About This Blog

WHO AND WHAT IS THIS BLOG FOR?

As almost everyone knows these days, we are bombarded by information.

I don't know about you, but in my job, Adaptive (or Assistive) Technology (AT) is just a piece of what I do. But as is the nature of technology, you're forced to keep up with an ever-changing plethora of software, apps and other solutions for individuals with disabilities or chronic medical conditions that impact their education.

So through my day I find myself inundated with all sorts of relevant and helpful documents, links, tips and videos that may not be immediately necessary, but I know I'll need to have handy for that inevitable moment in which:

- I'll be struggling to remember the name of that new software program or app that could be a viable option for a student with a particular condition.

or

- Maybe a student needs AT but isn't eligible for funding and are wondering about free or low-cost alternatives.

or

- A student wants to learn how to better use their AT and I don't have the time to sit down to train them because it's that crazy time of the year where my priorities have to be turned elsewhere.

or

- Another staff member comes to me wanting more information on a particular accessibility-related topic and I know there are free webinars, tutorials or guidelines that someone has already made on that very subject.

BUT HASN'T THIS BEEN DONE BEFORE?

While I know that there are plenty of great websites out there that list similar AT and accessibility resources, the majority of them tend to lump all the links together or sort them in a very general way.

And after over 5 years now of feeling like the laziest Adaptive Technologist in the world, I'm taking a stand. I've chosen to use the lack of time and budget I've been given for the forces of good instead of evil: to ultimately make myself more efficient, organized and resourceful.

I wanted to be able to organize and curate the information I come across so that it could be compiled into a one page, "at-a-glance", "one-stop-shop" format where I could quickly find what I was looking for and share it with as little hassle as possible.

So yeah. I'm doing this mostly for me. If you find what I've done here helpful for you, too, that's just swell.

WHY "THE ACCIDENTAL TECHNOLOGIST"?  

While I've never read Anne Tyler's novel, "The Accidental Tourist", nor have I seen the Academy Award-winning film of the same name, I can definitely say that it has a catchy title...

Borrowing from it (slightly) seemed apropos considering how I pretty much stumbled into this career and in my line of work, when you don't really have a lot of time or get a lot of funding for technology or professional development, you're ultimately stumbling around in it as well.

My hope is that this blog will help me (and you) stumble along as gracefully as possible.