Assistive technology demonstrations provide an opportunity for individuals to become familiar with various types of devices and to try out devices before purchase. Device demonstrations, consumers say, increase their ability to make an informed decision about the benefits, usefulness and appropriateness of the devices demonstrated for increasing their self-sufficiency and independence in education, employment, and community living. Providers say that demonstrations will increase their ability to assist their customers in making an informed decision.

LATAN would appreciate your input! Please take a minute to fill out this AT Demonstration Device Survey. Assistive Technology Demonstration Online Form

LATAN is happy to announce the opening of our Assistive Technology Resource Center on April 18th with a Ribbon Cutting celebration conducted by Baton Rouge celebrity, Smiley Anders. The occasion attracted consumers, vendors, agency personnel and the general public who enjoyed a multitude of equipment demonstrations and delicious food prepared by LATAN’s Financial Loan Program Director, Kurt Hellmann. Assistive equipment vendors, Tommy Sissons with SureHands Lifts, Carol Civils, Dynavox Representative for Louisiana and Mississippi, staff from Catholic Charities’ Deaf Action Center, and Access Vans of Grosse Tete and New Orleans were on hand to demonstrate devices and to help interested consumers identify assistive technology appropriate for their use. LATAN Board Vice-Chair, Frank Puckett started the celebration by welcoming the many friends in attendance. He explained how Louisiana consumers statewide had requested increased equipment demonstration activities and LATAN’s efforts to honor that request. Assistive Technology Resource Center Director, Mona Miley, outlined LATAN’s mission of helping people with disabilities or those experiencing age or illness related limitations to make a more informed equipment decision. Her vision is to help individuals choose the right device before they make costly purchases. Mona is an Occupational Therapist and Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) certified Assistive Technology Practitioner with twenty years of experience in the field. Ms. Miley shared how often she has witnessed families purchase equipment without ever seeing, touching or trying it out, ending in costly mistakes. For those who depend on public funding to purchase such equipment, a mistake can be devastating as they may have to wait a long time to make another purchase. The technology available at the demonstration center ranges from low-tech and inexpensive drinking cups and eating utensils for individuals with athritis to high tech and often expensive speech generating devices for children with autism or those who have suffered a stroke or have a progressive illness such as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

LATAN plans to use this demonstration center pilot program to document consumer benefit statistics to attract the funding necessary to open similar centers across the state. Until that time, Mona will be scheduling demonstrations throughout the state so watch LATAN’s website for demonstrations coming to an area near you. You may also sponsor a demonstration activity in your community by scheduling an event with Mona and locating space and interested participants.

The Assistive Technology Resource Center is also mobile. Equipment will be packed and taken by the AT Specialist to locations throughout Louisiana. If you or a group you know would like to sponsor a Demonstration Event in your city or town by providing space for the equipment to be shown and publicity to let people know about the event, call LATAN at 1.800.270.6185 or 225.925.9500 in the Baton Rouge area to arrange an event. LATAN looks forward to demonstrating in your area.

The University of New Orleans Training, Resource and Assistive-technology Center (TRAC) provides device demonstrations for computer access, vision aids and learning disability software, and the Louisiana Tech Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Science also provides device demonstrations of various types. The Affiliated Blind of Louisiana and the Louisiana Center for the Blind both have demonstrations of various types of equipment for people who are blind or have visual impairments. The Deaf Action Centers, funded by the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf, provide device demonstrations for those who are deaf or who have hearing or speech impairments.

The device demonstration program gives people a chance to broaden their vision of AT and its benefits before they make the often expensive decision to buy a particular piece of AT. Having seen an AT device demonstrated, individuals may then choose to borrow a device from a lending library to try out for a time in their own environments.

LATAN has developed a calendar of demonstration events that will soon be available on this website and in our newsletter.