by Christina Mills, Deputy Director of CFILC Having the ability to drive is definitely on my top 10 list of things that make feel independent. As a person born with a disability to non-disabled parents I really had no idea that driving would ever be an option for me. It sounds strange, being that I’m…
Each year, the majority of the population makes at least one or more resolutions for the upcoming year. Subsequently, each year people get frustrated and quit their resolutions before Spring. Why do we fail and what assistive technology can help us achieve our goals? Fortunately, if you are the type of person that has made…
The following post was written by Nikol P. of the INDiana Assistive Technology (INDATA) Project. We found it on one of our favorite blog sites we follow called Assistive Technology @Easter Seals Crossroads. Thanks for sharing your great app reviews! Two things most kids love are Christmas and iPads. What better way to celebrate both…
The field of AT is ever-changing, multifaceted and oh-so-dynamic! Sometimes it gets overwhelming to think about new and constantly evolving technology and the fact that there is always more to learn. Well, the following blog writers can help you make sense of it all, and figure out which AT could work best for you and…
The Digital Access Project, a program of the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC), and Basic-Internet.com are providing free hot-spots to people with disabilities and their families who currently do not have Internet service at home. “The best gift possible is giving someone affordable Internet at home,” said Kim Hogan, Digital Access Program Coordinator. …
by Chi Hung Luke Hsieh, Assistive Technology Advocate at Community Access Center in Riverside, CA Amazon announced its latest big idea last month: The Amazon Echo. The Echo is essentially a hands-free, voice activated Bluetooth speaker connected with wifi and to the cloud with a processing chip and 7 microphones. For more detailed information, visit…
by Samantha Garcia, Office & Logistics Coordinator Henry lives in a nursing home. He has dementia, rarely speaks and rarely moves. But when he is given headphones attached to an iPod with music specific to his age and known memories, he is moved – to dance, to sing, to speak about what it has given…
What is crowd-sourced fundraising? Crowd-sourced fundraising allows an individual or group to raise funds online. There are many different user-friendly websites that build your page for you for free or a very small fee. Crowd-sourced fundraising is beneficial because small funding requests can be sent quickly to large groups of people via email and social…
Halloween is fun time for kids of all ages, but it is also an important time to think about making sure everyone is included, no matter what their disability might be… i.e. true inclusion. Inclusion is an important part of building a better community together by ensuring that everyone can participate fully and have a…
by Christina Mills, Deputy Director of CFILC I’ve been around a number of people with all sorts of different disabilities. When I served on the State Independent Living Council, I had a colleague, Loretta Moore, who was blind. Loretta became a dear friend of mine. Loretta and I both lived in San Diego and since…