Hi everyone! I'm a graduate student in an instructional design program and I'm conducting a brief anonymous survey for a class project on assistive technology (AT) training for K–12 paraprofessionals.

The survey consists of six questions and takes approximately 2–3 minutes to complete. It does not collect names, email addresses, or any other identifying information.

I'm hoping to better understand paraprofessionals' experiences, confidence, and training needs when supporting students who use assistive technology, such as speech-generating devices, text-to-speech and speech-to-text software, adaptive keyboards, switches, eye-gaze systems, and other accessibility tools.

If you're currently working as a K–12 paraprofessional or instructional assistant who supports students with disabilities, I'd really appreciate your participation.

Survey link: https://forms.gle/gu9v5kUcdrhzb1As9

Thank you so much for your time and for everything you do to support students!

Hi r/AssistiveTechnology 👋

I’m not a robotics engineer by any means, I just tinker for a few hours a day, and this bench prototype has probably taken me about 24 man-hours in total to piece together. My main goal with this is just to help other kids, parents, and SLPs.

My son is turning 4 soon and is autistic and non-verbal. Like a lot of parents, we have those static AAC picture cards you can buy on Amazon, but they just end up sitting in a drawer. My son naturally gravitates toward technology, and I assume many other ASD kids do too.

I originally built an AAC tablet app for him, but the problem is that handing a 3-year-old a tablet automatically signals "game time" or YouTube. The tablet itself has no communicative presence the app is usually exited after a few minutes. I wanted to build a dedicated, physical entity that actually looks at him when he communicates to reinforce the social exchange of speaking.

So, I built this prototype. To my absolute surprise, he is responding to it beautifully. He’s actively using the interface, building sentences, and engaging with the physical tracking. My ultimate goal is to refine this into a sub-£200 device that other families can access, running entirely offline to ensure child privacy and zero subscription costs.

While I have the software kind of working, I want to step back from the technical side and ask you, the experts on the front lines, for guidance.

The Current Prototype Flow:

• Visual Selection: Touch-friendly card grid with a swipe-down-to-cancel feature to prevent accidental taps.
• Sentence Builder: He can string together words (e.g., "More water") which feed into a local offline Text-To-Speech engine.
• Dwell Word-Preview: Hovering over a card quietly speaks the word before selection, allowing for auditory exploration.
• Physical Presence: The robot physically tracks his face to maintain "eye contact" while he uses the screen, and features subtle idle behaviors (blinking, breathing sways).

Where I Need Your Expertise:

I want to make sure this is actually helpful from a developmental standpoint, not just a cool piece of tech.

• What makes an AAC device truly practical? Beyond just functioning, what specific features make a device genuinely useful and manageable for parents, kids, and OTs in daily life?
• What are the common pitfalls? What well-intentioned tech features usually fail in the real world when dealing with early learners or sensory processing differences?
• The Clinical Wishlist: If you could design the ideal physical companion for a non-verbal child, what would it look like, sound like, and do?

Any and all ideas on screen layout, physical form, or sensory safeguards are greatly appreciated.

(I've attached a video showing the offline sentence builder and how the physical tracking responds, as well as a concept picture of the final child-safe, 3D-printed clamshell I am designing to hide all the wires).

Concept image in the comments.

Thank you so much for your time and guidance!

Hi I have CP and love writing on the computers, is there and predictive text on chrome to make it easer?

It's more than our tagline. It's the reason Accesstive exists.

And it's why we're telling you this before talking about our product.

In 2025 alone, 8,667 ADA web accessibility lawsuits were filed in the United States, a 37% increase year over year. Across Europe, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) is now in force, and organizations that fail to meet accessibility requirements can face significant financial penalties and legal risk.

Most organizations don't discover they have an accessibility problem until they receive a complaint, lose a customer, or are asked to prove compliance.

We believe that shouldn't be the case.

That's one of the reasons we built Accesstive and why we made our Free Accessibility Checker available to everyone.

What Most Accessibility Tools Get Wrong

Search for "accessibility checker" and you'll find hundreds of scanners, overlays, and widgets promising quick fixes or instant compliance.

The reality is different.

An automated scan can identify many accessibility issues, but it cannot evaluate everything. Likewise, a widget alone doesn't make a website compliant or accessible for every user. Accessibility requires continuous attention, thoughtful remediation, and, in many cases, human expertise.

The challenge isn't finding another scanner.

The challenge is knowing what matters, fixing issues correctly, tracking progress over time, and having the documentation to demonstrate the work that's been done.

That's where many organizations struggle.

Why We Built Accesstive

For more than 15 years, we've been building enterprise websites and digital experiences for organizations across industries. Throughout that journey, one challenge kept repeating itself: web accessibility.

The problem wasn't a lack of accessibility tools. There were scanners, overlays, consultants, manual audits, and reporting tools. The real challenge was that they all worked separately. Agencies and in-house teams had to switch between multiple tools, track fixes in spreadsheets, coordinate audits, and maintain documentation on their own.

We faced the same challenge while delivering websites for our clients.

So we built an internal solution to simplify the process. It helped our team monitor accessibility, manage issues, track remediation, and keep everything in one workflow. It wasn't created as a product. It was built to solve a real problem we experienced every day.

As more clients started facing the same challenges, we realized this wasn't unique to us. It was a problem shared by agencies, developers, businesses, and public sector organizations around the world.

That's how Accesstive was born.

We didn't build another accessibility scanner.

We didn't build another overlay.

We built a Continuous Accessibility Platform that helps web teams find issues, understand them, fix them, monitor progress, and document everything in one place.

More Than a Free Accessibility Checker

For organizations taking their first step, we created the Free Accessibility Checker.

It goes far beyond a traditional automated scan.

In seconds, you can scan any public website, launch a Live Audit that highlights accessibility issues directly on the webpage, review findings against relevant WCAG success criteria, explore AI-powered remediation guidance, and download a detailed accessibility report.

The goal isn't just to generate another list of issues.

It's to help teams understand what needs attention, why it matters, and how to move forward with confidence.

AI When It Helps. Human Experts When It Matters.

We believe automation should support accessibility, not replace expertise.

That's why every organization can book a free first consultation with one of our accessibility experts.

Whether you need help interpreting your scan results, prioritizing remediation, validating complex accessibility issues, or planning your compliance journey, our specialists are available to guide you.

AI helps you move faster.

Human expertise helps you make the right decisions.

We believe organizations need both.

Accessibility Is Never "Done"

Websites evolve. Content changes. New features are released. Regulations continue to evolve.

Accessibility should evolve with them.

That's why Accesstive is built around continuous accessibility instead of one-time scans or one-off compliance projects. Our goal is to help organizations make accessibility part of their everyday web operations, not something they only think about after receiving a legal notice.

Our mission is simple: Help every web team Find, Fix & Prove accessibility with confidence. 

Help agencies, developers, businesses, and public sector organizations avoid the fragmented accessibility journey we experienced for years.

Because Web Accessibility. Done Right. isn't just our tagline.

It's the standard we're committed to helping every web team achieve.

Learn more about Accesstive or run a free accessibility scan at https://accesstive.com/free-accessibility-checker/

Here's a new work in progress report. The prototype is ready, now it's time to build a 3d printed body and do more testing.

https://youtu.be/WiCWqQCFvAk

Hi everyone,

We've built a privacy-first,end-cloud collaboration AI smart glasses that addresses some needs of the blind community and we've made success field trial with local blind association.

It is intergrated with these features:

Real-time offline obstacle detection, 100ms response, no internet required, no cloud uploads,supports traffic light and crosswalk recognition.More precisely, it can help you detect whether there are obstacles in front of you, and generate a voice to tell you which direction the obstacles are while reminding you through a warning tone.

Offline text recognition, reads signs, menus, provide assistance when you travel,however, at present, this function cannot achieve the excellent effect of Orcam My Eye, and it is only suitable for relatively simple reading aids.

Scene description & item finding, understand your surroundings, locate what you need

If you’re curious, or just want to ask questions,I’m here to listen. Happy to share more about the tech, or anything else.

Thanks for reading, and I’d love to hear what you think.

My father-in-law is 72, and only speaks Spanish. He became completely blind a few months ago, and the loss of independence has been very difficult for him.

Right now, he depends heavily on his wife and daughters for entertainment, communication, and everyday tasks. We would like to help him independently:

• Listen to YouTube, Spotify, podcasts, and audiobooks
• Choose what he wants to hear rather than having someone start it for him
• Read emails, articles, news, and possibly documents aloud
• Make calls or send simple messages
• Control the TV, volume, thermostat, and other basic devices

He has an Android phone and Google Home, but voice commands are inconsistent, and learning screen-reader gestures across several apps has been difficult for him.

I have considered setting up a dedicated computer or tablet with Spanish speech recognition, spoken feedback, and a few tactile buttons for actions such as push-to-talk, stop, repeat, and help. An AI assistant or restricted browser automation could control a few approved services, but reliability is a major concern because he cannot see the screen when something fails.

For blind users, assistive technology professionals, and caregivers:

1. What devices or software would you recommend for someone his age who is completely blind and only speaks Spanish?
2. Would a computer with NVDA or another screen reader be better than relying on an Android phone?
3. Are there simplified media players, tactile controllers, voice-access systems, or dedicated devices we should consider?
4. Are there Spanish-language training resources or vision rehabilitation services that could help him learn gradually?
5. Would using AI or browser automation add meaningful accessibility, or would it introduce too many reliability and privacy problems?
6. What setup has worked well for older adults who became blind later in life?

I do not want to reinvent the wheel or push him into a complicated technical system. The goal is to give him a dependable way to enjoy media, communicate, access information, and regain some confidence and independence.

Hey!

Some time ago, I realized my headphone was broken, the left side was quieter than the right one, so I wanted to fix it, and easily solved this annoying problem on iPhone with just one slider.

But on Windows, guys it is a nightmare.

Windows doesn't allow you to adjust your headphone audio "SEPERATELY". So for example, you have a hearing problem on your left ear and you want to balance it on Windows, guess what? You cannot do that.

And I wanted to fix that problem for people who faced a similar problem like me and for people who has hearing problems.

Then I made an app for this exact problem and it is called; Sonity

After enough mails, I am going to launch it ASAP! I want to hear some feedbacks from you guys after launching it so we can improve it together.

Hi.
As the title indicates, I need some help with NVDA on my computer.
I'm starting my first dual enrollment college class in September.
I'm completely blind and use NVDA on a Surface laptop.
The college uses Microsoft 365, and I'm not very confident with NVDA. If anyone is willing to help me, I would be forever grateful.
I hope I'm not bothering anyone.

I want to make a system for my brother with cerebral palsy, visual impairment and cognitive disabilities where he can press switches and have them facetime different people. He cannot operate an ipad typically but does really well with adaptive switches. is there a way to do this so different buttons call different people? I have an ipad to connect if that helps

iPhones can be very, very, very frustrating for seniors. So, I'm super grateful that a tech at Best Buy showed me how to put the phone in a different mode to reduce clutter by 95%. What a difference! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Hi. I've been using Voiceitt to train it to recognize my speech patterns (I have cerebral palsy), but I only seem to be able to train it with one or two syllable words a a time, otherwise the recording gets flagged as too long (I speak very slowly). I've tried fiddling with the settings, but no dice. Has anyone else had experience with it?

Hi there! I hope this is the right place to ask this but I've been wanting to get into Assistive Technology at a professional level. I am a Learning Designer by trade and don't have any background in Special Needs aside from volunteering when the opportunities arise.

My niche is designing systems of learning so that people can do the things they need, have the right info they need at the right time. I've worked in Tech for a while and have been wanting to use my skills for more meaningful work. My dream/hope would be to be able to help users and their caretakers feel confident in their technology and be able to set up better systems of knowledge and CX for when it fails.

I do have a Masters Degree in Education, but specifically EdTech. I am familiar with WCAG but have been drawn to more embodied experiences and not just on-screen ones.

I was excited to learn about RESNA and the ATP certification but from what I've seen, people often come from OT backgrounds or SPED backgrounds. In addition, I live in Europe so I'm not sure how that certification would translate here.

I would welcome any thoughts from more experienced practitioners, whether it's on discovering other ways to use my skills, pathways to being part of this domain etc. Thank you very much!

Idea di app + pulsante Bluetooth per l'ADHD

Ho l'ADHD. Chiunque conviva con questa condizione sa che una singola interruzione può cancellare all'istante ciò che stavamo pensando o dicendo.

Ecco perché ho progettato MindKeep Anchor, un progetto hardware e software creato per salvare la memoria di lavoro delle persone neurodivergenti senza mai dover guardare lo schermo di un telefono.

Ho contattato diverse organizzazioni, ma sono ancora alla ricerca del partner tecnico giusto. C'è uno sviluppatore o un'associazione in questa community che vuole aiutarmi a trasformare questo prototipo in realtà?

Per favore, condividete questo post o contattatemi per aiutarmi a trovare la persona giusta!

I’m trying to understand how the different accessible-code systems used on packaging compare in real-world situations.

They often seem to be discussed as if they were the same thing, but there are actually three different approaches:

• The original NaviLens colour code, used on packaging such as Kellogg’s products.
• NaviLens Accessible QR, which combines a conventional QR code with a high-contrast colour marker.
• Zappar AQR, which adds a smaller detection pattern to a conventional QR code.

Has anyone here used two or more of these systems in a shop or on product packaging?

I’d particularly like to know which was easiest to locate when the product was still on the shelf, rather than already in your hand. Did one require you to get closer, move the phone more carefully or know approximately where the code was?

Positive and negative experiences with any of the three would be useful. I’m more interested in actual everyday use than manufacturers’ demonstrations or specifications.

Idea di app + pulsante Bluetooth per l'ADHD

Ho l'ADHD. Chiunque conviva con questa condizione sa che una singola interruzione può cancellare all'istante ciò che stavamo pensando o dicendo.

Ecco perché ho progettato MindKeep Anchor, un progetto hardware e software creato per salvare la memoria di lavoro delle persone neurodivergenti senza mai dover guardare lo schermo di un telefono.

Ho contattato diverse organizzazioni, ma sono ancora alla ricerca del partner tecnico giusto. C'è uno sviluppatore o un'associazione in questa community che vuole aiutarmi a trasformare questo prototipo in realtà?

Per favore, condividete questo post o contattatemi per aiutarmi a trovare la persona giusta!

Hi everyone, as I’m currently graduating college soon, I am looking into moving to a new city. I was wondering how people go about finding personal assistants (PAs or PCAs) in their city? I haven’t really found any virtual job boards or Facebook pages that are developed for this. If you could share that would be greatly appreciated it!

I am currently an engineering major and have a thesis coming up. For the thesis I want to invent a device that can help disabled people in some way. Because I need to create smth that hasn't been done before and is useful somehow, I need original ideas. I thought I would ask here as I'm not in the community. So is there any big problem you have that you feel like could be solved if given the proper tool and isn't anywhere in the market? This is good for me and the community as I benefit from a good device and thesis and the community benefits from having more disabilities aids.

Hello everyone! I’ve been analyzing current assistive technology for navigation (like Be My Eyes, Seeing AI, etc.). I noticed a huge gap: most of them require a constant, expensive internet connection to work, and many lack a middle-ground interface for low vision users who suffer from severe eye strain. Furthermore, I've noticed that many of these apps don't specify the exact distance of the objects in a natural, practical language, often leaving the user guessing how far something actually is.

I’m trying to conceptualize a system that works completely offline by translating distances into "steps" (e.g., "chair at 2 steps") to provide a more natural sense of space, using a high-contrast edge filter for low vision, and a completely dark screen with 3D spatial audio for blind users. Additionally, when an internet connection is available, the system would allow users to take a snapshot to get a highly detailed description of the object or read texts and labels out loud in natural language.

I would love to open a discussion about this: What are your biggest daily frustrations with the apps you currently use? Do you feel that an offline, step-based approach would be practical for indoor mobility?

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences!