WVATS Quarterly Newsletter
Spring 2003

Articles:   [WVATS]   [Resources]   [Tools]   [State]   [National]   [DBTAC]   [AgrAbility]  

WVATS Helps BIOSS Make Work4WV One-Stop Career Centers Accessible

According to the 2000 Census, 234,288 individuals with disabilities between the ages of 21 and 64 live in West Virginia. Only 32% of these individuals are employed. A Harris Poll conducted in 2000 indicated that two of three individuals with disabilities would prefer to work. The purpose of the Building Inclusive One-Stop Systems (BIOSS) grant is to expand the ability of One-Stop Centers to deliver services to customers with disabilities seeking employment assistance. The project is a statewide endeavor working with the Workforce Investment Boards and comprehensive Work4WV One-Stop Career Centers.

The BIOSS project intends to build the capacity of Work4WV One-Stop Career Centers to provide accessible information and services so individuals with disabilities will have an opportunity to gain competitive employment and be able to make more informed choices regarding employment possibilities. To achieve these goals, BIOSS staff is providing training and technical assistance to Work4WV One-Stop Career Centers on disability and employment issues. BIOSS staff members offer training and technical assistance to employers about hiring individuals with disabilities, are developing a statewide resource directory, and are working to build a statewide network of partners from the disability and employment fields.

WVATS staff members are providing technical assistance to BIOSS to make One-Stop Centers accessible. WVATS staff are providing on-site physical facility ADA assessments and making recommendations on how these sites can meet ADA standards. In addition to physical access, WVATS staff members are providing technical assistance to develop fully accessible computer workstations in the comprehensive one-stops. WVATS staff members developed specifications for the accessible hardware and software programs, and are designing user-manuals for the software programs, aiding BIOSS staff to install and test the accessible workstations. WVATS will conduct trainings with BIOSS staff for the One-Stops on how to use the hardware and software.

BIOSS staff members want to create a seamless service system at the Work4WV One-Stop Career Centers so that One-Stop staff can provide meaningful assistance to individuals with disabilities who are looking for employment and job training opportunities.

BIOSS is a Work Incentive Grant funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. BIOSS is a partnership that includes the West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services, the Governor's Workforce Investment Division and is headquartered at the Center for Excellence in Disabilities at West Virginia University, a part of Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center. For more information about BIOSS, call 304-293-4692 or e-mail jwerner@hsc.wvu.edu

ADAPT News

STOP THE FREEZE

ADAPT WV was one of many advocacy organizations for the elderly and disabled in West Virginia to sign a position statement regarding the current aged and disabled waiver freeze which began on January 1, 2003. Our call for an end to the freeze was provided to every legislator as well as the Governor's office on March 5, 2003. The statement reads as follows:

"We, the undersigned advocacy groups for citizens of West Virginia, are profoundly disturbed by the freeze on Medicaid Aged and Disabled Waiver slots beginning January 1, 2003. The freeze may result in individuals who are elderly or have disabilities being forced into nursing home placement or being at risk of abuse and neglect. Based on an average cost of $28,000 per year for nursing home placement and $13,000 per year for the Aged and Disabled Waiver, the state saves $15,000 per person per year by providing services in the community. The decision by the Department of Health and Human Resources to freeze a community-based program under the guise of cost savings is a direct contradiction of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as upheld by the Olmstead Decision of the United States Supreme Court, which sets forth the right of individuals to live in the most integrated setting."

"While the ADA does not mandate services, it does require that community-based options be available when services are provided. The long-term solution would be to structure the system so that the money follows the person, eliminating the problem of increased costs. Freezing this Waiver program takes away the basic freedoms that individuals who are elderly or have disabilities are guaranteed as citizens of West Virginia. The Aged and Disabled Waiver must continue to be an option for eligible individuals."

"A waiting list of two hundred individuals in need of services has been compiled since the freeze was instituted, with more individuals being added every day. Therefore, additional funding is necessary in order to address the unmet need, even if some individuals currently on the Aged and Disabled Waiver program are found to be ineligible and removed ..."

This request was submitted by the: WV Self Determination Initiative, Fair Shake Network, AARP West Virginia, ADAPT WV, and WV Statewide Independent Living Council.

The West Virginia Legislature did not take action to end the freeze during its recently ended session, which puts people at risk of being forced into an institution and or possible neglect. We must raise our voices in our home communities to let DHHR and the governor know that we will not allow our brothers and sisters to be left at risk. The freeze must END!

For more information contact ADAPT WV at 304-598-0171, e-mail us at adapt@labyrinth.net or visit us at www.labs.net/adapt/

Eighth Annual PATHS Conference

Planning is underway for the eighth Annual Partnerships in Assistive TecHnologieS (PATHS) Conference scheduled for September 17-19 at the Charleston Civic Center.

WVATS and WV DBTAC will present full-day sessions as two of the preconference workshops on the 17th. WVATS will conduct a one-day version of the "Fundamentals of Assistive Technology" training curriculum which will provide participants with a basic awareness and understanding of assistive technology and how it can affect their education, employment, and daily life.

WV DBTAC will offer a one-day "Computer Access Assessment Training Institute" (CAATI) to train participants on how to assess options for individuals with disabilities who wish to use a computer. CAATI will concentrate on computer hardware and software for individuals with cognitive impairments.

In addition, other full-day preconference workshops will include: Karen Casey of the Durham Developmental Center in Durham, North Carolina presenting "1 Potato, 2 Potato, 3 Potato, 4," Jennifer McFarland and Kim Ramsey of the Autism Training Center in Huntington, WV presenting "PECS for Beginners," and Pat Haberbosch of West Virginia Parent Training and Information (WVPTI) conducting a session on "The IEP and AT."

More extensive information about PATHS will be in the next issue of the WVATS Newsletter. If you have questions, please call WVATS at 800-779-8287.

Southern Resource Best Practice

By Marc Canaday

For nearly 15 years now, I have used a dog guide. Over the years, I have encountered a great many misconceptions and misunderstandings about their role as a support animal. My current dog (Melvin) is a terrific worker, but possesses nowhere near the "powers" or responsibilities many people attribute to him.

People have asked me "How does the dog know when to cross the street?" And, on those occasions, when I have altered a predictable route by turning left rather than right, people have called out in alarm "Hey! Your friend (Melvin) is taking you the wrong way"! Believe it or not, people have actually asked, "How does that dog know where the grocery store is?"

There is an apparent assumption by some people that it is the responsibility of the guide dog to "lead," and that I, as a blind person, should simply follow. When I explain that dog guides really can't read "WALK" and" "DON'T WALK" signs, and that a dog doesn't "take" a blind person anywhere, much less to the grocery store, I get reactions ranging from puzzlement and confusion to downright irritation. The idea that it is the responsibility of the dog guide user to control and direct the dog seems absolutely foreign to some.

I've noticed similar assumptions and misconceptions about the role of assistive technology in the lives of people with disabilities. There is a tendency to view assistive technology as doing "for" people with disabilities rather than being used "by" people with disabilities to do for themselves. This is reflected in the language we use. Screen readers such as JAWS, for example, are often touted as software that is able to "read" the computer screen "to people who are blind or visually impaired," rather than as a product blind people can use to "read" information themselves. Augmentative communication devices that "speak for" those who can't "talk for themselves" is yet another example of this.

I know that many of you are thinking that this is nothing more than semantics. Perhaps, but I don't think so. After all, how many of you have a computer that "wrote" that memo you sent to your boss yesterday? And, by the way, did your car "bring" you to work this morning ... or did you drive yourself?

Language is important. Our words and the way we use them are indicative of our true thoughts and feelings. What we say can also influence and shape the way we think. More importantly though, our words influence the way others think. As we talk and write about assistive technology, let's always be cognizant of the words we use, and diligent in communicating that assistive technology is crucial, not because it does something "for" people with disabilities, but because it allows people with disabilities the dignity of doing things "for themselves."

WVATS Advisory Board Meeting

The WVATS Advisory Board met February 13, 2003, at the Embassy Suites in Charleston to discuss future plans for WVATS and elect new officers for 2003. Elected were Ron Jalbert, chair; Bob Craig, vice chair; and Kathy Beck, secretary.

Ron, a member of Parkersburg TechLink, is retired from General Electric and has been involved with WVATS since its inception.

Bob, who lives in Marion County, is a senior laboratory instrumentation specialist for the Physiology Department, West Virginia University. Bob, parent of a child with special needs, served as chair of the WVATS Board during 2001 and 2002.

Kathy is the director of the Consumer Services Division for the West Virginia Insurance Com-mission. She has served as a member of the WVATS Board for over five years.

If you have questions or comments about the WVATS Advisory Board, please call Ron Jalbert at 304-485-7068 or e-mail him at rjalber@attglobal.net.

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The Resource Section

LDOnLine

Calling itself "the leading website on learning disabilities for parents, teachers, and other professionals," this site offers a host of resources. You can find answers to questions, post your own questions, review recent research, and even shop in the LD Store.

Sections include: "LD In Depth" with information on many topics related to learning disabilities and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder; "ABCs of LD/ADD," providing information about definitions, diagnosis, and remediation; "First Person," stories by individuals with learning disabilities; and "Kid Zone," helping kids understand their own or others' learning disability.

The site also provides a space for readers to ask their own questions related to LD and ADD. Teaching strategies, assessment issues, and suggestions for using technology are included on the Teachers' Home Page. Visit this page at www.ldonline.com

MS Learn Online

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society's "MS Learn Online" is a quarterly interactive educational program, featuring knowledgeable speakers presenting on a variety of topics of interest to people affected by MS. The program is offered "live" the third Thursday of December, March, June, and September.

MS Learn Online programs (live, archived, or as a transcript) can be accessed at www.nationalmssociety.org

Information obtained from MSConnection Fall 2002 issue.

CADRE

Parents or teachers who become involved in disagreements over appropriate education for children with disabilities may find this site valuable. CADRE, the National Center on Dispute Resolution, says it "encourages the use of mediation and other collaborative strategies to resolve disagreements about special education and early intervention programs."

Resources for training are avail-able as are answers to frequently asked questions about disputes and mediation. CADRE provides a database to assist users in finding special education conflict resolution professionals in their home area. Visit this site at www.directionservice.org/cadre/ or call 541-686-5060 (Voice) or 541-284-4740 (TTY).

Family Village

Family Village calls itself "a global community that integrates information, resources, and communication opportunities on the Internet for persons with cognitive and other disabilities, for their families, and for those who provide services and support." From the home page, readers can access a host of other disability-related sites, enter chat rooms on disability-related topics, or research specific disability areas in the "Library." The Family Village also provides resources related to community, worship, recreation and leisure. Visit this site at www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/index.html

Qualitymall.org

Qualitymall.org showcases ideas, programs, information, products and supports in person-centered services for people with developmental disabilities. It is not a retailer or vendor of products or services, but uses the theme of a shopping mall to help connect visitors to products and services.

Product pages contain detailed descriptions, contact information, and Web links. Managers at both the store and department levels work to ensure a comprehensive array of products is listed and maintained.

For more information, visit their web site at www.qualitymall.org or call 612-624-6328.

Kodak Lesson Plans

Each lesson plan provides uses of photography or photographs to achieve the desired outcomes for learners with special needs. Objectives focus on a wide variety of areas including speech and language, functional academics, art, and community involvement. Visit this site at www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/education/lessonPlans/indices/specialEducation.shtml

CHADD - Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

CHADD provides information about Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. The site provides answers to frequently-asked questions, fact sheets and up-to-date research.

CHADD is a resource for parents seeking to know what services and supports are available in public schools for their children with ADHD. Federal legislation related to special education (IDEA) and supports available in the regular classroom (ADA and Section 504) are explained and reviewed. Visit this site at www.chadd.org/index.cfm or call 800-233-4050.

Internet Resources for West Virginians with Disabilities

WV Waiver Families
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/WV_waiver_families/
A discussion and resource group for West Virginia families of Title XIX MR/DD Waiver participants to share ideas and experiences. Topics also include Title V CSHCN (Children with Special Health Care Needs), and other medical issues. To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to: WV_waiver_families_subscribe@YahooGroups.com

Special Education in WV
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/sped_in_wv/
A discussion and resource group for West Virginians involved with special education. To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to: SpEd_in_WV_subscribe@YahooGroups.com

The Adaptive Equipment Exchange
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AdEqEx
A free message board and discussion group for the donation, trade, or sale of adaptive equipment and/or supplies that are no longer needed or wanted. To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to: AdEqEx_subscribe@YahooGroups.com

WV Waiver Jobs
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WV_waiver_jobs
Companion group to WV Waiver Families. A job matching service for families and caregivers. To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to: WV_waiver_jobs_subscribe@YahooGroups.com

WVPTI
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVPTI
West Virginia Parent Training and Information has regional trainers, all of whom are parents of children with special needs.

WV Kids with Special Needs
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVKidswithSpecialNeeds
A discussion group designed for parents, caregivers, educators, and therapists in West Virginia to support one another for the benefit of children.

WV Parent Empowerment Network
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvparentempowermentnetwork
A West Virginia network of parents with disabilities.

WV Advocates, Inc.
http://www.wvadvocates.org
The state's designated Protection and Advocacy organization.

ADAPT WV
http://www.labs.net/adapt/
ADAPT WV is a grassroots advocacy group.

CED
http://www.cedwvu.org
The Center for Excellence in Disabilities at West Virginia University web site has descriptions of the Center's thirty programs.

PASS - a Tool for Self Directional Vocational Rehabilitation

PASS (Plan for Achieving Self-Support) is a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) rule that allows people with disabilities to set aside income (other than SSI) and/or resources to achieve specific work goals. A PASS can be set up to cover the costs of obtaining an education, starting a business or purchasing support services that enable individuals to work and that result in a reduction and/or cessation of benefits.

These support services can include but are not limited to:

With a PASS in effect, the Social Security Administration does not count any income or resources that are set aside and spent on job goal related items against a person's monthly SSI check. For more information call the Social Security Administration's PASS at 800-254-9489.

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Powerful Tools

Infra-Link "Elevator Control"
Infra-Link's wireless remote control system uses infrared signals to enable individuals with physical disabilities to access the elevator, open the door, select the floor level and use the emergency call button.

An Intra-Link Infrared (IR) receiver can be installed on each floor to which the elevator is to be called. The IR receiver is placed above the elevator door. When the receiver is activated, the elevator is called and the automatic sliding doors are opened. If the elevator is already on the floor level, the doors are opened.

For more information visit http://www.zygo-usa.com/elvctrl.html or call 800-234-6006.

Adaptive Computer Workstation
The ErgoQuest Model 300 Sit/Stand/Recline Workstation allows computer users to work from a sitting, standing, or reclining position. The Model 300 is for computer users who have no alternative but to work from bed in a fully reclined position, users who have back pain that requires them to change positions frequently from reclining to sitting to standing positions to reduce stress on the back, and users who want to prevent repetitive stress injuries by changing working positions frequently throughout the day. ErgoQuest adaptive computer workstation

The keyboard tray has spring-loaded sleeves that adjust in width to accommodate a wide variety of keyboard sizes and types. The mechanism has two pivot points, allowing the tray to tilt through 90 degrees and provide a range of keyboard positions for the user working in a reclined position. A modified tray is available that can accommodate a notebook computer.

The keypad provides push-button controls of the motorized legs and motorized tilt platform, allowing the user full control over tabletop and platform positions. Several keypad options are available to meet individual user needs. The motorized tilt platform tilts monitors weighing up to 50 pounds from 0-60 degrees, allowing the computer user to view the monitor from a reclined position. The platform also accommodates LCD monitors.

For more information, call 888-298-2898 or visit the web site at www.ergoquest.com

New Portable TTY

Phone calls on the go are now possible for deaf individuals using the Ameriphone Q90 Mobile TTY. The Q90 Mobile TTY is portable and designed to work with the new generation of TTY-compatible digital cellular phones. The Q90 Mobile TTY connects to a TTY-compatible digital cell telephone and is used to send text over the telephone lines, allowing a deaf or hard-of-hearing person to communicate directly over the telephone. Relay service allows the TTY user to converse with the person on the other end, whether that person also has a TTY, or, in some circumstances, a TTY-compatible computer or a standard telephone. The cost for the Q90 TTY is $249.95. Call 800-874-3005 for more information.

Hear Your Rx Bottles

The Talking Rx is a digital recorder packaged in a base unit, which is attached to standard prescription bottle. The recorder unit is only one and a half inches high. Either the pharmacist or health-care provider can record a customized message - how many pills to take, when and what for and any special instructions or precautions. Up to 60 seconds of information can be recorded.

Once the information is recorded, all the patient has to do is put the container within three inches of the ear and push the red button on the side to listen. For those with dexterity problems, you can roll it on a flat surface to listen.

For more information visit www.talkingrx.com or call 860-426-0542.

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State News

Seizure Support Group Awarded Affiliate Status

The Epilepsy Foundation national board of directors awarded affiliate status to the West Virginia Seizure Support Group, a South Charleston-based organization, during its regular fall meeting held here this month.

The Epilepsy Foundation is the leading national organization working to ensure that people with seizures are able to participate in life. Its goals are to prevent, control and cure epilepsy through research, education, advocacy and services. The new West Virginia affiliate joins the organization's network of 58 state and local affiliates providing direct services in the community.

General hours of operation are 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. The office is closed the first and third Thursday each month, as well as the second and fourth Wednesday of the month.

For more information call 866-746-9570.

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National News

Voting Rights Law Passes

President Bush signed voting right legislation calling for a least one accessible voting machine at each polling site by 2006. The legislation provides funding to replace punch-card and lever voting machines with easier-to-use technology and earmarks $100 million to create polling place access.

The new law- the Martin Luther King Jr. Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2002 - is the culmination of the National Organization on Disability's (NOD) 14-year-long push for voter reform. "The technology for full accessibility now exists, and therefore we should be able to vote in the same place and on the same day as everyone else," says Alan A. Reich, president of NOD and a wheelchair user for 40 years. "Congress is to be commended for recognizing the importance of this issue to this very large constituency, as is President Bush for making this an item in his New Freedom Initiative and signing the bill into law."

ArcLink

The ArcLink is a new nonprofit organization whose goal is to provide resources that empower individuals with cognitive, intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families to make sound choices about services that support their full participation in the community. For more information about TheArcLink, go to www.thearclink.org

New Aging Family Caregiver Support Projects

The ARC of the United States received a grant from the U.S. Administration on Aging (AOA) to help older parents, grandparents, and other older caregivers of children and adults with developmental disabilities obtain supports and services from local aging agencies.

This grant is part of the national Family Caregivers Support Program under the Older Americans Act. The ARC and local or state aging and disability organizations will develop and conduct a series of workshops designed to help local groups build coalitions and more effectively channel resources to these older families.

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WV DBTAC News

CART - Communication Access Realtime Translation and Captioning

CART/Realtime captioning is the instantaneous translation of the spoken language into English text. The roots of the process are in court reporting, however CART writers and captionists need specific training to build "dictionaries" and be able to "write" at speeds, which can exceed 260 words per minute.

Captionists and CART writers listen to the spoken word and enter it into their steno keyboard phonetically. They usually do not type letters; rather, they stroke in syllables. Combinations of strokes are sent to the computer and translated against a dictionary of strokes. These combinations of strokes are termed dictionary entries. The writer has to remember the combination of strokes in the computer dictionary so the word translates accurately. A skilled writer will have a dictionary in excess of 70,000 entries.

After the strokes are translated into words, the words are sent from the computer to an encoder that puts the words on the TV screen where you can read them. The entire process takes only two seconds on average.

Although the goal of those who write for Caption First is to capture 100% of what is spoken and translate that at 98% accuracy, mistakes do occur. Either the writer simply "misstroked" the word causing the mistake or the word was not in the dictionary. When words are not in the dictionary, the computer does its best to "sound out" the phonetic strokes.

Caption First, Inc. has provided realtime captioning services nation-ally since 1989. The company's goal is to provide equal access for everyone, breaking down communication barriers that presently exist for people who are deaf or hard of hearing as well as those for whom English is a second language. For more information visit the web site at www.captionfirst.com or call 800-825-5234. The following are samples of CART services provided by Caption First.

One-on-One CART: On-site CART, where the CART provider and one or two people with hearing loss are the only viewers of the translation on the computer screen.

Overhead CART: This method is used for larger gatherings, such as meetings, seminars, hearings, conventions, or classrooms. After the translation is complete, it is displayed via an LCD projector or television monitors for everyone to view.

Internet CART: Internet CART is the newest technology. It requires the client to have a computer with an internet browser. The voice connection is established through a conference call. The CART provider establishes a "meeting room" on the Internet. After the voice and the "meeting room" are established, the CART provider hears and writes what is spoken. The strokes are translated into English text and sent to the "meeting room" on the Internet. Clients are able to access the secure "meeting room" with a password and read the translated English text virtually instantaneously.

Broadcast Captioning: This method is similar to Speaker Image Captioning but allows for the captioned video image to be viewed simultaneously at widely separated locations.
The captioned signal is transmitted via microwave, cable station or satellite. This method of captioning is used for town meetings, distance learning, teletrainings and television programs.

Speaker Image Captioning: The ability to see the speaker's image with the captions directly underneath is accomplished by mixing the camera video signal with the English text captions in a special encoder box. Two or three lines of text are visible at all times.
The captioned speaker image is placed on one or several TV monitors or is projected on one or more large screens. This method of display is used at conventions, large gatherings, and schools. In addition to a text file, a captioned videotape can be provided.

WVDBTAC Training Workshops

WVDBTAC offers a variety of trainings to meet your needs. These free workshops can be adapted to time restrictions and are available statewide.

Helping Tools for Access to Information Technology

This workshop was developed to train education personnel including: school district technology coordinators, procurement officers, college/university computer services or support departments and faculty and interested others such as parents and advocates about issues and solutions related to access to information technology in education.

Accessible Web Design

It is important when designing a web site to ensure that all users will be able to access information. This workshop provides an overview of web site accessibility and the official standards for Section 508 compliance. Also, included are general web page designs and specifics for graphics and audio features of a web site.

Section 508

Federal agencies must ensure that information technology is accessible to individuals with disabilities. This workshop provides an overview of Section 508 and how it relates to institutions and agencies. Suggestions are made on how entities can become Section 508 compliant. For more information on Section 508 visit www.section508.gov/508awareness/

Hardware and Software Accessibility

Many individuals are interested in computer hardware and software accessibility. This workshop provides individuals with information regarding accessible hardware and software programs. Programs include Jaws, Zoomtext, Kurzweil 3000, Co:Writer, and Dragon Naturally Speaking. Others may be able to be provided upon request.

Captioning

Video captioning is important in web design, distance learning and classroom videos. This workshop is being developed to provide educational sites with an understanding of the process of video captioning.
If you would like more information or would like to schedule a workshop please contact WVDBTAC at 1-800-841-8436 or e-mail nreese@hsc.wvu.edu

What is Section 508?

In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act to include Section 508, which has criteria that spell out what makes information technology products accessible to persons with disabilities, including those with vision, hearing, and mobility disabilities. The law applies to all federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use information technology. Federal agencies must ensure that this technology is accessible to employees and the public.

The West Virginia Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center (WVDBTAC) presents educational training sessions on the Section 508 provisions for public and private schools, and other state and federal agencies. These sessions will help schools and organizations with federal funding understand Section 508 guidelines and how it will affect them.

If you would like more information about Section 508 guidelines or would like to schedule training, please contact WVDBTAC at 1-800-841-8436 or e-mail nreese@hsc.wvu.edu

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West Virginia Agrability

Do you belong to an organization whose members might want to know more about West Virginia AgrAbility? Please call to arrange an AgrAbility presentation. We would like to share information with your organization about the AgrAbility Project and how it helps farmers and their families.

1-800-841-8436 or assist@sunnyelkins.com

Plant to Improve Your Hunting

By Brian J. Burhans
Sportsmen Spring 2002, page 42-45

Want wild turkeys? Then you need to know one word and one word only: chufa (chew-fa). It's a strange word, alright, but there's nothing better in this world to draw the ole game bird to your land and keep him there.

It's the favorite food among turkey circles. You'll see. Once they find a patch, the ground looks like a pack of wild hogs thundered through. And for the disabled sportman, planting food plots can drastically improve hunting opportunities by bringing the game bird into gun range.

"I haven't seen any other planting that can change the movement patterns of wild turkey like chufa," said NWTF wildlife biologist Tom Hughes, who planted it several years ago on the 23,000-acre Millhaven Plantation in Screven County, Ga., to improve turkey hunting there. "Once the birds find the chufa, they'll keep coming back in the fall, winter and well into the spring."

So what is chufa, anyway? Without getting too technical, its an edible tuber from a simple plant - sedge. If you've never heard of chufa, maybe you know it by some other name: yellow nut grass or earth almond, rush nut or Florida almond. Each plant produces 15 to 75 tubers that wild turkeys scratch out of the ground once the tops turn brown.

When it comes to planting food plots, there is no magic seed, but Turkey Gold Chufa comes mighty close. So don't miss out on this surefire turkey attractor. Waterfowl love it, too. All you need is a pond or wetland area where you can control the water levels so the chufa fields can be flooded in the fall. Combined with millet, your waterfowl impoundment will attract and hold more ducks, which will provide for some spectacular shooting.

To order your bag of gold, call Andy Adams at 800-843-6983, or e-mail aadams@nwtf.net. You can also place your order online at www.nwtf.org

Use these tips to help you grow a great Turkey Gold Chufa plot this spring:

Added note: In general, if you can grow corn, you can grow chufa. Chufa grows best in moderate to well-drained ground. Sandy or loamy soils are preferred, but chufa will grow in clay, as well.

Motorized lay-down work carts

"There has got to be a better way," is a thought that has gone through nearly every small farmer's mind after stooping, squatting or crawling for hours in berry or vegetable rows. An alternative is to use a motorized lay-down work cart that lets you lie face down while you work. Lying down instead of stooping or bending is less tiring and easier on your body. The work cart also holds your harvest container, so it moves along with you. This tip sheet will focus on the Swedish-made Drangen, and on the Finnish-made Crawler (Ryomija).

person using a lay-down work cart How does it work?

Drangen and Crawler each look like a massage table mounted on snowmobile treads or wheels, powered by a small motor. One or more workers lie on padded supports that suspend them over the crop row. Both hands are free to pick, weed, or tend plants while the rest of the body rests comfortably. One person steers and adjusts speed with foot controls. Padded supports and framework can be adjusted to fit individual workers. The frame also adjusts, so you can position both the worker and the tracks or wheels right where you want them.

Benefits:

Less fatigue and discomfort. Prolonged kneeling or stooping to harvest and weed puts vegetable and berry growers in one of the highest risk groups for occupational injuries. If you do these tasks while lying down, you eliminate knee and leg strain and reduce strain on your back and torso. You don't get tired as quickly and you can comfortably work for a longer time. In a Finnish study of the Crawler, strawberry pickers' pulse rates were on average 10% lower when working on the lay-down cart than without it. With Drangen, the small motor is behind you so you don't breathe fumes, and it is quiet enough to listen to a radio or talk as you work. The Crawler is battery powered, which eliminates exhaust and further reduces noise.

Faster. Using a motorized lay-down cart can increase your speed, since both you and the crop you've picked move together along the row. Faster harvesting and quicker time to market maintains high crop quality. In our field trials, farmers using Drangen harvested up to 24% faster and weeded up to 23% faster compared to similar work by hand.

Improves profits. Cutting harvest or weeding time can save labor costs. Compared to using a tractor-pulled harvest platform you will not need an extra person to drive the tractor. You may also save on medical costs or miss less work due to injury.

Material is not copyrighted.Feel free to reproduce; please mention source: University of Wisconsin Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project, September 2001; Second Edition.

Authors: Astrid Newenhouse, Bob Meyer, Marcia Miquelon, and Larry Chapman, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin, 460 Henry Mall, Madison, WI 53706.

A Note From WV AgrAbility

The lay-down work cart would be an asset to any farmer and would be particularly useful for farmers with disabilities who desire to continue farming. For more information about assistive technologies for the farm, call 1-800-841-8436.

West Virginia AgrAbility is in search of West Virginia farmers who are interested in sharing their creative and innovative ideas, like the lay-down work cart, with other farmers around the state. We would like to build an Ingenuity Network of farmers who have modified equipment and/or their home or farm, to make life a little easier. For more information about the WV AgrAbility Project Ingenuity Network, please contact Janet Della-Giustina or Tom Stockdale at 1-800-626-4748 or email Jan.Della-Giustina@mail.wvu.edu and Tom.Stockdale@mail.wvu.edu

West Virginia Wheelin' Sportsmen

Wheelin' Sportsmen is the official publication of the Wheelin' Sportsman National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF). Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF is dedicated to providing all people with disabilities the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. Wheelin' Sportsmen magazine is dedicated to the education and entertainment of outdoors enthusiasts with disabilities and their able-bodied outdoor partners who want to become more involved in outdoor activities. Wheelin' Sportsmen is also committed to providing news about the Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF program and the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Pam Morgan is the Regional Coordinator for the state of West Virginia and she can be contacted by telephone at 334-877-4496 or via e-mail at pmorgannwtf@mindspring.com

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WVATS Newsletter

Editors: Marie Leichliter and Jamie Hayhurst jhayhurst@hsc.wvu.edu

Center for Excellence in Disabilities at West Virginia University Publications

Editorial Committee: Robert Chico, Beverly Sheets, Jeanne Grimm, Monica Andis, Lori Caterina Risk and Diane Williams

Design and Layout: Kim Palumbo

All printed materials produced by WVATS are available in Braille, electronic format, cassette tape and large print.

This publication was supported by funds from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), U.S. Department of Education, grant number H224a20011. The lead agency is the West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services. Contents of the newsletter are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the U.S. Department of Education or the Center for Excellence in Disabilities.

Web site address: www.cedwvu.org/programs/wvats/

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