Announcements
Abilities Magazine
| February 22nd, 2004 | |
The ForumSnow ProjectFall 1999. Issue 40: p. 39 Forumby Nancy Sicchia What do kids with special needs and the Internet have in common? The answer is SNOW Kids Empowerment Zone. If you haven’t already done so, why don’t you visit us online at: http://snow.utoronto.ca/snowkids The original SNOW project, now in its third year of operation is an internationally recognized, online resource on topics related to educating learners with special needs. It may be accessed at: http://snow.utoronto.ca SNOW serves as a clearinghouse of web resources and information, a place for educators to develop professional skills, and an online community where we can share and learn from each other’s experiences teaching and raising children with disabilities. Now, the new SNOW Kids Empowerment Zone will act as a companion to the SNOW site, providing information, activities, and a community for the kids themselves. Hosted by the Adaptive Technology Resource Centre (ATRC) at the University of Toronto (U of T), SNOW Kids Empowerment Zone provides a fun, educational, interactive playground where kids with disabilities can explore, learn, grow and meet others. The goal of SNOW Kids is to provide a learning experience that encourages kids to pursue their dreams by taking action, building friendships and self-confidence, and developing the knowledge they will need to self-advocate as they enter the adult world. On July 15th, 1999, the new site, geared towards kids ages 12 to 14, was launched. Here are some pointers you can find at the SNOW Kids Empowerment Zone: - What’s New? will keep kids updated about upcoming events and new additions or changes to the content of the site. - Get Active will link them to information and sites about activities, recreation, sports, and camps for kids with disabilities. - Cyber-Pals is a place to link to chat and bulletin sites that focus on bringing kids with disabilities together to discuss issues that affect them. - Huh? give special definitions and terminology related to disability; helping kids to better understand themselves and clarify things that make all of us ask "huh?" - I wanna be a... contains links to sites with volunteer opportunities, career planning, and online career aptitude, and interest tests. - E-Go! has a wealth of resources including online books, dictionaries, newspapers, magazines, and links to fun and educational sites. SNOW is dedicated to the delivery of accessible online curriculum and information resources to ensure that learners, regardless of their disability, may enjoy and benefit from our Web-based community. The site has been designed with accessibility in mind. For those who use adaptive technology to access computers, findingtheir way around the Internet can be a daunting task. The SNOWsite, and now SNOW Kids, help visitors to find the information theyneed, communicate with others, and enjoy the technologies the Web has to offer, without barriers. The ATRC at the U of T is a leading advocate of access to information for all, providing client consultation, education and outreach programs, and conducting research related to accessibility issues. The resource centre is actively contributing to the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). SNOW Kids is an outlet for this work, demonstrating leading-edge technology as it emerges, and providing a model for those developing Web sites that is both pleasing to the eye and accessible to all visitors. More information about the ATRC and the WAI, and other projects, can be found at the following Web sites: http://caat.utoronto.ca http://www.w3.org/WAI/ Partners in the SNOW Project include: Adaptive Technology Resource Centre, U of T; Ontario Ministry of Education and Training; Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), U of T; Canadian National Institute for the Blind; Provincial Demonstration Schools (Ontario); Bloorview MacMillan Centre; Board of Education; Centre for Learning Technologies at Ryerson Polytechnic University; Telbotics; Silicon Graphics Inc.; and Bell Global Solutions. Nancy Sicchia is a Web Editor for the ATRC at U of T. E-mail contact: [email protected]
| |
