Assistive Technology (AT) is any device that helps a person with a disability do the things they want to do. AT comes in all shapes and sizes. What matters most is what you are able to do with it. Technology is integrated within many aspects of daily life, including education, independent living, employment, and social interaction. The idea behind Assistive Technology is to increase a person’s independence and community connections.
Technology is constantly advancing, and fortunately, it’s becoming more inclusive as it evolves. While there are far too many assistive devices, apps, tools, and technologies to cover in one list, we have some resources below to get you started.
Interested in learning more about Assistive Technology? Contact assistivetechnology@penn-mar.org for more information.
Explore assistive technology tools available through Penn-Mar’s Lending Library. The catalog highlights devices and resources that can support communication, independence, daily living skills, safety, and community participation for the people we support.
FaceTime & Google Duo – Video calling app that can be used when providing remote supports.
Seeing AI App – Seeing AI is a free app that narrates the world around you. Designed for the blind and low vision community, the power of AI opens the visual world and describes nearby people, text, and objects.
WordQ – A simple text editor with powerful word prediction, speech feedback and speech recognition
Work Autonomy – This is broken down into three parts: Schedule, Communication, and Production. The Scheduling section helps the employee capture and understand all the different components of a job.
With a background spanning direct support and technology, Amie Newton is making assistive technology more accessible and impactful. For Amie Newton, technology has always been about solving problems. At Penn-Mar, that curiosity is connecting people to new ways to communicate and live independently. Her career arc spans a wide range of
Corina Gartland helps Saar Fanjoy speak for herself. When Direct Support Professional (DSP) Corina Gartland first met Saar Fanjoy, she found her using a binder with Velcro tabs to communicate. Being non-verbal, Saar would sometimes express her frustrations physically, tossing the binder aside and hitting
By Michele Jacobs, Penn-Mar Parent Before moving from Baltimore City to Parkton, MD in 2012, our family prioritized finding a human services provider that could continue offering one-to-one support for our eldest son, Scott, now 35. Scott is non-verbal and sometimes experiences behavioral challenges related to
