Today we are joined once again by Nakia Singh. On today’s episode we talk about the recent Google I/O conference on AI, why it just might be worth paying the subscription fee for Gemini Pro, and finally, we talk about the specific ways in which AI can be used as assistive technology.

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AI chatbots like Chat GPT, Gemini and CO Pilot are becoming increasingly common every day. They can be used for all sorts of tasks including research, writing, general communication, and more. These open-source AI tools are (mostly) free, but they typically offer a premium version of the software with increased functionality and limitless conversations for an additional fee.

Today we are going to do a brief overview of one of our favorite AI chatbots, and as we do, we’ll try to show a few scenarios where this software might be especially useful.

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When it comes to learning, everyone is different, and what works for one student may not always work for another! Math apps are a great way to tackle this issue but sometimes students need something a little more hands-on. In-person tutoring is one way to tackle this issue, but depending on where you live, that may or may not be possible. So then that begs the question, what do you do when you need tutoring in math but there’s no one in your area who is available or qualified?

Enter Brighterly, an online tutoring service for students who are struggling in math. The service is designed for students from grades one to grade eight. Subjects include algebra, fractions, geometry, measurement, money, times table, number sense, numbers to word, and more.

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When you’re blind or low vision, finding your way around unassisted can be an intimidating and sometimes be a downright dangerous task. Some cities are built to be more accessibility-friendly than others, but even within relatively accessible cities, there are still bound to be areas that are difficult to navigate. And while we’ve looked at a few apps that are designed to assist low-vision users with tasks such as shopping, identifying faces, reading descriptions, etc., but we haven’t seen many apps that do a decent job of assisting with navigation (at least none that have good information about navigating within New Brunswick).

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On the latest episode, Nakia and Seaver will be looking at the new AI-powered pocket companion called the Rabbit R1. Then we talk a bit about what’s new in the world of AT, and finally, we list our top ten tips for adopting AT.

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To celebrate the AT Help Desk’s 10th anniversary, we’ve compiled a list of our top ten tips for adopting assistive technology. If you’re someone who has recently been recommended assistive technology, or if you’ve been using AT for years but you’re wondering how to use it as effectively as possible, then this list is for you!

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For persons with disabilities, learning apps are a great way to approach new concepts for a couple reasons. First, they allow you to learn at a pace that is more suited to your specific learning style. Secondly, these apps are not only able to take advantage of your devices built in accessibility features, but they also often offer their own suite of accessibility options.

We’ve covered a few different math courses in the past, but most of those apps were focused on students from K-12. Today, we are going to look at a Math and Science learning app that was specifically designed for post-secondary students and professionals.

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On this episode, our AT Help Desk team talks about NFC-based automation for persons with disabilities, the Reading Progress and Reaching Coach tools that are now available for Teams, and finally we look at another AI chatbot that just might be our new favorite.

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By now most of us are aware of and have likely used Microsoft Teams. For those who aren’t familiar, Teams is a widely used communication platform that integrates all things Microsoft into a centralized space. Teams is also an incredible tool for teachers with a wide range of educational tools. But with the plethora of supporting apps that integrate into Teams, there’s going to be apps and add-ons that fly under the radar. Today we are going to talk about one of Teams’ supporting apps that you should definitely be aware of!

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In a previous e-bulletin we started to explore the concept of using AI as AT. We learned that there are many ways in which this new technology can be helpful to students, professionals, persons with disabilities, and beyond. We discovered that AI chatbots were even better at finding and synthesizing information than a traditional browser, and that the flexible, conversational nature of this technology is ideal for diving into a variety of complicated subjects. With that in mind, we are going to dive even deeper into what these chatbots are capable of as well as identifying and comparing the top three chatbots on the market right now.

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