[NFBWV-Talk] WVATS News

[Ed McDonald]

The WV Assistive Technology System (WVATS) was one of the presenters at the recent Re-Visions Conference, and it offers services that might be of benefit to some on this list.  Here is some information from the November update that was sent to members of the WVATS Council.  If you think it worthwhile, I can post future updates.

WVATS NEWS
WVATS will be closing the Needs Assessment Survey at the end of the year. We wanted to give everyone one last chance to share the link and try to get some last-minute surveys completed. The link is posted below. 
Needs Assessment Survey Link

West Virginia Assistive Technology System is looking for a young adult to be an Assistive Technology Champion. We are working in conjunction with the Mid-Atlantic ADA group to find someone who will work with our team to spread awareness and information about various assistive technology. They will be able to show people how assistive technology impacts their daily lives and improves their quality of life, allowing them to remain independent. 

We are looking for someone who is creative, would love to share their experiences with assistive technology, and is wanting to develop their leadership skills. This consultant will be required to attend the monthly meeting and complete a post for social media once a month following the theme for the month. We are asking for 10 hours per month while receiving a stipend; the meeting occurs on the last Wednesday of every month from 3-4 pm via Zoom. If you are a young adult with a disability and you're wanting to share your experience with assistive technology we encourage you to send a letter of interest to douglas.cumpston at hsc.wvu.edu.

OPPORTUNITIES
*	November 8th is Election Day. Make sure to call ahead to ensure that your voting place is able to accommodate you with what you will need. Polling places should have voter machines that have an easy-touch screen interface, braille embossed navigation buttons and audio reading of your ballot through headphones. 

*	The West Virginia Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is having their Quarterly Board Meeting on November 4th from 10am - 2pm. If you are wanting more information call 304-558-1675.
*	Bonnie's Bus for Health Access will be at Doddridge County Fair Grounds on November 18th, 8am- 4pm. This is a mobile mammography unit that provides breast cancer screenings throughout West Virginia. 
*	WVABLE is holding a webinar called Helping individuals with a disability save for today and invest for tomorrow. It will be held November 4th at 11:00AM. To register, visit: https://wvtreasury.com/Savings-Programs/WVABLE/WVABLE-Events/WVABLE-Event-Registration?eventid=14



THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT
Text to Speech!
iOS, iPadOS 12.0 or later
Text to Speech! Is one of the most popular text-to-speech apps on the app store. It is free but offers in app purchases. It is easy to use and can be used while talking on the phone. However, a bug makes the user unable to hear the spoken text from the phone during calls. The app features 95 voices, 38 different languages, and setting adjustment like rate of speech and voice pitch.

NaturalReader
iOS, Android, PC
NaturalReader is a text-to-speech app. This app allows the user to scan image text and create spoken-word audio files, AI adaptation (identifying syntactic environments), and increased reading speed, comprehension, and retention. The app offers a free version for download but offers various versions such as; Personal for $99.50, Professional for $129.50, and Ultimate for $199.50.


SOCIAL MEDIA
You can find regular updates and information on our services and devices on the WVATS Facebook page (WVATS), Twitter (@WVAssistiveTech) and Instagram (wvassistivetechnologysystem). Like and share the social media posts to help increase our outreach throughout the state and help raise AT awareness and access.


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