Institute for Disabilities Research and Training, Inc.

11323 Amherst Avenue
Wheaton, Maryland 20902
United States
Telephone: 301-942-4326.
TT: 301-942-4326.
Fax: 301-942-4439.
Web: http://www.idrt.com.
Email: idrt@idrt.com.

Products manufactured by Institute for Disabilities Research and Training, Inc. (listed alphabetically)

1. ASL TALES AND GAMES FOR KIDS 1: WOOF WOOF WAY

   ASL Tales and Games for Kids 1: Woof Woof Way is an American Sign Language (ASL) training program designed for use by children who are deaf or hard of hearing. This is the first in a CD-ROM series with stories that happen in the neighborhood of Paws, the signing dog. Each piece of software in the series contains three stories and 10 games. In addition to Paws, there is a central group of characters (neighborhood children), most of whom are deaf, hard of hearing, or multiply disabled, and represent different ethnic groups. Each CD-ROM is named for a street in Pawstown. In each opening menu, the child can click on a building or area of the street to reach a menu for a story that relates to that neighborhood feature (e.g., library, playground, restaurant). The stories use repetition, patterned language, and predictable structure to encourage early reading skills. Some stories are interactive. Viewing options include audio and video clips of signing. The games concentrate on reading decoding, vocabulary building, signing skills, visual memory, visual perception, visual/motor coordination, early concepts such as categorization and matching, computer skills, and math. In addition to stories and games, each CD-ROM in the series includes a dictionary of vocabulary used in the software. Each word in the dictionary is shown in print, with a graphic depicting the concept and a line drawing of the related sign, as well as an option to view a video of the sign. The dictionary pages can be printed. The first CD in the Pawstown series, Woof Woof Way, includes stories about the Pet Store, the Toy Store and the Library, along with ASL stories in the ASL Video Store, and a visit to the Institute for Disabilities Research and Training (IDRT) office. The accompanying games include sequencing story events, completing sentences, designing an animal, identifying an object from its parts, counting money to pay for items in a story, categorizing items, designing a book cover, and spelling words.

2. BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE / AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR

   The British Sign Language / American Sign Language Translator is a sign language program designed for use by individuals who are deaf or hard or hearing. This computer program translates any of 1,000 words between four languages: British Sign Language (video), American Sign Language (video), British English (text), and American English (text). When a word is typed in or chosen from a list, the translation appears in the other three languages.

3. CON-SIGN-TRATION 1, 2, 3, & 4

   Con-SIGN-tration 1, 2, 3, and 4 are memory improvement and sign language programs designed for use by individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Each program comes on a CD-ROM that includes game programs that teach over 250 words in sign and English. Games can be played at two levels of difficulty. The program keeps score and randomizes every time it is played. Words are taught in 10 categories. In Con-SIGN-Tration, the categories are actions, numbers, time, food, colors, animals, people, opposites, feelings, and letters. In Con-SIGN-Tration 2, the categories include action, brainwork, celebrate, more action, create, describe it!, feelings, and opposites and more opposites. Paws the signing dog is a featured character. COMPATIBILITY: For use on IBM and compatible computers. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Pentium processor; Windows 95 or later operating system; 4X or better CD-ROM; color SVGA monitor that supports true color (16 bit).

4. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: A BEGINNER'S BOOK OF SIGNS

   Happy Birthday: A Beginner's Book of Signs, is a sign language training book designed for use by infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing. All the important words needed to help celebrate a birthday are here, including the numbers to help count the candles. Each page includes a photograph of the object and a drawing of the sign.

5. MEXICAN SIGN LANGUAGE/AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR

   The Mexican Sign Language/American Sign Language Translator is a sign language program designed for use by individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. With this program, translations can be obtained from ASL to MSL or vice versa by way of video clips showing actual signers. The sign language equivalents of almost 600 English and Spanish words can be identified in both ASL and MSL. The program can also be used to learn vocabulary from either language in both written and signed formats. COMPATIBLITY: For use on IBM and compatible computers. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: 166 megahertz (MHz) Pentium processor; Windows 95, 95 Plus, 98, or NT operating system; 32 megabytes (MB) memory; 16X or better CD-ROM; 15 MB hard disk space; SVGA color monitor with 16-bit or more colors and ability to set the screen size to 800 X 600 pixels and small fonts.

6. MYTTY

   MyTTY is a text telephone (TT) emulation program designed for use by individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. This software enables a computer to function as a TTY using a voice modem, the type of modem usually included with a personal computer. It takes the 1400 Herz (Hz) and 1800 Hz tones that represent characters in the TTY Baudot code and changes them to readable characters. It also creates these tones and sends them out over the telephone line through the computer's voice modem. COMPATIBILITY: For use on IBM and compatible computer. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows 7 operating system; 32 megabytes (MB) memory and 100 MB hard disk space; 16x CD-ROM drive; TAPI-compliant voice modem.

7. OPPOSITES: A BEGINNER'S BOOK OF SIGNS

   Opposites: A Beginner's Book of Signs is a sign language training book designed for infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing. Seven different pairs of opposites are shown in this board book. Each page includes a photograph of an object and a drawing of the sign for it.

8. PAWS SIGNS STORIES

   Paws Signs Stories is an American Sign Language (ASL) training program designed for use by children who are deaf or hard of hearing. It consists of a computer software CD-ROM with five stories and 15 educational games (three for each story). The stories are designed to teach early ASL skills, including visual discrimination, facial expression, sign location, and signs accompanied by movement (classifiers). The stories use repetition, patterned language, and predictable structure to encourage early reading skills. The games concentrate on reading decoding, vocabulary building, signing skills, visual memory, visual perception, visual/motor coordination, early concepts such as categorization and matching, computer skills, and math. For example, one game for the story "Time to Wash" requires the child to sort clothes by type into laundry baskets, and to count the number of items put in and taken out. Another game for that story teaches the English spelling and ASL fingerspelling for colors and types of clothing. Linda Bove, the deaf actress on Sesame Street, signs the stories, directions, and game items, dressed as Paws the dog. The CD comes with a User's Guide. OPTIONS: Available with or without a set of five storybooks. COMPATIBILITY: For use on IBM and compatible computers. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: 166 megahertz (MHz) Pentium processor; Windows 95, 95 Plus, 98, or NT operating system; 32 megabytes (MB) memory; 16X or better CD-ROM; 15 MB hard disk; 15-inch SVGA color monitor with 16-bit or more colors and capacity to set the screen size to 800 by 600 pixels and small fonts.

9. RESPONDING EFFECTIVELY TO 9-1-1 TTY CALLS

   Responding Effectively to 9-1-1 TTY Calls is text telephone training for emergency operators designed for use in training 911 operators to communicate with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. The training system is divided into four segments: (1) Who are the Deaf and Hard of Hearing? (2) How to use a TDD/TTY; (3) Understanding Language Differences; and, (4) Responding to Emergencies. Training can be implemented using an in-house trainer, a trainer from the Institute for Disabilities Research and Training (IDRT), or by participants themselves. The trainer has the choice of using the training package in its entirety at a single session, using each segment in separate training sessions, or integrating it into a 9-1-1 training program already in use. The complete training package includes a 50-minute Closed Captioned Training Video; a Trainer's Guide with Resource Manual; five Training Participant Workbooks; five Certificates of Completion; a Laminated Hot Sheet of Critical Information; an Interactive Call Simulation Computer Program; Information Collection Sheets; and a Computer Program Instruction Booklet.

10. RUSSIAN SIGN LANGUAGE/AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR

    The Russian Sign Language/American Sign Language Translator is a sign language program designed for use by individuals who are deaf or hear of hearing. This program enables the user to translate between four languages: Russian Sign Language (RSL), American Sign Language (ASL), Russian, and English. Any of 600 words can be identified in either Russian or English, and translated into the other three languages. All signs are depicted in video clips. COMPATIBILITY: For use on IBM and compatible computers. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Pentium II processor; Windows 95, 98, NT, ME, 2000, or XP operating system; 4X or better CD-ROM; 15 megabytes (MB) hard disk space; DirectX 8.0 (included on CD).

11. SPELL WELL

    Spell Well is a spelling tutorial program designed for use by children who are deaf or hard of hearing. This CD-ROM 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 (American Sign Language) sign and graphic vocabulary prompts. When the player spells enough words to reach the end of a game, the screen comes alive with animation.

12. ULTIMATE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE DICTIONARY

    The Ultimate American Sign Language Dictionary is a sign language dictionary designed for use by individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. All instructions and information on the CD-ROM are provided in ASL, as well as in text and audio. Drawings of all signs are also included. Words can be obtained by typing the words in English or describing them pictorially in ASL. "Spell check" is available for English words and "parameter check" for ASL words. Words, their part of speech, and their definitions are presented in ASL through videoclips and in English through text and audio. English definitions have been provided by Merriam Webster. COMPATIBILITY: For use on IBM and compatible computers. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Pentium processor; Windows 95, 98, NT, ME, 2000 operating system; 32 megabytes (MB) memory; 4X or better CD-ROM; 120 MB free disk space; color SVGA monitor that supports true color (16 bit) and 800 by 600 pixel display settings and small fonts.