This guest blog post was written by Eric Reed. The Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology (FAAST) was the recipient of a Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Community Support Grant in October 2021. The grant funding of $143,000 helped FAAST create a two-year Rec and Fitness Assistive Technology Device Loan Program for individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI). As research shows that individuals with SCI have high instances of cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes commonly due to inactivity, FAAST sought a way to bring not only greater awareness to the SCI community but also ..read more

This guest blog post was written by Phillip Seiler, Program Director of Vermont’s Assistive Technology Program and Quinby McLellan, AT Specialist. The Vermont Assistive Technology Program (VATP) continued their partnership with the University of Vermont’s inaugural doctorate program by inviting 16 second year occupational therapy students and several of their professors to our Waterbury, Vermont tryout center on October 25, 2023. Students toured the center, interacted with equipment in hands-on demonstrations, and learned about the services the assistive technology program provides for Ve ..read more

A guest blog from: Molly Kimmel, Program Director of MonTECH Several years ago, I worked with a patient in an outpatient therapy clinic to do a simulated transfer to his kayak in preparation for getting out on beautiful Flathead Lake in western Montana. This patient had a stroke two years prior, and I had been his occupational therapist for several months, working on getting him back to activities he used to enjoy: boating, fishing, fixing cars, etc. It took two therapists and his wife to assist with this transfer and simply put, it was a disaster. I kept thinking there had to be a be ..read more

A guest blog from: Clayton Guffey, AzTAP Program Director In the digital age, video gaming has become a growing source of recreation and enjoyment for our society, and it only continues to grow as technology improves and innovative ideas come to light. However, during this time, individuals with complex disabilities may have had limited social and recreational options when compared with their peers, and during the COVID-19 Pandemic to protect their health, these individuals may have had these activities even further curtailed. In the last thirty-plus years since its advent, video gaming has ..read more

A guest blog from: Phillip Seiler, Director, Vermont Assistive Technology Program The Vermont Assistive Technology Program (VATP) continued their partnership with the University of Vermont’s inaugural doctorate program by inviting 16 second year occupational therapy students and several of their professors to our Waterbury, Vermont tryout center on October 25, 2023. Students toured the center, interacted with equipment in hands-on demonstrations, and learned about the services the assistive technology program provides for Vermonters. The students and professors split into 2 smaller groups ..read more

A guest blog from: Molly Kimmel, Program Director of MonTECH Several years ago, I worked with a patient in an outpatient therapy clinic to do a simulated transfer to his kayak in preparation for getting out on beautiful Flathead Lake in western Montana. This patient had a stroke two years prior, and I had been his occupational therapist for several months, working on getting him back to activities he used to enjoy: boating, fishing, fixing cars, etc. It took two therapists and his wife to assist with this transfer and simply put, it was a disaster. I kept thinking there had to be a be ..read more

A guest blog from: María M. Hernández Maldonado, Director of Puerto Rico’s Assistive Technology Program The Puerto Rico Assistive Technology Program (PRATP) developed the Low-Cost Device Design and Development (LD3) program as a state financing activity to allow consumers to obtain the technology they need at a reduced cost. The LD3 program designs and develops low-cost devices that mimic AT solutions on the market and provides installation, configuration, and training for the end user. The user pays only for the materials needed for the construction of the device. Most o ..read more

A guest blog from: María M. Hernández Maldonado, Director of Puerto Rico’s Assistive Technology Program The Puerto Rico Assistive Technology Program (PRATP) developed the Low-Cost Device Design and Development (LD3) program as a state financing activity to allow consumers to obtain the technology they need at a reduced cost. The LD3 program designs and develops low-cost devices that mimic AT solutions on the market and provides installation, configuration, and training for the end user. The user pays only for the materials needed for the construction of the device. Most o ..read more

A guest blog from: Clayton Guffey, AzTAP Program Director In the digital age, video gaming has become a growing source of recreation and enjoyment for our society, and it only continues to grow as technology improves and innovative ideas come to light. However, during this time, individuals with complex disabilities may have had limited social and recreational options when compared with their peers, and during the COVID-19 Pandemic to protect their health, these individuals may have had these activities even further curtailed. In the last thirty-plus years since its advent, video gaming has ..read more

A guest blog from: Alicia Johns National Assistive Technology Awareness Day is a day acknowledging that Assistive Technology (AT) devices provide opportunity for persons with disabilities and older adults to fully live their lives.  This day of recognition would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of my wonderful colleagues providing services through the 56 State and Territory AT Act programs, recently reauthorized by Congress as the 21st Century Assistive Technology Act which will become effective in June of this year (2023).  The District of Columbia Assis ..read more