Budd and Dolores Hagen, the founders of Closing The Gap, would like to welcome you to this Web Site. It is through their personal experiences raising a deaf child that Closing The Gap was created in 1983. Since that time Budd and Dolores have enjoyed sharing their experiences and insights with parents and professionals around the world.

Below is a brief description of their company, Closing The Gap, and a excerpt from Dolores' book, Microcomputer Resource Book for Special Education.

Description

Computers are tools that can provide solutions to many problems facing people with disabilities today. Closing The Gap, Inc. is an organization that focuses on computer technology for people with special needs through its bi-monthly newspaper, annual international conference and extensive web site.

Published six times a year, the Closing The Gap newspaper highlights hardware and software products appropriate for people with special needs, and explains how this technology is being implemented in education, rehabilitation, and vocational settings around the world.

The February/March issue of the newspaper, the annual Resource Directory, is a guide to the selection of the latest computer-related products available for people with special needs. (This acclaimed guide may also be purchased separately.)

Closing The Gap's annual international conference, Computer Technology in Special Education and Rehabilitation, is held each fall in Minneapolis, MN, exploring the many ways that technology is being used to enhance the lives of people with special needs. The 26th Annual Conference will be held October 16-18, 2008.

Thank you for taking time to look over our publication. We hope that you will find the information useful and that you will want to keep the information flowing by subscribing to Closing The Gap.

A personal reflection

"I look to the world of tomorrow as a place I want to be. In spite of the challenges placed in my path, the tools to meet those challenges can be provided. I want my children's world of tomorrow to be just as attractive. I want them to be able to stand their ground, to experience joy, feel pain and understand that both are a part of living. I want them to have the tools to make their lives meaningful in the society in which they choose to live.

That world of tomorrow will include the computer revolution. My world as well as that of my children will be influenced by that revolution. As a family, we have chosen to join rather than ignore the changes around us. We have found the waters to be inviting, the challenges stimulating, and the results rewarding."

A quote from the 1984 book titled
Microcomputer Resource Book For
Special Education

Written by Dolores Hagen,
Co-Founder of
Closing The Gap, Inc.
and parent of a child with a disability.