Shannon Skibicki, a technology coordinator for the Northern Lights Special Education Cooperative, stands out above the crowd in the innovative field of assistive technology.
Skibicki, who works out of an office in the Garfield Community Center in Cloquet, was slated to travel to the Minnesota State Capitol on Wednesday to take her place among some 20 Minnesota citizens, educators and organizations being recognized for their commitment to removing barriers to independence for people with disabilities through the use of assistive technology.
A co-worker and supervisor nominated Skibicki for the 2007 Excellence in Assistive Technology Award, which she said is a great honor, especially coming from her peers.
Assistive technology is any device that "maintains or increases function of an individual with a disability." In layman's terms, Skibicki explained, it's any device or procedure that improves access to learning for folks with disabilities, such as installing a magnifying apparatus on the computer screen of a person with vision problems or a textbook scanner for a student with a learning disability that allows the computer to read the text back to him or her.
In her capacity with Northern Lights, Skibicki said she has worked increasingly in assistive technology over the five and a half years she's been there, installing software and hardware, training teachers, paraprofessionals and parents, and serving on state and local assistive technology committees designed to enhance its effectiveness and availability.
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Skibicki and her technology cohorts at Northern Lights assist a 12-district service area ranging as far north as Two Harbors and as far west as McGregor and including the Carlton County districts of Barnum, Carlton, Cloquet, Cromwell-Wright, Esko, Moose Lake, Willow River and Wrenshall.
Past recipients of the Excellence in Assistive Techology Award have included pioneers in the field of assistive technology, educators, AT professionals and consumers who promote the use of assistive technology.
Pine Journal Publisher/ reporter Wendy Johnson can be contacted at: wjohnson@pinejournal.com .
