Today is Purple Heart Day and Purple Heart Day is an observance that commemorates the creation of the Purple Heart Medal in 1782. The Purple Heart medal is awarded to those who were wounded or killed while serving the US military. This holiday encourages people to pay their respects to fallen soldiers, to listen to…
Triumph Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to help children, adults, and Veterans with Spinal Cord Injury/Disorder to triumph over their disability and to inspire them to keep moving forward with their lives by pushing themselves to get better every day. Triumph works to minimize the obstacles that one faces after suffering…
There are 29 independent living centers with 30 additional branch offices around the state. Each ILC has AT Advocates on staff. They are community based, information and referral specialists who can assist consumers with a variety of assistive technology issues. They work at Independent Living Centers in California. AT Advocates can: Provide information on assistive…
written by: Emily Flynn Ability Tools recently had the pleasure to be a part of the Bay Area Abilities Expo in San Jose. We met so many wonderful people while working our AT showcase booth. This booth was filled with all sorts of different pieces of assistive technology where attendees had the opportunity to…
Submitted by Lingraphica Do you suffer from aphasia or know someone who does? Lingraphica’s communication devices are designed specifically for adults with speech and language disorders. Lingraphica provides clinically relevant tools and services to help individuals with language and cognitive disorders connect with family, friends, and communities. Working in partnership with clinicians and caregivers, Lingraphica’s…
by: Emily Flynn, Ability Tools Information and Advocacy Specialist Working our information and referral line can bring on some very interesting calls. I speak with people from all walks of life and with all different types of disabilities that affect them. Our goal at Ability Tools is to help individuals with disabilities find assistive technology…
Reprinted from Easter Seals Crossroads and INDATA Written by Laura Medcalf Scenario 1: In today’s fast-paced society, it seems as though we’re always in a rush. We’ve been spoiled with smart technologies that provide us with instant notifications of texts, emails, and other miscellaneous alerts. We’ve grown accustomed to everything being so instant and easy…
Did you know that Ability Tools runs 11 Device Lending Libraries (DLLs) throughout the state of California? Our DLLs provide short-term loans of assistive devices and gadgets that can help Californians live independently. Whether the need is temporary or if you would just like to try out some devices before you spend money on them,…
written by Erin Lauridsen, Assistive Technology Educator at ILRCSF Parents of children with disabilities know that part of parenting is navigating complex systems and resources. Jasmin is just such a navigator for her 5 year-old son, Jordan. Jordan has low muscle tone, a mild hearing loss, and developmental delays. Jordan cannot speak, but understands spoken…
By Emily Flynn, Program Coordinator for Ability Tools This month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Amy Liu for our “Get to Know Your AT Advocate!” blog series. Amy is an AT Advocate at Center for Independent Living that has locations in Oakland and Berkeley. Amy has been an AT Advocate for over two years…