ATU761 – Testa-Seat with Alex Geht

Hey, this is Alex Geht and I’m the founder and CEO of Testa-Seat, 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 at Easterseals Crossroads in beautiful Indianapolis, Indiana. Welcome to episode 761 of Assistive Technology Update. It is scheduled to be released on December 26th, 2025.

On today’s show, we are super excited to welcome Alex Geht, founder and CEO of Testa-Seat to the show to tell us all about this wonderful seating accommodation. We’re also joined by our friends from Bridging Apps and have a story about some really cool AT that showed up at the China Special Olympics.

Hey, thank you for taking time out of your Boxing Day today, I guess it is. We hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday season, be that Christmas, Hanukkah, or however it is that you celebrate. We hope that you have a wonderful day and we thank you for taking time to listen to the show.

Listeners, our story today comes to us from Bastille Post Global. This takes place over in China. It’s about the National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the National Special Olympics Games of China. It talks about the different assistive technologies that are used during these games to really just help make the town, the other places a little bit more accessible for everybody. These things are used in the venues, the hotels, the transportation hubs, and kind of all over the area.

One of the things that I thought was really cool is that at the games, especially in the hotels housing the different athletes, there is an AI sign language translator. So basically you could sign to it and then that information would be conveyed to the workers in the hotel or to somebody else and spoken out loud. That individual could speak back, and then I’m sure it probably does something to kind of sign it back to folks. It says to actually compliment the device, the developers also published a sign language translation application where users can request a translator with just a single tap. Kind of a call now button, and they’re connected to a sign language interpreter, and since it’s during the games, it’s completely free of charge as a volunteer will come up and allow for that two-way communication.

This is another innovation available for athletes to try during these games is a brain computer interface for a wheelchair. Now, this isn’t kind of invasive. It’s a headband that’s put on and it uses head motion signals to enable hands-free control, allowed for turning, acceleration, and slowing down of the wheelchair through simple actions like eye blinking or head tilting. Says that as long as the user can move their head and blink, they can fully operate the wheelchair without using their hands or any other portion of their body. Then finally, it says the games are applying six-legged guide robots, smart barrier-free systems and other high-tech assistive solutions to provide improved accessibility for games participants. So it doesn’t dig real into what these products are or kind of how they work or where they might be available, but still pretty cool assistive technology at the Games for Persons with Disabilities and the Special Olympics games in China this year. I’ll put a link to the story over in the show notes so that you can read more about it for yourself.

Maybe you’re looking for some new podcasts to listen to. Well, make sure to check out our sister podcast, ATFAQ, or Assistive Technology Frequently Asked Questions. On Assistive Technology Frequently Asked Questions, Brian Norton leads our panel of experts as we try to answer your assistive technology questions. This show does rely on you, so we’re always looking for new questions, comments, or even your answers on assistive technology questions. So remember, if you’re looking for more assistive technology podcasts to check out, you can check out our sister shows, ATFAQ, wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify and Amazon Music.

Listeners, as you may know, one of the things we do here at the INDATA Project is offer full day trainings throughout the year, and I’m very excited to announce our first full day training of 2026 will be over JAWS. No, it is not a recount of the movie. We’re nothing with sharks today, but this is actually a free JAWS screen reader training. It’ll give participants valuable insight into how JAWS can enhance computer access and independence for individuals who are blind or have low vision at work, at home, in the community. This full day training will take place on January 15th, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, and is 100% online. If you’ve ever wanted to know more about screen readers, about how individuals who are blind or low vision access computers and the internet and everything else, this is a great training for you. Also, if you happen to be looking for CEUs, you can get CEUs from attending this training also.

Presenters include members of our vision and sensory team from our clinical assistive technology program here at Easter Seals Crossroads. Bella Smith, Jim Reinhardt, Justin Amber, Lindsey Wells and Sarah Crawford, all from our team will have different presentations and walk you through how to do some great things with JAWS. From keystrokes to working in Google, Outlook, setting the program up and accessing common windows and web elements, all of it will be touched on. There will also be plenty of time for questions and answers in order for you to maybe bring up some of the things that you’ve always wanted to know about this screen reader.

So again, I’m super excited to announce our very first INDATA day training of 2026, JAWS, screen reader full day training. And again, not the giant shark. This is JAWS Job Access with Speech the Screen Reading Program. While this training is completely and totally free to attend, you do need to register and I will put a link down in the show notes where you can easily go find that registration, fill out the information and get all set up. So we hope to see you there on January 15th for our JAWS. Job access with speech, screen reader full day training. More information is available over at eastersealstech.com or check the show notes for the link to registration.

And coming up next on the show, we welcome back Bridging Apps with an app worth mentioning.

This is Ally Gonzalez with Bridging Apps, and this is an app worth mentioning. This week’s featured app is called ChatGPT. ChatGPT, generative pre-trained transformer, is an AI tool that assists users by answering questions, generating text, summarizing information, creating images, and analyzing uploaded documents. It’s user-friendly and integrates well with assistive technologies, making it especially beneficial for individuals with disabilities.

A 26-year-old woman with cerebral policy who is nonverbal, who uses a Surface Pro with a Toby DynaBox eye tracking system for communication reviewed the app. She created a personalized GPT that reflects her unique voice. By inputting key points, the GPT expands them into full, clear messages, making writing easier in different situations and communication faster. ChatGPT also helped with note-taking and studying by summarizing notes and breaking down complex subjects into simpler terms. ChatGPT is currently available for both iOS and Android devices and is free to download. For more information on this app and others like it, visit www.bridgingapps.org.

Listeners, take a seat and join me in welcoming Alex Geht, founder and CEO of Testa-Seat to the show today. He’s here to tell us all about it and how it is helping families with their unique seating needs.

Alex, welcome to the show.

Hey, thank you for having me.

Yeah, I am excited to get into learning about Testa-Set, but before we do that, could you tell our listeners a little bit about yourself?

Yes. I’m the founder of Testa-Set. I’m industrial designer in my background, and I never worked in the disability space until I volunteered in the children’s hospitals, and this is how I started, and I understood the gap of this field, and I started to work in disability space.

Nice. Very nice. And so I guess this kind of leads us to the Tested Seat. So I guess starting off, Alex, just what is it?

So Testa-Seat, it’s a platform that we created to make custom seating solutions for childrens with disabilities. When we’re saying a platform, it’s meaning that we understand that there is no one good sitting solution for all childrens, and there is also many different therapies with different approaches for sitting. So we created a platform that we can take the measurement of the child, but also the considerations of the therapist and the family about the needs of the specific child. And then based on the measurements and the considerations, we are fully customizing the seat and 3D printing it. And the main goal is to create much more supportive seat, but also much more portable and cost-effective solution.

That’s awesome. And Alex, what are some of those considerations that are taken into consideration as the seats are getting created for folks?

So measurements, it’s the starting point. We are taking five simple measurements, but then we also listening to the family and the therapist. If a child maybe needs some recline or maybe need some extra support in some of the areas, if they need some tilt, maybe a custom headrest and many different options that we have as floor activity chair and also strapping. So there is many different options and we are trying to go through them with a family and therapist. And then based on that, having the discussion and the solution.

Awesome. And I guess what all kinds of situations and where all could I use the Testa-Seat?

So we’re actually still discovering together with families how they can use it. It’s really fascinating and incredible to see because this is one of the smallest seating solutions that they ever can use. We have a lot of families that they not even consider to go outside or not even consider to go to the pool. And then once they’re having the solution, they start to travel more. They have much more opportunities to play with peers and siblings. And we are learning that eating, feeding, it’s one of the main things that the family’s doing. So traveling to families houses, restaurants, but also joining the family meals. It’s one of the main things that Testa-Seat is good at, but also sitting on the floor, it’s something that allows them to play with siblings and peers in school, in home, and many other outdoor environments. So we see many different opportunities, including water activities.

Oh, very cool. I love that you can use it, like you said, indoor, outdoor in the water, pretty much anywhere that they might need that seating assistance.

Yeah, this is something that we discovered that most of the equipments this day, they really designed to be used in one scenario. So it’s sitting on the floor or traveling, and then families have really challenge to choose one, but also if it’s a bulky and heavy equipment, they’re just not able to get it with them. And this is the main limitation that they have from the seating solution. So we are trying to make it really lightweight, but also that they can use it in many different occasions as possible.

I was going to ask you, where did the idea come from for Testa-Seat?

So I’m an industrial designer, I love 3D printing. I understand that it’s the only tool at this moment to create really custom product. I worked and designed many different products that they should be customized for people. But when I volunteered in the children’s hospitals, I really saw the connection between the need, really many different kiddos. They really need different supports. They really need different shape of the seat, but we used already to have one size that will probably fit no one of them. And we started to work together with the clinics and reputation centers that really liked the idea and really missed the idea of making a custom seats, because in a funny way, 30, 40 years ago to make a custom seat, it was something that some of the manufacturers been doing because it was less expensive and less labor-intense, but these days it just not make sense to make custom seats, and we simplifying the entire customization process, but also the manufacturing labor.

Yeah, and it definitely is a need. Yeah, it’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing, and no matter the amount of adjustments, being able to have something specifically made does just make a huge difference.

Yeah.

Alex, when I was looking through everything and learning about Testa-Set, I found a rental program. Can you tell us about that?

Yes. So while working with therapists, I saw that those children, they need the support as soon as possible. So we used to see children with cerebral palsy that they have braces, but there is nothing for sitting because they really outgrowing the equipment really quick. And we saw many families that really struggling to even start with the equipment because it’s expensive. They will outgrow of the seat really quick, or we also heard from many therapists and families that some of the families not even able to buy one of the equipment because they just don’t have the funds. So we brainstormed and we try to see what we can do to simplify the process. So we develop this rental program.

So the rental program is worked in the way that they’re paying $80 upfront and then $19 per month. We’re shipping them the seat, they’re starting to use the equipment, and then they can keep renting the equipment, send us the smaller equipment, and we will ship them the next size. Or usually what we see once they’re outgrowing, they just making a custom seat or the next size, and then they’re buying the equipment after that they really trialed it and they really sure about the product and not kind of guessing. So really the goal is to simplify the process to start with the good equipment from the beginning as much as possible, and hopefully prevent some of the complications like the spinal deformations, or just even helping those children to start tolerate sitting. And it looks like it works pretty well because family is just starting and they’re just not hesitating to start with us.

Nice. No, and I love that you offer that option because that was going to be one of my questions. Sometimes kids do just grow so darn fast and can outgrow a seat pretty quickly. So I love that you have an option that can sit there and really be able to grow with somebody so that they can still have the supports and everything they need. That’s really cool.

Thank you.

Alex, you probably have a whole lot of these, but can you tell me a story about how Testa-Seat’s been able to help someone that you’ve been able to work with?

Oh, a lot. I think those-

I guess I should say, can you tell me a couple of maybe your favorites?

I think this is something that we always so excited to get some feedback from the families and really to understand how. I will share, I think, two stories.

The one, it’s really the first child that we … It was still in the development stage. We really focused on how we are making the seat, how we customizing, how we making the support, the therapy tool like the way that the seat looks like and provide the support that they’re looking for. So we was really focused on the therapeutical side, and then we had a family that trial the equipment for the first time. The first picture that she sent us, she sent us a picture of she’s child and they eating together in one of the restaurants, and she sent a message saying, “This is the first time that we are able to go to restaurant, eat together, and also face each other.”

And I think for me, it was really the first time that I deeply realized how we are not really thinking about sitting on the daily basis, and this is something that those families … This is part of their day-to-day, and they’re limited for so many activities because of the seating. And this is one of the stories that I keep telling that it’s not only about the medical necessity, it’s not only about the sitting or the posture, it’s really about providing the opportunity for families to have more moments together and more opportunities to go out. So it’s really opened my mind.

And I think the other, it’s maybe on the different perspective, it’s on the customization side. We had a complicated child with the rare disease that in really early age, the family wasn’t not able to find any seed that will fit them. No from the adults market, nor for the pediatric market. So they are from Canada, we connected with them, we took measurements, and even without meeting them, we really was able to customize the seed that will fit them, and then once they got the seat, the family started also share with us so many different pictures, and one of them was sledding. So they attached the seat to a sled.

Oh, wow.

And for them, it’s cultural. Sledding, it’s something that they used to do every single day, or maybe most of the days of the years, and there is nothing that they can use it for. And for us, it was the first time that we saw Testa-Seat on a sled.

And I’m sure that has to be one of the most rewarding things is just to be able to see … It’s a seat that can be portable and used for so many different uses, but I’m sure seeing the way that the individuals use it has to be a really good feeling.

Absolutely. Yeah, it’s the main motivator and the reason that we’re doing it, yes.

Awesome, awesome. And as we talked about it being very portable, I guess, and I’m sure it varies a little bit due to size, but about how much does the Testa seat weigh?

So test the seat are between four pounds to eight pounds really depends on the size. So they are really lightweight and really durable. And this is also a fun story because we never considered the size or the weight as a benefit. We just focused on the shape and the customization, but we see that families just the lightweight, it’s always one of those main things that we now can take it with us because we are always moving.

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Well, and so many things that help individuals, especially if they might have mobility challenges or other things just seem to be heavy, bulky, and almost … Not impossible to transport, but it takes a whole lot more. So having something that can have those uses that isn’t a giant burden to take with you everywhere is just another great benefit.

Absolutely.

Alex, you talked about some of the first users. I guess how did Testa-Seat progress from maybe just an initial idea to where it is today? How has it changed?

It’s pretty incredible that we just started the project with therapists just seeing if it’s something that they can use inside their clinic. They liked it, but then we saw some of the families also really liking the product. It started really small. We started originally in Israel. It was in my project during my educational years, but then we relocated the entire business to Pittsburgh and we started to ship the products last June. And at this point we delivered already about 700 units, and we are working with over 60 clinics, from smallest ones, but also with the hospitals. And it’s incredible to see how the families advocating for the product, but also the therapist because in this space there is almost no innovation.

If you look in the pediatric space of seating, it’s probably 20 years before something new was developed in this space. So both the therapists and the families, it’s really exciting to see how they responding on the product. We’re still in the process of reimbursement, so we are working directly with families. We really appreciating all the clinics that we are working with them because, for us, it’s the way that we are working usually we sending a demo kit that include all three of the seats that we have to a clinic, they trialing the equipment, and then also the families have the opportunity to trial and to see what size fits them. And for us, we absolutely know if family decided to buy a seat after they saw the equipment with the therapist and they trial it, probably it’s something that works good for them.

So we are really creating the community. And I think now it’s really exciting stage that the durable medical equipment distributors starting to approach us because they’re hearing about products from families, and we have some kind of slow development with distribution to Australia and probably Canada in the next stage. So it’s worked slow, but really great. So we’re building the community and getting some trust from the families and therapists. I think the beginning was really complicated because no one know about you and they kind of, “Who are you? What is this product?” I’m like, “Just try it.”

Well, like you said, it had to be difficult because since they got away from, I guess, building amount of wood, there hasn’t been a whole lot of innovation. Maybe in some things, some materials and stuff like that, but especially in the customization part, that’s not something you really see every day. So I’m sure it did take a little bit of time to get some buy-in.

But I do like the way that I like that you said that you have the distributors reaching out because they’re getting the information from the families and the users. That’s usually a pretty good vote of confidence in what you’re making if you’re getting the … Oh, well the recommendations from the end user who’s actually benefiting from it. So that’s usually a pretty darn good sign.

Yeah.

Alex, if our listeners want to find out more about Testa-Seat, what’s a good way for them to do that?

So I’m usually saying that we need to update the website. The best way is to visit our social media and especially Instagram, and it’ll be TSTA_SEAT, TSTA_SEAT in Instagram. And we can also visit testa-seat, Testa with hyphen, seat.com. But usually social media is a great place for us because we discovered that all the families and most of the therapists that we’re working with, they are just on the social media for the same reason that they are. Looking for new information, they are looking for new solutions. But I think the main reason that most of the families there, it’s also they are looking for other families that have the same challenges, and see how it works for them. So yeah, social media usually will be the best approach.

Awesome. We will put all that down in the show notes so that folks can easily find it.

Well Alex, thanks so much for coming on for telling us about Testa-Seat, and just how it’s so customizable and can really make a difference in the life of a lot of individuals. Thanks again.

Thank you, Josh. Thank you for having us and also for all the resources that you provide for the families.

Do you have a question about assistive technology? Do you have a suggestion for someone we should interview on an 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.

A special thanks to Nicole 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, our 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.