What Does Success Look Like?

TOPIC:

Assistive Technology & Success: Who Defines It? Who Measures It?

EVENT:

A panel discussion on assistive technology, service delivery and success: Who defines it, who measures it and who funds it?

Culturally, we tend to think of technology as an object with dimension -- plastic, glass, and wires -- and then contextually as a retail experience: you see it, buy it, consume it, and then dispose of it. Because the object (i.e. technology) changes at such an accelerated pace, there is always another new, more advanced, better object to consider. This dynamic keeps us focused on the object and we risk losing sight of the practical goal for which the object was first conceived.

This facilitated panel will explore the big question: What does success look like?

Assistive technology is neither a retail experience nor does it lend itself easily to time-measured outcomes. Today service delivery systems are under tremendous pressure to quantify narrowly defined outcomes. A panel of AT professionals and consumers will examine the culture, biases and pressures of AT service delivery and funding. In this environment -- whether it be the classroom, the work place, or the community -- consumers of assistive technology are too often faced with unrealistic expectations to be delivered within unreasonably restrictive time frames.

Assistive technology is a process -- one that requires awareness, exploration and often multiple trials before matching the appropriate tool for the job. This process is typically under-valued in the equation for success and measured outcomes.

Panelists and participants will have an opportunity to reshape the notion of success and challenge the current model trends of many funding streams including private, foundation and government programs.

SPEAKERS:

• Martin Sweeney, Moderator; Assistive Technology Network; California
• Mary Lester, Executive Director; Alliance for Technology Access; Petaluma, California
• Vaughn Held, Program Coordinator for Assistive Technology; Community Resources for Independence; Santa Rosa, California
• Eric Larsen, TRADE Program Director; Computer Access Center; Los Angeles, California
• Carol Casperson, AT Programs Coordinator for the Los Angeles Unified School District; Los Angeles, California
• Neal Albritton, President; Albritton Disability Consulting Services, LLC; Sacramento, California
• Jeff Dahlen, President; Words+; Lancaster, California

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

This session will be of great interest and value to service providers, educators, employers, vendors and funders of Assistive Technology.