Welcome to NICAT
The Northern Illinois Center for Adaptive Technology opened its doors in January, 1990. The NICAT center is a local partnership between United Cerebral Palsy Blackhawk Region, the Rockford Public Schools, and persons with disabilities and their families. We are committed to the ideals of the Alliance for Technology Access and believe we are offering a much needed service to the local community. Our mission is to help people with disabilities reach their full potential by providing information on the latest technology and by matching adaptive devices to their disabilities empowering them to more effectively interface with their environment.
We are a proud member of The Alliance for Technology Access.
NICAT Services
- Individualized consultation services by appointment.
- Workshops and training opportunities for people with disabilities, their families, businesses, service providers, and teachers.
- Hands-on access to assistive technology before purchase and access to a loan program of toys, computers, software, and assistive devices.
- On-going technical support at home, school, and work for people with disabilities, their families, and businesses.
- Working with vendors and developers of products, doing beta testing of equipment and software, developing new products and materials (such as Computer Resources for People with Disabilities, and modifying existing materials and equipment.
- Facilitating vendors and users of assistive technology working together; Providing information resources through videos, books, and hands-on access to a lab of assistive devices.
- Training and technical support to teachers in the classroom (teaching them how to use equipment, how to match software and hardware to curriculum, helping them adapt and modify their classes that will support the inclusion of students with disabilities.
- Advocacy for children and adults with disabilities: working with them through the system to help them acquire funding for devices and services.
- Providing ADA assistance to individuals and businesses.
- Public awareness activities, informing the media, businesses, and the general public about issues related to disabilities.
Consumer Benefits
As a consumer of the Northern Illinois Center for Adaptive Technology you will have opportunities:
- Technical assistance. We can help explain the equipment and its applications.
- Hands-on basic computer use.
- Review publications and try out software, hardware and adaptive devices.
- Preview switches and toys which provide a transition to computers.
- Attend workshops and presentations.
- Individualized consultation services, by appointment.
- Collaboration with other local and state technology resources.
Current Assistive Technology Projects
Equipment Recycling and Repair Project
We have been able to find, salvage and upgrade a number of computers for use with children who can not write in a conventional manner. We have 6 units out being used by children with disabilities at the present time and we have plans for many more.
If you are interested in donating outmoded hardware or software we are accepting the following:
Hardware
- Processor : 486 or higher
- Speed : 66 MHz or faster
- Hard Drive : 40 Mb or larger
- Monitors : VGA or SVGA (Color)
- Printers : Dot Matrix, Ink jet, or Laser(please no daisy wheel or impact printers)
- Peripherals : Mice, keyboards, power cables and printer cables
Software
- Educational Productivity (Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Database, etc.)
- Drawing programs
- Games (prefer educational or interactive) - Please, no Doom or Duke Nukem type programs.
Adaptive Toy Project
Many children dream of finding the latest battery operated toy under the Christmas tree. For some children though, this means Santa's helpers will be especially busy. We have teamed up with local merchants to provide toys which will be custom adapted to the needs of developmentally disabled and economically disadvantaged children in the Rockford area.