ISLANDIA, N.Y., Jan. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NEC Foundation of America today announced grants totaling $230,150 to five organizations that advance the independence and full participation in society of people with disabilities through the use of innovative technology.

"Since its inception, NEC Foundation of American has supported the work of nonprofit groups that enable individuals to enrich their lives and realize their full potential," noted Hisashi Kaneko, president of NEC Foundation of America, in making the announcement.  "These funded projects will add to the availability and awareness of technology that serves the education, employment and inclusion of people with disabilities."

Organizations receiving grants are:

Brave Kids
$28,150
Ponte Vedra, FL
To expand www.bravekids.org to include over 600 comprehensive bilingual listings that address assistive technology training, information and equipment for children with disabilities. This represents the initial large-scale inclusion of assistive technology content in this resource for families and medical providers of children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses and disabilities. The website had more than 7 million hits in 2007. www.bravekids.org

CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology)
$60,000
Wakefield, MA
To publish and disseminate Science Writer, a free web-based writing tool that supports middle and high school students with disabilities in writing formal science research reports. The tool guides and supports students through the scientific inquiry process and the writing process. It includes teacher support materials. Launch is planned for June 2009. www.cast.org

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
$32,000
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technology for Children with Orthopedic Disabilities (RERC)
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Newark, NJ
To support large-scale national dissemination and use of Hands-Up therapeutic video game software by 50-60 organizations serving children with severe sensory-motor disabilities, with the goal of improving neuroplasticity by means of intensive and repetitive training. Partner groups will receive free software, instructional and evaluation materials, as well as ongoing technical assistance to help them build their own capabilities. http://rerc.njit.edu/research.html http://rerc.njit.edu/vrplatform.html

Purdue University
$50,000
Breaking New Ground, a program of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering in the College of Agriculture
For a Nationwide Assistive Technology Awareness and Education Program for Rural Youth to be targeted to agricultural science teachers of rural high school-age youth. It includes lesson plans for classroom and extracurricular use, The Toolbox CD, a service-learning challenge and other instructional material. www.breakingnewground.info

The College of William and Mary
$60,000
School of Law
Center for Legal and Court Technology (CLCT)
Williamsburg, VA
Toward enhancing the scope of the Accessible Courts Initiative to prompt and enable courts to adopt meaningful and innovative assistive technology to eliminate barriers that prevent people with disabilities from participating fully in the justice system, including court services, trials and hearings (and whether as judge, counsel, witness, juror or staff). www.accessiblecourts.net www.legaltechcenter.org

For more information about NEC Foundation of America, including application guidelines, please call 631.232.2212, or visit www.necfoundation.org. NEC Foundation of America was established in 1991 and endowed at $10 million by NEC Corporation and its United States subsidiaries. Income generated by the endowment is donated to nonprofit organizations in the United States in support of programs with national reach and impact in the arena of assistive technology for people with disabilities. Through its grants, NEC Foundation of America underscores its philosophy of advancing society through technology and enabling individuals to realize their full potential.

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