For Valentine's Day, we asked our colleagues and partners throughout California to share the different types of Assistive Technology (AT) that they adore.
We then compiled this list of practical, fun, time-saving and even life-saving AT to inspire our readers to try out some new AT that can improve their lives. Many of these items are available for loan or for free to Californians through our Device Lending Libraries and the AT Exchange. Enjoy!
Joe Escalante, San Jose:
The AT that I love is my voice dictation on my
iPhone. It allows me to speak just about each and every word I mean to
use. This saves me so much time from having to type every letter out on a
regular keyboard. And it accepts some of the same commands that are used with
Dragon on the computer.
Karen Marshall, Hayward:
The AT Device I love is the
Williams Sound Ultra Pocketalker. Over the years I have seen
it make dramatic changes to people’s lives. It has saved marriages and improved family
relationships. The tone adjusting feature enables many people to hear
when hearing aids did not work. It has brought people out of isolation. One time I
introduced the pocketalker to a gentleman and he could hear his wife and
daughter talking about how well the pocketalker was working for
him. He suddenly broke out laughing. His wife and daughter were shocked, as that
was the first time he had laughed in more than 6 months! This why I love the
pocketalker.
Blair Webb, Manhattan Beach:
I love my Intellikeys
keyboard, which is an alternative keyboard with larger buttons. This board
helps me do work for college, communicate with friends via Facebook, and access
the internet like anyone else my own age. I also know that this board will be quite
useful when it's my time to search for jobs.
Rosemarie Punzalan, Los Angeles:
The AT that I love is my Pebble E-Paper watch that is connected to my Android phone via Bluetooth. I love wearing my Pebble wrist watch because it alerts me with a silent vibration for a variety of information such as alarms, emails, phone calls, text messages, and timers. The silent vibration notifications are helpful for someone with a hearing loss (Deaf or Hard of Hearing) like myself. Below are a few introduction videos of the Pebble E-Paper watch:
Rosie McDonnell, Oceanside:
I love my Colours
wheelchair! It helps me be independent and get from point A to point B. It's
also a great accessory to my wardrobe (purple, lights in my front wheels and a
zebra printed back). My chair also supports me and encompasses my identity as a
person with a disability.
Jeff Samco, Grass Valley:
The AT I love is my Plextalk Pocket
audio player. It typically has hundreds of hours of podcasts and reference
materials I can listen to anytime and anywhere.
Priyanka Nookala, Davis:
One of the AT
devices I love to use is my Livescribe smartpen. The pen makes note
taking so much easier because I can keep up and listen rather than thinking
about copying things down.
Amy Liu, Berkeley:
An app on my iPhone I use all
the time is called Smart Ride. It tells me when the next bus or train is
coming and where the nearby bus or train stops are as well. Having the
app allows me to plan my day based on knowing if I have missed my bus already
and to take an alternative route instead. Not being able to see the prediction at the
bus stops like everyone else can be frustrating but this app allows me to gain
the independence and take control of my time like everyone else.
Kevin Hansen, Sacramento:
My favorite AT device is my CPAP machine. I use it every night
to keep myself alive. The two reasons I love this machine is that it keeps
me alive and when I wake in the morning I feel rested and do not feel exhausted.
Justin, Grass Valley:
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| Justin on the beach in Colonia, Uruguay |
I love my white cane. It does not matter how good my
vision is, whether I am traveling at night or in the day, in the fog or in the
clear, walking to work or walking along the beach in Uruguay, my cane allows me
to be independent every day, and to live life to the fullest.
Nicona, Santa Cruz:
The
one and only iPhone; more specifically Siri! I really commend Apple for
creating a device as multifunctional and accessible as the iPhone.
Ricardo Mansur, Garden Grove:
I believe the AT device I am
most passionate about and eager to see expand in service is one that most don’t
often think of as an Assistive Device…Smartphones. Smartphones offer
tremendous flexibility in user interface, ease of access, communication, information,
and augmentation. To be perfectly candid, I find myself rather at a loss
as to why there hasn’t been greater expansion of smartphone utility. Should the
technology become possible, I don’t see why a singular device could not act in
lieu of OCR, AAC, and with recent advancements in touch screen technology, even
Braille Displays may become a thing of the past.
Shannon Coe, Davis:
The
AT I love is my modified vehicle. It enables me to go to places
quicker and put my daughter in the van safely. I do not have to take my manual
wheelchair apart and lift it over to the passenger side, which is tiring to do,
especially when it is windy or rainy. I can also take my power
wheelchair in the van so when I arrive at places, I have more energy to focus
on more important things.
Rachel Stewart, Sacramento:
My grabber - handy dandy for picking stuff off the floor.
Valerie Booth, Fremont:
The AT service I
adore is captioning when I need to watch TV. Captioning gives me the ability to
listen to what's being said and then viewing the context of what was being
said, allowing me to process information better. This helps me greatly
since I have trouble hearing, and it is a relief to be able to see text while
someone is speaking so that I can understand what's happening better.
Jose Guerrero, Sacramento:
I love the Logitech trackball
mouse. This mouse limits the motion of my arm and wrists to where it allows
me to be more productive with less discomfort. It has also allowed me to
continue pursuing a post military career in the graphic and web design
industry.
Kim Cantrell, Sacramento:
The Pocketalker is
one of my favorite pieces of AT because it was the only way I could communicate
with my Grandfather. He wore the over-the-ear headphones and we were able to
increase the sound volume and adjust the tone so he could hear us when we spoke
into the microphone. It made all the difference.
Reyes Sandoval, Fresno:
The
AT that I love is my glasses (now with bifocals) because they allow
me to see the world and to read more clearly.
What assistive technology do you love? Share with us in the comment box below the AT that means a lot to you and why. And have a happy Valentine's Day!
