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AAC-RERC
Dissemination, Utilization & Technical Assistance Project
3
www.aac-rerc.com
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ACOLUG: Augmentative Communication On-line Users Group
Lead Institution: Temple University
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| PURPOSE |
| ACOLUG is a LISTSERV created to exchange ideas,
information, and experiences on augmentative communication by
people from all over the world. By using e-mail, people who use
augmentative communication and their friends and families can
discuss issues related to augmentative communication, such as
equipment, funding, learning techniques, and supports. Through
an online network of more than 300 subscribers who are either
augmented communicators, themselves, or who are family members
and allies, ACOLUG will allow timely input from, and dissemination
to, the AAC community of all AAC-RERC activities. |
| TARGET POPULATION |
| Entire AAC community |
| PROBLEM |
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Several factors characterize the difficulty of interaction
and information exchange between the AAC researcher community
and AAC users and their families. These include the diversity
of age span, various etiologies, and geographic locations of
these individuals. Also, there has been no formalized mechanism
for researchers to access large numbers of users and their families
to solicit and receive input on specific research questions
or to disseminate that information in a timely manner to the
consumer community.
People who use augmentative communication approaches need to
be "at the table" in the design, implementation, evaluation,
and dissemination of all projects and materials that have an
impact on their lives. As such, ACOLUG - as the virtual national/international
AAC community - will increase the consumer direction and consumer
responsiveness of the AAC/RERC. In addition, people who use
augmentative communication approaches are dramatically unemployed
and underemployed with an unemployment rate of more than 85
percent. There are many barriers to the employment of adults
who use augmented communication including poor preparation for
the world of work, limited employment related vocabulary preprogrammed
into their communication devices, and financial disincentives
to work (National Council on Disabilities, 1997) to name just
a few.
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| PROGRESS |
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As the largest listserve for individuals who rely on AAC devices,
ACOLUG serves almost 300 AAC stakeholders, of which over 200
are AAC consumers. As a partner to the listserve, the ACOLUG
website was developed, which contains information on joining
the listserv, news, archives, member's home pages, links to
the AAC-RERC and its partner sites, and an employment forum.
The employment forum offers general careers resources; networking
and job banks; and links to career-related publications, ADA,
discrimination, and employment law resources.
Future plans for expanding the ACOLUG community include providing
access to computers, modems, and Internet servers so that more
augmented communicators can become subscribers and active members
of this virtual community. This will be done through collaboration
of the multi-sites of the AAC-RERC in obtaining recycled computers
and modems, and through linking augmented communicators to Internet
service providers.
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| PARTNERS |
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| FOR MORE INFORMATION |
Diane Nelson Bryen, Ph.D.:
dianeb@astro.ocis.temple.edu
Kevin Cohen: kcohen@nimbus.ocis.temple.edu
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