Last May, after many years of volunteering in her community, Lynn began working her first paid job in 23 years as a library assistant at the local library in Fort St James. She has a spinal cord injury and uses a wheelchair, needing an accessible vehicle to commute to and from work.

“Earlier that year, my accessible vehicle was involved in an accident, which significantly impacted my independence. Without reliable transportation, everyday activities — including volunteering — became difficult and unsustainable,” she says. “I knew I needed to return to work in order to purchase a new accessible vehicle and regain my independence.”

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There are lots of great reading apps on the market that are designed to offer alternative approaches to accessing digital text. In fact, the app that we are looking at today is essentially the Android version of one of our favourites, Voice Dream Reader.

Legere Reader is a reading app designed to support people who face barriers when accessing digital text. Built with accessibility at its core, Legere helps users read, listen to, and interact with documents in ways that match their individual needs. It is a great option for individuals with visual impairments, learning disabilities such as dyslexia, brain injuries, or anyone who benefits from customizable reading tools.

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Lena works as an ESL teacher. Her duties include helping the students practice pronunciation, providing guidance and feedback, and managing the flow of class, all in a noisy and fast-paced environment. She has hearing loss.

“Without my hearing aids it was extremely difficult for me to communicate efficiently with my students, understand their comments and questions, as well as help my students become confident while speaking, because they were not sure if they made any mistakes every time I could not hear them,” she shares.

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We’ve looked at task management and to-do list apps in the past, but we haven’t spent a lot of time looking at apps that are designed to promote independent living. CanPlan was designed specifically with people who have cognitive challenges in mind, offering a way to complete everyday activities by breaking them down into clear, manageable steps. The app was designed with a variety of individuals in mind, including those with brain injuries, dementia, Autism, Fetal Alcohol, Dyslexia, and a variety of developmental disabilities.

CanPlan is a step-by-step photo-reminder/planner app that pairs simple instructions with a variety of prompts. Users can choose from photos, text, and optional audio prompts in order to guide individuals through a variety of routines like making a meal, completing household chores, or getting ready to leave the house.

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While receiving training for a career in human resources, Earl was referred to WorkBC Assistive Technology Services for accommodations to help him with his studies and job search activities. Earl faces many employment-related barriers.

“I have physical, cognitive, and mental health related functional limitations that can affect comfort, concentration, processing speed, and stamina when completing tasks. Without appropriate ergonomic support and structured working conditions, it can be more difficult to stay focused for extended periods and to complete computer-based work consistently,” he shares.

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On the latest episode of our AT Help Desk podcast, “We Have Solutions,” we review the Youlearn.ai app as well as Dragon Anywhere Mobile, and discuss the upcoming AT Summit taking place in February. To register for the AT Summit, click here.

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Theresa has been working as a public service assistant at a library for 10 years, helping people from all walks of life access resources at the library.

“I experienced gradual, age-related hearing loss that made it very difficult to understand conversations,” she shares. “I was constantly asking people to repeat themselves, and it was as frustrating to me as I am sure it was to anyone with whom I was attempting to converse, both patrons and colleagues.”

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YouLearn.ai is an AI-powered study platform that helps users learn from their own materials in more flexible and accessible ways. By allowing users to upload documents, lecture recordings, slides, and videos, YouLearn turns traditional learning content into summaries, quizzes, flashcards, and interactive explanations. For many learners, especially those with disabilities, this kind of adaptability can make a meaningful difference in how information is understood and retained.

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Sophie works in education, helping children succeed in the classroom and reach their goals. She has severe to profound hearing loss.

Her local WorkBC Centre referred her to WorkBC Assistive Technology Services for funding for the new set of hearing aids she needed on the job. “They were able to help me get new hearing aids,” she shares.

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Andrea works as a Senior Executive Assistant, and her job involves scheduling meetings, responding to inquiries from the public, and coordinating accommodations. Much of her work takes place over the phone, or virtually through Microsoft Teams.

“In my current role, I am responsible for a range of tasks that require clear, consistent, and often spontaneous verbal communication,” she shares. “I have bi-lateral, sensorineural hearing loss, which I have experienced since childhood. While I have developed coping mechanisms for personal and social situations, my hearing loss impacts my ability to perform job-related tasks efficiently and equitably.

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