Grand Opening

Disabled Student Services is proud to announce the opening of its new Assistive Technology Center. The AT Center is the office's first permanently funded and staffed computer lab built from the ground up to provide accessibility to persons with disabilities.

Purpose

The AT Center is intended to serve a variety of roles including:

(1) Providing a universally accessible computing environment for DSS-registered students,
(2) Demonstrating to, and training of, Cal Poly Pomona students, staff, and faculty
(3) Offering accessibility consultation and training services for campus lab coordinators, and
(4) serving as a research lab to evaluate existing and new, innovative approaches toward achieving technological accessibility.

 

Location

The AT Center is located directly beneath the Library's main entrance in building 15, room 2. It shares its new office space with DSS's Reader Services program.

 

Eligibility

The AT Center is reserved for use by students served by DSS. All DSS students are eligible to use the facility during operating hours.

Office Hours

The AT Center is open year-round to meet the accessibility needs of DSS students. 

Fall, Winter and Spring Quarter Hours:
Monday - 8:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesday - Wednesday - 8:00am - 7:00pm
Thursday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Saturday - Sunday, closed

Summer Quarter Hours:

Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday - Sunday  closed

The AT Center (and the DSS office) will be closed on all observed campus holiday as outlined in the current Campus Catalog.

Equipment Available

General Hardware

8 brand-new workstations (6 Dell PC's and 2 Apple Macintoshes)
Large 19" monitors
A networked laser printer
3 high-speed scanners
High-speed internet access

Accessibility Hardware

2 CCTV magnification systems
A Braille embosser
A refreshable Braille display
Free-standing scanning/reading machine
Various pointing device options (wheel mice, trackballs, joystick, track pad)
Adaptive/ergonomic keyboards
Augmentative keyboard/notetaker
Portable speaking dictionary

General Software

Microsoft Office 2000
Internet browsing software
Image editing software
Statistical software
Selected curriculum applications

Accessibility Software

Screen Magnification
Screen Readers
Scanning/Reading
Word prediction/completion
Voice dictation
universal dictionary/thesaurus/text-to-speech

Furniture

4 power-adjustable desk surfaces
8 ergonomic, adjustable chairs
2 adjustable monitor arms
2 articulating keyboard trays

 

Services Available

Independent computer access

Stations are available throughout the day for student usage. AT Center staff will happily provide assistance to all students during operating hours.

Individualized appointments

DSS students may schedule an individualized appointment with a Lab Assistant. This will ensure that the student receives adequate personalized attention and is encouraged when a student is unfamiliar with the Center's equipment or has disability-specific needs (i.e. physically adjusting the workstation to meet their physical/mobility needs).

Training Materials

The AT Center strives to provide helpful, relevant informational resources to its students. Some examples of currently available training materials are:

Introduction to Windows
Introduction to Macintosh
Using Microsoft Office
Internet browsing
Library research
Campus web mail
Checking campus transcripts/enrollment
Accessibility for visual impairments
Accessibility for hearing impairments
Accessibility for mobility impairments

All materials, including reference books, product manuals, step-by-step guides, handouts, and on-line documentation can be requested in alternatives formats such as:

Regular print
Enlarged print
Braille print
HTML files
Digital audio files
Synchronized multimedia files (SMIL format)

Printing

The AT Center has elected to provide printing for curriculum-oriented materials at no cost. Instead, DSS students are asked to provide their own paper on which to print.

Staff

The AT Center is presently operated by the following staff members:

Mark Turner, Coordinator AT Center and Learning Disability Specialist
msturner@csupomona.edu, (909) 869-2031

Kunal Gandhi, Student Lab Assistant

Wonda Susan Santilena, Student Lab Assistant

Comments/Suggestions

The AT Center is committed to ensuring that DSS students receive courteous, timely, accurate service. We are committed to continuous quality improvement and invite your feedback. Please forward any thoughts or ideas to the AT Center Coordinator by email at msturner@csupomona.edu, by telephone at (909) 869-2031, or by dropping a note in the Suggestion Box located in the AT Center.