By JW McNay/campus editor

Veterans and military-connected students with disabilities can learn more about available assistive technology at the SAR Technology Fair 1-3 p.m. Sept. 5 in WSTU 2414A on NW Campus.

The event is a collaboration between the Veterans Success Center and student accessibility resources.

“A lot of people don’t know what’s available to them,” said NW student development assistant Talisha Simpson.

Students are sometimes afraid to reach out for assistance, and the fair is a chance to get rid of some of the stigmas of receiving assistance for a disability, she said.

Physical, learning and emotional disabilities can all be accommodated with different assistive technologies, said NW student accessibility coordinator Paula Manning, adding examples such as smart pens, reader pens and tablet apps will be at the event.

Reader pens are electronic devices that scan text to be read aloud. Tablet apps assist with note-taking and organization, she said. And smart pens write notes and record audio simultaneously, which allows students to review notes and listen back to audio occurring at the time the note was made, Simpson said.

“This fall will be the first time the SAR Technology Fair will be held specifically for veterans and military-connected students,” NW veterans counselor Anna Hinman said.