Today we are joined by Daniel Lubiner, a 25-year veteran teacher of students with disabilities, and the inventor of the Braille Doodle device, a low-cost braille-based learning device designed to teach literacy, math, science, and art. Join us as we follow Daniel on his fascinating journey from teacher to inventor. You can learn more about his work at The TouchPad Pro Foundation.

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Bob works at a non-profit afterschool program for elementary school students in the Okanagan. He is a C5 complete quadriplegic, and he uses a wheelchair.

He needed a new adapted van that he could drive to work when he heard about WorkBC Assistive Technology Services from friends that had gotten support through the program.

“The program assisted me with the purchase of a new wheelchair accessible van. By covering the conversion portion of the van, [it] made it financially accessible to replace my old failing van,” he says.

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There’s plenty of great Math apps available for children, but today we are going to look at an app that takes an especially unique and novel approach to teaching math that we haven’t really seen before.

Synthesis Tutor is an adaptive teaching app that goes beyond providing math lessons and tools. The app is driven by an interactive digital teacher that intelligently guides students through their lessons, and adjusts the content as needed, based on the child’s performance and understanding. The AI is friendly and conversational, and it does a great job of presenting math to students in a casual, non-threatening way, which is perfect for students who have anxiety around math.

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We were delighted recently when Margot, a former Neil Squire participant, generously donated her CCD Voyager e-reader.

Margot no longer used the device due to a significant decline in her vision, but hoping it could find a second life and benefit someone with similar needs, she donated it to Neil Squire.

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Tom is currently looking for work. He has Central Sensitization Syndrome and widespread chronic pain, making it difficult for him to work.

“It severely limits the amount of time I am able to spend up and about, including time spent sitting at a desk. Since 2021, I have been unable to work because of my condition,” he explains.

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Dictionaries are a great tool for you to have at your disposal, whether you are a student or a professional. But it’s not always practical to carry around a physical copy of one at all times. And, even if you use a word processor such as Word, you don’t always get the best (or the most) suggestions.

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Anthony is a self-employed carpenter in the Lower Mainland, focusing primarily on cedar fences and decks. Through WorkBC Assistive Technology Services, he received hearing aids that have made a huge difference on the job.

“I’m very grateful for your assistance,” he shares. “I can say that the hearing aids have been a godsend! Thank you!”

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Today we are going to look at a resource that evolved from a previously shuttered early reading app called Tar Heel Reader. This app was around for 16 years, and by the end of its life saw over 17 million books read. But in 2024 when Tar Heel closed its doors, those books were not lost. Instead, these resources were given life under a new name: Monarch Reader.

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Wallace is 67 and he works as a nutrition and food services manager for an alcohol and drug treatment centre on Vancouver Island. He manages a staff of 12 people to provide food services for about 100 inpatients. As part of his job, he needs to consult with patients about their dietary and nutritional needs.

“Clear and concise communication is a must in an, at times, noisy environment,” he shares. “Progressive hearing loss had begun to limit my effectiveness within the workplace. Constantly asking others to repeat themselves or crowding in to hear what is being said can be very uncomfortable. Participating in open meetings was becoming very difficult if I was unable to follow the conversation or discussion. My overall effectiveness as a manager was declining.”

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Today we are joined by AT Specialist Erin LeBlanc. Having recently attended and presented at the Assistive Technology Industry Association conference in Orlando, Erin shares her experiences with us as well as sharing her own expertise on successful AT adoption.

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