1:05 p.m., March 10, 2010----Delawareans now have the opportunity to obtain assistive communication devices, called Zam Communicators, and peak flow meters for personal use, thanks to a donation to the Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative (DATI) by AstraZeneca.

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DATI is an initiative within the University of Delaware's Center for Disabilities Studies (CDS), which connects Delawareans who have disabilities with the tools they need in order to learn, work, play and participate in community life safely and independently.

“We are grateful for AstraZeneca's generous donation to DATI,” Tracy Mann, project leader of the Assistive Technology Recycling and Reuse grant at CDS, said. “We really want to get these products to people who can use them.”

The Zam Communicator is a two-sided device that enables a person who has a significant speech impairment to communicate by spelling out words using a keypad or pressing an icon to display a message on a LCD screen.

The peak flow meter is a hand-held device that measures people's ability to push air out of their lungs and can show signs that an asthma attack is coming. People with asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and pulmonary disease may use a peak flow meter to help stay healthy.

The devices must be distributed directly to patients and may not be distributed to or through physicians, other health care professionals, medical group practices or hospitals. They can be distributed directly to patient groups in individual, outpatient or health clinic settings.

If you, or someone you know, could use a communication device or a peak flow meter, contact DATI at 800-870-DATI (3284) or through the “contact us” button at the DATI Web site.

If you represent a group that would like CDS to distribute the peak flow meters to individuals in your program, contact Tracy Mann at (302) 831-3150.

Article by Jon Bleiweis