The Marion I and Henry J. Knott Foundation granted LINC a $15,000 grant to support the continuation of The LINC Office Technology Training Project for high school students with disabilities. The project will train twenty special education students who will be transitioning from school to the workforce. The students are juniors and seniors at St. Elizabeth School in Baltimore.Ý Students will learn introductory computer skills such as keyboarding, data entry, proofing, word processing, scanning and spreadsheet usage.

LINC will provide the training expertise, specialized software, adaptive equipment, technical support and supplies for the project. This includes screen magnification software for students with vision impairment, alternatives to standard input methods such as voice recognition software, miniature and oversized keyboards with individual activation controls, and mouse alternatives such as touchscreens and large trackballs for students with physical disabilities.

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Access to a full range of special computer technology at school and at home is often inadequate.Ý The project will provide the school with specialized adaptive hardware and software needed by the students to prepare them for employment.

LINC has found that the studentsí prospects for moving beyond low paying jobs to higher paying work in the community would be greatly improved by intensive training in basic computer skills. Participation in technology training prior to student internships and jobs will enhance their job performance, and lead to more employment opportunities and higher paying jobs upon graduation, thereby helping to bridge the ìdigital divideî.

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In the past few years, LINCís Office Technology Training Program has had an excellent track record. For the 2002-2003 school year, technology training participants increased their typing speed by an average of 47%; their data entry accuracy increased by 30%.Ý Over 50% of the participants who completed the training found employment in positions that require the use of the skills learned during training.Ý We are looking forward to achieving even stronger outcomes in the upcoming year. Ý

LINC would like to thank The Marion I and Henry J. Knott Foundation for supporting the project with this generous grant.