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…
Written by: Luke C. Hsieh, Assistive Technology Advocate, Community Access Center While there has been little exciting news in the realm of high-tech consumer electronics – other than the soul-eating-time-devouring-productivity-killing Pokemon Go – there is some news in the tablet word. Sometimes masquerading as a therapeutic app for people with agoraphobia, or, more generally, a…
By Rachel Anderson, Ability Tools With temperatures still skyrocketing in California, we thought it would be a good time to talk about some AT, including DIY AT, for dealing with this heat. Our definition of assistive technology, or AT, is very broad, and to us means any object, device or tool used to make life…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
Reprinted from the Assistive Technology Blog, by Venkat Rao For amputees, people with spinal cord injuries, stroke patients, and other who have bad motor skills, a mouse for computers or their finger(s) for tablets or phones are not the most feasible ways to operate their devices. GlassOuse, a new Bluetooth operated eye and mouth controlled…
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…