Public awareness activities provide opportunities for people to learn about assistive technology and its benefits, and about LATAN programs and services. Examples of LATAN's public awareness activities are below.

Presentation/ Exhibits
LATAN presents public awareness activities, as funding allows, to public bodies, parish libraries, legislators, university classes, various teacher in-services, Family Service Centers, parish transition teams, discharge planners, hospital staff, employers, and university disability offices. Presentations, demonstrations, and handout materials are provided to many disability and interagency groups, such as Families Helping Families, Councils on Aging, the Statewide Independent Living Council, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Down Syndrome Awareness Group, the ARCs, Partners in PolicyMaking, Baton Rouge Head Injury Association, Job Fairs, self-advocacy groups, case managers, and to various conferences in the state, such as the Universal Design for Learning Conference, the Aging and Disability Housing Conference, the Louisiana Rehabilitation Association Training Conference, the Successful Aging in Persons with Developmental Disabilities Conference, and the Department of Education weekend workshop for parents.

Public Media Interviews, Announcements and Articles
LATAN uses public service announcements (PSA) to inform the public, including consumers, about the benefits and uses of assistive technology, as well as about specific LATAN programs and activities. Senator Mary Landrieu recently produced a PSA for the loan program that is being aired. TV and radio interviews are utilized, as well as press releases to and articles in the major and community newspapers in the state.

Agency Newsletters
Agency newsletters are another avenue for public awareness and information dissemination that LATAN uses, as well as Chamber of Commerce and other non-traditional websites. We look for opportunities to tell stories, and this year LATAN and one of our consumers were featured in a new publication imagine Magazine that is published by the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations.

Publications
Training materials and publications that contain AT information have been developed and disseminated for all types of audiences across the life span on a broad array of AT related issues. All assistive technology information sheets are provided free of charge on the web site and made available in any requested alternative format.