Macro International Inc. (a.k.a. ORC Macro), 8630 Fenton Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 301-608-8998, Katherine.A.Belknap@orcmacro.com.
Over two decades, ABLEDATA (funded by the U.S. Department of Education) has been one of the world's premier resources for assistive technology information. The project is best known for maintaining the most comprehensive database of assistive products available in the United States. ABLEDATA’s staff offers free information via the Internet, telephone, text telephone, fax, email and regular mail. Beyond information on assistive products and the companies that make and sell them, ABLEDATA also offers reliable information on other disability-related topics such as funding and product selection.
The database of assistive technology has always been searchable from the ABLEDATA site (www.abledata.com); however, many other types of this information could only be found by browsing the ABLEDATA site – disability organizations; disability-related conferences; news items relating to A.T.; classified advertisements for assistive products; literature citations relating to A.T.; and product reviews. In 2004, we are redesigning the ABLEDATA site to provide for a unified search function to enable users to see all resources related to a desired topic with a single search. Site users will be able to personalize the site to feature products and information resources relating to a selected topic of interest or geographic area (by State), and they will be able to save search strategies. Those users that desire to do so will be afforded the opportunity to submit content (e.g., conferences, news items, and disability websites) for inclusion on the site.
This presentation will familiarize learners with the information resources that ABLEDATA makes available to the public health community.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Disability, Information Databases
Related Web page: www.abledata.com/
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: ABLEDATA, sponsored by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.