Katherine Swarts – Page 16

How Many Disabilities Are There?

Ever heard Down syndrome called a “spectrum disorder”? While “spectrum” in a disability context typically refers to autism, “spectrum disorder” could mean any condition that covers different types and levels of impairment. With autism, these typically include: With Down syndrome,…

It Sounds Just Like You: The World of Text-to-Speech

October is Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Awareness Month. AAC is assistive technology that provides audible voices for people who have disabilities impairing physical speech. There are many reasons a person may not be able to speak physically: The Evolution…

Disability and Extreme-Weather Concerns

See also: Whoever you are and wherever you live, extreme-weather chances run high these days. And when extreme weather strikes, people with disabilities are in a high-risk bracket for serious injury. The best protection is advance preparation. Recommended apps for…

TexasYouth2Adult: Recommended Resources for Medical Needs

A product of BridgingApps and Easter Seals Greater Houston, the TexasYouth2Adult (TY2A) website is an online resource library aimed at young adults who are transitioning to independent living with a disability. Resources are sorted into seven categories: Over the next…

Assistive Technology, Reasonable Accommodations, and Carbon Footprints

It’s much better to do something small than to do nothing at all. Perhaps all the more so when it comes to large-scale problems such as environmental issues. Big change begins with “ordinary” people making “little” changes on their own…

National Digital Inclusion Week 2023

By the time you read this, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance will be wrapping up its annual Digital Inclusion Week, observed during the first work week in October. The 2023 theme was “Building Connected Communities”: expanding digital literacy and accessibility…

Building Connected Communities | Digital Inclusion for Mental Health

If you’ve followed our blog for long, you’re familiar with “Digital Navigator” topics—and you know that a Digital Navigator promotes digital equity by helping clients get device access, household wireless services, and personalized training. This improves opportunities for: “Digital Navigators…

teen girl doing homework in front of laptop while also looking at phone

Not All Slides Happen in Summer: Apps to Make Learning an Everyday Part of Your Life

With the recent beginning of the 2023–24 school year, you’ve probably heard talk of the “summer slide.” When kids return to the academic routine after 2–3 months of carefree living, they rarely are able to pick right up where they…

Using High Tech to Plan a Low-Tech Retreat

In recognition of our BridgingApps team retreat this week, September 27–30. Retreat: A change of setting that makes time for doing less, experiencing more, and clearing your mind for long-term planning. For most experienced “retreaters,” the definition would also include…

No Need to Fear: Digital Security for Digital Newbies

Of everything that makes people nervous about the digital universe, the security issue is the most likely to have significant consequences—and the most likely to inspire fears far beyond the true risks. Knowledge is power, so BridgingApps has asked four…