MARYLAND COMPANY CONTINUES TO CREATE INNOVATIVE SOFTWARE FOR DEAF CHILDREN AND ADULTS

From: Institute for Disabilities Research and Training, Inc. - Jun 2, 2003

Contact:

Dr. Corinne K. Vinopol

Institute for Disabilities Research and Training, Inc.

11323 Amherst Avenue

Wheaton, MD 20902

(301) 942-4326 (V/TTY)

(301) 942-4439 (FAX)

www.idrt.com

idrt@idrt.com

NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 2, 2003

MARYLAND COMPANY CONTINUES TO CREATE INNOVATIVE SOFTWARE FOR DEAF CHILDREN AND ADULTS

Wheaton, MD -- Continuing with its tradition of developing innovative software for deaf children and adults, the Institute for Disabilities Research and Training, Inc. announces the completion of eight products: American Sign Language Clip and Create, Clouds: A Paws Science Adventure, Spell Well: An American Sign Language Game, Marvin Teaches Fingerspelling, American Sign Language Songs for Kids, Vision Screen 9000, Con-SIGN-tration-3, and Con-SIGN-tration-4.

With American Sign Language Clip and Create you can design your own sign language materials using any of the over 2,700 sign clipart pictures and explanatory graphics. Custom printing features enable you to create letterhead, banners, posters, cards, postcards, and labels. Use six templates to customize crossword puzzles, SIGN-O cards, fingerspelling scrambles, ABC order worksheets, and word finds. Four games – Spell Well, Match Madness, Con-SIGN-tration, and Sort It Out! support spelling, sign language memory, receptive speed, and categorization skills.

Clouds: A Paws Science Adventure in American Sign Language is the first in a science series of CDs for children, ages 8 to 13. Three sections highlight information about nine cloud types, cloud facts, and weather reports. Click on “Cloud Facts” to learn all about clouds, how they are formed, and what they are made of. The weather report gives an exciting view of basic weather events and how they come to be. Accompanying each cloud type are 3 questions to test your knowledge before you can enter daring rescues or fun-filled games/activities. All communication is both signed in ASL and spoken in English by Paws the Pilot.

Spell Well: An American Sign Language Game challenges your knowledge of sign language and spelling. This intriguing software has 20 colorful game boards, each focusing on vocabulary covering different topics, such as School, Home, Food, Ocean, and the Environment. There are over 2,500 ASL signs vocabulary prompts. Spell enough words to reach the end of a game, and the screen comes alive with animation.

Marvin Teaches Fingerspelling is the coolest way yet to improve your receptive fingerspelling skills. Beginners can learn to recognize the different hand shapes that make up the letters of the alphabet. Signers of every ability level can practice reading many fingerspelled words at speeds varying from novice to expert. After becoming confident with your fingerspelling perception, test your new skills and receive an evaluation of your performance. Can you read Marvin’s blazingly fast fingers to qualify as a world champion?

American Sign Language Songs for Kids visually conveys six commonly known children’s songs using animation of the notes and volume, as well as videos of Paws the signing dog. Songs include The Wheels on the Bus, The Green Grass Grows All Around, Happy Birthday, The Ants Go Marching, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, and Old MacDonald Had a Farm. Play each song line by line, watch the whole song unfold, or learn what it means in ASL.

Vision Screen 9000 is a computerized vision screening system. It provides a simple, straight-forward method of detecting possible vision problems in six critical areas: Far Acuity, Near Acuity, Depth Perception, Color Vision, Macular Health, and Eye Movement. The program provides video demonstrations of vision screening procedures to help users understand proper techniques. There are also ASL videos to provide access for users who are deaf. The program will maintain vision screening data files on an unlimited number of subjects and retrieve them as needed, making it an ideal tool for families, schools, businesses, and other entities that feel visual skills are critical.

Joining the success of previous renditions, Con-SIGN-tration 3 and 4 are hot off the press and available for sale. These games challenge reading and memory skills by requiring the player to match ASL pictures to English words that disappear if no match is made. Two levels of challenge make the game appropriate for almost any age player. Con-SIGN-tration-3 covers ten categories--On the Move, School Days, School Stuff, Hobbies, Arts, Transportation, Play Time, Dress Yourself, Body, and Grammar. Con-SIGN-tration-4 covers ten categories--Careers, City Places, Government, Food-2, House, In the Kitchen, Careers, Down on the Farm, Home Sweet Home, and Animals-3.

Visit our website for additional information about these innovative software programs.