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Welcome to part two of our ATIA follow-up show. I’m Josh Anderson, and this is your Assistive Technology Update. Hello, and welcome to your Assistive Technology Update, a weekly dose of information that keeps you up to date on the latest developments in the field of technology designed to assist individuals with disabilities and special needs. I’m your host, Josh Anderson with the Indata Project Easterseals Crossroads. Welcome to episode 718 of Assistive Technology Update. It is scheduled to be released on February 28th, 2025. Listeners, our next guest needs no introduction. She’s been on the show many times over the years. This is Nikol Prieto. Welcome to the show, Nikol.
Nikol Prieto:
Thanks for having me.
Josh Anderson:
Yeah. Can you tell our listeners just what you do around here or what your title is, I guess?
Nikol Prieto:
Of course. I am the Community Outreach Coordinator for the Indata Project at Easterseals Crossroads.
Josh Anderson:
Awesome.
Nikol Prieto:
We love long titles around here.
Josh Anderson:
We do. We don’t give raises, we give words. That’s how we keep it going around here. Well, Nikol, this was certainly not your first ATIA. So, I guess what I’ve been asking folks that have been there before is this is the second year at the new location, and what are your thoughts?
Nikol Prieto:
The new location’s great. We are at the world’s largest Marriott. It’s a beautiful location. I was a little more adept at finding my room this time because it is confusing, but it’s a lovely place to be, even though we don’t get a lot of downtime. Just walking out in the beautiful 72 degree air to get to the conference and being able to have dinner outside with everyone is just wonderful.
Josh Anderson:
Yeah, no, it really is. Well, I’ve been asking a whole lot of folks what their favorite session was, and listeners, just so you know, Nikol actually doesn’t go to the session. She goes into the vendor hall. She’s getting information. She’s doing outreach, education, getting all kinds of stuff from folks. So, as you were there and touring around the vendor hall and everything else, Nikol, what were some of your favorite pieces of tech that you saw or people that you got to meet?
Nikol Prieto:
So I would say that is usually my job is that’s all I do the entire time. So, the vendor hall is open for three days. So, it’s a really significant opportunity for us to obtain all that knowledge and then come back and share all the valuable insights that we have and pass that along to people using our services or listening to our podcasts or watching our tech tip. So, I had the opportunity to see and I’ve been going for years, but something I’d never seen was… There was lots and lots of impressive assistive technology device, but one that stood out to me was the Tactonom, it’s tactile, T-A-C-T-O-N-O-M. I’m probably butchering, but the Tactonom Reader.
It is a device that enables individuals who are blind to access graphs, graphics that they have through a combination of touch and speech explanations. So, it’s a really cool device. It looks like if your listeners are familiar to a scan and read system. So, it’s foldable and it will open up and it’ll have an arm with a camera on the top and then a flat tray. So, again, that’s foldable. So, then you take a printing graphic that includes a QR code in the corner and then you put that on there. The camera scans that QR code and it uploads the information of what’s on the graphic. So, it’s going to provide a description of that graphic to the user. What they demonstrated to me was a map of the United States.
So, the user can take their finger over the map, and when they land on the state, they can then press a speech button and hear the name of the state along with other details if they want those additional details. It also allows you to go in the menu and select a specific state. So, you can choose Indiana, and then you would trace your fingers along the map. It’s going to give you guided commands. It’ll use a clock like go 6:00, go 3:00, 9:00, and then it’ll also give you beeping sounds. That will increase in the speed as you get closer to it. Once you get to the state, it’ll say you’re in Indiana. So, that’s really cool. They have lots of different graphics that they have there. I think they told me 2,200 downloadable graphics that are free.
They work for a non-profit that’s printing those. You can upload your own graphics. You can modify existing graphics. They can do 3D models. They had a cathedral. It was really cool. When you touch different areas of the cathedral, it would tell you where you were touching. If you touch the bell tower, it would say bell tower and the bells would start to ring. So, that was pretty cool. Then they also do a lot of cool stuff with math graphs, which was really interesting to watch. Each line on the graph will have a different sound, so you can distinguish the different lines. So, just being able to teach students who are blind different math graphics.
Josh Anderson:
Awesome. As far as the trip as a whole, Nikol, what was your favorite part of the whole trip?
Nikol Prieto:
Gosh, always seeing the new technology is fantastic and be able to get so much content in just a short amount of time and then also connecting with our team. We are all busy and everyone’s out and about serving our community and serving the entire state of Indiana. So, in the evening, we’d be able to debrief and we would be able to have dinner together and just connect with each other and also get what other people have learned. Everyone else is in training sessions and we’re all in different training sessions, so it’s just so nice to connect with our team. We’re a very close knit team. It’s just wonderful to be able to share that experience together, but also bring all the information back from all the different experiences everybody else is having.
Josh Anderson:
Yeah, I have to agree there. It’s amazing how close knit our team is for almost never getting to see each other it seems like. So, it is nice to actually be able to have that time. Nikol, I know it’s a great time. It’s an amazing thing. If you have, are there any suggestions you’d have for improvement or something that can make the experience even better?
Nikol Prieto:
I think just with the vendors, I always want to see more variety. Lots and lots of variety. So, I think just the more variety of vendors that can be there, the better. I think for me personally, I love coffee stations around.
Josh Anderson:
Oh, my gosh. Wouldn’t that be amazing? Yes.
Nikol Prieto:
Yes. I know. I say it all the time, but I am carrying a tripod and carrying a tripod around and I’m on my feet on the hard floor all day long. So, just to have my go-go juice readily available in the conference room, I think that would be a top of my wish list.
Josh Anderson:
I think just about anybody would take that, because I must admit, even though it’s not being at work, I guess, and it’s over a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I’m exhausted by the time it’s over. So, yeah, a little bit of coffee in the middle of the day because I will say that line at Starbucks during breaks gets long there at the place. Yes, the coffee stations would be a great one. Well, Nikol, thank you so much for all you do for us, for all the videos, the tech tips you get there, for helping set up the podcast, for going to ATIA, and especially for coming on the show today and telling us all about it.
Nikol Prieto:
Well, thank you for all the wonderful things that you do. You are our wonderful leader and we are so tight knit. You’re just a wonderful host of this program, and so it’s an honor to be able to bring you some good guests that you can enjoy and get out to the folks.
Josh Anderson:
I appreciate that, but we’re still giving you more words and no more money. I’m just kidding.
Nikol Prieto:
I try. I tried.
Josh Anderson:
It was a good try. It was a good try. Thanks, Nikol.
Nikol Prieto:
Thank you.
Josh Anderson:
Listeners, our next guest is Belva Smith. Belva, can you tell our listeners what it is that you do here at Easterseals Crossroads?
Belva Smith:
Sure. Thanks. I’m Belva Smith. I’m the CATIS, and I’m our sensory in the clinical side of our services here at Easterseals Crossroads.
Josh Anderson:
Belva, you have been to ATIA before, but I believe this was your first time at the new venue. What were your initial or first thoughts about the new place?
Belva Smith:
So yeah, this was not my first time at ATIA, but definitely my first time at the new facility. It was amazing. I would have to say hats off to Orlando’s World Center Marriott because they did an amazing job hosting this and helping people get where they needed to be on time with the directions and stuff. So, I was very impressed and really appreciated the facility as well as the services that they gave us.
Josh Anderson:
Nice. Yeah, I really, really loved it too. As you were there, did you have a favorite session you attended?
Belva Smith:
Well, yeah, it’s been a long-time favorite of mine. Each and every time that I think I’ve attended, one of the last sessions that I go to is what they call the App Smackdown. I love that session because it’s a room full of people who do what I do, and all they do is share their favorite apps and why they’re their favorite apps. Then the best part about that is it’s an ongoing spreadsheet that gets shared with everyone who attends. So, yup, that’s always been my favorite and still is.
Josh Anderson:
Well, it’s great, you come home with so many different resources. So, that is absolutely awesome. Was there a favorite piece of tech that you saw wandering around the vendor hall?
Belva Smith:
Yeah, and I knew you were going to ask me that question and I was all prepared for it. Irie, I believe?
Josh Anderson:
Yes.
Belva Smith:
Is it Irie or Irie? Okay, Irie. They have a B-book notetaker, which is a Braille notetaker, but it happens to be running Windows as the operating system. I absolutely was enamored by that device because I love that it has Windows and it can have JAWS or NVDA for the screen reader. So, it virtually is an all-in-one note-taking device for individuals that are blind and do use Braille. The individual that would get that and really benefit from it would have to be someone using Braille.
Josh Anderson:
Very, very cool. What was the best part of the trip for you, Belva?
Belva Smith:
Well, I think one of the best parts about ATIA is that sometimes people who do what we do, we tend to get so busy and wrapped up in what we’re doing that we forget that there’s a world of people out there doing what we do and we feel like we’re alone sometimes. When you go ATIA, you realize that we’re not. There’s lots of us, and we all work very hard to make sure that we’re doing the best that we can. When you get, I don’t know how many people, I’m just going to say 5,000 of us together.
Josh Anderson:
Something like that. It looks like it. Yeah.
Belva Smith:
Yeah, it feels like it. Yeah, it absolutely feels like it, but we’re just reminded that there’s a large number of us that do what we do and love what we do. So, I think that for me, on top of just seeing all the newest technology and meeting, I think it’s a great time for developing relationships with the vendors, the product people, as well as the service people. So, I think that is priceless. That’s what I always call it, it is priceless.
Josh Anderson:
Yeah, no, it definitely is. If you could make any suggestions or anything like that for improvements for ATIA, what could have made the experience even better?
Belva Smith:
Well, I’m glad that you’re asking me that question, Josh, and I hope that someone from Apple might be listening because I was a little disappointed in the sessions that I attended or tried to attend for Apple because it was like an open session. For me, it was very overwhelming and I felt a little panicky in there because I didn’t feel like I could pull the information that I needed to. It was just too congested. I know that Apple has a lot of good tools and information to share. So, I don’t know if it was just the sessions that I made it to, but I would just hope that they would maybe do a little bit different of a format for upcoming ATIAs.
Josh Anderson:
Awesome. I think that’s a great suggestion. Well, Belva, thank you so much for going, for attending, and then for coming on and telling us all about your experience. Thanks again.
Belva Smith:
All right. Thank you, Josh.
Josh Anderson:
Listeners, our next guest is Justin. Justin, can you introduce yourselves to our listeners?
Justin Amber:
Yeah, my name is Justin Amber. I’m an assistive technology technician here with our Clinical Team at Easterseals.
Josh Anderson:
This was definitely not your first ATIA. In full disclosure, Justin paid for himself to go this year. We had folks that went and Justin did, but he definitely wanted to go. This is the second year at the new venue. Just what are your thoughts about the new venue?
Justin Amber:
It’s really big. That’s probably the most noteworthy thing, but along with that, I think the workers are just a lot more helpful in finding things, and if you need to find a particular session, they’re there for you. So, I really do enjoy it a lot. There’s a lot more food choices and amenities. So, if you need to take a break from something, you can find whatever you need there.
Josh Anderson:
Yeah, yeah, I definitely, definitely have to agree. Did you have a favorite session that you attended while you were there?
Justin Amber:
Yeah, I went to one for policies on AI, basically these people who had done research on AI. It was a discussion over what they’re doing with policies, and I think it’s an important topic to discuss surrounding the safeguard of the people that we serve, because a lot of that stuff, it can take a lot of your information. So, we just want to make sure that people are safe and doing what they’re doing. I’ve worked with a lot of people recently, so I found it very interesting.
Josh Anderson:
Very cool. Very, very cool. Yeah, definitely cutting edge and something that I’m sure there’ll be a lot of changes in as we go back these next few years. What was maybe the coolest piece of tech or even person that you met while you’re hanging around the vendor hall?
Justin Amber:
So Irie-AT has a bunch of new magnification devices, Braille devices. One of them is a CCTV that is super lightweight. You can change the orientation of the screen from landscape to portrait.
Josh Anderson:
Oh, nice.
Justin Amber:
You can also hook up an Android phone, like the way you do with Apple CarPlay, but it’s only Android phones right now. But it basically blows up the screen of your Android phone and you can click on the screen of the CCTV and use it as your phone. So, you can make calls, you can surf the internet, you can text people, you can magnify the texts and do text-to-speech. So, it’s a very, very cool thing that’s coming out here in March.
Josh Anderson:
Very, very cool. What was your favorite part of the trip?
Justin Amber:
My favorite part about going to these things, this is my sixth time going, I looked, but is connecting with coworkers. We’re on the road a lot. We don’t always see each other. So, it’s just a different way of being able to talk to each other and come up with ideas and just discuss things that we’ve got going on, really enjoy that.
Josh Anderson:
Yeah, it is really nice to be able to do it away from work because in the few minutes we ever get to see each other around the office, it’s always fast and furious to try to say everything we possibly can. So, that does make it nice. Would you have any suggestions for improvements or something that could have made the experience even better?
Justin Amber:
I’d really like some of the big tech places like Apple and Google to have bigger rooms. They were put in small rooms this year and they had different tables that you could walk around in these rooms and they had maybe 50 or 60 people in there. It was just very loud and very hard to understand what was going on. So, it was just a little overwhelming, but you could still get stuff out of it. But I think if they’re going to have or invite some of those bigger tech companies that they need to have a bigger room because they’re very, very popular.
Josh Anderson:
Yes, they are. Everybody always wants to go to those. If you can use the built-ins, even better. It just always definitely helps. Well, Justin, thank you so much for going to ATIA, for what you do here, and for coming on the show.
Justin Amber:
Yeah, thank you.
Josh Anderson:
Listeners, our next guest is Keri Bridges. Keri, welcome to the show.
Keri Bridges:
Hi.
Josh Anderson:
So before we get started, can you just let our listeners know who you are and what you do?
Keri Bridges:
Sure. So, like you said, I’m Keri Bridges. I’m the program manager for the Atlas Project at Easterseals. So, we provide a lending library of assistive technology and other services and training for K-12 schools in the State of Indiana.
Josh Anderson:
We are so happy to have you now. This was your very first time going to ATIA, so I guess let’s just start with what were your initial thoughts or first impressions of it?
Keri Bridges:
Sure. So, this was my first time going. I was really excited to see everything that was there. It’s definitely bigger than you will even think to begin how big it is. It’s huge. So, the vendor hall or exhibit hall was huge as well. So, that was overwhelming trying to visit everyone there and get a chance to see all the new items and devices that they had on display, but it was also great because they had such a huge, almost too many options of sessions to learn about while you were there.
Josh Anderson:
Yeah, it definitely was. Did you have a favorite session that you attended?
Keri Bridges:
I had a couple. One was about a program similar to our Atlas Project out on the northwest coast. I think they do more of an area versus state, and they had a similar program to what we are doing. It was really cool to listen, to hear about different tools that they use, how they lend items out, little things like they’ve created guides for comparing items. So, when a school borrows something, they can have a really easy way to be like, “This is what this does and this other item compares this way.” Also just some different types of things that they do when they are borrowing items out.
So, providing data tracking so it’s easier for schools to be able to prove, “Hey, this device was great for this student, we really ought to get it.” So just some different things like that. Then there was another session about blind or low vision that was really just a resource sharing and it was people in the room and online. It was an online session as well, just sharing all these resources, most of them free or very low cost that would be helpful for those who are blind or have low vision.
Josh Anderson:
Awesome. I always think that that information sharing is just one of the best things you can get from there.
Keri Bridges:
Yeah, I was like, “You can’t write fast enough.”
Josh Anderson:
I know. It gets like that or I love it. You mentioned the first session you talked about when you get to learn about other programs and what they did. It makes it so much easier to be like, “Oh, that’s the way we’re going,” or “Wow, I never thought about that. I can really, really implement that.”
Keri Bridges:
Exactly. One that makes you feel like you’re on the right path and the other’s like, “Ooh, we could add that and make it even better.”
Josh Anderson:
Yeah, most definitely. Now, you talked about the vendor hall. Did you have a coolest piece of tech you saw there, maybe person you got to meet while in there?
Keri Bridges:
Actually, I guess I saw the Tobii Dynavox booth, which was humongous as per expected. But while I was familiar with eye gaze devices, I hadn’t really been up close and personal with their new one or exactly how easy is it to use or how complicated is it to use. So, one of their staff members just happened to come up to myself and Rain while we were there and she’s like, “Do you want to use it?” I was like, “Okay.” So it took literally 30 seconds to set it up to be for my eye gaze and then you could use it. It was insane how easy it was. I was just shocked because you in the back of your head know what the eye gaze devices are, what they do, how they’re supposed to be easy.
But I mean in the literal two minutes we were there, she was able to calibrate it to me, have me be able to use it, and then my eyes were moving too fast for me. So, she’s like, “Oh, I can slow it down.” So it was just amazing to see for me how simple it was, and I was like, “Oh, my gosh.” I was like, “This is so great. Now I know why everybody wants these.” So it was really cool to see.
Josh Anderson:
Awesome. Yeah, and I love how far those have come. So, Keri, what would you say was the best part of the trip for you?
Keri Bridges:
I really just think getting to connect with people who do similar jobs or obviously in similar settings, but also just getting to see all these different devices and different things that we can just utilize in the Atlas Project. So, it’s hard sometimes to look online or look in a catalog and really understand what do they do? How do they work? Is this going to be beneficial? So it was great to see that. I was at another booth just asking about a specific product, and the person I was talking to mentioned something. I was like, “Wait, what is this?”
It was something that wasn’t on my radar, but I had seen online for a go talk and just seeing it there, I was like, “Oh, my gosh. This is so great. This would be great. I could see where this would be so beneficial with students.” We came back and we purchased that item. So, it was just great to see things that we wouldn’t have otherwise either known about or seen their value. So, I love that.
Josh Anderson:
Awesome. If you could make any suggestions for improvement or is there something that could have made the experience better?
Keri Bridges:
I think for me, I think it was just trying to choose which sessions I wanted to go to. It was hard. So, sometimes I felt like unprepared or I was trying to choose between, but there’s so many sessions. It’s hard to read through all of them. A lot of them are set up just by their title and what they are, so it’s hard to pick and choose just based on the title. So, for me, I think maybe a little more research on the sessions because some that I didn’t think I would be as engaged in I thought were absolutely great. Then some, I was like, “Well, this isn’t actually what I thought it would be, so I could have maybe visited another session.”
Josh Anderson:
Awesome.
Keri Bridges:
Other than that, it was really great. I loved it. It was a good experience.
Josh Anderson:
Good. Well, we look forward to having you back next year, and I’m glad you got to bring all those great things back to your team and the library and everything else. So, thank you so much for what you do, and thank you so much for coming on the show to tell us about your experience.
Keri Bridges:
Yeah, of course. Thank you for having me.
Josh Anderson:
Listeners, our very last guest is Lisa Becker. Lisa, can you introduce yourself to our listeners?
Lisa Becker:
Sure. My name’s Lisa Becker. I’m the assistive technology trainer on our Mobility and Cognition Clinical Team, and I’m on the Advisory Board for Indiana AgrAbility.
Josh Anderson:
This was not your first time at ATIA, but it was your first time at the new location. Did you have some first impressions or initial thoughts of the new place?
Lisa Becker:
Exactly. I was really glad that I had been before because I had something to compare it to. I went in 2023. Oh, my gosh, this was so much bigger and there were so many sessions to pick from. It was a great week. Yeah.
Josh Anderson:
Did you have a favorite session that you attended?
Lisa Becker:
So it’s hard to pick. I know you wanted us to decide on that. I went to a writing workshop where they talked about inspiration. That was great. I saw a lot of them about eye gaze and AI that were awesome, but there was a presenter for adoption versus abandonment. I think her name was Sayard Bass. She gave a great presentation and had lots of wonderful tips on having a lot of buy-in with the people that you’re working with. I love that. I love the App Smackdown. I didn’t get to go to that one last time, but they invite people up from the audience and they talk about their favorite apps.
A lot of them were not designed for people with disabilities, but they found a way to use them. I just thought that was a great session. Then of course, I always liked the Makerspace. I’m a MacGyver person, so I just love seeing how they make low tech solutions. I talked to a lot of college students in there that were designing AT this year, so I just love that.
Josh Anderson:
Yeah, I love the information sharing and just get to learn what other folks are doing. From all the guests we’ve talked about, that seems to be one of just the coolest parts is just learning what other people are doing. Sharing your knowledge and just growing all as a community is so cool.
Lisa Becker:
Exactly.
Josh Anderson:
With the vendor hall, did you have a coolest piece of tech or person you got to meet in there?
Lisa Becker:
I talked to a lot of different people. It’s a great place to get your questions answered. I had some people that I targeted from the exhibitor list that I wanted to get some answers from and worked with three developers to get some answers, but probably the neatest thing I saw was something from Possibility Neurotechnologies. It wasn’t eye gaze. It was real thought control and it was in the beta testing and just was incredible. So, real interesting to see where that goes, but yeah, that was probably my favorite.
Josh Anderson:
Awesome. What was the best part of the trip for you?
Lisa Becker:
Oh, absolutely, the best part was at the end of the day, just getting together with our team and talking about what everybody saw during the day and just getting their impressions of the new technologies and how they use or were planning to use some of their solutions that they found out about.
Josh Anderson:
Awesome. If you could make any suggestions for improvement or anything that you could do to make the experience better, what would that be?
Lisa Becker:
I’m not sure how you fix this, but there were just too many sessions that I wanted to go to at the same time. We were lucky because we had a big team and we split it up and then shared about it later. I guess I’d probably say I want to a scooter next time, but I don’t know how you improved that conference. It was a great week.
Josh Anderson:
It really and truly was. Well, Lisa, thank you so much for all you do for our team. Thanks for going to ATIA and thanks for coming on to share your thoughts.
Lisa Becker:
Thanks for the opportunity, Josh.
Josh Anderson:
Do you have a question about assistive technology? Do you have a suggestion for someone we should interview on Assistive Technology Update? If so, call our listener line at 317-721-7124. Send us an email at tech@eastersealscrossroads.org or shoot us a note on Twitter, @IndataProject. Our captions and transcripts for the show are sponsored by the Indiana Telephone Relay Access Corporation or InTRAC. You can find out more about InTRAC at relayindiana.com. Special thanks to Nikol Prieto for scheduling our amazing guests and making a mess of my schedule.
Today’s show was produced, edited, hosted, and fraught over by yours truly. The opinions expressed by our guests are their own and may or may not reflect those of the Indata Project Easterseals Crossroads or supporting partners or this host. This was your Assistive Technology Update. I’m Josh Anderson with the Indata Project at Easterseals Crossroads in beautiful Indianapolis, Indiana. We look forward to seeing you next time. Bye-bye.
Since this is the second year at the new location, I suppose I’ve been asking people who have been there previously what they think.
The ATIA follow-up podcast gives a great sense of the conference from different staff perspectives. I especially appreciated hearing about the Tactonom Reader for tactile access to graphics and the Irie-AT Windows-based Braille notetaker. The recurring feedback about Apple and Google sessions being too crowded is also a useful takeaway for conference organizers. It’s valuable to hear how the team shares findings with each other after returning.
thank u, i like it!
brainrot games: thank!
Great breakdown of the latest assistive technology it’s always inspiring to see how these tools evolve to support independence and accessibility. I was listening while scheduling some asphalt sealcoating fort myers fl work and found the insights from the ATIA follow-up especially engaging.
This is a well-thought-out take on Assistive Technology at Easter Seals Crossroads. I appreciate the depth of analysis here — it’s given me some new angles to consider.
Well writing.
thanks for sharing! i’m very like this post
This podcast episode on assistive technology is incredibly informative! The discussion about devices like the Tactonom Reader really highlights how innovation is improving accessibility for people with disabilities. Speaking of innovation, if you’re interested in creative tech culture, check out SCP merch – they have some amazing tech-inspired products that celebrate creative communities.
This assistive technology discussion about innovative devices like the Tactonom Reader is fascinating—it’s amazing how tech can open up new worlds. Speaking of unique finds that spark joy, if you’re into discovering quirky, conversation-starting collectibles, you might enjoy browsing the selection of italian brainrot toys. They’ve got some truly one-of-a-kind pieces that bring a different kind of accessibility to fun and self-expression.
I always enjoy hearing about the vendor hall highlights—especially how the 72-degree weather made those outdoor breaks between sessions such a nice perk. Makes me wish I could’ve been there! Anyway, just found this and thought it might be a fun way to unwind after all that tech talk.
It’s great to hear about the ATIA follow-up and the insights from Nikol Prieto and the team. The work Easterseals Crossroads does with assistive technology is truly inspiring, helping so many individuals. Speaking of engaging activities, has anyone checked out the Cheat or Repeat game? It’s a fun browser game that could be a nice break!
I enjoyed episode 718 of Assistive Technology Update — the ATIA follow-up show with INDATA, ATLAS and clinical staff (Part 2). The discussion led by Nikol Prieto and contributions from Belva Smith, Justin Amber, Keri Bridges and Lisa Becker provided practical insights into sensory supports and assistive technology tools. I appreciated the contact info (tech@eastersealscrossroads.org and 317-721-7124) and the transcript that made it easy to follow specific recommendations. Looking forward to more episodes and practical demos.
Great follow-up episode from ATIA. I really appreciate how the discussion highlights practical assistive technology tools and real experiences from the INDATA, ATLAS, and clinical teams. Whisper Web also fits well with this topic, since its speech-to-text feature can help people quickly turn spoken notes, interviews, or accessibility ideas into organized text.
It was really interesting to hear Nikol’s perspective on the ATIA vendor hall instead of the usual conference sessions. It’s easy to overlook how much outreach work goes into these events, so I appreciate getting a behind-the-scenes look at how the INDATA team gathers new information.
This honestly reminds me of the kind of chaotic energy you see on steal-brainrot
I always enjoy hearing about the ATIA conference vibe, and Nikol’s take on navigating the giant Marriott and soaking in the 72-degree weather made it feel so real. It’s cool how being in the vendor hall for three days lets her pick up on new tools and trends to share with the community. toontones just popped into my head—kinda like a mental palette cleanser after all that tech talk!
This ATIA follow-up episode brings together such a strong mix of perspectives — the clinical staff insights alongside INDATA and ATLAS representatives really illustrate how assistive technology adoption requires cross-sector collaboration. The point about low-tech solutions still having their place even as high-tech tools advance is one practitioners often overlook. We’ve been exploring how AI tools like Miso One can complement traditional AT frameworks without replacing the fundamentals.
Nice resource—memesoundboards has a surprisingly large collection of viral sound effects and meme audio clips.
Great article covering Menu. The practical insights here are genuinely useful rather than just theoretical. I found a connection to some visual content work I’ve been doing with Nano Image — your framing actually shifted how I’m thinking about the project.
Assistive tech coverage like ATU is so valuable for keeping practitioners current; the ATIA follow-up format with clinical staff adds real depth. I recently made a few accessible, high-contrast visual aids in Nano Banana Pro for a client and it reinforced how much thoughtful design matters in AT. Thanks for consistently spotlighting this work.
The ATIA follow-up coverage is invaluable — hearing from INDATA and ATLAS staff about real-world AT implementation gives practitioners context that vendor demos can’t provide. I’ve been building AT training materials and used ImageGPT to create visual explainers — the image quality made them viable for low-vision accessibility presentations.
Really valuable follow-up coverage from ATIA! Assistive technology continues to evolve rapidly, and these show recaps help the broader accessibility community stay informed about tools and research that can genuinely improve lives. I’ve been experimenting with Seedream 4.5 for generating visual reference images for projects like this — the consistency across outputs is impressive.
Really valuable coverage of the ATIA follow-up discussions — the collaboration between INDATA, ATLAS, and clinical staff represents exactly the kind of cross-sector approach AT advocacy needs. I’ve been exploring how AI voice tools like Seed Audio can support AAC users and assistive listening applications — the multilingual voice cloning is particularly promising for non-English AT users.
The ATIA follow-up format is useful because it lets the INDATA, ATLAS, and clinical staff compare what they saw at the conference from different practical angles.
Great episode — INDATA’s work on assistive tech loaner programs deserves way more visibility outside the AT community itself. I referenced this series recently while making some accessible visual aids with Nano Banana 3 for a workshop on inclusive design.
I really enjoyed the range of perspectives in this ATIA follow-up. The Tactonom Reader especially stood out to me — combining touch, speech, guided audio cues, and downloadable graphics is such a thoughtful example of giving users different ways to interact with information.
I also liked the point about the team coming back from the conference and sharing what each person learned. That kind of practical knowledge exchange can be just as valuable as the technology itself. Thanks for putting the full transcript together.
Really enjoyed reading about the Tactonom Reader in this ATIA follow-up—it’s fascinating how tactile feedback and speech can make complex graphics like maps accessible to blind users. For anyone creating custom tactile graphics or pixel-based representations of images, a tool like Image to Pixel could be a helpful first step in converting photos into simplified, high-contrast pixel art before printing them onto tactile sheets.
The Tactonom Reader sounds like a game-changer for making visual data accessible through tactile feedback. I loved hearing about the cathedral demo with the bells ringing when touching different parts—that’s the kind of intuitive design that actually helps users navigate complex graphics independently. Also, it’s refreshing to hear about a team that genuinely enjoys debriefing together after long days on the floor. If you’re working with image accessibility, I’ve been using Image Describer (Image Describer) lately to generate detailed alt text for complex diagrams—it’s been a solid complement to tactile solutions like the Tactonom.
I’ve noticed that the most practical assistive tech solutions often come directly from clinical staff observations, so hearing that perspective highlighted here really resonates with my own experience.
nano-bananapro
The discussion on remote AT assessments really clicked for me—our team in a rural school district could adapt that workflow to evaluate students without long travel delays. Did you find any particular platform easier to integrate with existing case management tools?
seedance2-5
Great insights on assistive tech workflows. For teams working with 3D-printed adaptive devices, a tool like obj to stl obj to stl makes converting design files effortless and private—no uploads needed.
Great insights on assistive tech workflows. For teams working with 3D-printed adaptive devices, a tool like obj to stl obj to stl makes converting design files effortless and private—no uploads needed.
Qwen Image 3.0 basically lets you generate AI images without having to wrestle with a dozen different tools—its workflow integration is surprisingly smooth. I’ve been using it for quick concept art, and the fact that it handles complex prompts without melting down is a solid win for anyone tired of vague outputs.
This is super helpful, thanks! Also worth checking out: head-football – fun head-to-head soccer game, totally free to play.
Such an enjoyable and insightful post regarding Menu! The details provided are super helpful. For anyone interested in visual creativity and innovative photo tools, AI Clothes Changer is also a fantastic resource to explore.
Great follow-up episode from ATIA! The combination of perspectives from INDATA, ATLAS, and the clinical staff really helps connect the conference buzz to everyday AT practice. The Tactonom Reader stood out to me too — pairing touch, audio, and downloadable graphics feels like a thoughtful step forward for accessible information access. I recently came across a handy browser-based tool called AI Image Editor that helps me quickly produce high-contrast visuals and clean reference images for accessibility materials, and it has been a great companion to the kinds of workflows you discussed on the show.
This was a helpful read. The way you explained “Assistive Technology at Easter Seals Crossroads | ATU718 – ATIA Follow Up Show with INDATA, ATLAS and Clinical Staff Part 2” made the main point much clearer.
Thanks for sharing part two of the ATIA follow-up—it’s great to hear how the INDATA team gathers insights from the vendor hall and brings them back to the community. The Tactonom mention was especially interesting, since hands-on exploration is so important when evaluating assistive tech. For anyone exploring visual concepts in a different creative field, an AI tattoo generator is another handy tool for turning ideas into design mockups before committing to anything. Keep up the helpful podcast!
Really interesting perspective. I’ve been exploring astrocartography tools like AstroChart lately, and it’s fascinating how location can influence different aspects of life.
Great episode on assistive tech advancements! It’s inspiring to see how tools like Muse Video, with its native audio capabilities, are helping create more accessible and inclusive content for everyone. Really appreciate the focus on innovation at Easter Seals Crossroads! muse native audio to video
I appreciated hearing the follow-up with INDATA, ATLAS, and the Clinical AT staff. The discussion around different assistive technology roles and services gave a useful look at how teams support people with disabilities. api ley
I appreciated that this ATIA follow-up continues the conversation through Assistive Technology Update with Josh Anderson and the INDATA Project, especially since episode 718 seems focused on practical developments for people with disabilities. For readers tracking AI tools alongside assistive tech, the Kling AI Models page Kling AI Models may be a useful related reference.
This breakdown of how facial proportions change perception is really well done. I have been experimenting with an AI Face Shape Detector (https://aifaceshapedetector.net/
) that measures face length, jawline angle and interocular spacing automatically, and your points about how those ratios affect overall harmony match what the tool reports. Curious whether you have tested any face analysis tools yourself while researching this post.
Great ATIA follow-up episode — it is always helpful to hear the field notes from INDATA, ATLAS and the clinical team after a busy conference week. The Tactonom Reader and Irie-AT pieces stood out, and the Apple/Google session lines really do echo what folks experienced on the floor. On a related note, I have been using Unblur Image to clean up low-resolution photos from our AT training handouts so they print more clearly for clients with low vision.
Thanks for the ATIA follow-up show – the INDATA and ATLAS team recap was a great listen, especially the Tactonom Reader and Irie-AT highlights. For anyone exploring open-source tools, I recently came across Bernini AI, ByteDance’s unified video generation framework. Keep the episodes coming!
I found the discussion about the differences in AT funding across states really interesting! It makes me wonder how much those variations impact the actual adoption rates of assistive technology for individuals.
Thanks for the ATIA follow-up — it’s always great to hear how the INDATA, ATLAS and clinical teams break down the conference highlights. The Tactonom Reader and Irie-AT notetaker stood out to me as well, and the candid take on the crowded Apple and Google sessions is useful for planning around next year. On a related note, I’ve been using video2x to upscale low-resolution AT demo recordings into cleaner clips for training sessions, and it has fit nicely into that workflow.
Could the Tactonom Reader read graphics without a QR code, or is that essential?
The Tactonom Reader demonstration is a useful reminder that accessible graphics need more than a text description. If a user can trace a map and request speech for a chosen state, exploration could become much more independent.
Thanks for the ATIA follow-up show — the team recap always helps me catch the highlights I missed at the conference. The Tactonom Reader and the Irie-AT braille notepad both sound like standout picks from the vendor hall, and I appreciated hearing how crowded the Apple and Google sessions were. Speaking of useful tools, I recently found a handy way to convert MOV to MP3 online when I needed to pull audio from a recorded podcast session.
Great follow-up to the ATIA coverage. The Tactonom Reader demo and the Irie-AT braille notetaker segment were especially interesting, and it’s always good to hear how INDATA and ATLAS translate those conference takeaways into real clinical practice. For anyone cleaning up similar assistive tech audio recordings, I recently had a good experience with Audio Enhancer Ai. It handled some tricky background noise in our interview audio without much fuss.
At episode 718, could a Markdown preview simplify sharing notes; I would try it next.
Really enjoyed this ATIA follow-up recap – the segment on the Tactonom Reader and Irie-AT was a great reminder of how tactile graphics and Windows-based braille note taking have both matured in the last year. Always nice to hear the INDATA, ATLAS and clinical staff teams in the same conversation. For anyone recording podcast interviews or demo videos in low-light conference rooms, Unblur Video has been a handy free tool for cleaning up shaky or out-of-focus footage from interview setups.
The discussion about the Tactonom Reader was fascinating—it’s great to see how tactile graphics combined with audio feedback can help blind users explore maps and math graphs. I also appreciated the recurring theme of connecting with colleagues at ATIA, which seemed just as valuable as the new technology itself. The suggestions about bigger rooms for major vendors like Apple and Google made a lot of sense, given how crowded those sessions were.
The Tactonom Reader sounds like a transformative tool for accessibility. Allowing blind users to navigate maps and graphs through tactile feedback and audio cues bridges a significant gap in educational resources. It is impressive how technology can make complex visual data accessible through sound and touch.
The Tactonom map example makes the combination of touch and speech easy to understand, especially the guidance that changes as a finger approaches the chosen state. Letting users request details at a particular point seems more useful than expecting one long description to explain an entire graphic.
The description of the Tactonom Reader is truly fascinating. It is impressive how this device combines touch and speech to help blind users access complex graphics like maps and math charts. This kind of innovative assistive technology significantly enhances educational accessibility.
Great to hear Nikol and the team are back from ATIA with so much to share. The mix of INDATA, ATLAS, and clinical staff on one episode is a nice way to catch the vendor hall perspective that doesn’t always make it into the sessions. I usually just skim the transcript for the parts I care about, though ytbench has made it easier to pull the audio and check a few things later. ytbench
Combining printed tactile diagrams with interactive audio feedback solves a major challenge in STEM education where static Braille figures cannot convey dense data layers. It would be interesting to know how easily custom tactile sheets can be generated by educators, particularly whether teachers need specialized vector software or if standard classroom tactile graphics machines can integrate directly with the reader system.
The discussion about the Tactonom and the B-book notetaker highlights how assistive technology continues to break barriers for individuals with visual impairments. It is fascinating to see such innovation in tactile and braille-based interfaces. For those interested in visualizing these complex concepts or creating accessible graphic materials, tools like an AI Image Generator From Image can be incredibly useful for prototyping or educational support. This episode perfectly captures the spirit of collaboration and continuous learning within the community.
The discussion about the Tactonom and the B-book notetaker highlights how assistive technology continues to break barriers for individuals with visual impairments. For those interested in visualizing these complex concepts or creating accessible graphic materials, tools like an AI Image Generator From Image can be incredibly useful for prototyping or educational support.
Listing each guest’s role before the transcript gives the discussion helpful context. The speaker labels also make it possible to follow the conversation without listening; timestamps at the guest transitions would make it easier to move between the transcript and the recording.
I found it interesting that Nikol Prieto spends her conference time in the vendor hall rather than attending sessions. That seems like a smart way to get hands-on with new assistive tech and actually talk to the people who make it. Do you ever feel like you miss out on the formal presentations, or is the vendor floor where the real conversations happen?
Nikol’s description of the Tactonom Reader makes the combination of touch and spoken explanation easy to picture. For someone adapting an illustrated story, an example showing how an illustration is simplified into a tactile graphic would be a useful follow-up to the device overview.
The example of giving each graph line a different sound is especially useful: a visual explanation alone would miss that interaction. For teams drafting an explainer with our AI video generator, this is a reminder to plan the spoken description alongside the visuals and clearly distinguish illustrations from recordings of the actual device.
I appreciated the follow-up discussion with INDATA, ATLAS, and the Clinical AT staff. The variety of perspectives from Nikol Prieto and the team made the assistive technology updates feel especially practical.
Remove Text The vendor hall walkthrough in this episode reminds me how often assistive tech conversations overlook something simpler: the text embedded in images, screenshots, and scanned documents that screen readers can’t touch. That’s exactly the gap I keep running into when supporting users with visual impairments or learning differences. I’ve been testing a browser-based tool that strips text from images without needing OCR expertise or design software, which pairs well with the ATIA discussions here.
I appreciated hearing the perspectives from Nikol Prieto and the INDATA team, especially how this episode highlights the practical impact of assistive technology support for people with disabilities.
The Tactonom Reader sounds genuinely innovative—converting visual graphics into tactile and audio feedback through touch and speech is a smart approach to accessibility. The detail about different sounds for each graph line is clever, and having 2,200 free downloadable graphics plus the ability to upload custom ones makes it practical for real classrooms and workplaces. When I need to verify technical specs on equipment like this, I use CheckMyVin to cross-check details, but this device seems like the kind of breakthrough that deserves word-of-mouth attention in the accessibility community.
Finally a tool that turns ideas into actual videos. Kling 4.0 is changing how people create AI video content.
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Nikol’s Tactonom Reader example makes the combination of touch, speech and directional audio much easier to picture. The detail about different sounds for graph lines was especially helpful. Could the show notes link to the downloadable graphics library and explain how someone can request a demonstration through INDATA? That would give readers a practical next step after the transcript.
Nikol’s description of spending all three days in the vendor hall to gather insights for people who use their services shows how much work goes into making conference discoveries useful beyond the event. Keeping clear notes on new tools and who they may help could make it easier to share those takeaways later; classic game ports directories use a similar kind of organized reference for their own listings.
A racing game with a large variety of levels and obstacles, kart bros lets players hone their driving abilities and strategy. In order to get high scores, players can customise their circuits, try out different acceleration timings, and learn when to pass obstacles. By making use of in-game hints and advice, gamers can improve their experience overall, finish laps faster, and feel more excited and motivated to take on new tasks.
The Tactonom Reader example makes the combination of touch, spoken labels and guided navigation much easier to understand. For someone uploading a new classroom diagram, what preparation is needed to connect each region of the graphic with its spoken description?
Malfoid The vendor hall walkthrough in this episode is a good reminder that finding the right tool often comes down to seeing it in action, which is exactly why Nikol’s outreach work matters. For anyone exploring what AI-driven creation can look like as an accessible creative outlet, Malfoid offers a low-stakes way in: describe an idea, upload a selfie or sketch, and get a short 9:16 animated clip with costs shown upfront and failed runs refunded.
Thanks for the follow-up on ATIA, and it was good to hear Nikol’s take on the new conference location. Shows like this make it easier to keep up with assistive technology developments between events. I work on a small browser-based Indian harmonium tool, so I’m always interested in how accessible, no-install web tools can reach more learners.
Thanks for the follow-up episode. The discussion about matching the tool to the person, rather than the newest device, really stands out. Hearing clinical staff explain how they evaluate assistive tech is very helpful.
The title’s “Follow Up Show” framing and mention of clinical staff make me curious about what the follow-up adds to the conversation. I use my own Tempburn (disposable email) for low-risk, one-off signups when I only need to receive a confirmation email, and I keep my regular email for important accounts.
Part 2 with INDATA, ATLAS, and clinical staff is the useful half of an ATIA recap — the hallway conversations rarely make it into the show notes. Josh Anderson’s February 2025 write-up works as a pointer back to the episode more than as a standalone explainer. A timestamped list of devices mentioned would help clinicians skim.
Part 2 of the ATIA follow-up is the useful half: INDATA outreach (Nikol Prieto), ATLAS (Keri Bridges), and the clinical AT bench (Belva Smith, Justin Amber) in one room, not a vendor hallway recap. Assistive tech podcasts live or die on those named roles. I replayed a still of the panel as a short push-in with Z Video while noting who covers lending versus workplace accommodations.
The guest mix on this ATU718 follow-up is unusually practical — INDATA outreach, ATLAS program management, and clinical AT techs on the same episode makes the ATIA recap feel like a field briefing rather than a trade-show recap. I sketched a one-page visual of the guest roles before listening so the acronyms stayed straight, using Nano Pro to turn messy notes into a cleaner diagram.
Loved this deep dive into assistive tech! The conversations with INDATA and ATLAS staff really highlight the human impact behind these tools. Exciting to see innovations like Lyria 3 Pro pushing boundaries for users with disabilities. Visit Lyria 3 Pro
This post opens with a podcast introduction and a guest list, then runs a long transcript in order: five guests answer the same set of prompts about the new venue, favorite sessions, new exhibit-hall technology, favorite parts, and suggestions for improvement, closing with the host. But the transcript never synthesizes the five parallel answers: no comparison across guests, no ranking, and no summary of what changed from the previous year, so the reader gets five separate takes without a through-line. No filter fighters works the opposite way: it is a free browser-based 2D fighting fan game inspired by the sitcom Martin, made by TDHampton Productions, with no download needed, so the first round starts at once. Which guest’s answer would a comparison change most, and why?
It’s fascinating to see how assistive technology continues to create new opportunities for people with different needs. I especially appreciate the discussion around making technology more accessible and practical in everyday life. AI-powered video tools are also opening up interesting possibilities for visual communication. I’ve been exploring Veo 3 for AI video creation, and it’s exciting to see how these technologies can support new ways of sharing ideas and information. Thanks for the informative discussion!
I enjoyed learning about the different assistive technologies discussed here. It’s encouraging to see how thoughtful technology design can make communication and everyday activities more accessible. Video can also be a valuable way to present information through visual storytelling. I’ve recently been exploring Muse Video for creative AI video projects, and I find the possibilities for visual communication quite interesting. Thanks for sharing these insights!
It’s great to hear Nikol and the clinical staff back for part two! I love how assistive tech keeps making things easier for people. Speaking of helpful tools, I found a violin tuner for beginners that shows a real violin head with four glowing strings.
super interesting stuff definitely checking that out later
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I appreciate how Nikol Prieto highlights the new venue at the world’s largest Marriott, noting the beautiful 72‑degree air that makes the environment feel welcoming despite the busy schedule. Her comment about navigating the confusing layout shows the practical challenges attendees face, underscoring the importance of clear signage in assistive‑technology events.
Here is the guide I used: https://firsttripchina.com — entry rules, payments, transport and city picks for first-timers.
really missed out on atia this year so thanks for the recap
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