gnetleman in front of a podium is talking in front of an Ability Tools banner

National Reuse Conference Declared a Success by All!

We had such an exciting and successful Ability Tools Reuse Conference! Thanks to everyone that made it out to Sacramento last week! At this national conference, we were fortunate to have folks from all over the United States join us to learn, share, collaborate, and strengthen the Reuse movement in California. Many participants were from…

Assistive Technology with RJ Cooper & Associates, Inc

Have you heard of RJ Cooper & Associates, Inc? If not, you should check him out and sign up to receive his e-newsletters.  He makes specialized software and hardware products for people with disabilities.  He also does road trips and likes to work with others to develop improved assistive technology for all! Here is his…

kim lathrop and her TOM cohort. She is wearing a blue shirt and uses a wheelchair and three other gentleman are smiling and standing with their arms around her.

Maker Faire 2016

by Kim Lathrop, DIgital Access Project Specialist Recently I had the privilege of attending and working at the 11th annual Maker Faire in San Mateo, CA. I was at the Faire working with the organization Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM). TOM’s mission is to connect people with disabilities with “makers” and develop solutions for everyday challenges.…

The State of the Self-Driving Car

by Mike Monticello, for Consumer Reports, March 2016. Original article in its entirety located here. Teresa Favuzzi is a good driver; it’s every­one else around her who is a maniac. Favuzzi’s partner is legally blind, so the 54-year-old independent-­living director from Sacramento, Calif., is used to taking the wheel of the family car. She makes…

picture of woman using two tablets and smart phone and wheelchair at table

What’s Happening at Ability Tools…

Did you check out our 2016 Assistive Technology (AT) Photo Contest?  We opened the voting of the top ten finalists up to the public and here are a couple of the winners! See all of the winners by clicking here. Thanks to everyone that participated! It was a great event and we will surely do…

picture of Mindview's box

MindView Assistive Technology – Mind Mapping Software Helps Improve Reading & Writing

by Brandon Conrad, Assistive Technology Specialist, MatchWare MindView AT addresses key learning objectives for students with reading, writing and learning difficulties and is based on the principles of mind mapping.  MindView helps to identify, process and present information visually.  It is helpful to many learners with reading and writing disabilities, including children and adults with…

2016 assistive technology photo contest

Vote For Your Favorite AT Photo!

Our inaugural 2016 Assistive Technology (AT) Photo Contest was a huge success! We received many great photos that show individuals with disabilities living independently and using AT. We are sad that all of them cannot be winners, but our committee had to narrow it down to the top ten finalists.  From here, we  will leave…

CSUN Conference in San Diego 2016

by Emily Flynn, Information & Advocacy Specialist Along with my Ability Tools colleague Rosemarie Punzalan, I had the pleasure of attending the 31st Annual Conference for People with Disabilities in San Diego from March 23rd-25th of this year. We had a fabulous time at this wonderful annual event and so this week I would like…