TFL Team Meeting - 9/21/2021

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TFL Mission

  • Increase access to and acquisition of assistive technology devices and services so Georgians of all ages and disabilities can live, learn, work and play independently in communities of their choice.

Team Meeting Expectations

1. All TFL team meetings are no/light device meetings. This means using your device professionally, minimally, as an accommodation, or for emergencies.

2. Be mindful of the time you are given for your updates.

3. Provide thoughtful and comprehensive updates to the team. This time is the opportunity for everyone to learn about TFL projects and activities.


Agenda

TFL Director Updates (Carolyn)

  • ‘’’HR’’’
    • Critical Hire Process: AT Acquisition Manager Position
    • Critical Hire Process: Program Support Spec. Sr. Position
  • Cybersecurity Required Course
    • About the Training
  1. Regularly occurring cybersecurity awareness training ensures that faculty, staff, and student employees are vigilant, prepared, and empowered to identify cyber threats or scams when they encounter them. Training also encourages employees to adopt practices that safeguard their information and technology from ransomware attacks and compromise.
  2. Georgia Tech’s cybersecurity training covers a variety of topics such as cybersecurity policies, data protection categorizations, sharing protected data, and endpoint protection.
  3. Employees can access the training via the recently updated Georgia Tech Employee Learning Portal (powered by Genius). https://gatech.geniussis.com/LearnerDashboard.aspx
  • Allocations
    • Make sure these are correct - any changes by 5pm Friday.
  • Projects:
  • GaDOE FY21
  • GVRA FY 22
  • CDC Contract - NCE through Sept. 30, 2022. (Updates, ATOB, UNC Research & Dissemination of Videos)
  • HHS DRRP - Aging Well ACCESS - 5 Yr. $2.5 Million
    • AT Team
  • AT3 - $50K - (May-August 31)
  • Georgia Division of Aging (DAS) - CARES Act - (Nov. 2021 - End Sept. 30, 2022!)
  • 3 Yr HHS DRRP - AT Database - $1.5 Million - Meeting with partners from all over US.
  • Wireless RERC - NCE - 2 Videos
  • Proposals:
    • GaDOE Year 3: Early Development
  • TFL Strategic Planning - Focused Sessions
  • Upcoming:
    • Direct Services - Martha (October)
    • AAC Lab - DeeDee (October)
    • AT Considerations - Gina (November)
    • Leadership & Training - Liz (October)
    • TFL Research - Ben (November)
    • TFL into CIDI S&E Research - Zerrin (December)
    • Wrap Up & Action Items - CP (December & January 2022)

Almost Complete!! CDC/F Trainings & Activities (Carolyn)

  • COVID-19 Vaccine Videos
    • 5 Vaccine videos & 1 ASL Video - Thank you, Raminta, Norah & Liz!!!
  • ATOB! v16.2
  • EPIC National Webinar - Liz & CP (Completed)
  • American Public Health Conference Presentation
  • AUCD - Liz & CP

TFL AT Acquisition Updates

Transition

  1. Credit-Able - to FODAC!!
  2. Physical files will still remain in Danny's office

Credit-Able

  1. Credit-Able applications are on hold

TFL Research Updates (Ben S., Zerrin & Carolyn)

Assistive Technology Outcomes & Benefits (ATOB) Journal

  • ATOB Vol. 16(1) - AT Services During & After the Covid-19 Pandemic
  • ATOB Vol. 16(2) - Public Health: feature our work on CDC Project
    • Guest Editor, Mark Harniss, U. Washington
    • Peer Reviews are in process

Mastery of Assistive Technology (MoAT)

  • Submitted a SMART TECH Report - paper documenting the Mastery of AT project and findings
  • NIDILRR FIP proposal was not funded..
    • Composite Review Score was 95
    • Typically good enough for funding
    • Team is examining critique to improve future proposals
  • MoAT presentation accepted at GA EdTech Conference (ATL, Nov 3-5)
  • MoAT presentation accepted at ATIA (Orlando, Jan 27th)

Work ACCESS

  • Team is preparing for an additional focus group on Mental Health Accommodations
  • Developing a focus group plan to discuss changes in retail settings since COVID-19
  • Resuming work on Workstations decision tree
  • Launching Validation Surveys for completed decision trees
  • Preparing a late October webinar on "Inclusion & Participation in the Workplace"
    • Speakers: Karen, Sarah & Ben
    • Overview of Work ACCESS
    • Accommodations / considerations for common spaces & communication

AT Network

  • Beginning the process of mapping categories of AT from the AbleData database to the ISO 9999 classifications
  • Team has been exploring how to leverage evaluations done by TFL to help "seed" database
    • Dee Dee & Ben have proposed a template with levels at which eval data might be accessed.
    • Also looking for PowerPoint presentations and papers to include in the database.

Inclusive Tech Entrepreneurship Program (ITEP)

  • Business Coaching under Joy Harris supervision is in progress
  • Final event will be scheduled for early November
  • Working with the New America Foundation for the annual conference

NSF Project

  • Experiences of Students with Visual Impairments with Tactile Graphics in STEM Courses: Critical Interpretative Synthesis
  • Started my meetings with Dr. DeStefano
  • I will be attending SLR training next week

ACCESS Projects

  • Have been working with the project team to develop protocols for the focus group
  • Joined one session as a note taker

GVRA

  • Working with Ben, Martha, and Carolyn

Spencer Foundation

  • Submitted a proposal

GT-Microsoft Accessibility Research Seed Grants

  • Not funded

FY21 Seed Grant Program

  • Not funded
  • We will be applying for the Oct cycle

TFL State Leadership Activities - (Liz)

  • Tools for Life
    • Data Reminder: Don't forget to enter in your public awareness and I & A data. Include your presentations, trainings, public awareness, education, etc. in the database each month.
    • TFL Policy and Procedures - Keep going! Follow up in late October.
    • Webinar archives - Are any of yours missing? - Tori continues to update and organize and will be reaching out
    • TFL Website, wiki - Liz, Kayla, Tori and Shaina - Soon!
    • Training plan - host more virtually - we're doing it!
      • ARC Disability 101
      • Cobb Co presentation
  • GCDD Accessibility Grant - Universal Design for Learning and Plain Language
    • June to September 2021 - $13,000
    • Liz, Norah, Tori (Carolyn and Trish support)
      • Met with GCDD team to start plan for trainings and creating the plain language guide
  • Credits - Training Team
    • CEU's - Continuing Education Units approved and distributed by the AAC Institute
    • CRC's - Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Credits approved and distributed by the Commissioner Rehabilitation Counselor Certification or CRCC
      • All applications must be submitted no later than 30 days before the live event.
  • CDC/CDC Foundation - Carolyn-PI, Liz-Co-PI, Norah - Content Creator and Manager, Trish-Project Support
    • COVID-19 Accessible Materials for Individuals with Disabilities
    • CDC trainings are done!
    • Preparing for final meeting on 9/30 - need help to collect quotes/testimonials
    • Working on archiving the project
    • Microsite will run through 2022
    • Will still collect monthly analytics
  • Social Media - Send articles, webinars, videos, general information, etc. for posting to Tori
  • Graphic Design Projects - Kayla
  • ATAP (AT3) - AT Reuse Activities, AT Database - Carolyn, Liz, Trish(support)
    • Webinar - Completed!
  • TechSAge 2 RERC - Training and Outreach Check out the RERC TechSAge website to learn more. - Carolyn and Liz
  • Webinars - WORK ACCESS series; Wired Wednesdays
  • Wireless RERC - Training and TA - Outreach & Public Awareness - Carolyn, Liz
    • Extension and funding for video work
  • Work ACCESS - Decision Tree/AT Software KnowledgeBase - Focus groups, trainings, webinars - Carolyn, Liz, Tori, Rachel, Sarah, Ben

TFL K-12 Initiatives and Updates (Gina)

K-12 Updates

  • Year 3 Statement of Work GaDOE has been submitted, we still discussing some expansion opportunities
  • Actively supporting current K-12 deliverables
    • 3 Consultations submitted last week
    • loan extensions / loan requests
    • GaDOE Video Series – complete – GaDOE has not released all of them so we cannot release them publicly yet
    • Core Vocabulary, September 14, 2021 3:00 -3:30 (DeeDee) – 3 / 3 in GaDOE Webinar Series for Year 2
    • Current focus EdTrade soft launch & feedback
  • *Direct Services Team Meeting – GaDOE refresh – looking for a time to reschedule
  • Presentations related to GaDOE Partnership
    • DeKalb County School Psychologist, September 15, 2021 (Gina) – TFL & GaDOE Partnership
    • Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVI) Consortia, January 21, 2022 – TFL, GVRA & GaDOE Partnership presentation
  • Tools for Life Demos/Loans/Presentations
    • Texthelp – request training rooms November 9 or 16, 2021 – Texthelp Talks – in person
    • Emory Autism Center – AT / AAC for the Neurodiversity Class, November 9, 2021

GVRA Project (Ben)

Contracts & Administration

  • Walton Subcontract PO finally fully authorized (Thanks to Eric T. for his help!)
  • Finalizing: TextHelp Software purchase orders and payment

Team & Project Plan

  • Ben has met with most team members to discuss allocations and project roles
  • Still need to meet with IT - planning for:
    • GVRA Portal
    • Monthly report automation
  • Updated Project Plan Gantt Chart is available on Teams site.
  • August Report was completed and delivered

GVRA Updates

  • Ben is meeting this week with Jeff Allen to discuss monthly reporting.
  • Planning to meet with GVRA Transition team in September to discuss
    • "Pilot within Pilot" to model reporting for K-12 Districts
    • Plans to incorporate IPSE programs into project

TFL Direct AT Services - AT Access Updates (Martha)

  • Device Demo 10/1/ 20- Present All Centers 136
  • Device Demos 10/1/20- Present TFL 25
  • Device Loans 10/1/20- Present All Centers 173
  • Device Loans 10/1/20- Present TFL 61
  • Device Reutilization 4177


  • Wired Wednesdays- Ciara is working on October- It will be about the new features in the C-Pens. WATAP will be covering November and December.
  • Wrapping up DAS Contract- waiting on a few more items to come in to be mailed
  • Rachel and Sal presenting on the 23rd Lunch and Learn for Caregiver Support Team
  • working in several demos for DOE and parents that have contacted us

AccessGA Initiatives and Updates (Johan)

  • AccessGA
    • State Agency ADA Coordinators' Virtual Networking Event (Sept. 29th)
    • Technical assistance provided to state agency
    • As part of National Disability Awareness Month in Oct, “Living and Thriving with a Disability” Webinar will be distributed to:
      • private contractors
      • Dept. of Community Health
      • Dept. of Labor
      • Office of Pardons and Paroles
      • Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM)
  • Fee-for-Service
    • Shepherd Center – SoW approved
      • Web Accessibility Evaluation
      • Technical assistance
      • Series of six trainings on disability awareness and digital accessibility
    • UDOIT Tool Evaluation for Brightspace LMS
      • evaluation underway
    • BLH/NLM
      • Contract for just under 75K – awaiting final approval before Sept. 29th
      • A11y evaluation of NLM website
      • A11y evaluation of Moodle LMS
      • Technical assistance
      • 19 trainings scheduled on topics related to disability awareness and digital accessibility
    • JCC Chicago
      • SoW pending
      • Web a11y evaluation and technical assistance requested
      • awaiting testing environment
    • Georgia AER/GVEST Combined Conference: Stronger Together
      • Friday, October 15, 2021 from 12 pm to 3:30 pm EST
      • Friday, March 11, 2021 from 12 pm to 3:30 pm EST
      • Gina’s presentation on March 11: EdTrade: Georgia’s K-12 Assistive Technology Reuse Program – Rethink, Reuse, Share, & Save
    • UX Initiatives
      • Several ongoing projects in the coming weeks/months involving UX
        • Aging Well Access
        • Dementia Access
        • Washington AT Access
        • AT Network
        • AT3 AT Access

AAC Programs (DeeDee)

  • Setting up AAC Lab laptop
  • Display equipment has been received
  • Planning an office day to begin setting up displays and plan posters

Display materials planned:

  • Device information
  • Posters/handouts on elements of AAC and Access (i.e., types of AAC devices, core words, switches, scanning access, etc.)
  • Handouts on implementation strategies, product information
  • Information on access from Pittsburg AAC Language Seminar - Karen Kangas
  • Model as a MASTER PAL for communication partner training
  • Considering list of training resources


Action Items & Follow Up

  1. Complete your Cybersecurity Compliance
  2. Stay tuned for Your other GT Compliances - October & November!