Profile of ABLEDATA
Disability Resource Has Information on Accessible Travel, Recreation
Dec 18, 2008
One of the best online resource repositories on disability is ABLEDATA, sponsored by the US Department of Education’s National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research through its Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
The site includes many resources relating to accessibility, including a Travel Resource Center and a comprehensive product section devoted to accessible recreation, adaptive sports, toys, and hobbies.
ABLEDATA’s Disability Resource Database
At ABLEDATA’s core is its database containing over 34,000 assistive technology products and services (of which 22,000 are currently available) and information on manufacturers including (when available), product pictures, pricing, and contact information. The site’s other resources include:
- Information on the Americans With Disabilities Act, including compliance resources and suppliers
- Free listings for relevant product and service providers, from national manufacturers to noncommercial prototypes and do-it-yourself adaptive designs
- The Assistive Technology Library, a searchable list of books, articles, papers and other print and electronic publications on assistive technology topics
- ABLEDATA publications (including Fact Sheets and Informed Consumer Guides) on assistive technology, available in large-print, cassette, Braille, and on Windows-compatible diskettes and CDs
- A Consumer Forum that product reviews
- Disability related news items
- Calendar of conferences and events
- ABLEDATA Information Center (open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST) to answer phone questions on assistive technology
- Links to a wide range of resources.
ABLEDATA is an information resource only; it doesn’t sell, distribute, prescribe, review or recommend products. It does not maintain a mailing list or publish a newsletter.
ABLEDATA’s Accessible Recreation Resources
ABLEDATA’s Products section includes a Recreation section that includes resources on adaptive sports and accessible recreation, including games, toys, hobbies, and crafts. The section includes:
- Arts and Crafts (includes accessories for sewing, knitting, drawing, and painting)
- Cycling (bicycles and accessories)
- Electronics (stereo, radio, TV, and video equipment)
- Games (board and card games, puzzles, videos)
- Gardening and Lawn Care (garden hand tools)
- Music (music and instrument holders, braille sheet music, large-print music paper, tactile metronomes)
- Pet Care (pet feeders and litter box cleaning aids)
- Photography (table, wheelchair, and prosthetic camera mounts, one-hand cameras, pneumatic switches, and voice output photo albums)
- Play (fine motor, gross motor, and wheelchair play)
- General Recreation (accessible playhouse, inflatable play enclosure, portable stage)
- Smoking (cigarette holder, ashtray clip, fireproof aprons, and remote smoking devices)
- Sports (from archery to water sports and 16 categories in between)
- Toys (712 entries, including braille blocks, sound-activated toys, and rocking horses with safety seats).
The ABLEDATA site can be used without registering. Using MyABLEDATA enables users to set custom-defined site styles, save recent searches, and sign up for email updates. Contact ABLEDATA for further information.
ABLEDATA
Katherine Belknap, Project Director
8630 Fenton Street, Suite 930
Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Phone: 800.227.0216 (301.608.8998)
TTY: 301.608.8912
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