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…

gnetleman in front of a podium is talking in front of an Ability Tools banner

National Reuse Conference Declared a Success by All!

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…

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

Announcing our 2016 AT Photo Contest!

Are you a person with a disability that uses assistive technology (AT)? Send us a photo and you could win $100!   AT is defined as any device, gadget, hardware or software used by a person with a disability to do things for themselves that might otherwise be difficult or impossible to do because of…

Picture of a little boy sitting at a desk using a communicaiton tablet

Top 5 Posts of 2015

Happy New Year Everybody! Did you know that we publish a new blog post about assistive technology (AT) devices and services each and every week -usually on Tuesdays- and that you can sign up with your email address to get it delivered directly to your inbox?  Enter your email today so that you don’t miss…

What is on Your Holiday AT Wish List?

Here at Ability Tools, we are always looking for good deals on Assistive Technology (AT) products to tell our readers about. During the holiday season it is a great time to find sales on those more expensive AT products, as sales are widespread and most stores participate in the giving spirit by giving consumers at…

Robots Being Developed for Individuals with Disabilities

On December 2nd, the National Institutes of Health announced that it will fund the development of three exciting new robots! These robots, actually called co-robots, are designed to work cooperatively with people with disabilities and are part of the National Robotics Initiative.  Funding for these NIH projects will total approximately $2.2 million over the next…

logos of California Phones, California Relay Service, California Telelphone Access Program and Speech to-Speech

State Program Makes It Easier to Hear, Dial, and Call

The telephone may be an accepted part of life in the 21st century, but not for an estimated three million Californians. Most of us take using the telephone for granted. But if you have difficulty hearing, seeing, speaking, moving, or remembering, what seems to be a simple telephone call can be challenging to many—preventing communication…

headshot of Patrick Tran wearing a yellow shirt and a tie.

Get To Know Your AT Advocate!

By Emily Flynn, Program Coordinator for Ability Tools This month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Patrick Tran for our “Get to Know Your AT Advocate!” blog series.  Patrick has been an AT Advocate at Service Center for Independent Life for two years. He was recently voted “AT Advocate of the Year” by his peers…