The meeting opened with members introducing themselves, what they do an where they work. Members were encouraged to fill out a SIG-11 Membership Resource Form (distributed by Dave Jaffe). In the future, information from these forms will be available on the SIG-11 home page. If you are a SIG-11 member and would like to fill out a Form or update your information, please contact Dave at 650/892-4464.

SIG-11 Website - Dave also briefly discussed the new RESNA SIG-11 web site which is currently under construction. Watch http://www.resna.org/sigs/sig11/index.htm for updates. Please contact him directly if you would like information from your Membership Resource Form to be included on the web page. This will assist members in contacting one another and finding resources for information and expertise.

SIG-11 events held at the conference were reviewed:

17 papers were submitted and reviewed by 6 SIG-11 members, only 1 paper was rejected.

The following were SIG-11 related conference events:

4 pre-conference workshops,

2 roundtables,

1 concurrent session,

Developer's Forum, and

Computer Based ECU Expo

There was an extensive discussion of future papers and workshops, etc - primarily what topics would be of interest to the group and to others in RESNA. The following suggestions for courses were offered:
• 
  
• Troubleshooting adaptive computer software/hardware problems
• Computer access assessments
• Working with interdisciplinary teams
• A.T. in a managed care environment
• Show-n-tell or case study presentations
• How to start an evaluation service in computer access on a limited budget
• Developing a Powerpoint presentation
• Product comparisons (this may lend itself to a roundtable format or panel discussions. Examples might include: voice recognition, on-screen keyboards, alternative keyboards)

Individuals also felt that a more informal opportunity to exchange information on different topics would be useful, such as roundtable discussions on voice recognition - how are others conducting evaluations, doing training, making recommendations and possibly another roundtable on funding options for computer access products.

Computer Access Assessment Working Group - David Wysocki volunteered to organize a working group interested in Computer Access Assessment. Approximately 16 people at the meeting expressed an interest in participating in this group. They plan to develop guidelines related to assessment and possibly a checklist of things to observe or try during an assessment. They may also develop a paper, course, roundtable, or panel discussion on this topic. Please contact David if you are interested in joining this group 919/575-7964 or by email at: davidwot@aol.com.

Members felt it would be helpful (both to individuals offering courses and to participants attempting to sign up for courses) to define the various levels used in the preliminary program to classify courses (i.e. beginner, intermediate, or advanced).

Organizing a SIG-11 meeting at the annual Closing the Gap Conference in October was discussed. This might generate interest in RESNA and SIG-11 for non-members. Members will be notified via the SIG-11 distribution list if a meeting is scheduled. A booth/display at the Closing the Gap exhibit hall, staffed by SIG-11 members was also suggested. If you will be attending the conference and are interested in volunteering for any period of time at this booth, please contact Patty Benzing. If members are interested in setting up a RESNA display at any other conference or in distributing membership brochures, they are encouraged to contact the RESNA office directly.

Other suggestions related to raising interest in RESNA and increasing conference/workshop attendance included:
• 
  
• promoting pre-conference workshops without requiring attendees to be RESNA members
• increasing the number of regional RESNA conferences

Developer's Forum - Methods for encouraging participation in and improving the marketing of the annual Developer's Forum were discussed. One option would be to advertise the Forum as `free' to first time companies wishing to participate (other companies currently pay a $100 donation). We should also take advantage of advertising the Forum through other SIGs since many of the products at the Forum would be of direct interest to them (i.e. augmentative communication).

The following companies participated in the Developer's Forum this year:

Alfalab Research Inc.

Bloorview MacMillan Centre

Frame Technologies

IBM/Beneficial Designs

Multimedia Designs

Prentke Romich Company

Sentient Systems

Southwest Assistive Technology Inc.

TASH International

Trace R&D Center

WesTest Engineering

Election Results - Results of this year's SIG chair and vice chair election were as follows:

Patty Benzing SIG-11 chair 6/97 - 6/99

Glen Ashlock SIG-11 vice chair 6/97 - 6/99

The new postal/electronic voting process resulted in an increase in ballots returned.

Please contact Patty Benzing if you are interested in volunteering for the following SIG-11 activities:
• 
  
• review papers and/or concurrent sessions for the 1998 conference
• help organize the Developer's Forum
• write an article for the RESNA newsletter

Patty Benzing
University Hospital School
100 Hawkins Dr., Room #333
Iowa City, IA 52242-1011
319/356-4657
patty-benzing@uiowa.edu