Two officials from the country of Mongolia will travel to Indianapolis in August to tour the Assistive Technology Center at Easter Seals Crossroads. The officials, both of whom are legally blind, will be accompanied by two U.S. State Department interpreters and will spend a day learning about facility’s resources for people with disabilities.
For 75 years, Easter Seals Crossroads has been a leader in not-for-profit organizations that serve both children and adults with disabilities and special needs. Specifically, the Assistive Technology Center provides extensive training and technical support for people to function more independently at home, school or at work. In 2007, Easter Seals Crossroads partnered with the State of Indiana, Bureau of Rehabilitative Services to establish the Indiana Assistive Technology Act (INDATA) Project. The INDATA Project is one of 56 similar, federally-funded projects designed to increase access and awareness of assistive technology. INDATA core services include: information and referral, funding assistance, public awareness and education, device demonstration, device loan, reutilized computers, and equipment reutilization.
The two Mongolian visitors are Ms. Gerel Dondovdorj, Executive Director for the Mongolian National Federation of the Blind and Mr. Tsengel Maidar, the Coordinator of Mongolia’s DAISY Talking Books project. They hope to gain knowledge about best practices in assistive technology.
In addition to its Assistive Technology Center, Easter Seals Crossroads provides a wide variety of programs and services to promote growth and independence for children and adults with disabilities. This includes medical rehabilitation and therapy services, Deaf services, employment services, summer camps and enrichment programs, industrial outsourcing services and many others.