side view of ed Robert's using his chair

Ed Roberts Day: January 23, 2017

  Written by Yolanda Vargas; YO Disabled and Proud Youth Organizer Ed Roberts is known as the father of the Independent Living Movement. But, before he was the father of anything, he was just a college student trying to get around. As a quadriplegic attending college during the 60’s Ed was forced to rely on…

Financial Loans for Assistive Technology Now Available in California!

Financial Loans for Assistive Technology Now Available in California! Finding money to pay for assistive technology can be a challenge for many people with disabilities and qualifying for a loan may seem like an impossible task due to limited income and credit history. Fortunately, on July 11th, CFILC launched a low-interest financial loan program for…

picture of gentlamen in modified white van using hadn controls

Celebrate your Independence with Assistive Technology (AT)!

Happy 4th of July from Ability Tools! Did you know that we have hundreds of different items for loan and even some gently used items that are FREE available on our website? We call this the AT Exchange – AT stands for for assistive technology, i.e. things that make your life easier.  It can include…

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…

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…

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…

Meet Milo, a Social Robot Like No Other…

 by Rachel Anderson, Marketing & Communications Manager for Ability Tools Recently at the international ATIA Conference, I had the opportunity to meet Milo, a new robot designed for children with autism.  I had never seen anything quite like him… and, although robotics are still a science that needs some perfecting, I was quite impressed with…

Los Angeles Abilities Expo 2016

by Emily Flynn, Ability Tools The recent Los Angeles Abilities Expo 2016 was a great success for Ability Tools! Ability Tools was lucky enough to be able to set up their table in the AT showcase section for the second year in a row.  This means we had enough table space to be able to…