You Need
Magnificent May
May 2001
It is warm and sunny in Delph today and I am grinning from ear to ear. This month, on the 22nd and 23rd, we have the President or CEO of America's four major special needs companies to join us at SpecialNeedsIT at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton. This forms part of Special Needs North.
 Special Needs North at the Reebok Stadium |
 Special Needs North exhibition hall |
Special Needs North is energetically run by the Educational Publishers Association and the National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN). For the second year, Inclusive Consultancy and Training (ICT) is running SpecialNeedsIT, and having all four major US companies sending their top people over is something of a coup.
 Cheryl Volkman CEO and President of AbleNet |
 Arjan Khalsa CEO of IntelliTools |
 Ruth Ziolkowski President of Don Johnston |
 Terry Johnson President and CEO of Mayer-Johnson |
All four companies have a history of spearheading access to the computer, communication and learning for students with physical disabilities and severe learning difficulties. In each company this work is developing into supporting the curriculum. Two companies, IntelliTools and Don Johnston, are now leaders in resources for students with learning difficulties in mainstream schools - "struggling students" as Don Johnston calls them. IntelliTools has been doing Federally funded research into how computer software can help those with difficulties in Math(s) and reading and writing.
 AbleNet |
 IntelliTools |
 Don Johnston |
 Mayer-Johnson |
AbleNet have long dominated the switch and communicator market. They are taking this work forward to show how learning and the curriculum can be advanced in ways not possible before new technology. Fascinatingly, their latest catalog(ue) is organised as a school day. It is well worth a look.
Mayer-Johnson have made their Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) into a World standard: Inclusive Writer has them, so does Clicker 4 and Writing with Symbols. PCS symbols which are used in authoring programs and speech devices for augmentative communication are now increasingly used to make materials for early intervention, pre-school, basic skills, inclusion, adult workshops and literacy.
Each company is holding Key Presentations at Bolton. The first is a Key Presentation (11:30 or 13:30) to an invited audience. This audience gets to join all four company Presidents for a buffet lunch. Inclusive Technology pick up the bill (check or tab).
In addition, all four company presidents will be mounting Product Presentations (10:30 and 14:30). All have something new to show, with IntelliTools launching the UK version of IntelliTalk II and previewing IntelliMathics and IntelliKeys USB.
For full information on the Presidents' Key Presentations and Product Presentations you can download our Presidents' Presentations flier (124 k PDF).
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Of course SpecialNeedsIT includes great British outfits like Special IT Solutions, TextHelp, Penny and Giles, Sherston, Crick Software, Becta, Widgit, Resource, ACE Centre North, DreamWriter, Logotron, Inclusive Technology and Sight and Sound. Almost all of these are also providing product demonstrations in our How-IT-works programme. |
If this wasn't enough Special Needs North, the exhibition of which we are just a section has its own web site, hundreds of exhibitors and seminar programme.
Magnificent or what!
Martin Littler
1st May 2001