By Carly Pacheco, Deputy Director of FREED Center for Independent Living Get your pencils, get your books, and don’t forget your assistive technology (AT) — it’s back-to-school time! I am an AT nerd, I’ll admit it. As a past Special Education Teacher turned Independent Living Center Deputy Director, I have seen firsthand how all…
The Ability Tools team at the California Foundation for Independent Living (CFILC) opted to let our assistive technology (AT) advocates and the general public vote online for a new blog name. With over 50% of the votes, Where It’s AT won! When you think of an assistive technology (AT) blog – Ability Tools is Where…
By Alexa McBride The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed on July 26th, 1990. The bill was signed by then President George W. Bush. The ADA gave millions of Americans who have disabilities access to public places, transportation, education, employment and housing. I recently learned that President Bush had a sister-in-law with a disability.…
Written By: Tiffany Taylor, YO! YAC Member & Halten Center for the Blind Who is Tiffany Taylor? I am a teacher of Braille, Assistive Technology, Independent Living Skills and Financial Management at the Hatlen Center for the Blind. I also happen to be a graduate of the program who is visually impaired. What does Independence…
Republished from: AT3 Center News and Tips Page Written by: Eliza J. Anderson June is National Aphasia Awareness Month. Let’s #TalkAboutAphasia and #AAC! The term “aphasia” is unknown to most people, yet the condition is familiar. An estimated 2 million Americans have acquired aphasia as result of a stroke, traumatic brain injury or progressive neurological disorder. These are…
Hey! Did you know June is National Safety Month? Safety and disability can go hand-in-hand, and assistive technology can help. From special locks, alarms and environmental adaptations, here are some examples on how people with disabilities can keep themselves and their families safe. Locks Wireless Remote Controlled Door Locks For those with limited dexterity, fine…
Congratulations to the assistive technology users and photographers who show us what’s possible with A.T. We were thrilled to see photos of people from all over the country. Thanks to your fabulous photos of people using assistive technology (AT), we brought more awareness to the world of adaptive equipment, devices, and gadgets that assist people…
Andy Arias is on the move. He’s a Policy Advisor at US Department of Labor, a very active advocate in both the disability and the LGBTQ communities. Also, he’s known an actor whose credits can be found on IMDb, also known as Internet Movie Database. None of these roles would be possible for Andy without the…
By Jacquelyn E. and Katie J. At Grizzly Creek Ranch* (GCR) in Portola, CA we had a statewide summit for Disability Pride and Leadership. The purpose of the summit was to bring together youth with disabilities from across California to start making a campaign for Disability Pride Month in July. When we arrived at the…
Written by: Luke Hsieh, Assistive Technology Advocate Community Access Center For this top five countdown, I will be ranking my my five favorite assistive technology devices from high-tech to low-tech. By September next year, I will have worked a full decade as an assistive technology specialist for an Independent Living Center. The first generation iPad…