This week, Chris interviews Daniel O’Conner and Bradley Haven of All Access Life! All Access Life is a nonprofit that showcases the latest trends and movements in adaptive products and assistive technologies on their website allaccesslife.org. Daniel & Bradley share about how they met when Daniel was Bradley's Aide in high school (Bradley has nonverbal Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy), how they came to decide to create a nonprofit together, and how they developed their mission to share information about adaptive products. They also discuss Bradley’s AAC journey and how the technology has progressed from the switches Bradley used as a teenager to the current eye tracking he uses on his TD Pilot device.
Before the interview, Rachel shares about a family who had a very strong emotional reaction to having their child’s voice changed from a child’s voice to a teenager’s voice, and why we need to include the family and give lots of advance warning if we want to make a change to voice output for maturity purposes.
Key Ideas this Week:
🔑 We should try and spread the word about current accessibility gaming options, like Copilot with the Xbox Adaptive Controller, that allow people like Bradley to play video games. Accessable gaming opens up social opportunities and allow users to engage with friends and family in new ways!
🔑 A lot of companies don’t think about the fact that people with disabilities use their product. Big companies like Microsoft embracing inclusive design with their Xbox Adaptive Controller helps move the field forward, but there is more work to be done!
🔑 Bradley says “nothing about us, without us,” meaning he wants companies who create products to get feedback from actual people with disabilities at every step of product creation.
🔑 Playing video games in schools shouldn’t be a carrot at the end of a difficult task, but rather something woven in (e.g. tallying up classroom scores on Rocket League to practice addition) to make learning more engaging.
Links from This Weeks Episode
Miles Harvey - Esports Research and Its Integration in Education (Advances in Game Based Learning)
How to Use Copilot on Xbox
Tracy Kovach: Re-Defining the Role of AAC Specialist (Part 2)
Tracy Kovach: Re-Defining the Role of AAC Professionals (Part 1)
Tali Kellerstein - Using Games to Engage Students and Motivate Communication
Key Takeaways from ATIA 2022 (Part 2)
Key Takeaways from ATIA 2022 (Part 1)
Kris Brock: Using Animated Symbols to Improve AAC Instruction & Comprehension (Part 2)
Kris Brock (Part 1): Using Animated Symbols to Improve AAC Instruction & Comprehension
Jenifer Eaton & Marya Haff (Part 2): Collaborating Effectively with ABA Providers
Jenifer Eaton & Marya Haff (Part 1): Collaborating Effectively with ABA Providers
Kara Cotter: Creating Self-Paced Training for Communication Partners (Part 2)
Kara Cotter: Improving AAC Training Opportunities for Teachers and Families (Part 1)
Ashley Larisey: Effective and Respectful Therapy Materials for Older Students
Tools, Strategies, and Takeaways from ASHA 2021
Rachel Dorsey: Taking a Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach to Therapy
Michaela Ball: Is an AT Certification Worth It?
Small Talks V: Mark Brown, Meryl Schnapp, Jennifer Edge Savage, Kim Albrecht, & Colleen Warn
Alexandria Zachos: Supporting Spontaneous Speech in People Who Script
Cindy Gelormini - Improving Inclusion Through Storytelling
Lory Chrane: Sowing the Seeds of AAC in Uganda
Coaching Call with Anya Ashouri - Part 2: Focusing on AAC Strategies, Not Just Tools
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